NewzIntel.com

Category: Politics

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Stats NZ information release: Disability and activity limitations: 2023 Census

    Source: Statistics New Zealand

    Disability and activity limitations: 2023 Census – 20 May 2025 – Disability and activity limitations: 2023 Census provides information through the release of 52 new Aotearoa Data Explorer tables and a report Using data from the Household Disability Survey and the 2023 Census.

    Disability and activity limitation statistics provide important insights about disabled people living in New Zealand. These statistics and insights are used by government agencies, service providers, and community groups to monitor the outcomes of disabled people compared with non-disabled people and to support the development of accessible services.

    Activity limitations are measured in the census using the Washington Group Short Set on Functioning (WGSS). The WGSS asks about six basic activities that a person might have difficulty with: seeing, hearing, walking or climbing stairs, remembering or concentrating, washing all over or dressing, and communicating. A person can have more than one activity limitation and will be counted for each limitation they give as a response.

    Files:

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Advocacy – Nine Aid Trucks Are Not Enough: The Occupying State’s Token Gesture in Gaza Must Be Condemned – PFNZ

    Source: Palestine Forum of New Zealand

    May 19, 2025 – Auckland, New Zealand – In a clear act of defiance against international humanitarian obligations, the occupying state has permitted only nine aid trucks to enter the Gaza Strip — covering both the devastated north and south. This paltry number of trucks represents a deliberate and cynical attempt to circumvent global decisions calling for unrestricted humanitarian access.

    Under the guise of permitting aid, this token gesture is being used to claim compliance while continuing to suffocate more than two million Palestinians trapped under siege. It is a tactic designed to deflect international criticism and ease diplomatic pressure without meaningfully alleviating the catastrophic conditions faced by civilians.

    This is not aid — it is manipulation. The humanitarian crisis in Gaza demands immediate, full, and unhindered access to food, water, medical supplies, and shelter for all areas of the Strip. The international community must see through these performative measures and act decisively.

    We call on governments, humanitarian agencies, and civil society around the world to intensify public and political pressure on the occupying state. It is imperative that world leaders hold it accountable for its ongoing violations and demand an end to the blockade, the siege, and these deceptive, life-threatening tactics.

    Every minute of delay costs lives. Nine trucks are not enough. Gaza needs justice, not crumbs.

    Maher Nazzal
    Palestine Forum of New Zealand

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Health – Urgent and after-hours care support welcome, but Budget must tackle GP funding and retention – Genaro

    Source: GenPro

    The General Practice Owners Association is welcoming a $41 million a year uplift in funding for urgent and after-hours care services and hopes the government’s newly proactive approach to supporting family doctors continues in Thursday’s Budget.

    “The after-hours and urgent care system is under considerable stress – about 10 urgent care services closed in the last two years – so it’s encouraging the government is funding improvement to urgent and after-hours care, but the devil is in the detail,” said Dr Angus Chambers, Chair of GenPro.

    In particular more detail is required on rural services, which are under considerable stress, and on the split in funds for five new regional services, the expansion of others, and support for those already operating.

    “This $164 million injection over four years and other recent announcements by senior ministers show the government is serious about tackling the crisis in primary health care.
     
    “Looking forward, the best thing the Budget could contain is a 10 percent uplift in the government’s contribution to general practice, which covers approximately half a patient’s consultation fee.

    “The government’s contribution has gradually fallen over the past 20 years, a period when an aging population, changing health needs, rising costs, and stretched hospitals have piled more work and cost on family doctors.

    “The result is that many general practices have closed or reduced their services, GP salaries have failed to keep pace with overseas, and recruitment hasn’t kept up with GPs leaving or retiring. We expect considerable upward pressure on patient fees unless there is a substantial funding boost in the Budget.

    “The government currently puts $1.3 billion or just 4 percent of its $30 billion health budget toward general practice.  A 10 percent uplift is urgently required in 2025/26 just to catch up and maintain existing services, with more investment needed in later years.

    “General practice would also like the Budget to include progress on a new method for funding general practice to replace the current flawed ‘capitation’ model.

    “A new model has been worked on for years by successive governments. But we’re still waiting for an outcome. The need is urgent as the old model hasn’t kept pace with the needs of patients and is resulting in longer waiting times to see a family doctor,” Dr Chambers said.

    GenPro members are owners and providers of general practices and urgent care centres throughout Aotearoa New Zealand. For more information visit  www.genpro.org.nz

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rosen Statement on Supreme Court Ruling Allowing Trump Administration to Revoke TPS for Venezuelans

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV)
    WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) released the following statement regarding the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn a lower court’s decision to block President Trump from revoking Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Venezuelans.
    “Venezuelans still face dire and unimaginable conditions as a result of the Maduro regime’s brutality and oppression,” said Senator Rosen. “TPS has allowed law-abiding Venezuelans to escape political violence and economic collapse, and legally live in the United States and contribute to our economy. It’s outrageous that the Supreme Court is allowing Donald Trump to end this protection and send Venezuelans back into harm’s way.”
    Senator Rosen has been clear in her support for securing the border and making sure the asylum process is humane and orderly. She has also been outspoken in opposing mass deportation, and strongly supporting DACA and TPS recipients and their families. Earlier this year, she condemned the Trump Administration’s decision to revoke a previously authorized TPS extension for Venezuelans and released a statement condemning President Trump’s unconstitutional attempt to end birthright citizenship. Last month, Rosen helped introduce legislation to reaffirm access to legal counsel during immigration proceedings. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: 15 years ago, I urged the AFL to launch a mental health round. Now it’s time for action

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Pat McGorry, Professor of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne

    The death of former AFL footballer Adam Selwood, less than four months after the death by suicide of his twin Troy, is an unfathomable tragedy for the Selwood family.

    The devastating news has sent shockwaves through the AFL and wider Australian communities.

    The shock and grief have prompted many people, from current and former AFL players to fans and media commentators, to seek actions and solutions.

    The immediate priority is to ensure the Selwood family and anyone who is currently struggling with mental ill-health and may be adversely impacted by this latest tragedy, is supported and offered hope for the future.

    In addition, the AFL community and mental health advocates have implored the AFL to introduce a mental health round, similar to its other themed rounds such as its ANZAC commemorations or the current Sir Doug Nicholls round, which celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander players, cultures and communities.

    Better late than never?

    I first raised the idea of a mental health round for the AFL in 2010 with then-CEO Andrew Demetriou after I was fortunate enough to be named Australian of the Year.

    This allowed me gain access to prominent leaders to champion the fight against the alarming rise of mental ill-health in Australia – especially young people.

    The idea never materialised, but I strongly believe a mental health round can play a significant role in reimagining the national conversation on mental health.

    However, there are pros and cons to this, and it is critical it is approached in a strategic fashion that goes beyond just awareness and anti-stigma campaigns.

    It must instead deliver real and meaningful reform to reduce the impact of mental ill-health and preventable deaths from suicide.

    The problem we face

    Mental ill-health affects all Australians directly or indirectly – suicide is the number one cause of death for people under 40.

    More than 3,000 families every year lose a loved one to suicide and these are largely preventable deaths.

    This growing public health crisis creates a huge burden that is social, emotional and economic.

    In 2021, the Productivity Commission estimated the cost to Australia of our neglect of mental ill-health and suicide: around A$200 billion per year.

    Up to 75% of all mental disorders begin before the age of 25.

    Suicide is the biggest killer of young people, and two in five young people now experience mental ill-health every year, a 50% increase since 2007.

    Athletes sit within the peak age of risk for mental ill-health, and elite sport can come with unique pressures that heightens risk.

    While the AFL and most clubs have engaged strongly around this issue and have sought to provide support for current and former players, the wider mental health crisis extends far beyond the boundaries of the sporting arena.

    Now the AFL has a unique opportunity to drive significant change.

    Benefits and risks of a mental health round

    A mental health round would build on key recommendations from The Lancet Psychiatry’s 2024 commission on youth mental health.

    Produced by a global consortium of world-leading psychiatrists, psychologists, academics and young people, it identified the need for “high-profile societal champions” to help sustain “high-quality media attention, which is crucial to any political campaign”.

    It highlights societal champions (such as sporting bodies and figures), alongside the unified voice of health and research experts “play a key role in ensuring a message is received by a wider audience and appeals to the public in order to gain support from policy makers”.

    This approach must be underpinned by powerful storytelling, which emphasises:

    Positive stories of effective care and innovation, combined with credible first-person accounts from service users and their families and carers.

    The AFL is uniquely positioned to deliver this by uniting athletes, fans, media platforms and grassroots programs.

    It has taken on this role before with positive results, improving awareness and raising money for our ANZACs, as well as the fight against motor neurone disease (MND) – a relatively rare condition compared to mental illness and suicide.

    However, it is imperative any such approach moves beyond the well-meaning but tired awareness campaigns that merely encourage people to “check on your mates”, “speak up if you’re struggling” or suggest the solution is simply a matter of improving “resilience”.

    That can be code for “just pull yourself together” or “toughen up” – language that is all too familiar in footy circles.

    Some elements of the sporting media may need to look in the mirror here.

    Anti-stigma campaigns are similarly ineffective in isolation.

    A key objective of a mental health round should also be to engage and empower grassroots Australian communities to demand investment the mental health crisis urgently requires.

    There is not much use urging people to seek help if expert mental health care is inaccessible or of poor quality. We can rely on world-class cancer care when we need it, but not so mental health care.

    In addition to rapid and free access to high quality care, we also need a major boost to scientific research to create new treatments and fuel prevention.

    The AFL is already a case study in how to galvanise medical research in another neglected area via its partnership with the FightMND campaign, an incredible initiative that has raised both public engagement and precious funds for scientific discovery.

    A step forward?

    To honour the tragic deaths of Adam and Troy Selwood and the tens of thousands of families who have been are devastated by suicide in recent years, Australia needs to do something about it.

    The AFL is uniquely positioned to take a decisive leadership role on this issue.

    But a mental health round must ensure public mental health experts are central to its design and delivery, so it drives not just conversation but real, lasting change.

    If this article has raised issues for you, or if you’re concerned about someone you know, call Lifeline on 13 11 14.

    Patrick McGorry receives funding from the NHRMC, NIH, Wellcome Trust and other research funders fro scientific research in mental health and suicide prevention. I am a member of the AFL’s mental health advisory committee.

    – ref. 15 years ago, I urged the AFL to launch a mental health round. Now it’s time for action – https://theconversation.com/15-years-ago-i-urged-the-afl-to-launch-a-mental-health-round-now-its-time-for-action-256995

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Boredom gets a bad rap. But science says it can actually be good for us

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Kennedy, Youth Mental Health Researcher, University of the Sunshine Coast

    We have all experienced boredom – that feeling of waning interest or decreased mental stimulation. Eventually we lose focus, we disengage. Time seems to pass slowly, and we may even start to feel restless. Whether it be watching a movie that disappoints, a child complaining that “there’s nothing to do”, or an adult zoning out during a meeting – boredom is a universal experience.

    Generally defined as difficulty maintaining attention or interest in a current activity, boredom is commonly viewed as a negative state that we should try to avoid or prevent ourselves from experiencing.

    But what if there’s another way to view boredom, as a positive state? Could learning to embrace boredom be of benefit?

    The brain on boredom

    The brain network is a system of interconnected regions that work together to support different functions. We can liken it to a city where suburbs (brain regions) are connected by roads (neural pathways), all working together to allow information to travel efficiently.

    When we experience boredom – say, while watching a movie – our brain engages specific networks. The attention network prioritises relevant stimuli while filtering out distractions and is active when we commence the movie.

    However, as our attention wanes, activity in the attention network decreases, reflecting our diminished ability to maintain focus on the unengaging content. Likewise, decreased activity occurs in the frontoparietal or executive control network due to the struggle to maintain engagement with the unengaging movie.

    Simultaneously, the default mode network activates, shifting our attention toward internal thoughts and self-reflection. This is a core function of the default mode network, referred to as introspection, and suggestive of a strategy for coping with boredom.

    This complex interplay of networks involves several key brain regions “working together” during the state of boredom. The insula is a key hub for sensory and emotional processing. This region shows increased activity when detecting internal body signals – such as thoughts of boredom – indicating the movie is no longer engaging. This is often referred to as “interoception”.

    The amygdala can be likened to an internal alarm system. It processes emotional information and plays a role in forming emotional memories. During boredom, this region processes associated negative emotions, and the ventral medial prefrontal cortex motivates us to seek alternative stimulating activities.

    The default mode network in our brains (highlighted here) shifts our attention towards internal thoughts and self-reflection when we’re bored.
    John Graner/Wikipedia

    Boredom versus overstimulation

    We live in a society that subjects us to information overload and high stress. Relatedly, many of us have adopted a fast-paced lifestyle, constantly scheduling ourselves to keep busy. As adults we juggle work and family. If we have kids, the habit of filling the day with schooling and after-school activities allows us to work longer hours.

    In between these activities, if we have time to pause, we may be on our screens constantly organising, updating, or scrolling to simply stay occupied. As a result, adults inadvertently model the need to be constantly “on” to younger generations.

    This constant stimulation can be costly – particularly for our nervous system. Our overscheduling can feed into overstimulation of the nervous system. The sympathetic nervous system which manages our fight-or-flight response is designed to deal with times of stress.

    However, when we are constantly stressed by taking in new information and juggling different activities, the sympathetic nervous system can stay activated for too long, due to the cumulative effects of repeated exposure to different stressors. This is sometimes referred to as “allostatic overload”. It is when our nervous system becomes overwhelmed, keeping us in a heightened state of arousal, which can increase our risk of anxiety.

    Eliminating the state of boredom deprives us of a simple and natural way to reset our sympathetic nervous system.

    Could boredom be good for us?

    In small doses, boredom is the necessary counterbalance to the overstimulated world in which we live. It can offer unique benefits for our nervous system and our mental health. This is opposed to long periods of boredom where increased default mode network activity may be associated with depression.

    There are several benefits of giving ourselves permission to be occasionally bored:

    • improvements in creativity, allowing us to build “flow” in our thoughts
    • develops independence in thinking and encourages finding other interests rather than relying on constant external input
    • supports self-esteem and emotional regulation, because unstructured times can help us sit with our feelings which are important for managing anxiety
    • encourages periods without device use and breaks the loop of instant gratification that contributes to compulsive device use
    • rebalances the nervous system and reduces sensory input to help calm anxiety.

    Embrace the pause

    Anxiety levels are on the rise worldwide, especially among our youth. Many factors contribute to this trend. We are constantly “on”, striving to ensure we are scheduling for every moment. But in doing so, we are potentially depriving our brains and bodies of the downtime they need to reset and recharge.

    We need to embrace the pause. It is a space where creativity can prosper, emotions can be regulated, and the nervous system can reset.

    Daniel Hermens receives funding from the Commonwealth government’s Prioritising Mental Health Initiative and the Queensland Mental Health Commission.

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

    – ref. Boredom gets a bad rap. But science says it can actually be good for us – https://theconversation.com/boredom-gets-a-bad-rap-but-science-says-it-can-actually-be-good-for-us-255767

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Wicker Helping Maintain America’s AI Edge

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Mississippi Roger Wicker
    For decades, most Americans thought of artificial intelligence (AI) as a make-believe character in science fiction movies. Now, the future has arrived. We are adjusting to a world full of AI.
    Artificial intelligence is with us at the doctor’s office, helping detect cancer during our annual screenings. Companies use AI to support self-driving vehicles. On Facebook, users debate whether video clips are authentic or are eerily believable “deepfakes.” ChatGPT notoriously allows students to produce illicit term papers in seconds. On the battlefield, AI lets soldiers quickly analyze enemy activity. I could go on – to AI’s applications in finance, agriculture, manufacturing, and more.
    The Risks and Rewards of AI
    Those capabilities make people both excited and troubled. We call this intelligence “artificial” because scientists create it. They use math to teach computers how to solve problems and recognize patterns. Americans recognize that AI has nearly unlimited potential to benefit humanity. But the technology also raises difficult questions about privacy and job security.
    Even the recently-elected pope understands these concerns. In his first address to the world, Pope Leo XIV said this rapidly developing technology raises, “new challenges for the defense of human dignity, justice, and labor.” I believe the pope is right to recognize the high stakes. To use AI wisely, we need input from leaders in the church, government, academia, and the private sector.
    In the U.S. Senate, my colleagues and I are working to balance the risks and rewards of AI. Earlier this year, we acted to protect Americans from some of the harmful uses of the technology. Congress passed and President Trump signed into law a bill called the Take It Down Act. A key part of that law sets punishments for those who use AI to create certain pornographic deepfakes.
    Beat China in the AI Race
    The Take It Down Act demonstrates the unfortunate fact that individuals can misuse AI to devastating effect. The same is true for our adversaries. For the past two decades, the Chinese Communist Party has been pouring trillions of dollars into its military, trying to challenge the United States in hard power. It has also been investing in cyber capabilities such as AI.
    The United States is – and can remain – ahead of the Chinese Communist Party’s technological ambitions. But we must act quickly to keep America’s edge. Simply put, if we do not win the AI race, China will – directly threatening our national security.
    To Win, Unleash American Innovation
    America is poised to succeed in AI because we have the world’s most dynamic talent, research, and business ecosystem. The government should do what it can to facilitate that marketplace. Any government regulations on AI must begin with a “light touch” so that innovators can experiment, prototype, and compete. In this way, we mirror the approach the government took with the internet, allowing that technology to grow and develop in the United States.
    Unfortunately, President Biden took the opposite approach. In the final week of his term, officials set new rules that would have handicapped the supply chain for chips and semiconductors, which power AI. The rule would have gone into effect this month, weakening the American companies helping us win the technology race.
    My Republican colleagues and I encouraged President Trump to block the heavy-handed rule, and he did so this month. The president replaced that Biden-era policy with a framework that makes the United States and our allies more competitive again.
    On that positive note, it seems fitting to conclude with a summary written by ChatGPT: “America has always led the world in innovation. From the lightbulb to the moon landing to the internet, we have proven time and again that freedom fosters invention. AI should be no different.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kennedy, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announce National Center of Excellence for LNG Safety in Lake Charles

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator John Kennedy (Louisiana)
    WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy today announced that McNeese State University in Lake Charles, La. was selected as the site of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) National Center of Excellence for Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Safety.
    “In 2020, Congress passed the PIPES Act, which improved pipeline safety and infrastructure. As part of the bill, I added language that created the first-ever National Center of Excellence for LNG Safety, but I didn’t stop there. I made sure in that bill that the newly created Center was required to be in Louisiana. Today, President Trump and Transportation Secretary Duffy announced that the Center will be headquartered at McNeese State University in Lake Charles, and I thank them,” said Kennedy.
    “Producing and exporting LNG is one of the most powerful ways we can unleash American energy, and the Lake Charles region is a critical hub of LNG activity in the U.S. The sheer volume of product supplied by the state of Louisiana is unparalleled and growing, and there is no better place to locate our Center of Excellence,” said Duffy.
    The Protecting our Infrastructure of Pipelines and Enhancing Safety (PIPES) Act of 2020 required PHMSA to establish that the National Center of Excellence for LNG Safety improve the federal government’s LNG facility expertise, act as an information repository on best practices for LNG facilities and facilitate collaboration among LNG stakeholders.
    “The Center will advance LNG safety by promoting collaboration among government agencies, industry, academia, and other safety partners. Consolidating such remarkable levels of expertise will benefit the LNG sector for many generations to come,” said PHMSA Acting Administrator Ben Kochman.
    “The PHMSA National Center of Excellence for LNG Safety at McNeese will be a game-changer for our region in terms of workforce development and groundbreaking research. We are excited to be on the forefront of helping ensure safety and sustainability in the energy sector and look forward to working with PHMSA to develop a world-class facility to house their staff,” said Wade Rousse, President, McNeese State University. 
    Kennedy has long fought for the National Center of Excellence for LNG Safety and its presence in southwest Louisiana.
    In 2020, Kennedy inserted a provision to the PIPES Act requiring that the Center be in Louisiana. The PIPES Act, including Kennedy’s addition, became law as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021.
    In May 2024, Kennedy questioned then-Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg in the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies (THUD Appropriations). In response to Kennedy’s questioning, Buttigieg confirmed that the Center would be located in Lake Charles, La.
    During a May 2025 THUD Appropriations hearing, Kennedy questioned Secretary Duffy and confirmed that McNeese State University would be the site of the new Center. McNeese State University is the first undergraduate institution in the U.S. to offer a certificate program in LNG Business and is already the site of its own LNG Center of Excellence.
    PHMSA and other federal agencies, including the U.S. Coast Guard, Department of Energy and Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, have worked together to ensure the Center is focused on its mission of making the U.S. the leader in LNG operations. 
    Additional information about the National Center of Excellence for LNG Safety is available on PHMSA’s website.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Duckworth Hosts Veterans Town Hall in Crystal Lake

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth
    May 17, 2025
    [CRYSTAL LAKE, IL] – Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today hosted a town hall in Crystal Lake to hear directly from Veterans and other Illinoisans about how the Trump Administration and Elon Musk’s draconian cuts to federal programs and indiscriminate firings of federal workers are impacting them. Duckworth, who serves on both the U.S. Senate Armed Services (SASC) and Veterans’ Affairs Committees (SVAC), discussed her efforts at the federal level to help Veterans and shared information about local resources available to the community, including how her casework staff can assist Veterans and other constituents who are having issues receiving the benefits they’ve earned. Also joining Duckworth at today’s town hall was Army Veteran Major General James Mukoyama as well as representatives from McHenry County Veteran Service Organizations (VSOs), the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs (IDVA), Lake-McHenry County Habitat For Humanity, Illinois Joining Forces and local community leaders. Photos from today’s town hall can be found on the Senator’s website.
    “Our government has an obligation to support our Veterans in a way that honors their service and sacrifice,” Duckworth said. “By firing thousands of Veterans, gutting the VA and jeopardizing Veterans care and benefits, Donald Trump is completely betraying that obligation. I appreciate all of the Veterans and local leaders who came out to share their stories at my town hall today, and I’m as committed as ever to pushing back against Trump’s efforts to privatize our VA and defending those who sacrificed to defend us.”
    Duckworth has been a fierce leader and advocate for Veterans, VA staff and Veteran Crisis Line (VCL) workers in the wake of the disastrous Trump-Musk layoffs at the VA. After the Trump Administration’s indiscriminate purge of Veterans and VA employees, including staff who help operate the VCL, Duckworth led her fellow Democratic colleagues in demanding answers from Trump and VA Secretary Doug Collins on exactly who was impacted—requesting a list of public answers detailing the specific job categories that were impacted, how many of those fired were Veterans and more. After the first purge at VA laid off workers with the VCL—including several Veterans—Duckworth successfully pushed the Trump Administration to reinstate these devoted public servants that work to support our Veterans in their darkest moments. Earlier this month, she criticized VA Secretary Doug Collins for erroneously firing workers with Veterans Crisis Line without cause in the first place and jeopardizing the lives of Veterans who depend on it.
    This spring, Duckworth introduced a resolution to condemn the Trump-Musk layoffs and demand the immediate reinstatement of all Veteran federal employees illegally and indiscriminately fired since Trump took office. Ultimately, Republicans blocked the resolution. Pushing for this resolution came after Duckworth and U.S. Senator Andy Kim (D-NJ) introduced their Protect Veteran Jobs Act in March, legislation that would reinstate the thousands of Veterans who were fired in the Trump-Musk layoffs. Duckworth and Kim subsequently introduced their legislation as an amendment to Republicans’ slush fund continuing resolution. Republicans shamefully blocked it from passing.
    In February, Duckworth also joined SVAC Ranking Member Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and a group of 34 Democratic Senators calling on VA Secretary Collins to immediately reinstate the more than 1,000 VA employees terminated earlier that month who serve Veterans and their families nationwide, including critical employees addressing Veteran suicide working at the Veterans Crisis Line.
    Additionally, Duckworth has long been a leader in pushing for better benefits and support for members of the armed and uniformed services and their family members. In April, she introduced legislation that would help expand leave benefits for the millions of devoted health professionals serving in the U.S. Public Health Service (PHS) Commissioned Corps. Last year, she helped secure $2.9 billion to support family caregivers of disabled Veterans and $2.4 billion to expand benefits and services for military and Veteran caregivers to include health care and mental health services, among other things. Last month, she also renewed her push to ensure IVF treatment costs are covered on servicemembers’ and military families’ health care plans.
    Last December, Duckworth helped pass the bipartisan Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that gave servicemembers a pay raise and included a Duckworth-led provision to improve access to high-quality medical care for servicemembers and their families in the Indo-Pacific region, among other wins for military families.
    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Speight’s Fiji coup had more to do with power, greed than iTaukei rights, says Chaudhry

    Today marks the 25th anniversary of the May 19, 2000, coup led by renegade businessman George Speight.

    The deposed Prime Minister, Mahendra Chaudhry, says Speight’s motive had less to do with indigenous rights and a lot more to do with power, greed, and access to the millions likely to accrue from Fiji’s mahogany plantation.

    On this day 25 years ago, the elected government was held hostage at the barrel of the gun, the Parliament complex started filling up with rebels supporting the takeover, Suva City and other areas in Fiji were looted and burnt, and innocent people were attacked just because of their race.

    Chaudhry said indigenous emotions were “deliberately ignited to beat up support for the treasonous actions of the terrorists”.

    He said the coup threw the nation into chaos from which it had not fully recovered even to this day.

    Chaudhry said using George Speight as a frontman, the “real perpetrators” of the coup, assisted by a group of armed rebels from the Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF), held Chaudhry and members of his government hostage for 56 days as they plundered, looted and terrorised the Indo-Fijian community in various parts of the country.

    The Fiji Labour Party leader said that, as with current Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka, who led the first two coups in 1987, so with Speight in May 2000, that the given reason for the treason and the mayhem that followed was to “protect the rights and interests of the indigenous community”.

    Chaudhry said today that it was widely acknowledged that the rights of the indigenous community was not endangered either in 1987 or in 2000.

    He added that they were simply used to pursue personal and political agendas.

    Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka with former prime minister Mahendra Chaudhry . . . apology accepted during the Girmit Day Thanksgiving and National Reconciliation church service at the Vodafone Arena in Suva. Image: Jonacani Lalakobau/The Fiji Times

    The FLP leader said those who benefitted were the elite in Fijian society, not ordinary people.

    Chaudhry said this was obvious from current statistics which showed that currently the iTaukei surveyed made up 75 percent of those living in poverty.

    He said poverty reports in the early 1990s showed practically a balance in the number of Fijians and Indo-Fijians living in poverty.

    Prisoner George Speight speaking to inmates in 2011 . . . he and his rogue gunmen seized then Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry and his government hostage in a 2000 crisis that lasted for 56 days. Image: Fijivillage News/YouTube screenshot

    The former prime minister says it was obvious that the coups had done nothing to improve the quality of life of the ordinary indigenous iTaukei.

    Instead, he said the coups had had a devastating impact on the entire socio-economic fabric of Fiji’s society, putting the nation decades behind in terms of development.

    Chaudhry said the sorry state of Fiji today — “the suffering of our people and continued high rate of poverty, deteriorating health and education services, the failing infrastructure and weakened state of our economy” — were all indicators of how post-coup governments had failed to deliver on the expectations of the people.

    He said: “It is time for us to rise above discredited notions of racism and fundamentalism and embrace progressive, liberal thinking.”

    Chaudhry added that leaders needed to be judged on their vision and performance and not on their colour and creed.

    Republished with permission from FijiVillage News.

    2000 attempted coup leader George Speight with a bodyguard and supporters during the siege drama in May 2000. Image: Fijivillage News

    Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Kehoe Requests Federal Disaster Declaration for Barry, Greene, Lawrence, McDonald, Newton and Washington Counties for Destructive April 29 Severe Storms

    Source: US State of Missouri

    MAY 19, 2025

    Jefferson City — Today, Governor Mike Kehoe requested that President Donald Trump approve a major disaster declaration to provide federal assistance to six counties that sustained major damage as a result of a cluster of severe storms that swept through the area and produced eight tornadoes on April 29. The counties are Barry, Greene, Lawrence, McDonald, Newton and Washington.

    “This season’s weather pattern has brought one destructive severe storm after another to Missouri, and the April 29 storms led to widespread damage in six counties – damage that is simply beyond their capabilities and those of the state to sustain without federal assistance,” Governor Kehoe said. “Missourians are rallying to rebuild and support one another and will continue to do so as we now respond to the latest deadly and highly destructive storms that swept across the state on Friday, May 16.”

    Governor Kehoe is requesting Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Public Assistance based on documented damage and emergency response costs that exceed $16.5 million in Barry, Greene, Lawrence, McDonald, Newton and Washington counties alone. Those cost estimates were gathered during joint damage assessments conducted by FEMA, the State Emergency Management Agency, the U.S. Small Business Administration, and local officials and include damage to a public elementary school, a Missouri Department of Transportation facility, essential utility distribution lines, roads and other public infrastructure as well as debris removal.

    If approved, Public Assistance would allow local governments and qualifying nonprofit agencies to seek federal assistance for reimbursement of emergency response and recovery costs, including repair and replacement of damaged roads, bridges, and other public infrastructure.

    Missourians with unmet needs are encouraged to contact United Way by dialing 2-1-1 or the American Red Cross at 1-800-733-2767. For additional resources and information about disaster recovery in Missouri, including general clean-up information, housing assistance, and mental health services, please visit recovery.mo.gov.

    As of May 19, there have now been four major storms in the state of Missouri. The following outlines the current status of Governor Kehoe’s federal assistance requests:

    March 14-15 Storms

    Status: Awaiting Federal Disaster Declaration approval

    Details: On April 2, Governor Kehoe requested that President Donald J. Trump approve a major disaster declaration to provide federal assistance in a total of 28 counties in response to the severe storms and tornadoes that devastated Missouri March 14-15, claiming 13 lives and causing significant damage to homes, businesses, and public infrastructure.

    March 30 – April 8 Storms

    Status: Awaiting Federal Disaster Declaration approval

    Details: On May 1, Governor Kehoe requested that President Donald Trump approve a major disaster declaration to provide federal assistance in a total of 26 counties in response to the severe storms, tornadoes, and flooding that caused widespread destruction across the state, resulting in six confirmed deaths.

    April 29 Storms

    Status: Awaiting Federal Disaster Declaration approval

    Details: On May 19, Governor Kehoe requested that President Donald Trump approve a major disaster declaration to provide federal assistance to six counties that sustained major damage as a result of a cluster of severe storms that swept through the area and produced eight tornadoes on April 29.

    May 16 Storms

    Status: FEMA to participate in joint Preliminary Damage Assessments

        Sent request for federal Emergency Declaration to authorize Direct Federal Assistance and up to $5 million in immediate       funding to the state

    Details: On May 19, Governor Kehoe took two actions to expedite federal assistance to Missouri following the severe storms and tornadoes that struck the state on May 16, causing seven deaths and widespread damage in the St. Louis region and areas of southeast Missouri

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Tuesday, May 20, 2025

    Source: Government of Canada – Prime Minister

    National Capital Region, Canada

    1:00 p.m. The Prime Minister will convene and attend a Cabinet Planning Forum, where the government will advance its plans to build a stronger economy, strengthen Canada’s trade partnerships, bring down the cost of living, and keep communities safe.

    Closed to media

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Strong demand and reduced domestic competition have contributed to significant earnings for Qantas Group and Virgin Australia

    Source: Australian Ministers for Regional Development

    Australia’s two largest airline groups have both recorded strong financial results for the first half of 2024-25, reflecting a number of factors including strong ongoing demand for flying and limited domestic competition, the ACCC’s latest Domestic Airline Competition report has found.

    Qantas Group reported earnings before interest and taxes of $1.5 billion for the first half of 2024-25, with $916 million coming from its domestic operations across both Qantas and Jetstar.

    Of the Qantas Group’s total earnings, Qantas Domestic, including Qantaslink, contributed the highest share of the group’s earnings at $647 million. Much of this result can be attributed to the airline’s dominance in the corporate travel market – Qantas Group had an 80 per cent share of the corporate travel market over the reporting period, coinciding with a resurgence in demand.

    “The high half-yearly earnings reported by Qantas Group reflect its dominance of the domestic airline sector, with Qantas and Jetstar accounting for over 60 per cent of passengers,” ACCC Commissioner Anna Brakey said.

    The domestic operations of Jetstar recorded the biggest increase in earnings across the Qantas Group, increasing by 53.7 per cent between the first half 2023-24 and 2024-25, to $269 million. Jetstar Domestic became the sole low-cost carrier in Australia after the exit of Tigerair in 2020, and again when Bonza collapsed in April 2024.

    “Jetstar has been able to capitalise on the continued absence of competitive pressure from another low-cost carrier in the domestic market to increase its market share and operating margin,” Ms Brakey said.

    While Virgin Australia does not publicly report half-year results, its then CEO, Jayne Hrdlicka, said in February that the airline group had achieved record profits in the first half of the current financial year, following its post-administration restructure under Bain Capital.

    After the withdrawal of Rex from routes connecting capital cities, Virgin Australia has increased its share of passengers to 34.4 per cent in March 2025, up from 31.3 per cent from a year prior. Virgin Australia also secured three of Rex’s Boeing 737 aircraft leases, which has facilitated its ability to add seat capacity and improve network resilience.

    Record passenger volumes in April following weather disruptions in March

    Although the data was not yet available for this report, airlines and airports were expecting a significant increase in travellers in April with school holidays, Easter and ANZAC day all condensed into a three-week period. Airservices Australia noted that 17 April 2025 (the Thursday before Good Friday) was the busiest day for domestic travel in the past five years.

    This follows disruptions to travel in March, when passenger levels declined by 4.9 per cent compared to March 2024, which can be attributed to Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred and associated severe weather events along the east coast of Australia.

    Flights operating between Brisbane-Sydney and Brisbane-Melbourne experienced a 9.9 per cent and 9 per cent reduction in passengers in March 2025 respectively. Meanwhile, Gold Coast and Maroochydore airports experienced the biggest decline in passengers over this period by 30.2 per cent and 25.1 per cent respectively.

    The weather disruptions also contributed to the average industry flight cancellation rate increasing significantly in March 2025 to 5 per cent, compared to the long-term industry average of 2.2 per cent.

    Despite the disruptions caused by Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred, the on-time arrival rate has improved over the past six months to levels just below the long-term industry average of 80.7 per cent. The average industry on-time arrival rate was 80.2 per cent in March 2025, an improvement from 74.5 per cent in October 2024.

    “It is encouraging to see the on-time arrival rate improving as this means travellers can have more confidence that their flight will arrive at the time they booked,” Ms Brakey said.

    Seasonal patterns driving recent movements in airfares

    Following a peak in October 2024, the average airfare fell by 16.1 per cent in the three months to January 2025, before increasing again by 9.6 per cent by March 2025.

    “The trends observed in average airfares since January reflect seasonal factors and are broadly consistent with those observed in previous years,” Ms Brakey said.

    “Average airfares have come down from their peak in October 2024.”

    Demand for domestic air travel in the first quarter of 2025 was lower than 12 months prior. However, 2024 was a particularly unusual year by comparison due to significant events that led to unprecedented demand for flights to Melbourne and Sydney, such as the Taylor Swift concerts in February 2024, which in turn led to higher airfares as demand outstripped supply. The Easter long weekend also fell in March last year which contributed to the increase in demand for travel during this time.

    Background

    On 6 November 2023, the Treasurer directed the ACCC to recommence domestic air passenger transport monitoring. Under this direction the ACCC is to monitor prices, costs and profits relating to the supply of domestic air passenger transport services for a period of three years and to report on its monitoring at least once every quarter.

    The ACCC collects data from Jetstar, Qantas, Rex and Virgin Australia for monitoring purposes.

    Rex entered voluntary administration in July 2024 but continues to operate its regional services. The government is guaranteeing regional flight bookings for Rex customers throughout the voluntary administration process.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Financial news: Two Federal Treasury deposit auctions will take place on 20.05.2025

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Moscow Exchange – Moscow Exchange –

    Application selection parameters
    Date of the selection of applications 05/20/2025
    Unique identifier of the application selection 22025130
    Deposit currency rubles
    Type of funds funds of the single treasury account
    Maximum amount of funds placed in bank deposits, million monetary units 250,000
    Placement period, in days 2
    Date of deposit 05/20/2025
    Refund date 05/22/2025
    Interest rate for placement of funds (fixed or floating) Fixed
    Minimum fixed interest rate for placement of funds, % per annum 20.05
    Basic floating interest rate for placement of funds –
    Minimum spread, % per annum –
    Terms of conclusion of a bank deposit agreement (fixed-term, replenishable or special) Urgent
    Minimum amount of funds placed for one application, million monetary units 1,000
    Maximum number of applications from one credit institution, pcs. 5
    Application selection form (open or closed) Open
    Application selection schedule (Moscow time)
    Venue for the selection of applications PAO Moscow Exchange
    Applications accepted: from 09:30 to 09:40
    Pre-applications: from 09:30 to 09:35
    Applications in competition mode: from 09:35 to 09:40
    Formation of a consolidated register of applications: from 09:40 to 09:50
    Setting a cut-off percentage rate and/or recognizing the selection of applications as unsuccessful: from 09:40 to 10:00
    Submission to credit institutions of an offer to conclude a bank deposit agreement: from 10:00 to 10:50
    Receiving acceptance of an offer to conclude a bank deposit agreement from credit institutions: from 10:00 to 10:50
    Deposit transfer time In accordance with the requirements of paragraph 63 and paragraph 64 of the Order of the Federal Treasury dated 04/27/2023 No. 10n
    Application selection parameters
    Date of the selection of applications 05/20/2025
    Unique identifier of the application selection 22025131
    Deposit currency rubles
    Type of funds funds of the single treasury account
    Maximum amount of funds placed in bank deposits, million monetary units 100,000
    Placement period, in days 182
    Date of deposit 05/20/2025
    Refund date 18.11.2025
    Interest rate for placement of funds (fixed or floating) Floating
    Minimum fixed interest rate for placement of funds, % per annum –
    Basic floating interest rate for placement of funds Ruonmds
    Minimum spread, % per annum 0.00
    Terms of conclusion of a bank deposit agreement (fixed-term, replenishable or special) Special
    Minimum amount of funds placed for one application, million monetary units 1,000
    Maximum number of applications from one credit institution, pcs. 5
    Application selection form (open or closed) Closed
    Application selection schedule (Moscow time)
    Venue for the selection of applications PAO Moscow Exchange
    Applications accepted: from 12:00 to 12:10
    Formation of a consolidated register of applications: from 12:10 to 12:20
    Setting a cut-off percentage rate and/or recognizing the selection of applications as unsuccessful: from 12:10 to 12:30
    Submission to credit institutions of an offer to conclude a bank deposit agreement: from 12:30 to 13:20
    Receiving acceptance of an offer to conclude a bank deposit agreement from credit institutions: from 12:30 to 13:20
    Deposit transfer time In accordance with the requirements of paragraph 63 and paragraph 64 of the Order of the Federal Treasury dated 04/27/2023 No. 10n

    RUONmDS = RUONIA – DS, where

    RUONIA – the value of the indicative weighted rate of overnight ruble loans (deposits) RUONIA, expressed in hundredths of a percent, published on the official website of the Bank of Russia on the Internet on the day preceding the day for which interest is accrued. In the absence of a RUONIA rate value published on the day preceding the day for which interest is accrued, the last of the published RUONIA rate values is taken into account.

    DS – discount – a value expressed in hundredths of a percent and rounded (according to the rules of mathematical rounding) to two decimal places, calculated by multiplying the value of the Key Rate of the Bank of Russia by the value of the required reserve ratio for other liabilities of credit institutions for banks with a universal license, non-bank credit institutions (except for long-term ones) in the currency of the Russian Federation, valid on the date for which interest is accrued, and published on the official website of the Bank of Russia on the Internet.

    Contact information for media 7 (495) 363-3232Pr@moex.kom

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

    Please Note; This Information is Raw Content Directly from the Information Source. It is access to What the Source Is Stating and Does Not Reflect

    HTTPS: //VVV. MEEX.K.M.M.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Mikhail Mishustin visited the Lomonosov cluster of the Innovative Scientific and Technological Center of Moscow State University “Vorobyovy Gory”

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    Mikhail Mishustin visited the Lomonosov cluster of the Moscow State University Vorobyovy Gory Innovation Science and Technology Center. With Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, Head of the Moscow Department of Entrepreneurship and Innovative Development Kristina Kostroma, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak, and Minister of Economic Development Maxim Reshetnikov

    May 19, 2025

    Mikhail Mishustin visited the Lomonosov cluster of the Moscow State University Vorobyovy Gory Innovation Science and Technology Center. With Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, Head of the Moscow Department of Entrepreneurship and Innovative Development Kristina Kostroma, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak, and Minister of Economic Development Maxim Reshetnikov

    May 19, 2025

    Mikhail Mishustin visited the Lomonosov cluster of the Moscow State University Vorobyovy Gory Innovation Science and Technology Center. With Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, Head of the Moscow Department of Entrepreneurship and Innovative Development Kristina Kostroma

    May 19, 2025

    Mikhail Mishustin visited the Lomonosov cluster of the Moscow State University Vorobyovy Gory Innovative Scientific and Technological Center. With Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin

    May 19, 2025

    Mikhail Mishustin visited the Lomonosov cluster of the Moscow State University Vorobyovy Gory Innovation Science and Technology Center. With the head of the Moscow Department of Entrepreneurship and Innovative Development Kristina Kostroma, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin

    May 19, 2025

    Mikhail Mishustin visited the Lomonosov cluster of the Moscow State University Vorobyovy Gory Innovation Science and Technology Center. With Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, Head of the Moscow Department of Entrepreneurship and Innovative Development Kristina Kostroma

    May 19, 2025

    Mikhail Mishustin visited the Lomonosov cluster of the Moscow State University Vorobyovy Gory Innovation Science and Technology Center. With the Minister of Economic Development Maxim Reshetnikov, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, and the Head of the Moscow Department of Entrepreneurship and Innovative Development Kristina Kostroma

    May 19, 2025

    Mikhail Mishustin visited the Lomonosov cluster of the Innovative Scientific and Technological Center of Moscow State University “Vorobyovy Gory”

    May 19, 2025

    Previous news Next news

    Mikhail Mishustin visited the Lomonosov cluster of the Moscow State University Vorobyovy Gory Innovation Science and Technology Center. With Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, Head of the Moscow Department of Entrepreneurship and Innovative Development Kristina Kostroma, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak, and Minister of Economic Development Maxim Reshetnikov

    The innovative scientific and technological center of Moscow State University “Vorobyovy Gory” is being created by the Moscow government and Lomonosov Moscow State University in pursuance of the President’s instructions to ensure conditions in Moscow for the effective development and commercialization of innovative solutions.

    The most favorable taxation and regulation regime has been created for residents of the INTC. Residents’ projects are exempt from most taxes for 10 years, including property tax, profit tax and VAT (with annual revenues of up to 1 billion rubles). Insurance contributions to state extra-budgetary funds are reduced to 14%, and foreign workers can be hired without a separate permit.

    The MSU Technological Valley will consist of 9 specialized clusters with a total area of 479 thousand square meters on a territory of 17.6 hectares.

    To date, two clusters have been put into operation: Lomonosov (created by the Moscow government) and Educational (created by Lomonosov Moscow State University). Construction has begun on two clusters (Interdisciplinary (by Lomonosov Moscow State University)) and Engineering (by attracting funds from private investors).

    The areas of scientific and technological activity carried out on the territory of the MSU Scientific and Technical Center “Vorobyovy Gory”: biomedicine, pharmaceuticals, medical and biological research and testing; nanotechnology research of new materials and nanomechanics; information technology and mathematical modeling; robotics, special-purpose technologies and machine engineering, energy saving and efficient energy storage; space research and astronautics; geonomy and ecology; interdisciplinary humanitarian research and cognitive sciences; sports, innovative sports technologies; artificial intelligence technologies.

    Residents – 294 companies.

    Results of the activities of the MSU Vorobyovy Gory Scientific and Technical Center in 2021–2023: the number of R&D projects performed by residents is 181; the number of R&D projects developed by the residents of the Scientific and Technical Center is 416.

    The Lomonosov cluster was commissioned in January 2023 and is currently 100% occupied. The selection of site residents was carried out jointly with the non-governmental development institute Innopraktika, with special attention paid to the technological component of the projects, the volume of scientific research and development of companies, as well as their demand in the market.

    Currently, there are 76 resident companies in the Lomonosov cluster.

    The cluster residents work in the following key areas: industrial technologies – 18 residents; unmanned systems – 18 residents; geotechnology and ecology – 15 residents; medicine and biotechnology – 13 residents; information technology – 12 residents.

    According to the results of 2024, the residents of the Lomonosov cluster showed the following results: investments in R&D – 2.4 billion rubles; number of patents received – 105; total number of employees – 2 thousand people; company revenue – 15 billion rubles.

    The products of the cluster residents are in demand and are used for seismic research in the Arctic seas (special hardware and software systems), production of buses, ATVs, snowmobiles and cleaning robots (electric drives), as well as for air purification in industrial buildings (innovative filters) and clinical and preclinical research, etc.

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Yuri Trutnev fulfilled the dream of nine-year-old Nikita Vakhnov to experience the role of a soldier with the help of the Voin center

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    Yuri Trutnev fulfilled the dream of nine-year-old Nikita Vakhnov to experience the role of a soldier with the help of the VOIN Center

    May 19, 2025

    Yuri Trutnev fulfilled the dream of nine-year-old Nikita Vakhnov to experience the role of a soldier with the help of the VOIN Center

    May 19, 2025

    Yuri Trutnev fulfilled the dream of nine-year-old Nikita Vakhnov to experience the role of a soldier with the help of the VOIN Center

    May 19, 2025

    Yuri Trutnev fulfilled the dream of nine-year-old Nikita Vakhnov to experience the role of a soldier with the help of the VOIN Center

    May 19, 2025

    Yuri Trutnev fulfilled the dream of nine-year-old Nikita Vakhnov to experience the role of a soldier with the help of the VOIN Center

    May 19, 2025

    Yuri Trutnev fulfilled the dream of nine-year-old Nikita Vakhnov to experience the role of a soldier with the help of the VOIN Center

    May 19, 2025

    Yuri Trutnev fulfilled the dream of nine-year-old Nikita Vakhnov to experience the role of a soldier with the help of the VOIN Center

    May 19, 2025

    Yuri Trutnev fulfilled the dream of nine-year-old Nikita Vakhnov to experience the role of a soldier with the help of the VOIN Center

    May 19, 2025

    Previous news Next news

    Yuri Trutnev fulfilled the dream of nine-year-old Nikita Vakhnov to experience the role of a soldier with the help of the VOIN Center

    As part of the all-Russian charity event “Yolka Zhelaniy”, Deputy Prime Minister – Plenipotentiary Representative of the President in the Far Eastern Federal District Yuri Trutnev helped fulfill the wish of nine-year-old Nikita Vakhnov from Sochi. The boy’s dream of being a soldier was realized with the support of the center for military-sports training and patriotic education of youth “Voin”.

    “This is a good wish. A courageous one. By order of the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, a center with this very name was created – “Warrior”. This center educates citizens who love their Motherland, who are ready to serve it in a broad sense, to defend it. The center has been operating for three years. I will say honestly, the feedback from all the guys who have completed training at the center is very good. Half of my family has completed such training,” Yuri Trutnev noted earlier when presenting the certificate and talking to the boy.

    Nikita himself said: “I have long dreamed of becoming a military man, and this trip is the best gift in my life. I learned a lot of new things and was able to see real military equipment with my own eyes.” He received a certificate for completing a military-sports training course at the regional branch of the “Voin” center in the Chechen Republic, located on the basis of the Russian Special Forces University named after V.V. Putin.

    The program of the stay was prepared taking into account the age and interests of the young guest. The boy was introduced to the main training sites of the center and shown samples of heavy weapons and armored vehicles. Over the course of three days, Nikita underwent a series of classes, including both theoretical and practical training. The program included fire training, tactical medicine, control of unmanned aerial vehicles, and classes in a wind tunnel.

    In Gudermes, he took part in a flower-laying ceremony to mark the 80th anniversary of Victory Day at the memorial to those killed in the Great Patriotic War.

    In addition to the educational part, the boy was given an exciting trip on a Chaborz buggy and excursions to the cities and picturesque corners of the mountainous regions of the Chechen Republic.

    Director of the branch of the Voin center Pavel Kozlov commented: “Nikita made a wish to become a military man, and training at the Voin center was the first step to fulfilling this dream. We are glad that we made these days special for him, and we hope that he will remember them for the rest of his life.”

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Katherine Reilly Named SEC Acting Inspector General

    Source: Securities and Exchange Commission

    The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced the appointment of Katherine Reilly as the agency’s Acting Inspector General. Ms. Reilly is currently serving as a Deputy Inspector General at the SEC. She replaces Deborah Jeffrey, who has served as the SEC’s Inspector General since 2023 and is retiring.

    “Our Inspector General’s office champions transparency and seeks to root out redundancy and overlap to ensure our agency is running as efficiently and effectively as possible,” said SEC Chairman Paul S. Atkins. “Katherine possesses the experience and expertise to continue these oversight efforts. We also thank Deb for her leadership and dedication in this area during these past two years.”

    Prior to her arrival at the SEC, Ms. Jeffrey served as inspector general at AmeriCorps for 11 years after working in the private practice of law for 25 years. She holds degrees from Johns Hopkins University and Harvard Law School, where she served as Editor-in-Chief of the Harvard Civil Rights-Civil Liberties Law Review.

    Ms. Reilly joined the SEC’s Office of Inspector General in 2020 as Counsel to the Inspector General. She later served as Acting Inspector General in a rotating role prior to Ms. Jeffrey’s arrival and served as the Acting Deputy Inspector General for Investigations from December 2022 to March 2025.

    Ms. Reilly began her career as an antitrust lawyer at the Federal Trade Commission before transitioning to private practice in the field of antitrust and commercial litigation. She joined the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General (USPS-OIG) in 2005 and ascended to become Director of Legal Services before leaving in 2013 to join the U.S. Department of Justice Executive Office for Immigration Review, where she served in the roles of Chief Counsel for Employee and Labor Relations as well as Deputy Director. In June 2019, Ms. Reilly returned to the USPS-OIG as Deputy Assistant Inspector General for Mission Support.

    Ms. Reilly is a graduate of The University of Texas at Austin, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts and Juris Doctorate degrees. Ms. Reilly also has a Master of Laws degree from The University of Melbourne, Australia.

    The SEC’s Office of Inspector General is an independent unit that promotes the integrity, efficiency, and effectiveness of the SEC’s critical programs and operations through rigorous and objective oversight.

    Under the Inspector General Act of 1978, inspectors general have a dual and independent reporting relationship to the Commission and Congress. Appointments are made without regard to political affiliation and solely on the basis of integrity and demonstrated ability in accounting, auditing, financial analysis, law, management analysis, public administration, or investigations.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Justice Department Establishes Civil Rights Fraud Initiative

    Source: United States Attorneys General 8

    WASHINGTON – Today, the Department of Justice announced the establishment of the Civil Rights Fraud Initiative, which will utilize the False Claims Act to investigate and, as appropriate, pursue claims against any recipient of federal funds that knowingly violates federal civil rights laws. Violations of the False Claims Act can result in treble damages and significant penalties.

    “Institutions that take federal money only to allow anti-Semitism and promote divisive DEI policies are putting their access to federal funds at risk,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This Department of Justice will not tolerate these violations of civil rights – inaction is not an option.”

    “America has watched a tidal wave of anti-Semitism sweep our universities and seen public institutions codify inherently divisive policies like DEI at an unprecedented rate,” said Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. “In advancing the initiative, the Department of Justice’s Civil Fraud Section and Civil Rights Division will work in concert – alongside other Department components and government agencies – to identify and root out instances in which recipients of federal funds fail to uphold their basic obligations under federal civil rights laws. The days of using federal funds to further discrimination are over.”

    The Department strongly encourages anyone with knowledge of discrimination by federal funding recipients to consider filing a qui tam action under the False Claims Act. See 31 U.S.C. § 3730. When a qui tam action is successful, the whistleblower typically receives a portion of the monetary recovery. The Department also encourages the public to report instances of such discrimination to the appropriate federal authorities. Please visit https://www.justice.gov/civil/report-fraud for more information.

    Read the full memo here. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New figures show thousands more homes delivered across the country as Homes England exceeds targets

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    New figures show thousands more homes delivered across the country as Homes England exceeds targets

    The government’s housing and regeneration agency beat three key targets for 2024/25 during a pivotal time for housebuilding in England

    Provisional figures show that Homes England surpassed its 2024/2025 annual targets, set centrally by government, for the number of new homes started, the number of new homes completed, and the number of potential homes unlocked.

    This work is key to supporting the government in delivering 1.5 million homes this parliament.

    Homes England colleagues, working in partnership with hundreds of local, regional and national organisations to catalyse housing, regeneration and place-making across the country, have:

    • enabled the completion of more than 36,000 homes, up 14% from 2023/24
    • facilitated the start of construction for an additional 38,000 homes, up 6% on 2023/24
    • unlocked land that is capable of delivering 79,000 further homes, significantly up from 2023/24.

    The figures represent a high-level snapshot of progress underpinned by strong performance from across the Agency.

    • Local leaders are being supported to achieve their housing and regeneration aspirations through targeted interventions including Agency land acquisition, like in Nottingham, boots-on-the-ground expertise in places like York and Bristol, and a rising number of strategic place partnerships, including with the North East Combined Authority, Liverpool City  Region and Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority.

    • New, safe and affordable housing is being delivered, with the Agency on track to ensure every penny of the 2021-26 Affordable Homes Programme is spent, including recent government top-ups, with numerous projects supported including Union Village in Middlesbrough.

    • New investment to unlock housing and regeneration projects is being boosted by Agency support and collaboration with the private and public sector, including the affordable-housing, low carbon focused HABIKO housing innovation partnership with Pension Insurance Corporation (PIC) and Muse, and master developer joint venture with Oaktree Capital Management and Greycoat Real Estate.

    • Work to diversify the housing market and back SME homebuilders, including creating new, quality homes through the Home Building Fund by supporting organisations like Wyatt Homes to grow and deliver, and expanding lending initiatives like the Agency’s Greener Homes Alliance with Octopus Real Estate.

    Matthew Pennycook, Minister of State for Housing and Planning, said:

    Homes England is playing a crucial role in supporting the government’s Plan for Change to build 1.5 million new homes and deliver the biggest increase in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation.

    Last year I set out ambitious priorities for Homes England and I am pleased that the Agency has exceeded key housebuilding targets to ramp up the delivery of new homes and place-based regeneration. This is alongside backing SME housebuilders and bolstering the government’s wider devolution agenda to unlock much-needed housing and growth.

    Pat Ritchie, Chair of Homes England, said:

    As the newly appointed Chair of Homes England, I’m proud to see the hard work of the Agency reflected in our 2024/25 performance figures. The team’s passion for housebuilding and regeneration remains its greatest strength, and I’m pleased to see this so clearly demonstrated in these results.

    Looking forward, the transformation of the Agency into a more regionally-based model will mean we’re well-placed to support the government’s mission to build 1.5 million homes this parliament.

    Eamonn Boylan, Chief Executive of Homes England, said:

    Since joining Homes England in January I’ve been continuously impressed with my colleagues’ unwavering dedication to our central mission: to ensure everyone has a place they’re proud to call home.

    Our 2024/25 performance figures reflect the Agency’s determination and passion for housing and regeneration. We’ve exceeded our delivery targets by supporting our housebuilding partners to create much-needed new homes and we’ve worked more closely with mayors across the country to champion place-making and drive regional growth.

    The provisional performance figures are part of Homes England’s annual report, which will be published this summer.

    Notes to editors:

    1. Figures are rounded. Exact completion figures are 36,757 homes, versus a target of 36,484.
    2. Figures are rounded. Exact starts figures are 37,782 homes, versus a target of 33,095.
    3. Figures are rounded. Exact figures are 78,986 further homes versus a target of 59,956.
    4. ‘Unlocked’ refers to land that is capable of delivering homes.
    5. More information about Nottingham land acquisition.
    6. Strategic Place Partnerships (SPPs) are a commitment from Homes England and a Mayoral Strategic Authority to deliver against local housing and regeneration ambitions. Homes England has SPPs in place with Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region, the North East, South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, the West Midlands and Cambridgeshire & Peterborough, with more planned to best serve the housing and regeneration needs of millions of people across the country
    7. More information about the North East Combined Authority SPP
    8. More information about the Liverpool City Region SPP
    9. More information about the Cambridge and Peterborough Combined Authority SPP.
    10. More information about the HABIKO partnership.
    11. More information about the joint venture between the Agency, Oaktree Capital Management and Greycoat Real Estate.
    12. More information about Home Building Fund support to Wyatt Homes.
    13. More information about the Green Home Alliance.

    ENDS

    Updates to this page

    Published 20 May 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: UK and Ukraine hail scientists’ role in the fight for freedom

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    UK and Ukraine hail scientists’ role in the fight for freedom

    From healthcare to energy, collaboration with UK researchers is supporting Ukraine’s defence and reconstruction, and the UK’s Plan for Change.

    • From healthcare to energy, collaboration with UK researchers is supporting Ukraine’s defence and reconstruction, and the UK’s Plan for Change
    • Academic, business and political leaders gather in London later today to celebrate UK-Ukrainian joint science endeavours – and look ahead to more
    • Science, tech and innovation are a key pillar of UK-Ukraine 100 Year Partnership: the long-term pact to support long-term security and growth for both our countries

    The critical role that Ukraine’s scientists and researchers are playing in the battle for their country’s freedom, and its hopes for a brighter future, working hand-in-hand with UK colleagues, will be celebrated at an event at the British Academy in London later today (Tuesday 20 May).

    The UK is resolute in its support for Ukraine, as the country defends itself in the face of Russia’s illegal and barbaric invasion. Our backing is cemented by the landmark 100 Year Partnership, unveiled by the Prime Minister and President Zelenskyy in January, of which strong and deep science and technology ties form a key part.

    Joint work by the UK and Ukraine’s researchers is not only supporting Ukraine’s freedom and future, but also unlocking benefits to the UK economy, and more besides, all of which bolsters the Plan for Change. In one joint project, on health, the University of Warwick have worked with Kharkiv National University of Radio Electronics to train AI models to quickly and accurately triage shrapnel wounds. And work by Manchester, Aston and Aberystwyth Universities and Ukrainian experts to boost Ukraine’s electricity grid with green energy, is also being applied to help Britain adapt as we get more energy from renewables, and as energy-intensive industries like data centres grow.

    Meanwhile efforts like the UK-Ukraine Techbridge are helping bring innovative new technologies to bear on critical tasks like clearing landmines and unexploded bombs. The TechBridge is also focused on AI, health, cyber security, education, and agritech, and is building opportunities in both countries for trade, upskilling, and investment.

    Much of this important work will be showcased at London’s historic British Academy later, at an event hosted by the UK’s Science Minister and Ukraine’s Deputy Minister for Education and Science, who will be joined by a host of academic, business and research leaders. Lord Vallance will announce an additional £100,000 for the UK-Ukraine Techbridge at the event, as well as £400,000 for trilateral efforts to harness digital technologies to improve government across the UK, Ukraine and Estonia.

    UK Science Minister Lord Vallance said:

    Freedom is an essential ingredient for scientific progress. Without it we are denied the ability to act on the curiosity that sparks so many breakthroughs, or to get the answers that make us think that maybe we have been wrong about the way we have thought about something in the past.

    Science is also international, which means that Ukraine’s inventions and innovations are ones that the UK and the entire world ultimately benefits from, and vice versa. We only stand to gain from working with Ukraine to keep the flame of freedom alive, and it is only natural, that the joint endeavours of our researchers, are critical to those efforts.

    Ukraine’s Minister for Education and Science, Oksen Lisovyi, said

    For Ukraine, science is not only about development — it is also about resistance. Today, our researchers are working side by side with international partners not only to support the country in its most difficult times, but also to lay the foundations for recovery. This collaboration is a mutual investment in freedom, humanity, and the future. We are grateful to the United Kingdom for a partnership built on shared values and trust.

    The UK-Ukraine partnership on science, innovation and technology has already delivered important work, starting with the:

    Since it was launched in 2022, it has helped over 170 Ukrainian experts endangered by the war to relocate to just under 70 UK universities, and continue their work on a temporary basis – as well as funding their research with £22.5 million. The UK Government has also supported the UK-Ukraine Twinning Initiative, which has enabled Ukrainian researchers to keep making progress, despite wartime disruption, by pairing up UK and Ukrainian universities. This has provided remote access to UK facilities and equipment, and avenues for joint funding, including £5 million of Research England grant funding to support new research partnerships.

    We are also harnessing the AI, data science and digital expertise of the UK, Ukraine and Estonia with a view to enhancing digital government and public services through technology and innovation under an initiative on trilateral cooperation.

    DSIT media enquiries

    Email press@dsit.gov.uk

    Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 6pm 020 7215 3000

    Updates to this page

    Published 20 May 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murray, Kaptur Call for Energy Department to Reverse New, Expanded Caps on Indirect Research Costs

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

    ICYMI: Murray, Kaptur call for reversal of arbitrary cap on DOE-funded research—a policy already blocked in federal court for university grants

    Washington, D.C. — Today, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, and Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (D-OH-09), Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, sent a letter to Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Chris Wright expressing deep concern about the Department’s recently announced caps on indirect costs for DOE research for a variety of recipients. The new caps, which follow the Department’s previously announced arbitrary cap on indirect costs for research at universities, will jeopardize critical research and innovation—and Murray and Kaptur call for the immediate reversal of the policy.

    “We write in response to the Department of Energy’s (DOE) decision to impose sweeping new caps on indirect cost rates across a wide spectrum of its funding recipients—including state and local governments, non-profit organizations, and for-profit partners,” write Murray and Kaptur. “Capping indirect cost rates far below their current values compounds the detrimental policy you have already announced cutting funding for university-led research, and these proposed cuts put energy innovation and economic development in communities across the country at serious risk.”

    The lawmakers note the policy will disproportionately hurt smaller research institutions: “Ultimately, this policy threatens to prevent smaller, under-resourced organizations from getting the support they need to conduct cutting-edge research, which will stifle innovation in regions that need investment the most.”

    “If left to stand, the consequences of these cuts will be severe: multi-sector collaboration will be chilled, community-led innovation efforts across the US will be disrupted, and thousands of jobs supporting energy and infrastructure will be at risk. This abrupt policy change will undercut the very institutions—state and local governments, non-profits, and research organizations—that drive energy innovation, workforce development, and clean energy solutions in local communities,” Murray and Kaptur write.

    They conclude by calling for an immediate reversal of the policies and demanding answers on how the Department determined the caps, whether it consulted with stakeholders, and whether it considered the economic consequences.

    The full letter is available HERE and below:

    The Honorable Christopher Wright
    Secretary of Energy
    U.S. Department of Energy
    1000 Independence Avenue, SW
    Washington, DC 20585

    Dear Secretary Wright,

    We write in response to the Department of Energy’s (DOE) decision to impose sweeping new caps on indirect cost rates across a wide spectrum of its funding recipients—including state and local governments, non-profit organizations, and for-profit partners. While direct costs support salaries, supplies, and equipment, indirect costs provide essential support for general operations and infrastructure. Capping indirect cost rates far below their current values compounds the detrimental policy you have already announced cutting funding for university-led research, and these proposed cuts put energy innovation and economic development in communities across the country at serious risk. Like so many actions your Department has already taken, these new cuts will also raise energy costs for American families and businesses.

    By imposing an arbitrary, inflexible cap of 10 or 15% on indirect costs—regardless of organizational type, mission, or financial structure—the Department is undermining the ability of its grantees and partners to deliver on DOE’s core priorities. Ultimately, this policy threatens to prevent smaller, under-resourced organizations from getting the support they need to conduct cutting-edge research, which will stifle innovation in regions that need investment the most. These indirect cost caps disregard the essential infrastructure required to administer safe, scalable, and high-impact projects.

    Local governments and non-profits, already stretched thin, now face arbitrary limitations that will squash efforts to fortify electricity grids to be robust to storms and other disruptions, initiatives to ensure all community members can access affordable and reliable energy, and emerging technology deployment at the local level.

    If left to stand, the consequences of these cuts will be severe: multi-sector collaboration will be chilled, community-led innovation efforts across the US will be disrupted, and thousands of jobs supporting energy and infrastructure will be at risk. This abrupt policy change will undercut the very institutions—state and local governments, non-profits, and research organizations—that drive energy innovation, workforce development, and clean energy solutions in local communities. America’s energy future must be built on strong partnerships—not policies that penalize those on the front lines of progress.

    These abrupt changes have been announced without the transparency you have promised, without public engagement, and without any meaningful justification. Worse, they appear to ignore the diverse cost structures and compliance burdens that entities must absorb to responsibly manage federal funds. These are not “wasteful” administrative expenses—they are essential costs of conducting federally sponsored research that benefits the American people.

    We reiterate our call to immediately reverse these harmful caps, urge you to engage stakeholders and experts in crafting any future reforms, and request written responses to the following questions by no later than May 30:

    1. What will happen to existing (conditional and nonconditional) awards if they do not meet the new terms and conditions in this policy?
    2. What data and models did DOE use to conclude that a uniform 10 or 15% cap would be sufficient and sustainable across such varied institutional types (e.g., local governments, non-profits, for-profits)? Will DOE release this analysis publicly?
    3. How does DOE justify this cap given that many organizations and governments currently operate with indirect cost rates significantly higher than the new proposed cap?
    4. How does DOE reconcile these cost caps with existing negotiated indirect cost rates under OMB Circulars and 2 CFR 200, particularly where they exceed the new ceilings?
    5. What outreach or consultation—if any—did DOE undertake with non-profit, municipal, or private-sector stakeholders prior to issuing these policy changes?
    6. What specific exemptions, waivers, or appeal mechanisms will DOE make available for awards where capped indirect costs would result in program delays, layoffs, or funding shortfalls?
    7. Has DOE assessed the potential regional economic and workforce consequences of capping indirect costs on state, local, and non-profit implementation partners? If so, will DOE release that analysis publicly?

    We look forward to your responses and attention to this critical issue.

    Sincerely,  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: VIDEO: Hickenlooper Honors Denver Civil Rights Leader Rev. Dr. James D. Peters, Jr. on Senate Floor

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator John Hickenlooper – Colorado

    Hickenlooper: “Rev. Peters carried that same commitment when he came to Denver and to Colorado. That same commitment to justice… Along the way, he had a significant impact on many of Colorado’s leaders. I was one of them.” 

    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper spoke on the Senate floor in memory of longtime civil rights leader Reverend Dr. James D. Peters, Jr. 

    “He knew that they were – that we are – strongest when we’re united, marching hand in hand. Walking next to Rev. Peters, it was impossible not to feel buoyed up by the enduring hope he carried with him pretty much at all times,” said Hickenlooper on the Senate floor. 

    Reverend Peters was a founding member of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and worked with Martin Luther King Jr. in the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s. He served as pastor of New Hope Baptist Church in the Denver metropolitan area for 28 years and previously chaired the Colorado Civil Rights Commission. He passed away on Saturday, May 10th. 

    Hickenlooper continued: “As Rev. Peters’ friend and mentor Dr. King famously said that ‘the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.’ Like many around the country today, I’ve felt that, in recent years, that arc has not bent as far as we had hoped. But, if Rev. Peters’ taught us one thing, it is that neither today or tomorrow is the day to bow our heads.”

    Hickenlooper with Rev. Peters outside of the National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery.

    To download a full video of Hickenlooper’s remarks, click HERE. A full transcript of his remarks is available below:

    “I come to the floor today to honor the incredible life of Rev. Dr. James D. Peters, seated here. 

    “Rev. Dr. James D. Peters, I should say, who passed away last week at the age of 92. And what a life he lived.

    “James was truly one of the greatest men I’ve ever known. 

    “Rev. Peters’ story started not far from these walls here in Washington, D.C. 

    “He grew up in Washington during a time of deep segregation and became an early leader in the civil rights movements of the 1950s and 1960s and into the 1970s.

    “In 1957, he helped found the Southern Christian Leadership Conference along with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

    “He worked with Dr. King for many years to help shape the course of American history. 

    “He marched unbowed in the March on Washington in 1963 and numerous other marches. Notably, Selma across the Edmund Pettus bridge in 1965. 

    “Rev. Peters carried that same commitment when he came to Denver and to Colorado. That same commitment to justice. 

    “For more than 28 years, he preached Dr. King’s gospel of freedom and unity as pastor of New Hope Baptist Church, the largest Black church in Denver. 

    “He also served many years on the Colorado Civil Rights Commission to make Colorado a better place for all our residents. 

    “Along the way, he had a significant impact on many of Colorado’s leaders. I was one of them. 

    “In 2003, I was the newly elected Mayor of Denver. Not quite inaugurated yet when on July 5th, Paul Childs was shot and killed in his own front hall by an inexperienced Denver police officer. 

    “Paul was only fifteen years old. But he was beloved by his community and his death shook the entire city.

    “Following that awful tragedy, Rev. Peters, alongside my predecessor, Wellington Webb, who’s one of the great mayors of the 20th century, they helped organize their community and mentored me on the appropriate ways to address this tragedy in such a way that it could be constructive. That somehow the community could be made more stronger and more resilient.  

    “Reverend Peters knew that the community had to change and use this tragedy to make a better future for the entire community. 

    “He was one of those leaders who helped us create Denver’s first Citizen Oversight Board to oversee the Denver Police and Sheriff Departments, and make sure any allegation of police misconduct could be investigated. And to make sure all neighborhoods would have an active voice in how their neighborhoods were policed. 

    “He also helped us start the Office of the Independent Monitor, with subpoena power again to make sure that allegations of police misconduct could be fully investigated.

    “Over the past twenty years, the Citizen Board and the Independent Monitor has worked to improve the policies of Denver’s police departments and improve the relationship and the trust between the community and law enforcement. 

    “Many, many years later, about eight years ago, I was fortunate enough to join Rev. Peters, along with Rev. Dr. Patrick Demmer and a small group, in Montgomery to visit the National Memorial for Peace and Justice – our country’s first national memorial to victims of lynching and racial terrorism in the United States. 

    “And it’s hard to describe the feeling of that memorial. The power is so immense. The weight of our country’s nagging, persistent shame remains so heavy. 

    “Walking through the memorial with Rev. Peters, he spoke about his life growing up in Washington D.C. during segregation and his fierce belief in nonviolence and nonviolent movements. 

    “He reflected on how their nonviolent tactics led more and more people to join them. He knew that they were – that we are – strongest when we’re united, marching hand in hand. 

    “Walking next to Rev. Peters, it was impossible not to feel buoyed up by the enduring hope he carried with him pretty much at all times. 

    “I think so many of those lessons from Rev. Dr. Peters still ring true today. 

    “As Rev. Peters’ friend and mentor Dr. King famously said that “the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” 

    “Like many around the country today, I’ve felt that, in recent years, that arc has not bent as far as we had hoped. 

    “But, if Rev. Peters’ taught us one thing, it is that neither today or tomorrow is the day to bow our heads. 

    “We can’t give up our work and our dreams that Dr. Peters fought for.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: DHS Hits Back at Tim Walz’s Dangerous Rhetoric Comparing ICE to Gestapo

    Source: US Department of Homeland Security

    While politicians like Gov. Walz fight to protect criminal illegal aliens, ICE officers will continue risking their lives to arrest murderers, kidnappers, and pedophiles  

    WASHINGTON – Following Governor Tim Walz’s sickening rhetoric calling Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents “Trump’s modern-day Gestapo,” the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is setting the facts straight on the bravery of our ICE enforcement agents. Every day they risk their lives to arrest vicious criminal illegal aliens let into our country by the previous administration.  

    “Governor Walz’s comments comparing ICE agents to the Gestapo is sickening. This type of rhetoric and demonization of ICE officers has led to our officers facing a 413% increase in assaults,” said Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. “While politicians like Walz fight to protect criminal illegal aliens, our ICE officers will continue putting their lives and safety on the line to arrest murderers, kidnappers, and pedophiles that were let into our country by the previous administration’s open border policies.” 

    Below are just a few examples of violent criminal aliens ICE has arrested in Tim Walz’s Minnesota: 

    On May 1, 2025, ICE arrested Abdirashid Elmi, a 50-year-old illegal alien from Somalia. His criminal history includes convictions for murder, driving while intoxicated, and disorderly conduct. 

    On April 24th, ICE announced the arrest of Erick Martinez Mondragon, a 25-year-old illegal alien from Mexico and a member of the 18th Street gang. He served time for robbery and possession of a firearm. 

    On April 25, ICE announced the arrest of Marco Quizhpi Granda, an illegal criminal alien from Ecuador. He was previously convicted for criminal sexual conduct with a child. 

    On January 26, 2025, ICE arrested Octavio Juarez-Bonilla, an illegal alien from Mexico. He previously possessed child pornography on a work computer. 

    On February 19, 2025, ICE arrested Thailand Oh, a 25-year-old illegal alien from Laos. Oh’s criminal history includes convictions for domestic assault and weapons charges. Oh has had a final order of removal since April 5, 2024. 

    On May 9, 2025, ICE arrested Jorge Padilla Mendez, an illegal alien from Ecuador. He was previously arrested for robbery. Padilla was ordered removed by an immigration judge on August 28, 2024. 

     
    On May 9th, ICE announced the arrest of Abymahel Torres-Arriaga, a 36-year-old illegal alien from Mexico. He has a conviction for selling heroin/meth/fentanyl from the Goodhue County District Court in Red Wing, MN.  

    On May 8th ICE announced the arrest of Edgar David Felipe-Mendez, an illegal alien from Guatemala. He has a previous conviction of conspiracy to sell heroin/meth/fentanyl from the Goodhue County District Court in Red Wing, MN,  

    On April 30, 2025, ICE arrested Blong Yang, His past criminal convictions include carrying a concealed weapon and fourth degree sexual assault. Yang has had a final order of removal since April 19, 2023.  

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ricketts Introduces the SNAP Next Step Act

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Pete Ricketts (Nebraska)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Last week, U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE) introduced the SNAP Next Step Act. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) joined the bill as the leading Democrat co-sponsor. The bill would authorize the use of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) funds for employment and training activities under the Workplace Innovation and Opportunity Act. The bill was modeled after asuccessful State of Nebraska program initiated when Ricketts was Governor.

    “SNAP Next Step worked in Nebraska and will help workers across America on the path to a stable financial situation,” said Senator Ricketts. “When I was governor, this program helped workers find better employment. It helped increase monthly income. And it reduced or eliminated their need for government assistance. I am eager to work with my colleagues to make this proven Nebraska solution a reality for workers across America.”

    The text of the bill is available here.

    BACKGROUND:

    The SNAP Next Step Act assists SNAP beneficiaries in pursuing better job and career opportunities through services like job search coaching, interview preparation, and resume writing. This legislation adds no new costs to taxpayers. It would allow already available SNAP administrative funds to be utilized in enrolling SNAP recipients in Department of Labor Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Programs. The bill also urges states to develop benefits calculators that show participants the real-world impacts of increased wages on eligibility for all government assistance programs.

    In 2016, then-Governor Ricketts’ administration implemented SNAP Next Step. Since then, SNAP Next Step has helped hundreds of Nebraska families find new employment and more predictable hours, allowing them to spend more time together as a family. They’ve also increased their monthly income by more than $2,100. About 60% of these families no longer rely on state food assistance and the other 40% have reduced their need for SNAP benefits.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Van Orden Bill to Improve VA Home Loan Program Passes House

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Derrick Van Orden (Wisconsin 3rd)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Derrick Van Orden’s bill, H.R. 1815 – the VA Home Loan Program Reform Act, passed the House. This bill establishes a permanent partial claims program within the VA Home Loan Program, bringing VA in line with other federal agencies in offering a fair and fiscally responsible path forward for veterans who have fallen behind on their mortgage payments.

    Prior to its passage, Rep. Van Orden spoke on the House floor in support of H.R. 1815. Click here or below to watch.

    (watch)

    Rep. Van Orden’s remarks, as prepared for delivery:

    Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

    I rise today in strong support of my bill, H.R. 1815 –  the VA Home Loan Program Reform Act.

    This legislation establishes a permanent partial claims program within the VA Home Loan Program —bringing VA in line with other federal agencies that lend money for homes.

    As Chairman of the House Economic Opportunity Subcommittee, I am responsible for the two most successful programs in the history of the United States government – the home loan program and the GI VA home loan guarantee.

    It is my responsibility to make sure every active duty servicemember, every veteran, and every American who chooses to join the military in the future has the opportunity to use this program to fulfill the American Dream of homeownership.

    However, when a series of unelected bureaucrats invented a program that had not existed since someone first lent seashells to buy a cave, they greatly endangered that.

    I am grateful to the Trump administration for standing up to stop this.

    There was a $25,000 problem in the Veterans Affairs Administration, they threw a $320,000 fixer at it, and that had the potential to collapse this program over time.

    I will not allow that on my watch.

    I want to thank Chairman Bost, Secretary Collins, and President Trump for helping ensure that every American that has served, is serving, and will serve has the ability to own a home.

    Thank you, and I yield back.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Peters, Slotkin & Bergman Urge Swift Approval of Major Disaster Declaration for Northern Michigan

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Michigan Gary Peters

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Gary Peters (MI), and Elissa Slotkin (MI), as well as U.S. Representative Jack Bergman (MI-01), are calling on President Trump to declare a Major Disaster for northern Michigan following the severe winter storms in late March. In their letter, the lawmakers supported Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s request for assistance for Alcona, Alpena, Antrim, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Crawford, Emmet, Montmorency, Oscoda, Otsego, and Presque Isle, Kalkaska and Mackinac Counties, as well as the Little Traverse Bay Band of Odawa Indians. The National Weather Service has ranked this as one of the most significant ice storms ever recorded in northern Michigan. 

    “Starting on March 28, northern Michigan experienced extreme winter weather, including a prolonged period of freezing rain which resulted in severe ice accumulation,” the lawmakers wrote. “This caused widespread destruction to homes, businesses, and infrastructure, causing long-term power outages for hundreds of thousands of residents.” 

    The lawmakers continued: “The affected counties also have poverty and unemployment rates that exceed the national average, and seven of the counties have a higher unemployment rate than Michigan’s state average. The disaster area also includes a significant population of individuals who are older than 65 years of age, have disabilities, or receive retirement income. As you know, these factors indicate that these communities are particularly vulnerable after disasters and increases the need for federal assistance to ensure equitable recovery.” 

    State and federal officials estimate the storm caused $137 million in immediate response costs and inflicted severe damage to homes and infrastructure. Given the scale of the damage from this storm, and as the state continues to recover from three other state-declared disasters in the past two years, federal assistance is needed to help these Michigan communities fully recover. 

    “We commend the great work the federal government has done in helping Michigan recover from previous disasters,” continued the lawmakers. “However, in the absence of a federal disaster declaration, Michigan will not have the capacity to ensure these communities receive the aid they need to fully recover. We urge your speedy approval of this request.”  

    Text of the letter is available here. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: PRESS RELEASE: Congresswoman Barragán Leads Congressional Letter Opposing Trump Administration’s Semiconductor Tariff Proposal

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Nanette Diaz Barragán (CA-44)

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    May 8, 2025

    Contact: Jin.Choi@mail.house.gov

    Congresswoman Barragán Leads Congressional Letter Opposing Trump Administration’s Semiconductor Tariff Proposal

    Washington, D.C. – Yesterday, Congresswoman Nanette Barragán (CA-44) led a group of her Democratic colleagues on the House Communications and Technology Subcommittee in calling on President Donald Trump and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to abandon proposals to impose sweeping tariffs on the semiconductor industry.

    The letter, signed by House Communications and Technology Subcommittee Ranking Member Doris Matsui and subcommittee members Greg Landsman and Jennifer McClellan, warns that the proposed tariffs would increase costs for consumers, disrupt American manufacturing, undermine U.S. competition, and strain relationships with key international allies—all without achieving the stated goal of boosting domestic production.

    “These tariffs will increase the cost of essential technologies like smartphones, laptops, and broadband equipment, and will act as a direct tax on American consumers,” wrote the group of Democratic lawmakers. “The result: reduced productivity, limited access to essential tools, and slower economic growth.” 

    “Rather than resorting to punitive trade measures that risk backfiring economically and geopolitically, the United States should double down on policies that support domestic semiconductor production and strengthen our long-term competitiveness,” they continued. “We urge you to abandon these ill-conceived tariff plans and instead work with Congress, industry leaders, and international allies to bolster American innovation, secure our supply chains, and build a technology economy that serves American workers and consumers.”

    The full text of the letter can be found here and below.

    President Trump and Secretary Lutnick:

    We have serious concerns with your reported plans to impose sector-specific tariffs on semiconductor products, including chips, telecommunications equipment, and consumer electronics. These tariffs would raise prices for consumers, disrupt American manufacturing, and damage our nation’s global competitiveness—all while failing to meaningfully strengthen national security or domestic production.

    These tariffs will increase the cost of essential technologies like smartphones, laptops, and broadband equipment, and will act as a direct tax on American consumers. The result: reduced productivity, limited access to essential tools, and slower economic growth.

    The United States currently lacks the capacity to rapidly relocate large-scale technology manufacturing to our country. Structural challenges—including a shortage of workers trained in high-tech manufacturing and underdeveloped semiconductor infrastructure—make such a transition unrealistic in the short term. Tariffs will not solve these issues and could instead deepen them by inflating costs, discouraging investment, and weakening the long-term position of the United States technology industry.

    The ongoing uncertainty surrounding this tariff plan has already disrupted financial markets and injected instability into critical sectors of our economy. The technology industry depends on predictable, long-term policy—not abrupt changes that create confusion for investors, suppliers, and businesses.

    These tariffs could also provoke diplomatic fallout with some of our most trusted allies. Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, and Malaysia are potential targets for these tariffs. These are all vital partners in our technology supply chains and unnecessary tariffs could jeopardize the resilience of our supply chains and the strategic alliances that have long supported American leadership in innovation.

    Additionally, a disruption to American technology imports from allied nations could undermine the Federal Communication Commission’s efforts to implement the Secure and Trusted Networks Reimbursement (“Rip and Replace”) Program. Rip and Replace, which has received strong bipartisan, bicameral support in Congress, strengthens our national security by supporting providers who are working to replace insecure network equipment from Chinese vendors like Huawei and ZTE, while simultaneously maintaining network connectivity for consumers across the country. By disrupting global supply chains and raising the overall cost of replacing network infrastructure, the proposed tariffs could needlessly strain the Rip and Replace program’s budget and delay program implementation.

    The consequences of supply chain disruptions would also be particularly acute in the race to deploy 5G infrastructure and to lead in artificial intelligence. Access to cutting-edge components is essential to maintaining leadership in 5G, as well as in AI development. Disrupting access to these components would not only slow American progress but would also give China an unnecessary—and avoidable—strategic advantage.

    We are especially alarmed by reports that these tariffs will be enacted under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, a provision designed to protect national security. This seems incompatible with the imposition of tariffs that damage alliances and delay technological innovation – that would in fact compromise our national security. As the Department of Defense made clear in its 2022 report Securing Defense-Critical Supply Chains, disruptions to allied supply lines—particularly in microelectronics—pose a direct threat to military readiness.

    Rather than resorting to punitive trade measures that risk backfiring economically and geopolitically, the United States should double down on policies that support domestic semiconductor production and strengthen our long-term competitiveness. Congress passed the CHIPS and Science Act precisely for this purpose—to revitalize American semiconductor manufacturing, create high-quality union jobs, and reduce our dependence on foreign supply chains, especially those vulnerable to authoritarian influence or geopolitical instability.

    We urge you to abandon these ill-conceived tariff plans and instead work with Congress, industry leaders, and international allies to bolster American innovation, secure our supply chains, and build a technology economy that serves American workers and consumers.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Qifu Technology Announces First Quarter 2025 Unaudited Financial Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SHANGHAI, China, May 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Qifu Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ: QFIN; HKEx: 3660) (“Qifu Technology” or the “Company”), a leading AI-empowered Credit-Tech platform in China, today announced its unaudited financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2025.

    First Quarter 2025 Business Highlights

    • As of March 31, 2025, our platform has connected 163 financial institutional partners and 268.2 million consumers*1 with potential credit needs, cumulatively, an increase of 11.1% from 241.4 million a year ago.
    • Cumulative users with approved credit lines*2 were 58.4 million as of March 31, 2025, an increase of 11.6% from 52.3 million as of March 31, 2024.
    • Cumulative borrowers with successful drawdown, including repeat borrowers was 35.5 million as of March 31, 2025, an increase of 13.8% from 31.2 million as of March 31, 2024.
    • In the first quarter of 2025, financial institutional partners originated 24,401,374 loans*3 through our platform.
    • Total facilitation and origination loan volume*4 reached RMB88,883 million, an increase of 15.8% from RMB76,784 million in the same period of 2024 and a decrease of 1.1% from RMB89,885 million in the prior quarter. RMB43,811 million of such loan volume was under capital-light model, Intelligence Credit Engine (“ICE”) and total technology solutions*5, representing 49.3% of the total, an increase of 15.1% from RMB38,053 million in the same period of 2024 and a decrease of 8.3% from RMB47,796 million in the prior quarter.
    • Total outstanding loan balance*6 was RMB140,273 million as of March 31, 2025, an increase of 5.5% from RMB132,964 million as of March 31, 2024 and an increase of 2.4% from RMB137,014 million as of December 31, 2024. RMB78,681 million of such loan balance was under capital-light model, “ICE” and total technology solutions, an increase of 11.4% from RMB70,641 million as of March 31, 2024 and a decrease of 1.2% from RMB79,599 million as of December 31, 2024.
    • The weighted average contractual tenor of loans originated by financial institutions across our platform in the first quarter of 2025 was approximately 10.17 months, compared with 10.10 months in the same period of 2024.
    • 90 day+ delinquency rate*7 of loans originated by financial institutions across our platform was 2.02% as of March 31, 2025.
    • Repeat borrower contribution*8 of loans originated by financial institutions across our platform for the first quarter of 2025 was 95.1%.

    1 Refers to cumulative registered users across our platform.
    2 “Cumulative users with approved credit lines” refers to the total number of users who had submitted their credit applications and were approved with a credit line at the end of each period.
    3 Including 2,022,501 loans across “V-pocket”, and 22,378,873 loans across other products.
    4 Refers to the total principal amount of loans facilitated and originated during the given period. Retrospectively excluding the impact of discontinued service, which did not have and is not expected to have a material impact on our overall business, financial condition, and results of operations.
    5 “ICE” is an open platform primarily on our “Qifu Jietiao” APP (previously known as “360 Jietiao”), we match borrowers and financial institutions through big data and cloud computing technology on “ICE”, and provide pre-loan investigation report of borrowers. For loans facilitated through “ICE”, the Company does not bear principal risk.
    Under total technology solutions, we have been offering end-to-end technology solutions to financial institutions based on on-premise deployment, SaaS or hybrid model since 2023.
    6 “Total outstanding loan balance” refers to the total amount of principal outstanding for loans facilitated and originated at the end of each period, excluding loans delinquent for more than 180 days. Retrospectively excluding the impact of discontinued service, which did not have and is not expected to have a material impact on our overall business, financial condition, and results of operations.
    7 “90 day+ delinquency rate” refers to the outstanding principal balance of on- and off-balance sheet loans that were 91 to 180 calendar days past due as a percentage of the total outstanding principal balance of on- and off-balance sheet loans across our platform as of a specific date. Loans that are charged-off and loans under “ICE” and total technology solutions are not included in the delinquency rate calculation.
    8 “Repeat borrower contribution” for a given period refers to (i) the principal amount of loans borrowed during that period by borrowers who had historically made at least one successful drawdown, divided by (ii) the total loan facilitation and origination volume through our platform during that period.

    First Quarter 2025 Financial Highlights

    • Total net revenue was RMB4,690.7 million (US$646.4 million), compared to RMB4,482.3 million in the prior quarter.
    • Net income was RMB1,796.6 million (US$247.6 million), compared to RMB1,912.7 million in the prior quarter.
    • Non-GAAP*9 net income was RMB1,926.2 million (US$265.4 million), compared to RMB1,972.4 million in the prior quarter.
    • Net income per fully diluted American depositary share (“ADS”) was RMB12.62 (US$1.74), compared to RMB13.24 in the prior quarter.
    • Non-GAAP net income per fully diluted ADS was RMB13.53 (US$1.86), compared to RMB13.66 in the prior quarter.

    9 Non-GAAP income from operations, Non-GAAP net income, Non-GAAP operating margin, Non-GAAP net income margin and Non-GAAP net income per fully diluted ADS are Non-GAAP financial measures. For more information on these Non-GAAP financial measures, please see the section of “Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures Statement” and the table captioned “Unaudited Reconciliations of GAAP and Non-GAAP Results” set forth at the end of this press release.

    Mr. Haisheng Wu, Chief Executive Officer and Director of Qifu Technology, commented, “First quarter came in stronger than typical seasonal trend despite the ongoing macroeconomic challenges. We observed an increase in users’ activities early in the quarter as public sentiment slightly improved in response to the strong stimulus messages delivered by government officials. However, we remain prudent in our business planning as tariff-related economic uncertainties may persist throughout this year. We will continue to focus on improving the quality and sustainability of our business.

    During the quarter, we issued a record amount of ABS as the overall funding environment remained supportive. As a result, the blended funding cost continued to decline sequentially. Approximately 56% of the quarter-end loan balance was under the capital-light model, ICE and total technology solutions, demonstrating the efficiency of our platform services. The contribution from non-credit risk bearing services also continued to help us mitigate certain risks in a challenging environment. During the quarter, nearly half of our new credit line users were acquired through embedded finance partners, which we also refer to as API channels, as we further diversify our user acquisition channels. Loan volumes through the API channels increased significantly in the quarter.

    With the growing maturity and efficiency of large language models, we will continue to allocate more resources to the application of AI across our credit service offerings. We expect that these AI-powered tools will not only allow us to serve our users with better offerings at greater efficiency but also enable our financial institution clients to better utilize the cutting-edge AI technologies, through our open platform. We believe these efforts will enable us to better navigate through the current environment and position us well to capture long-term opportunities through innovative technologies, enhanced products and collaborative models.”

    “We are pleased to start 2025 with another quarter of solid financial results despite an uncertain macro environment. For the first quarter, total revenue was RMB4.69 billion and Non-GAAP net income was RMB1.93 billion,” Mr. Alex Xu, Chief Financial Officer, commented. “During the quarter, we successfully completed the US$690 million convertible notes offering and it gave us ample resources to accelerate our share repurchase programs. Our strong financial position enables us to consistently execute our strategy, support business initiatives, and enhance returns to our shareholders.”

    Mr. Yan Zheng, Chief Risk Officer, added, “In the first quarter, we maintained a relatively stable risk profile as users’ activities came in stronger than normal. Although overall risk performance fluctuated from the best level we achieved in the prior quarter, it remained well within our target range. Among key leading indicators, Day-1 delinquency rate*10 was 5.0% in the first quarter, and 30-day collection rate*11 was 88.1%. While macro volatility may induce short-term fluctuation in risk metrics, we look forward to maintaining relatively stable risk performance in the coming quarters as we seek growth opportunities in 2025.”

    10 “Day-1 delinquency rate” is defined as (i) the total amount of principal that became overdue as of a specified date, divided by (ii) the total amount of principal that was due for repayment as of such specified date.
    11 “30-day collection rate” is defined as (i) the amount of principal that was repaid in one month among the total amount of principal that became overdue as of a specified date, divided by (ii) the total amount of principal that became overdue as of such specified date.

    First Quarter 2025 Financial Results

    Total net revenue was RMB4,690.7 million (US$646.4 million), compared to RMB4,153.2 million in the same period of 2024, and RMB4,482.3 million in the prior quarter.

    Net revenue from Credit Driven Services was RMB3,110.9 million (US$428.7 million), compared to RMB3,016.3 million in the same period of 2024, and RMB2,889.5 million in the prior quarter.

    Loan facilitation and servicing fees-capital heavy were RMB429.8 million (US$59.2 million), compared to RMB243.8 million in the same period of 2024 and RMB363.0 million in the prior quarter. The year-over-year increase was primarily due to an increase in capital-heavy loan facilitation volume and longer effective loan tenor. The sequential increase was primarily due to the increase in effective loan tenor.

    Financing income*12 was RMB1,817.2 million (US$250.4 million), compared to RMB1,535.0 million in the same period of 2024 and RMB1,667.3 million in the prior quarter. The year-over-year and sequential increases were primarily due to the growth in the average outstanding balance of the on-balance-sheet loans.

    Revenue from releasing of guarantee liabilities was RMB778.2 million (US$107.2 million), compared to RMB1,166.0 million in the same period of 2024, and RMB761.8 million in the prior quarter. The year-over-year decrease was mainly due to the decrease in the average outstanding balance of off-balance-sheet capital-heavy loans during the period.

    Other services fees were RMB85.6 million (US$11.8 million), compared to RMB71.5 million in the same period of 2024, and RMB97.4 million in the prior quarter. The year-over-year and sequential changes reflected the changes in late payment fees under the credit driven services due to changes in collection rates of late paid loans.

    Net revenue from Platform Services was RMB1,579.8 million (US$217.7 million), compared to RMB1,136.9 million in the same period of 2024 and RMB1,592.8 million in the prior quarter.

    Loan facilitation and servicing fees-capital light were RMB373.7 million (US$51.5 million), compared to RMB502.7 million in the same period of 2024 and RMB515.1 million in the prior quarter. The year-over-year and sequential decreases were primarily due to the decreases in capital-light loan facilitation volume.

    Referral services fees were RMB1,004.6 million (US$138.4 million), compared to RMB548.8 million in the same period of 2024 and RMB907.2 million in the prior quarter. The year-over-year and sequential increases were mainly due to the increases in loan facilitation volume through ICE.

    Other services fees were RMB201.5 million (US$27.8 million), compared to RMB85.4 million in the same period of 2024 and RMB170.5 million in the prior quarter. The year-over-year and sequential changes reflected trends in other value-added services and late payment fees.

    Total operating costs and expenses were RMB2,716.0 million (US$374.3 million), compared to RMB2,789.1 million in the same period of 2024 and RMB2,591.9 million in the prior quarter.

    Facilitation, origination and servicing expenses were RMB714.5 million (US$98.5 million), compared to RMB736.0 million in the same period of 2024 and RMB734.7 million in the prior quarter.

    Funding costs were RMB122.7 million (US$16.9 million), compared to RMB156.0 million in the same period of 2024 and RMB126.8 million in the prior quarter. The year-over-year and sequential decreases were mainly due to lower average costs of ABS and trusts, partially offsetting by increases in fundings from ABS and trusts.

    Sales and marketing expenses were RMB591.5 million (US$81.5 million), compared to RMB415.6 million in the same period of 2024 and RMB523.9 million in the prior quarter. The year-over-year and sequential increases were primarily due to the increase in the allocation of marketing resources to embedded finance channels and content feed advertisements to generate more effective leads.

    General and administrative expenses were RMB196.5 million (US$27.1 million), compared to RMB106.4 million in the same period of 2024 and RMB156.1 million in the prior quarter. The year-over-year and sequential increases were primarily due to an increase in share-based compensations.

    Provision for loans receivable was RMB823.2 million (US$113.4 million), compared to RMB847.9 million in the same period of 2024 and RMB598.4 million in the prior quarter. The year-over-year decrease reflected the Company’s consistent approach in assessing provisions commensurate with its underlying loan profile. The sequential increase was primarily due to an increase in loan origination volume of on-balance-sheet loans and the Company’s consistent approach in assessing provisions commensurate with its underlying loan profile.

    Provision for financial assets receivable was RMB39.9 million (US$5.5 million), compared to RMB99.0 million in the same period of 2024 and RMB63.3 million in the prior quarter. The year-over-year decrease reflected the Company’s consistent approach in assessing provisions commensurate with its underlying loan profile. The sequential decrease was mainly due to the decline in capital-heavy loan facilitation volume.

    Provision for accounts receivable and contract assets was RMB68.4 million (US$9.4 million), compared to RMB111.5 million in the same period of 2024 and RMB77.5 million in the prior quarter. The year-over-year and sequential decreases reflected the Company’s consistent approach in assessing provisions commensurate with its underlying loan profile and changes in capital-heavy and capital-light loan facilitation volume.

    Provision for contingent liability was RMB159.3 million (US$22.0 million), compared to RMB316.7 million in the same period of 2024 and RMB311.4 million in the prior quarter. The year-over-year and sequential decreases reflected the Company’s consistent approach in assessing provisions commensurate with its underlying loan profile. The sequential decrease also reflected the decline in capital-heavy loan facilitation volume.

    Income from operations was RMB1,974.7 million (US$272.1 million), compared to RMB1,364.1 million in the same period of 2024 and RMB1,890.3 million in the prior quarter.

    Non-GAAP income from operations was RMB2,104.3 million (US$290.0 million), compared to RMB1,408.7 million in the same period of 2024 and RMB1,950.0 million in the prior quarter.

    Operating margin was 42.1%. Non-GAAP operating margin was 44.9%.

    Income before income tax expense was RMB2,220.2 million (US$306.0 million), compared to RMB1,526.2 million in the same period of 2024 and RMB1,932.7 million in the prior quarter.

    Income taxes expense was RMB423.6 million (US$58.4 million), compared to RMB366.1 million in the same period of 2024 and RMB20.0 million in the prior quarter. The sequential increase was mainly due to the writeback of withholding taxes in the prior quarter related to the Company’s dividend payment and share repurchases, as the Company became eligible to a lower tax rate.

    Net income was RMB1,796.6 million (US$247.6 million), compared to RMB1,160.1 million in the same period of 2024 and RMB1,912.7 million in the prior quarter.

    Non-GAAP net income was RMB1,926.2 million (US$265.4 million), compared to RMB1,204.8 million in the same period of 2024 and RMB1,972.4 million in the prior quarter.

    Net income margin was 38.3%. Non-GAAP net income margin was 41.1%.

    Net income attributed to the Company was RMB1,800.2 million (US$248.1 million), compared to RMB1,164.3 million in the same period of 2024 and RMB1,916.6 million in the prior quarter.

    Non-GAAP net income attributed to the Company was RMB1,929.8 million (US$265.9 million), compared to RMB1,208.9 million in the same period of 2024 and RMB1,976.4 million in the prior quarter.

    Net income per fully diluted ADS was RMB12.62 (US$1.74).

    Non-GAAP net income per fully diluted ADS was RMB13.53 (US$1.86).

    Weighted average basic ADS used in calculating GAAP net income per ADS was 140.48 million.

    Weighted average diluted ADS used in calculating GAAP and non-GAAP net income per ADS was 142.62 million.

    Ordinary shares outstanding as of March 31, 2025 was 268,930,496.

    12 “Financing income” is generated from loans facilitated through the Company’s platform funded by the consolidated trusts and Fuzhou Microcredit, which charge fees and interests from borrowers.

    30 Day+ Delinquency Rate by Vintage and 180 Day+ Delinquency Rate by Vintage

    The following charts and tables display the historical cumulative 30 day+ delinquency rates by loan facilitation and origination vintage and 180 day+ delinquency rates by loan facilitation and origination vintage for all loans facilitated and originated through the Company’s platform. Loans under “ICE” and total technology solutions are not included in the 30 day+ charts and the 180 day+ charts:

    http://ml.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/528f864e-af49-4be7-b48b-b2650fa2808a

    http://ml.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/12433d9d-4214-431e-b551-59f682e1ed93

    Update on Share Repurchase

    On November 19, 2024, the Board approved a share repurchase plan (the “2025 Share Repurchase Plan”) whereby the Company is authorized to repurchase up to US$450 million worth of its ADSs or Class A ordinary shares over the next 12 months starting from January 1, 2025.

    As of May 19, 2025, the Company had in aggregate purchased approximately 4.4 million ADSs on the open market for a total amount of approximately US$178 million (inclusive of commissions) at an average price of US$40.2 per ADS pursuant to the 2025 Share Repurchase Plan.

    On March 25, 2025, the Board approved a new share repurchase plan (the “March 2025 Share Repurchase Plan”) whereby the Company is authorized to use to the net proceeds from the offering of convertible senior notes due 2030 to repurchase its ADSs and/or Class A ordinary shares, which runs in addition to the Company’s 2025 Share Repurchase Plan. On March 27, 2025, the Company announced the completion of the offering of the convertible senior notes in an aggregate principal amount of US$690 million due 2030. Concurrently with the pricing of this offering, the Company repurchased approximately 5.1 million ADSs with an aggregate value of approximately US$227 million at a price of US$44.23 per ADS. The Company expects to use the remaining net proceeds, which is approximately US$450 million, from the offering of the convertible senior notes to repurchase additional ADSs and/or Class A ordinary shares on the open market and/or through other means from time to time under the March 2025 Share Repurchase Plan.

    Business Outlook

    As macro-economic uncertainties persist, the Company intends to maintain a prudent approach in its business planning for 2025. Management will continue to focus on enhancing efficiency of the Company’s operations. As such, for the second quarter of 2025, the Company expects to generate a net income between RMB1.65 billion and RMB1.75 billion and a non-GAAP net income*13 between RMB1.75 billion and RMB1.85 billion, representing a year-on-year growth between 24% and 31%. This outlook reflects the Company’s current and preliminary views, which is subject to material changes.

    13 Non-GAAP net income represents net income excluding share-based compensation expenses.

    Conference Call Preregistration

    Qifu Technology’s management team will host an earnings conference call at 8:30 PM U.S. Eastern Time on Monday, May 19, 2025 (8:30 AM Beijing Time on Tuesday, May 20, 2025).

    All participants wishing to join the conference call must pre-register online using the link provided below.

    Registration Link: https://s1.c-conf.com/diamondpass/10047043-kj87y6.html

    Upon registration, each participant will receive details for the conference call, including dial-in numbers and a unique access PIN. Please dial in 10 minutes before the call is scheduled to begin.

    Additionally, a live and archived webcast of the conference call will be available on the Investor Relations section of the Company’s website at https://ir.qifu.tech.

    About Qifu Technology

    Qifu Technology is a leading AI-empowered Credit-Tech platform in China. By leveraging its sophisticated machine learning models and data analytics capabilities, the Company provides a comprehensive suite of technology services to assist financial institutions and consumers and SMEs in the loan lifecycle, ranging from borrower acquisition, preliminary credit assessment, fund matching and post-facilitation services. The Company is dedicated to making credit services more accessible and personalized to consumers and SMEs through Credit-Tech services to financial institutions.

    For more information, please visit: https://ir.qifu.tech.

    Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures Statement

    To supplement our financial results presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP, we use Non-GAAP financial measure, which is adjusted from results based on U.S. GAAP to exclude share-based compensation expenses. Reconciliations of our Non-GAAP financial measures to our U.S. GAAP financial measures are set forth in tables at the end of this earnings release, which provide more details on the Non-GAAP financial measures.

    We use Non-GAAP income from operation, Non-GAAP operating margin, Non-GAAP net income, Non-GAAP net income margin, Non-GAAP net income attributed to the Company and Non-GAAP net income per fully diluted ADS in evaluating our operating results and for financial and operational decision-making purposes. Non-GAAP income from operation represents income from operation excluding share-based compensation expenses. Non-GAAP operating margin is equal to Non-GAAP income from operation divided by total net revenue. Non-GAAP net income represents net income excluding share-based compensation expenses. Non-GAAP net income margin is equal to Non-GAAP net income divided by total net revenue. Non-GAAP net income attributed to the Company represents net income attributed to the Company excluding share-based compensation expenses. Non-GAAP net income per fully diluted ADS represents net income excluding share-based compensation expenses per fully diluted ADS. Such adjustments have no impact on income tax. We believe that Non-GAAP income from operation, Non-GAAP operating margin, Non-GAAP net income, Non-GAAP net income margin, Non-GAAP net income attributed to the Company and Non-GAAP net income per fully diluted ADS help identify underlying trends in our business that could otherwise be distorted by the effect of certain expenses that we include in results based on U.S. GAAP. We believe that Non-GAAP income from operation and Non-GAAP net income provide useful information about our operating results, enhance the overall understanding of our past performance and future prospects and allow for greater visibility with respect to key metrics used by our management in its financial and operational decision-making. Our Non-GAAP financial information should be considered in addition to results prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP, but should not be considered a substitute for or superior to U.S. GAAP results. In addition, our calculation of Non-GAAP financial information may be different from the calculation used by other companies, and therefore comparability may be limited.

    Exchange Rate Information

    This announcement contains translations of certain RMB amounts into U.S. dollars at specified rates solely for the convenience of the reader. Unless otherwise noted, all translations from RMB to U.S. dollars are made at a rate of RMB 7.2567 to US$1.00, the exchange rate set forth in the H.10 statistical release of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System as of March 31, 2025.

    Safe Harbor Statement

    Any forward-looking statements contained in this announcement are made under the “safe harbor” provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as “will,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “future,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “estimates” and similar statements. Among other things, the business outlook and quotations from management in this announcement, as well as the Company’s strategic and operational plans, contain forward-looking statements. Qifu Technology may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its periodic reports to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), in announcements made on the website of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited (the “Hong Kong Stock Exchange”), in its annual report to shareholders, in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. Statements that are not historical facts, including the Company’s business outlook, beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement, which factors include but not limited to the following: the Company’s growth strategies, changes in laws, rules and regulatory environments, the recognition of the Company’s brand, market acceptance of the Company’s products and services, trends and developments in the credit-tech industry, governmental policies relating to the credit-tech industry, general economic conditions in China and around the globe, and assumptions underlying or related to any of the foregoing. Further information regarding these and other risks and uncertainties is included in Qifu Technology’s filings with the SEC and announcements on the website of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. All information provided in this press release is as of the date of this press release, and Qifu Technology does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law.

    For more information, please contact:

    Qifu Technology
    E-mail: ir@360shuke.com

    Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets
    (Amounts in thousands of Renminbi (“RMB”) and U.S. dollars (“USD”)
    except for number of shares and per share data, or otherwise noted)
           
      December 31, March 31, March 31,
      2024 2025 2025
      RMB RMB USD
    ASSETS      
    Current assets:      
    Cash and cash equivalents 4,452,416 8,578,822 1,182,193
    Restricted cash 2,353,384 3,236,427 445,992
    Short term investments 3,394,073 2,040,269 281,157
    Security deposit prepaid to third-party guarantee companies 162,617 173,437 23,900
    Funds receivable from third party payment service providers 462,112 347,416 47,875
    Accounts receivable and contract assets, net 2,214,530 2,316,593 319,235
    Financial assets receivable, net 1,553,912 1,530,084 210,851
    Amounts due from related parties 8,510 3,242 447
    Loans receivable, net 26,714,428 30,675,633 4,227,215
    Prepaid expenses and other assets 1,464,586 1,510,818 208,196
    Total current assets 42,780,568 50,412,741 6,947,061
    Non-current assets:      
    Accounts receivable and contract assets, net-noncurrent 27,132 20,004 2,757
    Financial assets receivable, net-noncurrent 170,779 189,379 26,097
    Amounts due from related parties 51 39 5
    Loans receivable, net-noncurrent 2,537,749 2,314,826 318,992
    Property and equipment, net 362,774 405,926 55,938
    Land use rights, net 956,738 951,557 131,128
    Intangible assets 11,818 11,420 1,574
    Goodwill 42,414 42,407 5,844
    Deferred tax assets 1,206,325 1,244,757 171,532
    Other non-current assets 36,270 34,112 4,701
    Total non-current assets 5,352,050 5,214,427 718,568
    TOTAL ASSETS 48,132,618 55,627,168 7,665,629
           
    LIABILITIES AND EQUITY      
    Current liabilities:      
    Payable to investors of the consolidated trusts-current 8,188,454 6,541,069 901,383
    Accrued expenses and other current liabilities 2,492,921 3,337,707 459,948
    Amounts due to related parties 67,495 48,442 6,675
    Short term loans 1,369,939 1,219,431 168,042
    Guarantee liabilities-stand ready 2,383,202 2,377,408 327,616
    Guarantee liabilities-contingent 1,820,350 1,794,747 247,323
    Income tax payable 1,040,687 1,054,537 145,319
    Other tax payable 109,161 3,897 537
    Total current liabilities 17,472,209 16,377,238 2,256,843
    Non-current liabilities:      
    Deferred tax liabilities 439,435 569,734 78,511
    Payable to investors of the consolidated trusts-noncurrent 5,719,600 10,354,000 1,426,819
    Convertible senior notes – 4,912,524 676,964
    Other long-term liabilities 255,155 297,730 41,028
    Total non-current liabilities 6,414,190 16,133,988 2,223,322
    TOTAL LIABILITIES 23,886,399 32,511,226 4,480,165
    TOTAL QIFU TECHNOLOGY INC EQUITY 24,190,043 23,063,344 3,178,216
    Noncontrolling interests 56,176 52,598 7,248
    TOTAL EQUITY 24,246,219 23,115,942 3,185,464
    TOTAL LIABILITIES AND EQUITY 48,132,618 55,627,168 7,665,629
           
    Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations
    (Amounts in thousands of Renminbi (“RMB”) and U.S. dollars (“USD”)
    except for number of shares and per share data, or otherwise noted)
           
      Three months ended March 31,
      2024  2025  2025
      RMB RMB USD
    Credit driven services 3,016,282 3,110,866 428,690
    Loan facilitation and servicing fees-capital heavy 243,766 429,775 59,225
    Financing income 1,534,986 1,817,221 250,420
    Revenue from releasing of guarantee liabilities 1,166,018 778,222 107,242
    Other services fees 71,512 85,648 11,803
    Platform services 1,136,901 1,579,831 217,706
    Loan facilitation and servicing fees-capital light 502,715 373,709 51,498
    Referral services fees 548,824 1,004,622 138,441
    Other services fees 85,362 201,500 27,767
    Total net revenue 4,153,183 4,690,697 646,396
    Facilitation, origination and servicing 736,026 714,492 98,460
    Funding costs 155,963 122,657 16,903
    Sales and marketing 415,617 591,495 81,510
    General and administrative 106,415 196,482 27,076
    Provision for loans receivable 847,921 823,187 113,438
    Provision for financial assets receivable 99,003 39,863 5,493
    Provision for accounts receivable and contract assets 111,473 68,445 9,432
    Provision for contingent liabilities 316,664 159,343 21,958
    Total operating costs and expenses 2,789,082 2,715,964 374,270
    Income from operations 1,364,101 1,974,733 272,126
    Interest income, net 50,058 67,774 9,340
    Foreign exchange gain 82 2,123 293
    Other income, net 111,968 175,600 24,198
    Income before income tax expense 1,526,209 2,220,230 305,957
    Income taxes expense (366,065) (423,631) (58,378)
    Net income 1,160,144 1,796,599 247,579
    Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests 4,143 3,576 493
    Net income attributable to ordinary shareholders of the Company 1,164,287 1,800,175 248,072
    Net income per ordinary share attributable to ordinary shareholders of Qifu Technology, Inc.
    Basic 3.73 6.41 0.88
    Diluted 3.65 6.31 0.87
           
    Net income per ADS attributable to ordinary shareholders of Qifu Technology, Inc.  
    Basic 7.46 12.82 1.76
    Diluted 7.30 12.62 1.74
           
    Weighted average shares used in calculating net income per ordinary share  
    Basic 312,027,192 280,958,513 280,958,513
    Diluted 318,915,157 285,237,588 285,237,588
           
    Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
    (Amounts in thousands of Renminbi (“RMB”) and U.S. dollars (“USD”)
    except for number of shares and per share data, or otherwise noted)
         
      Three months ended March 31,
      2024  2025  2025 
      RMB RMB USD
    Net cash provided by operating activities 1,958,267 2,805,685 386,634
    Net cash used in investing activities (3,138,175) (3,240,186) (446,510)
    Net cash provided by financing activities 1,775,409 5,449,071 750,902
    Effect of foreign exchange rate changes 2,095 (5,121) (705)
    Net increase in cash and cash equivalents 597,596 5,009,449 690,321
    Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash, beginning of period 7,558,997 6,805,800 937,864
    Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash, end of period 8,156,593 11,815,249 1,628,185
           
    Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income/(Loss)
    (Amounts in thousands of Renminbi (“RMB”) and U.S. dollars (“USD”)
    except for number of shares and per share data, or otherwise noted)
       
      Three months ended March 31,
      2024 2025 2025
      RMB RMB USD
    Net income 1,160,144 1,796,599 247,579
    Other comprehensive income, net of tax of nil:      
    Foreign currency translation adjustment 2,010 (15,362) (2,117)
    Other comprehensive income (loss) 2,010 (15,362) (2,117)
    Total comprehensive income 1,162,154 1,781,237 245,462
    Comprehensive loss attributable to noncontrolling interests 4,143 3,576 493
    Comprehensive income attributable to ordinary shareholders 1,166,297 1,784,813 245,955
           
    Unaudited Reconciliations of GAAP and Non-GAAP Results
    (Amounts in thousands of Renminbi (“RMB”) and U.S. dollars (“USD”)
    except for number of shares and per share data, or otherwise noted)
           
      Three months ended March 31,
      2024 2025 2025
      RMB RMB USD
    Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Net Income to Net Income      
    Net income 1,160,144 1,796,599 247,579
    Add: Share-based compensation expenses 44,645 129,614 17,861
    Non-GAAP net income 1,204,789 1,926,213 265,440
    GAAP net income margin 27.9% 38.3%  
    Non-GAAP net income margin 29.0% 41.1%  
           
    Net income attributable to shareholders of Qifu Technology, Inc. 1,164,287 1,800,175 248,072
    Add: Share-based compensation expenses 44,645 129,614 17,861
    Non-GAAP net income attributable to shareholders of Qifu Technology, Inc. 1,208,932 1,929,789 265,933
    Weighted average ADS used in calculating net income per ordinary share for both GAAP and non-GAAP EPS – diluted 159,457,579 142,618,794 142,618,794
    Net income per ADS attributable to ordinary shareholders of Qifu Technology, Inc. – diluted 7.30 12.62 1.74
    Non-GAAP net income per ADS attributable to ordinary shareholders of Qifu Technology, Inc. – diluted 7.58 13.53 1.86
           
    Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Income from operations to Income from operations      
    Income from operations 1,364,101 1,974,733 272,126
    Add: Share-based compensation expenses 44,645 129,614 17,861
    Non-GAAP Income from operations 1,408,746 2,104,347 289,987
    GAAP operating margin 32.8% 42.1%  
    Non-GAAP operating margin 33.9% 44.9%  
           

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Anti-Bullying Rapid Review open for public submissions

    Source: Murray Darling Basin Authority

    Parents, students and teachers are invited to make a submission to inform the Anti-Bullying Rapid Review which has been launched by the Albanese Labor Government. 

    The Anti-Bullying Rapid Review is a key part of the Government’s plans to develop a national approach to addressing bullying in Australian schools. 

    The Review, being led by Dr Charlotte Keating and Dr Jo Robinson AM, is examining current school procedures and best practice methods to address bullying behaviours.

    The Review will consult broadly with key stakeholders across metropolitan and regional Australia, including parents, teachers, students, parent groups, state education departments and the non-government sector. 

    Submissions will help in understanding the different approaches to responding to bullying in schools and the effectiveness of them.

    Bullying has no place in our schools. Students, teachers and staff should always feel safe in the classroom.

    That’s why we will listen to parents, students, teachers and staff to develop a national strategy that is grounded in evidence and informed by lived experiences.

    The final report of the Review will be presented to all Australian Education Ministers in coming months. 

    Submissions are now open and close on 20 June 2025. 

    Visit www.education.gov.au/antibullying-rapid-review to make a submission, which can be made anonymously if preferred.

    Quotes attributable to Minister for Education Jason Clare:

    “Bullying is not just something that happens in schools, but schools are places where we can intervene and provide support for students.

    “All students and staff should be safe at school, and free from bullying and violence.

    “That’s why we’re taking action to develop a national standard to address bullying in schools. 

    “Last year we worked together to ban mobile phones in schools. This is another opportunity for us to support students, teachers and parents across the country. 

    “We will listen to parents, teachers, students and work with the states and territories to get this right.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: China hopes Poland’s EU Council presidency will help develop China-EU relations – Chinese FM

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

    BEIJING, May 19 (Xinhua) — This year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and the European Union, and China expects Poland, which holds the rotating presidency of the EU Council, to play a more constructive role in pushing China-EU relations toward new progress, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Monday.

    Wang Yi, also a member of the Politburo of the CPC Central Committee, made the remarks during a telephone conversation with Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski.

    Poland is an important strategic partner of China in Europe, Wang Yi noted, adding that China is ready to maintain high-level contacts with Poland and expand practical cooperation in various fields.

    Recalling that this year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory in the World Anti-Fascist War and the founding of the United Nations, Wang Yi said that China hopes to work with Poland to uphold the international order established after World War II, defend the central role of the UN, and protect international law and the basic norms of international relations.

    The return of Taiwan to China is an integral part of the victorious results of World War II and the post-war international order, the head of the Chinese Foreign Ministry emphasized. He expressed hope that Poland will adhere to the international consensus, continue to pursue the one-China policy and oppose any form of separatism to gain “Taiwan independence.”

    R. Sikorski, in turn, stated that Poland attaches great importance to relations with China, will firmly adhere to the one-China policy and is committed to strengthening exchanges with China at all levels, deepening mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields, jointly protecting the post-war international order and continuously promoting Polish-Chinese and European-Chinese relations.

    The two sides also exchanged views on the Ukrainian crisis. Wang Yi said that the developments in Ukraine have proven that Chinese President Xi Jinping’s four-point proposal takes into account the interests of all parties and is an important guiding principle for advancing the political settlement of the Ukrainian crisis.

    As the head of the Chinese Foreign Ministry noted, China has always made efforts to promote peace talks, never abandoned peace efforts, and, in particular, established the “Friends of Peace” group together with other countries in the Global South.

    Russia and Ukraine recently resumed direct talks, taking a first step toward peace despite differences in positions, Wang said, adding that China expects all sides to further demonstrate their willingness to resolve the crisis through political means and ultimately reach a fair, lasting and legally binding peace agreement through continued dialogue.

    The Polish Foreign Minister expressed hope that China will continue to play an active role in establishing lasting peace in Europe. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –