NewzIntel.com

Category: Politics

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Armenian government attaches great importance to deepening friendship and cooperation with China – PM

    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

    Yerevan, May 19 /Xinhua/ — Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan met with the new Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China Li Xinwei, the Chinese Embassy in Armenia reported on its website on Monday.

    During the meeting, N. Pashinyan stated that the Armenian government attaches great importance to deepening friendship and cooperation with China and is ready for close high-level exchanges, strengthening political mutual trust and advancing Armenian-Chinese relations to a new level for the benefit of the peoples of the two countries.

    The Prime Minister stressed that the Armenian side expects to further expand practical cooperation with the Chinese side, in particular in such aspects as the implementation of economic cooperation projects, strengthening interconnectivity and increasing cultural and humanitarian exchanges, in order to continue to reveal the potential of bilateral cooperation.

    Li Xinwei, in turn, noted that China and Armenia are good friends and reliable partners. According to him, over the 33 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations, the two countries have maintained healthy and stable development of friendly ties, and cooperation in various fields is steadily moving forward. In the future, China is ready to work together with Armenia to promote further deepening and new practical results of Chinese-Armenian relations, the ambassador added. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ernst, Comer Demand Crackdown on Government Credit Cards

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA)
    WASHINGTON – After a highly concerning report revealed Pentagon bureaucrats used government charge cards for more than 11,000 transactions at “known high-risk merchants,” including casinos, night clubs, and bars, U.S. Senate DOGE Caucus Chair Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) and House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) are commissioning a government-wide review of federal charge card programs.
    Among the issues raised by the lawmakers to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) is a recent U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) audit finding which revealed the federal government maintains approximately 4.6 million active charge cards and accounts, nearly double the number of federal employees.
    “With tens of billions in taxpayer funds at stake each year, a comprehensive assessment is urgently needed to identify systemic risks, eliminate inefficiencies, and restore accountability to federal charge card programs. To better understand the scope of this issue and to inform potential reforms, we request the GAO conduct a comprehensive review of the issuance and management of government purchase, travel, fleet, and integrated charge cards and accounts across federal agencies subject to the Chief Financial Officers (CFO) Act of 1990,” wrote the lawmakers.
    Click here to view the letter.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICE Washington, D.C. arrests illegal Guatemalan gang member with extensive criminal history

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    FAIRFAX, Va. — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested an illegally present Guatemalan gang member with an extensive history of criminal activity that includes a multitude of charges and convictions for assault and battery, burglary, credit card fraud, trespassing and drug crimes. Officers with ICE Washington, D.C. arrested Mykol Santos-Santos, 25, in Fairfax May 12, after the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center refused to honor ICE’s 16th immigration detainer lodged against him.

    Santos-Santos resisted the arrest heavily, resulting in the injury of an ICE officer.

    “Mykol Santos-Santos is a habitual offender. He is a documented member of a violent criminal gang with a lengthy criminal history and represents an egregious danger to our Virginia communities,” said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Washington, D.C. Field Office Director Russell Hott. “While we are happy to have arrested him, we find it inexcusable that local law enforcement refused to honor 16 separate immigration detainers against Santos-Santos, forcing ICE officers to make an at large arrest where one of our officers was injured. We could have worked together with local law enforcement to arrange a safe transfer of custody. Instead, they decided to place politics ahead of public safety, and as a result one of our brave officers was injured. ICE Washington D.C. will continue to prioritize the safety of our public by arresting and removing criminal alien threats to our communities.”

    U.S. Border Patrol arrested Santos-Santos July 11, 2014, after he illegally entered the United States near Hidalgo, Texas. Border Patrol officials issued him a notice to appear before a Justice Department immigration judge.

    ICE Washington, D.C. arrested Santos-Santos July 17, 2018, during a targeted enforcement operation in Annandale, Virginia.

    On Jan. 2, 2019, a Justice Department immigration judge granted him an $8,000 immigration bond.

    On June 30, 2023, a Justice Department immigration judge ordered Santos-Santos removed from the United States to Guatemala.

    Between Feb. 20, 2020, and May 8, 2025, Fairfax County Police arrested Santos-Santos at least 30 times and charged him with crimes including assault and battery, drug possession, drug possession with intent to distribute, burglary, theft, larceny, trespassing, property damage, obstruction of justice, attempting to flee police, failure to appear and violating court orders.

    Between June 17, 2022, and May 12, 2025, ICE Washington, D.C. lodged 16 separate immigration detainers against him with the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center. The facility ignored all 16 detainers and released Santos-Santos back into the community on each occasion.  

    Members of the public can report crimes and suspicious activity by dialing 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.

    Learn more about ICE’s mission to increase public safety in our communities on X at @EROWashington.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Contractor of USAID-Funded Program Extradited to the United States, Convicted and Sentenced for Conspiracy to Obtain Grant Money Through Fraud

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

                WASHINGTON— Stephen Paul Edmund Sutton, 53, a United Kingdom citizen, pleaded guilty and was sentenced today for his participation in a fraud scheme, perpetrated when he was employed by a  contracting firm that implemented a U.S. Agency for International Development-funded (USAID) power distribution program (PDP) in Pakistan, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Acting Assistant Inspector General for Investigations Sean Bottary.

                Sutton pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit theft concerning a program receiving federal funds, which is a felony. In his role as a Logistics Operations Manager, Sutton took kickbacks of USAID-funds used to pay for the services rendered. After fighting extradition for more than two years, Sutton was extradited to the United States. District Court Judge Amit P. Mehta sentenced Sutton to time-served and ordered that Sutton be turned over to immigration authorities.

                He pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit theft concerning a program receiving federal funds. He was sentenced to time-served and one day of supervised release.

                According to court documents, PDP was a component of U.S. government assistance to the government of Pakistan to support its energy sector. Launched in September 2010, the five-year program was designed to facilitate improvements in Pakistan’s government-owned electric power distribution companies through interventions and projects addressing governance issues, technical and non-technical losses, and low revenue collection. The main goal of the PDP was to improve the commercial performance of the participating distribution companies through technology upgrades and improvements in processes, procedures, and practices, as well as training and capacity building. Under the PDP contract, Sutton’s employer subcontracted through purchase orders with vendors in Pakistan for certain goods and services.

                From May through November 2015, Sutton and his co-conspirator, an employee supervised by Sutton, participated in a kickback scheme by creating two companies, obtaining PDP purchase orders for forklift and crane services for the companies, and distributing the profits to themselves. As part of the scheme, his co-conspirator arranged for low-grade local vendors to provide the services for at least half the contract rates, and Sutton ensured that the company paid the invoices despite suspicions raised by an accounts payable officer. U.S. government sentencing documents indicate the agency was defrauded of almost $100,000 and that for his part, Sutton received at least $21,000 in kickbacks.

                Sutton’s co-conspirator is also charged by indictment and his case is pending disposition. 

                This case was investigated by the USAID Office of Inspector General and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Emily Miller and former Special Assistant United States Attorneys Scot Morris and Nicholas Coates of the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of Sutton from the UK.

    20-cr-252

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Retired U.S. Navy Admiral Found Guilty in Bribery Scheme

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

                WASHINGTON – Admiral Robert Burke (USN-Ret.), 62, of Coconut Creek, Florida, was found guilty of bribery today in connection with accepting future employment at a government vendor in exchange for awarding that company a government contract.   

              Following a five-day trial, a federal jury found Burke guilty of conspiracy to commit bribery, bribery, performing acts affecting a personal financial interest, and concealing material facts from the United States. U.S. District Court Judge Trevor N. McFadden scheduled sentencing for August 22, 2025. 

              The verdict was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, Matthew R. Galeotti Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Special Agent in Charge Greg Gross of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) Economic Crimes Field Office, and Assistant Director in Charge Steven J. Jensen of the FBI Washington Field Office.   

              “When you abuse your position and betray the public trust to line your own pockets, it undermines the confidence in the government you represent,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “Our office, with our law enforcement partners, will root out corruption – be it bribes or illegal contracts – and hold accountable the perpetrators, no matter what title or rank they hold.”

              According to court documents and as the evidence proved at trial, from 2020 to 2022, Burke was a four-star Admiral who oversaw U.S. naval operations in Europe, Russia, and most of Africa, and commanded thousands of civilian and military personnel. The two co-defendants Kim and Messenger were the co-CEOs of a company (Company A) and provided a workforce training pilot program to a small component of the Navy from August 2018 through July 2019. The Navy terminated a contract with Company A in late 2019 and directed Company A not to contact Burke. 

              Despite the Navy’s instructions, the co-defendants met with Burke in Washington, D.C., in July 2021, to reestablish Company A’s business relationship with the Navy. At the meeting, the charged defendants agreed that Burke would use his position as a Navy Admiral to steer a contract to Company A in exchange for future employment at the company. They further agreed that Burke would use his official position to influence other Navy officers to award another contract to Company A to train a large portion of the Navy with a value one of the co-defendants allegedly estimated to be “triple digit millions.” 

              In December 2021, Burke ordered his staff to award a $355,000 contract to Company A to train personnel under Burke’s command in Italy and Spain. Company A performed the training in January 2022. Thereafter, Burke promoted Company A in a failed effort to convince another senior Navy Admiral to award another contract to Company A. To conceal the scheme, Burke made several false and misleading statements to the Navy, including by falsely implying that Company A’s employment discussions with Burke only began months after the contract was awarded and omitting the truth on his required government ethics disclosure forms. 

              In October 2022, Burke began working at Company A at a yearly starting salary of $500,000 and a grant of 100,000 stock options. 

              This case was investigated by the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, and the FBI’s Washington Field Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebecca G. Ross for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorneys Trevor Wilmot and Kathryn E. Fifield of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section. It was investigated and indicted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Rothstein.

    24cr265

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Westwego Woman Guilty of Conspiracy to Commit Mail Fraud by Defrauding State Offices of Unemployment Insurance

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced today that REHA JANEE ARVIE,(“ARVIE”), age 34, of Westwego, LA, pled guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Mail Fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1349. ARVIE faces up to twenty (20) years imprisonment, up to three (3) years of supervised release, a fine up to $250,000.00, or twice the gross gain to the defendant, or twice the gross loss to any victim, and a $100.00 mandatory special assessment fee.

    According to the indictment, beginning in or around July 2020, ARVIE defrauded, and attempted to defraud, various state offices of Unemployment Insurance (“UI”) through the submission of approximately 100 fraudulent UI applications. ARVIE recruited friends and family, via Facebook, to file these fraudulent UI applications. Additionally, ARVIE filed fraudulent UI applications for herself and others, in various states including Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Indiana, Missouri, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Utah, Texas, and the territory of Guam. ARVIE charged those for whom she filed fraudulent UI claims fees, ranging from    $1,200.00 to $1,500.00. For example, ARVIE obtained $267,612.00 in UI benefits from California’s Employment Development Department. Moreover, during the investigation, ARVIE lied to federal agents during an interview.

    Sentencing in this matter is scheduled for September 10, 2025, before United States District Judge Sarah S. Vance.

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

    “The PRAC was established to promote transparency and facilitate coordinated oversight of the federal government’s COVID-19 pandemic response. The PRAC’s 20 member Inspectors General identify major risks that cross program and agency boundaries to detect fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement in the more than $5 trillion in COVID-19 spending, including spending via the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program. This case was also supported by the PRAC’s Pandemic Analytics Center of Excellence, which applies the latest advances in analytic and forensic technologies to help OIGs and law enforcement pursue data-driven pandemic relief fraud investigations.”

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

    The United States Attorney’s Office would also like to acknowledge the assistance of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General; the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General; the National Unemployment Insurance Fraud Task Force; The Pandemic Response Accountability Committee; the United States Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General COVID Fraud Unit; and the California Employment Development Department with this matter. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Brian M. Klebba, Chief of the Financial Crimes Unit.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: 19 May 2025 News release Member States approve WHO Pandemic Agreement in World Health Assembly Committee, paving way for its formal adoption

    Source: World Health Organisation

    World Health Organization Member States, meeting today in Committee A of the World Health Assembly, approved a resolution that calls for the adoption of an historic global compact to make the world safer from future pandemics. The WHO Pandemic Agreement will next be considered for final adoption by the Assembly on Tuesday during the plenary session.

    Monday’s approval of the Pandemic Agreement resolution follows a more than three-year process, launched by governments during the COVID-19 pandemic, to negotiate the world’s first such accord to address the gaps and inequities in preventing, preparing for and responding to pandemics. This watershed agreement was adopted under Article 19 of the WHO Constitution. It aims to foster stronger collaboration and cooperation among countries, international organizations like WHO, civil society, the private sector and other stakeholders to prevent pandemics occurring in the first place, and to better respond in the event of a future pandemic crisis.

    “Governments from all over the world are making their countries, and our interconnected global community, more equitable, healthier and safer from the threats posed by pathogens and viruses of pandemic potential,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization. “I congratulate WHO‘s Member States for resolving to come together in the aftermath of COVID-19 to better protect the world from future pandemics. Their work to develop this global accord will ensure countries work better, faster and more equitably together to prevent and respond to the next pandemic threat.”

    The Pandemic Agreement and the resolution calling for its adoption will be taken up by the full plenary of the World Health Assembly on Tuesday, 20 May. Immediately after, there will be a High-Level segment featuring statements from Heads of States of multiple countries.

    “The WHO Pandemic Agreement is a demonstration of the shared desire by all people to be better prepared to prevent and respond to the next pandemic, with a commitment to the principles of respect for human dignity, equity, solidarity and sovereignty, and basing public health decisions to control pandemics on the best available science and evidence,” said the Honorable Dr Esperance Luvindao, Minister of Health and Social Services of Namibia, and Chair of the Committee A meeting that adopted today’s resolution. “The costs that COVID inflicted on lives, livelihoods and economies were great and many, and we – as sovereign states – have resolved to join hands, as one world together, so we can protect our children, elders, frontline health workers and all others from the next pandemic. It is our duty and responsibility to humanity.”

    The resolution sets out several steps for taking the world forward and preparing for the Pandemic Agreement’s implementation. It includes the launch of a process to draft and negotiate an annex to the Agreement that would establish a Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing system (PABS) through an Intergovernmental Working Group (IGWG). The result of this process will be considered at next year’s World Health Assembly. Once the Assembly adopts the PABS annex, the Pandemic Agreement will then be open for signature and consideration of ratification, including by national legislative bodies. After 60 ratifications, the Agreement will enter into force.

    In addition, Member States also directed the IGWG to initiate steps to enable setting up of the Coordinating Financial Mechanism for pandemic prevention, preparedness and response, and the Global Supply Chain and Logistics Network (GSCL) to “enhance, facilitate, and work to remove barriers and ensure equitable, timely, rapid, safe, and affordable access to pandemic-related health products for countries in need during public health emergencies of international concern, including pandemic emergencies, and for prevention of such emergencies.”

    According to the Agreement, pharmaceutical manufacturers participating in the PABS system will play a key role in equitable and timely access to pandemic-related health products by making available to WHO “rapid access targeting 20% of their real time production of safe, quality and effective vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics for the pathogen causing the pandemic emergency.”  The distribution of these products to countries will be carried out on the basis of public health risk and need, with particular attention to the needs of developing countries and those supported through the GSCL.

    The Pandemic Agreement aligns with the International Health Regulations, amendments to which were adopted by governments at last year’s World Health Assembly to bolster international rules to better detect, prevent and respond to outbreaks.

    Dr Tedros thanked the Bureau of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (INB) that coordinated and facilitated the process to draft and negotiate the Pandemic Agreement. The WHO Director-General also praised the tireless work and excellence of the WHO Secretariat team that supported the Bureau and Member States, led by Dr Michael Ryan and Dr Jaouad Mahjour.

    “An immensely talented, experienced and driven WHO team was assembled to support the vision of governments to develop this historic Pandemic Agreement,” Dr Tedros said. “This group of individuals, representing so many countries and regions of the world, deserve enormous credit and thanks from the international community for what they have done to help make the world safer for future generations.”

    The INB was established in December 2021, at a special session of the World Health Assembly. WHO Member States were tasked to develop a convention, agreement or other international instrument under the WHO Constitution to strengthen pandemic preparedness, prevention and response. Members of the INB Bureau that guided the process were Co-Chairs Ms Precious Matsoso (South Africa) and Ambassador Anne-Claire Amprou (France), and Vice-Chairs Ambassador Tovar da Silva Nunes (Brazil), Ambassador Amr Ramadan (Egypt), Dr Viroj Tangcharoensathien (Thailand); and Ms Fleur Davies (Australia). Past members included former Co-Chair, Mr Roland Driece (the Netherlands), and former Vice-Chairs Ambassador Honsei Kozo (Japan), Mr Kazuho Taguchi (Japan), and Mr Ahmed Soliman (Egypt).

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Project Homecoming Charter Flight Brings Self-Deporters to Honduras, Colombia

    Source: US Department of Homeland Security

    Illegal Aliens, Using the CBP Home App, Chose to Return Home the Right Way 

    WASHINGTON – Today, The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) conducted avoluntary charter flight from Houston, TX, to Honduras and Colombia, bringing 64 participants who opted to self-deport back to their home countries. This charter flight is one of the first actions the Department has taken to fulfill President Trump’s recent proclamation to create Project Homecoming.  

    This was a voluntary charter flight, not an ICE enforcement operation. All participants were offered the same benefits as any illegal alien who self-deports using the CBP Home App. Theyreceived travel assistance, a $1,000 stipend, and preserved the possibility they could one day return to the United States legally.   

    In Honduras, 38participants were warmly welcomed by their home government and family members. They also benefitedfrom the Honduran government’s “Hermano, Hermana, Vuelve a Casa” program, which includes an additional $100 bonus for people over 18, food vouchers, and assistance in finding employment. 

    In Colombia, 26 participants were welcomed back by their families and representatives of the Colombian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Migration Colombia. The Colombian government provided social services from the Family Welfare Institute (ICBF), and the Department of Social Prosperity.

    “Today, DHS conducted its first Project Homecoming charter flight of 64 individuals who voluntarily chose to self-deport to their home counties of Honduras and Colombia,” said Secretary Kristi Noem. “If you are here illegally, use the CBP Home App to take control of your departure and receive financial support to return home. If you don’t, you will be subjected to fines, arrest, deportation and will never be allowed to return. If you are in this country illegally, self-deport NOW and preserve your opportunity to potentially return the legal, right way.” 

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress Holds Talks with the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies of the Congress of Mexico

    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) — Zhao Leji, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC), held talks with Sergio Gutierrez Luna, president of the Chamber of Deputies (lower house) of Mexico, in Beijing on Monday.

    Zhao Leji said China is willing to work with Mexico to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, implement the five plans for building a community with a shared future for China and Latin American and Caribbean countries (LAC), enrich the content of the China-Mexico comprehensive strategic partnership, and promote unity and prosperity between China and LAC.

    The above-mentioned five programs, covering aspects such as solidarity, development, civilization, peace and people-to-people connectivity, were introduced by Chinese President Xi Jinping at the opening ceremony of the 4th China-CELAC (Community of Latin American and Caribbean States) Forum Ministerial Meeting in Beijing last week.

    The NPC Standing Committee chairman noted that the Chinese side highly appreciates the long-term commitment of the Mexican Chamber of Deputies to the one-China principle and welcomes Mexico’s flexible participation in the joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative.

    According to Zhao Leji, China welcomes deepening cooperation with Mexico in traditional sectors such as infrastructure construction, expanding cooperation in new sectors including electric vehicles, new energy and agricultural machinery, strengthening cultural and people-to-people exchanges, and expanding cooperation in education, think tanks and the media.

    Zhao Leji stressed that the Chinese National People’s Congress is willing to strengthen exchanges and maintain close coordination with the Mexican parliament.

    As important representatives of the Global South, China and LAC countries should carry forward the glorious tradition of independence and self-reliance, safeguard their right to development, uphold international fairness and justice, and practice genuine multilateralism, the NPC Standing Committee chairman added.

    S. Gutierrez Luna, for his part, stated that Mexico is ready to work with China to promote the implementation of the results of the China-CELAC Forum and strengthen cooperation in the areas of economics, science, technology, culture, education and tourism.

    Mexico advocates for strengthening international cooperation instead of erecting barriers, S. Gutierrez Luna emphasized, adding that the Chamber of Deputies of the Mexican Congress hopes to deepen exchanges with the NPC to promote Mexico-China relations and LAC-China relations. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Chinese Foreign Minister Calls on China and Germany to Deepen Mutually Beneficial Cooperation, Jointly Oppose Unilateralism and Protectionism

    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) — Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Monday called on China and Germany to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation and jointly oppose unilateralism and protectionism.

    Wang Yi, also a member of the Politburo of the CPC Central Committee, made the statement during a telephone conversation with German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul.

    The Chinese diplomat congratulated his colleague on taking office, noting that Chinese-German relations go beyond bilateral relations in their significance and have an important impact on economic development and strategic stability throughout the world.

    Stressing that China and Germany enjoy a comprehensive strategic partnership, Wang Yi expressed hope that the new German government will remain committed to this status of bilateral relations and pursue a rational and pragmatic policy towards China.

    Wang Yi pointed out that the Taiwan issue is a matter of China’s fundamental interests. He expressed his belief that the German side will firmly adhere to the one-China principle, just as China once supported the reunification of Germany.

    Deepening mutually beneficial cooperation is a natural choice for China and Germany, whose economies are highly complementary, whose industries are deeply interconnected and whose interests are closely integrated, Wang said, stressing that both sides should not allow normal bilateral cooperation to be undermined in the interests of so-called risk reduction.

    As the Chinese Foreign Minister noted, this year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the European Union, which is an important milestone connecting the past and the future. In this regard, Wang Yi expressed hope that Germany will play an active role as a key member state of the European Union and give new impetus to the development of relations between China and the EU through high-quality Sino-German cooperation.

    According to him, the Chinese side also expects the European Union to move towards China, promptly and properly resolve the anti-subsidy case against Chinese electric vehicles, and promote qualitative improvement of cooperation between China and the EU.

    Wang Yi added that China and Germany should shoulder their responsibilities as major countries, jointly advocate and adhere to free trade, oppose unilateralism and protectionism, ensure the security and stability of global industrial and supply chains, practice genuine multilateralism, and uphold the international system with the UN at its core. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Chinese Foreign Minister Calls on China and Germany to Deepen Mutually Beneficial Cooperation, Jointly Oppose Unilateralism and Protectionism /more details/

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian –

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

    BEIJING, May 19 (Xinhua) — Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Monday called on China and Germany to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation and jointly oppose unilateralism and protectionism.

    Wang Yi, also a member of the Politburo of the CPC Central Committee, made the statement during a telephone conversation with German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul.

    The Chinese diplomat congratulated his colleague on taking office, noting that Chinese-German relations go beyond bilateral relations in their significance and have an important impact on economic development and strategic stability throughout the world.

    Stressing that China and Germany enjoy a comprehensive strategic partnership, Wang Yi expressed hope that the new German government will remain committed to this status of bilateral relations and pursue a rational and pragmatic policy towards China.

    Wang Yi pointed out that the Taiwan issue is a matter of China’s fundamental interests. He expressed his belief that the German side will firmly adhere to the one-China principle, just as China once supported the reunification of Germany.

    Deepening mutually beneficial cooperation is a natural choice for China and Germany, whose economies are highly complementary, whose industries are deeply interconnected and whose interests are closely integrated, Wang said, stressing that both sides should not allow normal bilateral cooperation to be undermined in the interests of so-called risk reduction.

    As the Chinese Foreign Minister noted, this year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the European Union, which is an important milestone connecting the past and the future. In this regard, Wang Yi expressed hope that Germany will play an active role as a key member state of the European Union and give new impetus to the development of relations between China and the EU through high-quality Sino-German cooperation.

    According to him, the Chinese side also expects the European Union to move towards China, promptly and properly resolve the anti-subsidy case against Chinese electric vehicles, and promote qualitative improvement of cooperation between China and the EU.

    Wang added that China and Germany should shoulder their responsibilities as major countries, jointly advocate and adhere to free trade, oppose unilateralism and protectionism, ensure the security and stability of global industrial and supply chains, practice genuine multilateralism, and uphold the international system with the UN at its core.

    J. Wadephul, for his part, stated that German-Chinese relations are of great importance for the development of the world economy and for the future of the international community. He pointed out that the new German government pays close attention to relations with China and intends to pursue an active policy towards the PRC.

    As J. Wadephul emphasized, Germany has firmly adhered to the one-China policy in the past and will continue to do so in the future, wishing to be a reliable and predictable partner for the Chinese side.

    As a leading member of the European Union, Germany intends to make efforts to resolve differences through dialogue and consultation and supports the EU and China in resolving issues such as the anti-subsidy case against Chinese electric vehicles through negotiations, the German diplomat assured.

    The two sides also exchanged views on the Ukrainian crisis. Wang Yi said China has made continuous efforts to advance peace talks and supports achieving a fair, lasting and legally binding peace agreement through direct dialogue.

    J. Wadeful, in turn, expressed hope that China will use its influence to promote a ceasefire and a speedy end to the crisis in Ukraine. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cheers to New Adventures: Rip Shively’s Retirement Celebration!

    Source: US Geological Survey

    Cheers to New Adventures: Rip Shively’s Retirement Celebration!

    We are both excited and saddened to announce the retirement of Rip Shively, who has served as the Environmental Health Program Coordinator for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) since 2022. 

                                

    Rip’s contributions to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) span an impressive career of over 35 years, during which he has significantly advanced our understanding of environmental health issues and fostered meaningful collaborations across various sectors.

    Throughout his distinguished career, Rip has exemplified dedication and passion as a civil servant. Rip began his career at the Western Fisheries Research Center (WFRC) in Cook, WA in April of 1990.  In 1990, WFRC was a US Fish and Wildlife Service organization.  He was a temp employee until November of 1992 when he was hired as a term employee, but his leadership and can-do attitude soon garnered him a permanent position.  In 1993, WFRC was moved into the newly created National Biological Service (NBS).  He continued to lead field teams to collect data on the Columbia River, looking at a variety of issues in support of State and Federal Agencies.  The change continued, and in 1996 the NBS was swept up into the USGS.  Around 2000, Rip took a position in Klamath Falls, OR working on the Suckers in Klamath Lake.  His ability to navigate the highly charged political environment and bring in researchers from the Oregon Water Science Center to assist on the project was rewarded with a DOI Conservation Service Award in 2005.  Then in 2008, Rip’s wife’s job required the family to move, and he took a position as the Bureau Approving Official for Biology.  While it was not what he was accustomed to, he took away with him a greater knowledge of the outstanding science across all of USGS.  

    Years later, Rip’s leadership skills, were put to the test when he took on the Acting Center Director roll at Northern Prairie Research Center.  This detail led to the opportunity to apply for the Center Director position at Columbia Environmental Research Center (CERC).  He was selected and served CERC as a strong advocate for the science conducted and opportunities for the staff.  In late 2022, Rip joined the Ecosystems Mission Area as Environmental Health (EH) Program Coordinator.  Within the EH Program, Rip has been leading from the front looking for all opportunities to support the science and the centers. 

    Rip has been a mentor and a source of inspiration for many within the USGS and beyond. His ability to unite teams, promote innovative research, and advocate for One Health has left a lasting legacy that will continue to shape our work long after his departure. He has always taken the time to support and empower his colleagues, fostering a collaborative and inclusive environment that encouraged professional growth.

    In addition to his professional achievements, Rip has also contributed greatly to the spirit and culture of our organization. His enthusiasm for teaching others, his unwavering support for his team, and his knack for bringing humor and camaraderie to our work gatherings make his retirement announcement hard to hear.

    As Rip embarks on this new chapter of his life, we hope he enjoys every moment of his well-deserved retirement. May it be filled with joy, adventure, family time, travel, and dogs. We know he will be missed both professionally and personally, but we look forward to hearing about the exciting new experiences he will pursue.

    Rip, thank you for your years of dedicated service, guidance, and friendship. Congratulations on your retirement!

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: The federal government wants to boost productivity. Science can help

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Deanna D’Alessandro, Professor & Director, Net Zero Institute, University of Sydney

    Daniel Sone/National Cancer Institute

    In the wake of Labor’s resounding victory in Australia’s federal election earlier this month, there has been much talk about flailing productivity in Australia.

    In fact, last week, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Treasurer Jim Chalmers made clear that the priority for the government’s second term will be to boost productivity. This crucial measure of how much we produce for every hour we work rises a little every year. But growth has slowed over the past decade.

    As part of this, the federal government has tasked the Productivity Commission with a new strategy to enhance productivity. A draft report is expected in July or August, with implementable ideas across five key pillars.

    So far, however, one part of the solution to the productivity slump has received little public attention: boosting support for scientific research.

    Productivity relies on science

    Science can help boost national economic productivity in many ways.

    For one, scientific innovation and creativity can create high value goods and services for both Australian and international markets. And translating this research into real-world economic benefits builds a workforce that combines science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) skills with business skills.

    This is important because it fosters technological innovation and supports evidence-based decision making. It also empowers individuals to solve complex problems in the face of technological change. This ultimately drives productivity growth.

    Australian scientific solutions will also need to be at the fore if the Future Made in Australia agenda is to realise its goal of stronger public-private sector relationships and a more resilient economy.

    The so-called fourth industrial revolution, or Industry 4.0, refers to the rapid digitisation and automation of manufacturing industry technologies and processes. It not only relies on science to realise the enormous opportunities of digital technologies, but also to ensure they are harnessed sustainably.

    For example, science can help address the serious concerns relating to the huge energy and resource cost of artificial intelligence.

    Recognising the role of science

    The government seems to recognise the role scientific research and innovation can play in boosting productivity.

    For example, in 2024 it fully launched the Australian Economic Accelerator, which was announced by the former Coalition government two years earlier. This scheme is designed to foster and build productivity by supporting university research in Australia that has the potential for commercialisation.

    Australia’s new national science and research priorities also highlight the crucial role of science in addressing Australia’s complex energy and environmental challenges.

    But there are still some fundamental problems in the world of science that are limiting productivity growth in Australia.

    A widening gap

    One of these problems relates to research and development – or R&D – funding.

    Australia’s investment in R&D as a percentage of gross domestic product has been declining for many years. It has dropped from 2.25% in 2008–9 to 1.68% in 2021–22. At the same time, other advanced economies have increased their R&D spending, leading to a widening gap. The OECD average is 2.7%.

    Multiple leading bodies have called out this decline as a threat to Australia’s long-term productivity. That’s because R&D spending in science fosters innovation and creativity – two major factors in productivity growth.

    Another problem is the declining support for fundamental science which isn’t done with any application in mind, but can be equally important in the long term to enhancing productivity.

    Consider the discovery of penicillin. Or of the double helix structure of DNA. These are just some scientific breakthroughs that were not initially focused on practical applications, but ultimately proved transformative.

    This kind of scientific research requires sustained support, allowing knowledge to grow. We have seen the results of this in action and its impact even more recently. Scientists had worked on mRNA vaccines for decades before the vaccine breakthrough achieved during the COVID pandemic.

    A nation at a crossroads

    Australia is at a crossroads. Simply increasing funding in the short term through measures such as Australia’s Economic Accelerator is, at best, a band-aid solution. What’s needed to properly tackle the problem is thoughtful reform and long-term, strategic planning to secure the nation’s prosperity for decades to come.

    There is some hope for this, thanks to the government’s comprehensive review of the R&D sector. This review aims to align R&D with national priorities, maximise the value of existing investments, harness public-private partnerships, and strengthen collaboration between research and industry.

    The review is engaging a wide range of stakeholders and is designed to deliver long-term transformation.

    Addressing productivity in these areas could yield substantial benefits. It could build Australia’s industrial and economic self-sufficiency. And it could broaden our field of view around productivity and how it can be boosted through long-term investment in science and R&D reforms.

    By implementing robust R&D reforms and driving productivity across all sectors, Australia can set itself up for sustained growth and international influence.

    Deanna D’Alessandro receives funding from the Australian Research Council.

    Kate Harrison Brennan was an Advisor to former Prime Minister Julia Gillard and is a member of the Australian Labor Party.

    – ref. The federal government wants to boost productivity. Science can help – https://theconversation.com/the-federal-government-wants-to-boost-productivity-science-can-help-256567

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Wyden Sounds Alarm on Harmful Impacts of SAVE Act, Trump’s Anti-Voter Executive Order, in Native Communities

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore)

    May 19, 2025

    Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., said today he has written the Trump administration about the challenges Native communities will face under Trump’s “election integrity” executive order and the SAVE Act, including requirements documenting proof of citizenship and restricting mail-in voting.

    The SAVE Act passed by the Republican-controlled House and Trump’s executive order would require Native Americans to use a government issued state ID to register to vote instead of their Tribal IDs which are currently accepted in nearly every state and have been for decades. The SAVE Act also has an in-person requirement for voter-registration that would force Tribal voters in rural areas to travel significant distances to prove their citizenship and register to vote. 

    “Enactment of new voter registration policies under the Executive Order and the SAVE Act would lead to mass disenfranchisement of eligible Native voters and further depress the Native vote,” Wyden and colleagues wrote Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum. “Tribal IDs generally lack place of birth information required by the legislation, and the vast majority of these IDs lack the specific U.S. citizenship documentation required by the Executive Order. And the SAVE Act’s in-person requirement would exacerbate existing barriers, such as requiring IDs that list residential mailing addresses, by forcing many Native voters to travel great distances, including costly flights or multi-hour drives, to reach their local elections office or polling place.”

    Wyden and his colleagues  also highlighted that the vote-by-mail restrictions would disproportionately hurt Native Americans who rely on mail-in voting because of their lack of transportation and rural locations. Trump’s executive order penalizes states that accept absentee or mail-in ballots received after Election Day, harming Native voters in Oregon, especially as the State processes ballots for days as long as they were postmarked by Election day. 

    “As Secretary of the Interior, you have a special moral and legal responsibility to uphold our nation’s trust and treaty obligations,” continued the senators. “If implemented, the sweeping federal mandates included in the Executive Order and the SAVE Act would disenfranchise eligible Native voters who are following state laws. We encourage your active engagement with the White House and the Department of Justice to ensure that Native communities are able to exercise the franchise fully and have their voices heard at the ballot box.”

    In addition to Wyden, the letter was also led by U.S. Senators Alex Padilla, D-Calif., and Brian Schatz, D-Hawai’i, and signed by U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., Mazie Hirono, D-Hawai’i, Tim Kaine, D-Va., Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., Edward J. Markey, D-Mass., Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., Tina Smith, D-Minn., Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.

    Text of the letter is here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: S. 842, No Hezbollah In Our Hemisphere Act

    Source: US Congressional Budget Office

    S. 842 would require the Administration to assess and report to the Congress whether jurisdictions in Latin America could be designated as terrorist sanctuaries, as defined under the Foreign Relations Authorization Act of Fiscal Year 1988 and 1989. To inform that determination, the bill specifically directs the Administration to consider whether such jurisdictions have allowed Hezbollah to operate freely within their borders. S. 842 also would authorize the Administration to restrict visas for any government officials from areas designated as terrorist sanctuaries unless those officials have taken significant action to prevent terrorist activity within their jurisdiction.

    Under current law, the Administration can restrict visas for individuals who support terrorist activity. If the enactment of S. 842 leads the Administration to broaden those sanctions, more people would be denied visas by the Department of State, resulting in an insignificant decrease in revenues from fees. Although most visa fees are retained by the Department of State and spent, some collections are deposited into the Treasury as revenues. Denying foreign nationals entry into the United States also would reduce direct spending on federal benefits (emergency Medicaid or federal subsidies for health insurance, for example) for which those people might otherwise be eligible.

    On the basis of data about similar visa restrictions, CBO estimates any additional visa restrictions imposed under the bill would affect a small number of people. Thus, enacting S. 842 would decrease revenues and direct spending by insignicant amounts, and would, on net, reduce deficits by insignificant amounts over the 2025-2035 period.

    S. 842 would require the Administration to report to the Congress whenever it waives the imposition of sanctions authorized by the bill. Using information about the cost of reports similar to those required by the bill, CBO estimates that implementing S. 842 would cost less than $500,000 over the 2025-2030 period. Such related spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds.

    The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Emma Uebelhor. The estimate was reviewed by Christina Hawley Anthony, Deputy Director of Budget Analysis.

    Phillip L. Swagel

    Director, Congressional Budget Office

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: GraniteShares Announces Change in ETF Lineup

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, May 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — GraniteShares announced today that it will close and liquidate the following ETF:

    Ticker Fund Name Commencement of investment operations
    TSLI GraniteShares 1x Short AMD Daily ETF 08/23/2023

    On May 09, 2025, the board of GraniteShares ETF Trust approved the liquidation of the GraniteShares 1x Short AMD Daily ETF (the “ETF”). The last day of trading for the ETF on NASDAQ Stock Market will be June 20, 2025. The last day creation orders will be accepted for the ETF will be June 18, 2025. Investors may sell their shares of the ETF until market close on June 20, 2025. Shares of the ETF will no longer trade on NASDAQ Stock Market after market close on June 20, 2025, and will be subsequently delisted. The final distribution to shareholders of the ETF is expected to occur on or about June 23, 2025.

    When the ETF commences the liquidation of its portfolio, it may hold cash and securities that may not be consistent with the ETF’s investment objectives and strategies.

    At the time the liquidation of the ETF is complete, the ETF shares will be individually redeemed. For shareholders that still hold shares of the ETF as of June 20, 2025, shares will be automatically redeemed for cash at the net asset value as of close of business on that date, which will reflect the costs of closing the ETF. Shareholders will generally recognize a capital gain or loss on the redemptions. The ETF may or may not pay one or more dividends or other distributions prior to or along with the redemption payments.

    About GraniteShares

    GraniteShares is an independent ETF issuer headquartered in New York City. GraniteShares will continue to offer the following leveraged single stock ETFs:

    ETF NAME TICKER UNDERLYING STOCK MANAGEMENT FEE/TOTAL EXPENSES
           
    GraniteShares 2x Long AAPL Daily ETF AAPB Apple 0.99%/1.15%
    GraniteShares 2x Long AMD Daily ETF AMDL AMD 0.99%/1.15%
    GraniteShares 2x Long AMZN Daily ETF AMZZ Amazon.com 0.99%/1.15%
    GraniteShares 2x Long BABA Daily ETF BABX Alibaba 0.99%/1.15%
    GraniteShares 2x Long COIN Daily ETF CONL Coinbase 0.99%/1.15%
    GraniteShares 2x Short COIN Daily ETF CONI Coinbase 0.99%/1.15%
    GraniteShares 2x Long CRWD Daily ETF CRWL CrowdStrike 1.30%/1.50%
    GraniteShares 2x Long DELL Daily ETF DLLL Dell Technologies 1.30%/1.50%
    GraniteShares 2x Long INTC Daily ETF INTW Intel 1.30%/1.50%
    GraniteShares 2x Long IONQ Daily ETF IONL IONQ 1.30%/1.50%
    GraniteShares 2x Long LCID Daily ETF LCDL Lucid 0.99%/1.15%
    GraniteShares 2x Long MARA Daily ETF MRAL MARA Holding 1.30%/1.50%
    GraniteShares 2x Long META Daily ETF FBL Meta Platform 0.99%/1.15%
    GraniteShares 2x Long MRVL Daily ETF MVLL Marvell Technology 1.30%/1.50%
    GraniteShares 2x Long MSFT Daily ETF MSFL Microsoft 0.99%/1.15%
    GraniteShares 2x Long MU Daily ETF MULL Micron Technology 1.30%/1.50%
    GraniteShares 2x Long NVDA Daily ETF NVDL NVIDIA 0.99%/1.15%
    GraniteShares 2x Short NVDA Daily ETF NVD NVIDIA 0.99%/1.15%
    GraniteShares 2x Long PLTR Daily ETF PTIR Palantir 0.99%/1.15%
    GraniteShares 2x Long QCOM Daily ETF QCML Qualcomm 1.30%/1.50%
    GraniteShares 2x Long RDDT Daily ETF RDTL Reddit 1.30%/1.50%
    GraniteShares 2x Long RIVN Daily ETF RVNL Rivian 0.99%/1.15%
    GraniteShares 2x Long SMCI Daily ETF SMCL Super Micro Computer 1.30%/1.50%
    GraniteShares 1.25x Long TSLA Daily ETF TSL Tesla 0.99%/1.15%
    GraniteShares 2x Long TSLA Daily ETF TSLR Tesla 0.99%/1.15%
    GraniteShares 2x Short TSLA Daily ETF TSDD Tesla 0.99%/1.15%
    GraniteShares 2x Long TSM Daily ETF TSML Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing 1.30%/1.50%
    GraniteShares 2x Long Uber Daily ETF UBRL Uber 0.99%/1.15%
    GraniteShares 2x Long VRT Daily ETF VRTL Vertiv 1.30%/1.50%
           

    In addition, GraniteShares’ ETF suite includes the following ETFs:

    Contact Information:
    William Rhind, CEO
    GraniteShares Inc
    +1 646 876 5049
    william.rhind@graniteshares.com

    Important Information

    Investors should consider the investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses of the GraniteShares funds (the “Funds”) carefully before investing. For a prospectus or summary prospectus with this and other information about the Funds, please call (844) 476 8747, or visit the website at www.graniteshares.com. Read the prospectus or summary prospectus carefully before investing.

    To obtain a prospectus for BAR, please visit
    https://www.graniteshares.com/Documents/25/Prospectus-GraniteShares-Gold-Trust.pdf
    To obtain a prospectus for PLTM, please visit
    https://graniteshares.com/media/gwrbh3ah/pltm_prospectus.pdf
    To obtain a prospectus for COMB, please visit
    https://graniteshares.com/media/4crf2x4e/graniteshares-etf-trust-comb-summary-prospectus.pdf

    Except as described above regarding the liquidation of the ETFs, shares of the Funds may be sold during trading hours on the exchange through any brokerage account, shares are not individually redeemable, and shares may only be redeemed directly from a Fund by Authorized Participants. There can be no assurance that an active trading market for shares in a Fund will develop or be maintained. Shares may trade above or below NAV. Brokerage commissions will apply.

    Fund Risks

    Multiple funds have a limited operating history of less than a year and risks associated with a new fund. The Leveraged and Daily Inverse Funds are not suitable for all investors. The investment program of the funds is speculative, entails substantial risks and include asset classes and investment techniques not employed by most ETFs and mutual funds. Investments in the ETFs are not bank deposits and are not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. The Fund is designed to be utilized only by knowledgeable investors who understand the potential consequences of seeking daily leveraged (2X) or daily inverse (-1X and -2X) investment results, understand the risks associated with the use of leverage and are willing to monitor their portfolios frequently. For periods longer than a single day, the Fund will lose money if the Underlying Stock’s performance is flat, and it is possible that the Fund will lose money even if the Underlying Stock’s performance increases over a period longer than a single day. An investor could lose the full principal value of his/her investment within a single day. The funds do not directly invest in the underlying stock.

    The Funds seek daily inverse or leveraged investment results and are intended to be used as short-term trading vehicles. Each Fund with “Long” in its name attempts to provide daily investment results that correspond to the respective long leveraged multiple of the performance of an underlying stock (each a Leveraged Long Fund). Each Fund with “Short” in its name attempts to provide daily investment results that correspond to the inverse (or opposite) multiple of the performance of an underlying stock (each an Inverse Fund).

    Investors should note that the Long Leveraged Funds and the Daily Inverse Funds pursue daily leveraged investment objectives and daily inverse investment objectives (respectively), which means that the fund is riskier than alternatives that do not use leverage and inverse strategies because the fund magnifies the performance of their underlying security. The volatility of the underlying security may affect a Funds’ return as much as, or more than, the return of the underlying security.

    For the Leveraged Long Funds because of daily rebalancing and the compounding of each day’s return over time, the return of the Fund for periods longer than a single day will be the result of each day’s returns compounded over the period, which will very likely differ from 200% of the return of the Underlying Stock over the same period. The Fund will lose money if the Underlying Stock’s performance is flat over time, and as a result of daily rebalancing, the Underlying Stock volatility and the effects of compounding, it is even possible that the Fund will lose money over time while the Underlying Stock’s performance increases over a period longer than a single day.

    For the Daily Inverse Funds because of daily rebalancing and the compounding of each day’s return over time, the return of the Fund for periods longer than a single day will be the result of each day’s returns compounded over the period, which will very likely differ from -100% and 200% of the return of the Underlying Stock over the same period. The Fund will lose money if the Underlying Stock’s performance is flat over time, and as a result of daily rebalancing, the Underlying Stock volatility and the effects of compounding, it is even possible that the Fund will lose money over time while the Underlying Stock’s performance decreases over a period longer than a single day.

    Shares are bought and sold at market price (not NAV) and are not individually redeemed from the ETF. There can be no guarantee that an active trading market for ETF shares will develop or be maintained, or that their listing will continue or remain unchanged. Buying or selling ETF shares on an exchange may require the payment of brokerage commissions and frequent trading may incur brokerage costs that detract significantly from investment returns.

    An investment in the Fund involves risk, including the possible loss of principal. The Fund is non-diversified and includes risks associated with the Fund concentrating its investments in a particular industry, sector, or geographic region which can result in increased volatility. The use of derivatives such as futures contracts and swaps are subject to market risks that may cause their price to fluctuate over time. Risks of the Fund include Effects of Compounding and Market Volatility Risk, Inverse Risk, Market Risk, Counterparty Risk, Rebalancing Risk, Intra-Day Investment Risk, Daily Index Correlation Risk, Other Investment Companies (including ETFs) Risk, and risks specific to the securities of the Underlying Stock and the sector in which it operates. These and other risks can be found in the prospectus.

    Investing in physical commodities, including through commodity-linked derivative instruments such as Commodity Futures, Commodity Swaps, as well as other commodity-linked instruments, is speculative and can be extremely volatile and may not be suitable for all investors. Market prices of commodities may fluctuate rapidly based on numerous factors, including: changes in supply and demand relationships (whether actual, perceived, anticipated, unanticipated or unrealized); weather; agriculture; trade; domestic and foreign political and economic events and policies; diseases; pestilence; technological developments; currency exchange rate fluctuations; and monetary and other governmental policies, action and inaction.

    A liquid secondary market may not exist for the types of commodity-linked derivative instruments the Fund buys, which may make it difficult for the Fund to sell them at an acceptable price. The Fund is new with no operating history. As a result, there can be no assurance that the Fund will grow to or maintain an economically viable size, in which case it could ultimately liquidate.

    Derivatives may be more sensitive to changes in market conditions and may amplify risks and losses.

    This information is not an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy shares of any Funds to any person in any jurisdiction in which an offer, solicitation, purchase or sale would be unlawful under the securities laws of such jurisdiction. Please consult your tax advisor about the tax consequences of an investment in Fund shares, including the possible application of foreign, state, and local tax laws. You could lose money by investing in the ETFs. There can be no assurance that the investment objective of the Funds will be achieved. None of the Funds should be relied upon as a complete investment program.

    The Fund is distributed by ALPS Distributors, Inc, which is not affiliated with GraniteShares or any of its affiliates ©2025 GraniteShares Inc. All rights reserved. GraniteShares, GraniteShares Trusts, and the GraniteShares logo are registered and unregistered trademarks of GraniteShares Inc., in the United States and elsewhere. All other marks are the property of their respective owners

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Personal Loans for Bad Credit – Credit Clock Rated Best In US 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Atlanta, May 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —

    If you are looking for a personal loan but having problems because of bad credit, we have you covered. We have found the best personal loan lender just for you. Our top lender has a flexible repayment period; check out Credit Clock below to learn why it’s our number one lender.

    Click Here to Apply

    With the prices of goods in the U.S. soaring while wages remain constant, many people are left at the mercy of loans due to their limited income levels. However, accessing a loan in such tough economic times can also be hectic, especially with a bad credit score.

    To help alleviate this problem, our team has scoured the personal finance market and identified a list of brokers from whom you can quickly get personal loans for bad credit without having to undergo any credit checks. This is made possible by a network of lenders that focus more on the borrower’s ability to repay the loan than credit ratings.

    Top Personal Loans for Bad Credit

    With these brokers, securing a personal loan for bad credit from these lenders is straightforward. Just click on the provided links and follow the simple application process.

    If you seek further information to make an informed choice among lenders, continue reading for an in-depth review of each option.

    1. Credit Clock: Reliable personal loans for bad credit

    Credit Clock is a unique personal loan for bad credit lenders that stands out from the rest by offering its services for 24 hours. It doesn’t have conventional and strict working hours that limit when you can apply for a personal loan for bad credit. As such, you can apply for a loan when you need it.

    With such flexible services, Credit Clock manages to keep its loans for bad credit low by having low interest rates and eliminating upfront costs and hidden charges that may add to the cost of the loan.

    Credit Clock’s online platform allows you to access personal loans for bad credit of up to $5,000. Tagging along with this lending range are the following benefits of utilizing Credit Clock’s platform:

    • Fast loan approvals.
    • Flexible loan amounts.
    • Negotiable and flexible repayment terms.
    • It has a quick and convenient application process.
    • Quick loan payouts.

    Credit Clock is a reliable personal loan for bad credit lenders with reputable lenders who see that you get the financial assistance you need when you need it most.

    What Is a Personal Loan for Bad Credit?

    A personal loan for bad credit is an unsecured financial lifeline designed for individuals with a less-than-favorable credit history, mostly characterized by a low credit score due to past financial challenges, missed payments, or defaults. For that reason, personal loans for bad credit are only offered by specialized lenders willing to work with borrowers despite their poor credit scores and ratings.

    Compared to conventional loans, personal loans for bad credit come with relatively higher interest rates. This is because lenders charge a higher rate to compensate for the increased risk associated with borrowers with subprime credit scores.

    Something else to note about personal loans for bad credit is that the loan amounts available are smaller, the repayment periods are shorter, and monthly payments are potentially higher than normal conventional loans.

    Eligibility Criteria for Personal Loans for Bad Credit

    Personal loans for bad credit, like other conventional loans, have requirements that should be met before approval, even though they differ. Below are the factors that are considered for eligibility for personal loans for bad credit:

    • Citizenship or permanent residency – You must be a U.S. citizen or a permanent resident.
    • Age requirement – The minimum age for a personal loan to be approved is 18.
    • Verifiable income – You ought to have a verifiable and reliable source of income, be it from employment, self-employment, government benefits, or any other sources.
    • Debt-to-income ratio (DTI) – To qualify, you should have a favorable debt-to-income ratio.
    • Active bank account – You must have an active bank account, which will be used for loan disbursement and automatic repayments.
    • Contact Information – You must provide a valid phone number and/or an active email address for communication between you and the lender.

    Meeting these eligibility requirements increases your chances of approval when applying for personal loans for bad credit. As they are easy to meet, the approval rates for online personal loans for bad credit are often relatively high.

    Who Can Benefit from Personal Loans for Bad Credit?

    Throughout their existence, personal loans for bad credit have gained popularity because they cater to a diverse range of individuals, including:

    • Individuals with low credit scores – People with low credit scores often turn to personal loans for bad credit because they have difficulties qualifying for prime loans offered by traditional lenders as they are rendered high-risk borrowers, making many lenders hesitant to approve their requests.
    • Individuals with limited credit history – As borrowers with limited credit history often struggle to access traditional loans, personal loans for bad credit offer them an opportunity to establish credit and access financing, even with their limited credit profiles.
    • Borrowers with past financial difficulties – Individuals who have experienced financial setbacks like bankruptcy or foreclosure find it challenging to qualify for conventional loans. For this reason, they turn to personal loans for bad credit as they are more accessible.
    • Self-employed workers – Self-employed borrowers often contend with inconsistent income flows, and consequently, they may need to borrow funds during periods of insufficient income to cover expenses. As it may be a tough feat for them to meet the requirements of conventional loans, personal loans for bad credit offer access to financing when needed.
    • Low-income borrowers – Borrowers with low incomes frequently turn to personal loans for bad credit because they struggle to meet the debt-to-income ratio requirements associated with conventional loans. Thus, relying on personal loans for various purposes provides a more accessible financing option.

    Tips for Managing Personal Loans for Bad Credit

    When appropriately managed, personal loans for bad credit can be a powerful tool that helps you attain financial freedom and stability. Below are tips on how to manage personal loans for bad credit:

    • Create a budget – By developing a comprehensive budget that outlines your income and expenses, you get a clear picture of your financial situation and enable you to allocate funds effectively.
    • Make timely payments – Ensure you make your repayments on time to avoid late fees and penalties, which have the potential to impact your credit score negatively. You can consider setting up automatic payments or creating reminders to stay on top of due dates.
    • Cut expenses and increase income – Identifying areas where you can cut expenses and redirect those savings toward debt repayment and exploring ways to increase your income will accelerate your progress in paying off personal loans for bad credit.
    • Seek professional advice – You can seek guidance from a credit counseling agency or a financial advisor who will provide personalized strategies to help you navigate your specific debt challenges and create a manageable repayment plan.
    • Practice self-discipline and patience –By being patient and disciplined, you will be better positioned to stay committed to your debt repayment plan, which requires consistent effort and perseverance.

    By following these tips and adopting responsible financial habits, you can better manage your loans for bad credit, improve your overall financial health, and work toward achieving your financial goals.

    How Can I Effectively Use a Personal Loans for Bad Credit?

    Personal loans for bad credit offer financial assistance to individuals despite their credit challenges. Below, we will delve into some of the most common and practical ways people utilize these loans.

    • Debt consolidation – Personal loans for bad credit can combine high-interest debts and multiple loans into a single personal loan, which helps you manage your debt more effectively.
    • Emergency expenses – Personal loans for bad credit provide a financial safety net for unexpected and urgent expenses when you don’t have readily available funds.
    • Credit score improvement – Personal loans for bad credit can be used as a strategic tool to start rebuilding your credit history. This is done by borrowing responsibly and making timely payments, which will demonstrate improved financial responsibility, potentially opening up access to better loan terms.
    • Small business ventures – If you are an aspiring entrepreneur or a small business owner with bad credit, you can turn to a personal loan with bad credit to kickstart or expand your business.

    Alternatives to Bad Credit for Personal Loans

    • Secured loans – As secured loans require collateral, they often offer lower interest rates compared to unsecured personal loans, such as personal loans for bad credit.
    • Credit unions – By being a credit union member, you become eligible for loans with favorable loan terms as they have relatively lower interest rates. Additionally, credit unions may be willing to work with members with less-than-perfect credit, making them a good alternative.
    • Peer-to-peer (P2P) lending – P2P lending platforms connect borrowers with individual investors who fund loans and usually have less stringent credit requirements and lower interest rates than other lending institutions.
    • Credit counseling – Nonprofit credit counseling agencies are a go-to alternative as they provide financial advice and assistance to individuals struggling with debt. They can also help create budgets, negotiate with creditors for lower interest rates, and offer more effective debt management plans to consolidate and repay debts.
    • Negotiating with creditors – If you have existing debts, you can consider negotiating with creditors to improve your repayment terms by considering aspects such as interest rates, repayment periods, or even settlements.
    • Building credit – By improving your credit, you will, over time, become eligible for more favorable loan options with better terms than personal loans for bad credit.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Can personal loans for bad credit be used to start or invest in a small business?

    Yes, some borrowers use personal loans to launch or support small businesses. However, assessing the risks and considering alternative business financing options is important, especially if more significant amounts are needed.

    What should I do if I suspect I’ve been offered a predatory loan with excessively high interest rates?

    If you believe you’ve encountered a predatory lending situation, consult a financial advisor or legal expert to understand your rights and explore potential remedies. You can also report predatory lending practices to regulatory authorities.

    Can I use a personal loan for bad credit to pay off my tax debt?

    Yes, personal loans can be used to pay off tax debt. However, it’s essential to compare the interest rate on a loan with the potential interest and penalties from unpaid taxes to determine if it’s financially beneficial.

    Is there a difference between personal loans for bad credit and payday loans?

    Yes, there’s a significant difference. Personal loans for bad credit typically have longer terms and lower interest rates than short-term payday and high-interest loans.

    Company Name: Payday Ventures Ltd (trading as Credit Clock)
    Email: business@paydayventures.com
    Phone: +44 208 064 1293

    Disclaimers & Disclosures

    Editorial Independence & Liability Notice
    The content provided herein is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial advice or an endorsement of any specific product or service. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, completeness, and timeliness, no guarantee is made regarding the validity or reliability of the information presented. In the event of factual errors, outdated content, or inaccuracies, all parties involved in the publication and distribution of this content — including syndication partners — are held harmless. This article may contain errors or omissions and is subject to change without notice. It is the responsibility of the reader to verify all product terms with the relevant lender or service provider prior to taking any action.

    Age & Status Requirements
    Loan products discussed are available only to individuals aged 18 and over. All offers are subject to eligibility, verification of personal and financial status, and additional checks performed by the lender.

    Not a Lender or Financial Institution
    This website operates strictly as a loan connection service and is not a lender. Credit Clock does not make any credit decisions, does not issue loans or lines of credit, and does not determine loan terms. The service utilizes proprietary algorithms to match users with lenders based on their application details, preferences, and lender availability. The operator of the site does not charge consumers any fee for this matching service.

    Compensation Disclosure
    This website is funded through advertising partnerships. Lenders, lender networks, and third-party marketers may compensate the operator if a user is presented with or accepts an offer for a financial product or loan through this platform. This compensation allows the service to remain free for consumers. However, compensation may influence how and where products appear, but does not affect the objectivity of editorial content.

    Loan Availability & Options
    Credit Clock does not have access to all financial providers or loan products available in the market. Any loan offer received should not be considered exhaustive or definitive. Consumers are strongly advised to compare all available options independently and select products based on their unique financial circumstances and goals.

    Representative APR & Loan Terms
    Annual Percentage Rates (APRs) and loan terms vary depending on the lender, credit profile, and application details. This website displays a representative APR range of 5.99% to 35.99%, with a minimum loan repayment period of 61 days. Not all applicants will qualify for the lowest advertised rates. Loan products typically reflect closed-end credit agreements and may differ significantly across providers.

    State Limitations
    Loan services may not be available in all U.S. states due to regulatory restrictions and lender preferences. This platform does not operate in the following states: Arkansas, Connecticut, Indiana, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, South Dakota, Vermont, and West Virginia.

    Credit Evaluation Practices
    Submitting a request for loan referral constitutes authorization for participating lenders and service providers to evaluate the applicant’s creditworthiness. This may include soft or hard inquiries from major credit bureaus (Experian, Equifax, TransUnion) or through alternative data providers and consumer reporting agencies. Such evaluations may influence approval decisions and loan terms.

    No Approval Guarantee
    Filling out the application form does not guarantee loan approval. Loan amounts, terms, and timing of fund disbursement will vary by lender. While some applicants may be eligible for loan amounts up to $5,000, this figure is not assured for all users. The website does not guarantee funding outcomes or endorse any specific lender or offer.

    Special Note on Tribal Lenders
    Some lending partners may be sovereign tribal entities. These lenders operate under federal and tribal laws and may not be subject to state law. Interest rates and repayment terms from tribal lenders may be significantly higher than those from state-regulated institutions. Consumers should fully understand and review all terms before agreeing to any loan offer.

    Final Cautionary Statement
    Users are encouraged to exercise due diligence and consult independent financial professionals when evaluating loan options. All decisions made based on the information contained within this publication are solely the responsibility of the reader.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-Evening Report: From the Liver King to ultramarathons, fitness influencers are glorifying extreme masculinity where ‘pain is the point’

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Samuel Cornell, PhD Candidate in Public Health & Community Medicine, School of Population Health, UNSW Sydney

    Netflix/Untold: The Liver King

    A new Netflix documentary about a shirtless supplement salesman who claimed to be “natural” and was exposed as a fraud might seem like a punchline.

    But Untold: The Liver King is more than just a character study of a well-known fitness influencer; it’s a case study of performative masculinity in the world of social media.

    Brian Johnson, better known as the Liver King, built a brand on extreme workouts, eating raw organ meat, and evangelising about masculinity. He preached “ancestral living” and radical self-control, all while secretly using steroids.

    And his rapid rise to popularity reveals how social media rewards the spectacle of hypermasculinity – especially when it leans into extreme behaviours.

    Extreme self-discipline, extreme exercise, extreme eating and extreme “wellness” have all become forms of public performance on social media.

    From influencers pushing steroids or “wellness” lifestyles, to the growing popularity of ultramarathons, a new model of masculinity is going viral: control your body, grit through pain, workout hard, and make sure everyone hears about it.

    The rise of ‘discipline content’

    Social media apps and websites such as TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram, are flooded with content that frames pain and extreme physical effort as markers of masculine worth.

    One analysis of male fitness YouTubers found they established authority and discipline through a mix of visible physical strength and affiliations with commercial fitness brands. In some cases, the influencers explicitly listed their personal records or showcased their physique post-training as proof of their “masculinity” and discipline.



    Read more:
    Why banning gym selfies could do us all a lot of good

    Influencers also often frame extreme leanness and muscularity as indicators of moral virtue and discipline, even when achieving it has taken a negative physical or mental toll on them. The look of discipline has become more valuable than the outcome of it.

    Posts are often wrapped in the language of “resilience”, “discipline” and militaristic rhetoric. Men are told to “go to war” in the gym, to “stay hard”, and to generally treat life like a battlefield.

    What’s being sold isn’t stoicism: it’s pseudo-stoicism – a term researchers have coined to describe emotional suppression masquerading as strength and discipline.

    Pain is the point

    Strava’s 2023 Year in Sport report found Gen Z athletes are 31% less likely to exercise for health reasons compared to older generations. Instead, they are more likely to train with a focus on athletic performance – that is, to push their physical limits, improve metrics such as speed or distance, and outperform others.

    The same report shows a surge in extreme endurance activity. Compared to 2023 data, uploads (activities shared with others) of gravel bike rides grew 55%, trail runs grew 16%, and ultramarathon-style workouts grew by 9%.

    Take Nedd Brockmann, who ran across Australia in 2022, and last year ran 1,600 kilometres in ten days to raise money for charity – all while sharing his self-imposed physical torture.

    Or take the countless fitness content creators pushing themselves through punishing routines for the camera.

    These cases reflect a deeper shift of fitness being turned into spectacle, wherein suffering becomes a sign of legitimacy, and pain is “proof” that you’re serious.

    Such extreme content, which is often visually striking, can also be pushed by social media algorithms. Research shows how social media platforms systematically boost content that is intense, emotionally charged, and morally loaded.



    Read more:
    Get big or die trying: social media is driving men’s use of steroids. Here’s how to mitigate the risks

    In other words, posts that provoke a reaction are more likely to get promoted. And
    content relating to “wellness” extremism is designed to provoke, as it is visceral, performative, and packed with motivational and self-help anecdotes.

    Why this matters

    This is a potential public health issue.

    Social media platforms amplify and monetise these performances, often pushing the most extreme content to the top. And influencers make money, above the money made from directly these platforms, from selling supplements, gear and coaching plans. At the same time, they act in more and more extreme ways to get further amplified by algorithms.

    The risks of this dynamic, for both the viewers and creators, are very real. They range from hormone damage, to mental and physical decline, to injury, and even death.

    But there is also a deeper ideological harm, as young men are fed a narrow and punishing idea of what it means to be a man. They are taught pain equals purpose, and that if you’re not suffering, you’re not trying.

    Where to from here?

    Public health agencies need to reckon with this form of digital hypermasculinity.

    Extreme fitness influencers aren’t just poor role models; they’re the product of a system that profits from insecurity and spectacle. The goal shouldn’t be to ban or censor this content. But we do need to challenge its dominance, and offer alternatives.

    That means engaging young men in offline spaces, such as the Tomorrow Man project, where they have an outlet for community and relationship building.

    It means creating counter-narratives that don’t mock, but model, healthier versions of ambition and masculinity. For instance, the Movember campaign’s podcast Dad in Progress explores the various challenges and experiences faced by new dads.

    It also means holding platforms accountable for the way they amplify extreme content.

    In the absence of healthier narratives, self-flagellation is the only thing young men will have to aspire to.

    Samuel Cornell has received funding from Meta Platforms, Inc. His research is supported by a University of New South Wales Sydney, University Postgraduate Award.

    – ref. From the Liver King to ultramarathons, fitness influencers are glorifying extreme masculinity where ‘pain is the point’ – https://theconversation.com/from-the-liver-king-to-ultramarathons-fitness-influencers-are-glorifying-extreme-masculinity-where-pain-is-the-point-256817

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: NZ Budget 2025: anything less than a 5% increase in health funding amounts to merely standing still

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Tenbensel, Professor of Health Policy, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau

    Health Minister Simeon Brown. Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images

    Minister of Health Simeon Brown claimed earlier this year that health funding in New Zealand has never been higher and that suggestions of underfunding are “fake news”.

    On the bare statistics, Brown isn’t wrong. The allocation to Vote Health has indeed increased from NZ$18.2 billion in 2018-19 to $29.6 billion in the 2024-25 budget.

    Yet for many working in the publicly-funded health system things have never seemed so bad, with daily stories of under-staffing and increasing levels of stress.

    So, how much should the government be spending on health? Any answer needs to factor in the broader context of the health system, and where we sit historically and comparatively.

    The health system is subject to significant cost pressures, few of which are unique to New Zealand. People are generally living longer, but more of that longer life span is spent in ill health.

    At the same time, New Zealand’s population profile has changed significantly over the past 40 years. There is a lower proportion of working-age people paying income tax to support those who are older.

    Technological advances, on balance, drive up health expenditure – more is possible, so more is expected. And compared with other parts of the economy, health services are labour-intensive.

    Around two thirds of health expenditure is on staff, and health workforce shortages are a global problem (again, driven by demographic change). All these factors mean health costs rise faster than inflation.

    Taking all of this into account, a recent health economics analysis calculated that to continue to deliver the same level of service in the United Kingdom (which has very similar health system characteristics to New Zealand), public spending on health would need to increase by 2.8% in real terms (above inflation) each year.

    Then we need to factor in population growth, which has recently been between 1.5% and 2% per year in New Zealand. In this context, a 4-5% increase in Vote Health amounts to merely standing still.

    People are living longer, but more of that longer life is spent in ill health.
    Getty Images

    Long-term deterioration

    We also need to put our current situation in historical and international context.

    The most appropriate indicator for international comparison is “publicly mandated health expenditure” (PMHE) as a percentage of GDP, as this excludes private expenditure (private health insurance and “out of pocket” payments).

    Total health spending typically constitutes 10-12% of GDP in high-income countries, and PMHE is typically around 8%. In the 2010s, however, New Zealand’s PMHE dropped from 7.8% (2012) to 7% of GDP (2017). Meanwhile, Australia, Canada and the UK all remained at or above 8% during that time.

    This represents a significant long-term deterioration which heightened the stress on our health system before and after the COVID pandemic.

    Even when our PMHE as a percentage of GDP is comparable to Australia and other countries, our per-capita health expenditure is significantly less because our GDP per-capita is lower.

    The most significant budget boost in recent years was in 2022. But this was largely soaked up by pay rises for health professionals that resulted from underfunding during the 2010s.

    The current government finds itself in a very tight spot. This is partly because of international economic conditions and demographic trends, but also due to self-imposed constraints.

    Even in such a large budget, there’ll be little room for major initiatives in health unless savings are found from existing areas. That is rarely feasible in health. As is true in most years, there could be up to three big-ticket items. If so, what should they be?

    What Budget 2025 should include

    First, the government needs to boost capital expenditure in health. A recent analysis by the UK Institute for Government shows that public service productivity, including in the health sector, fell sharply during and after the COVID pandemic. The New Zealand treasury reported similar productivity declines.

    The UK report concluded these declines were primarily due to physical capacity constraints – clinical staff can’t be more productive when there is not enough physical space and diagnostic equipment.

    Earlier this month, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced a $400 million increase in the annual capital allowance across all of government. Let’s see how much of the total $4 billion capital allowance is channelled into health.

    A second priority should be primary healthcare. Here, the health minister has already announced a range of initiatives, headlined by $285 million of additional performance-based funding over three years. This is a welcome commitment, and the most significant boost in primary care funding since the mid-2000s.

    However, it’s unlikely this will redress erosion over the past 20 years of primary care “capitation” funding (the amount a GP practice receives per enrolled patient).

    This funding formula also needs to be modernised to better reflect where needs are highest and account for rising acuity and complexity of conditions in primary healthcare. This would relieve some pressures on hospital emergency departments and medical wards.

    Third, investment to retain and attract health workers across the whole sector is vital. Given the demographic and epidemiological changes, proactively preparing for a mid-21st-century health workforce will require funding to support emerging models of health services, particularly in primary and community settings, including programmes such as Access and Choice and comprehensive primary and community care teams.

    These priorities, and any government commitment to them in Budget 2025, must be understood against the backdrop of sustained historical underfunding.

    The government is likely to claim health is a big winner in Budget 2025. Unless increases are significantly greater than 5%, such a claim will bring little respite to the health sector.

    In any case, the race that counts is a marathon, not a sprint. New Zealand is well back in the field, struggling not to lose further ground.

    Tim Tenbensel receives funding from the New Zealand Health Research Council.

    – ref. NZ Budget 2025: anything less than a 5% increase in health funding amounts to merely standing still – https://theconversation.com/nz-budget-2025-anything-less-than-a-5-increase-in-health-funding-amounts-to-merely-standing-still-255593

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: ‘No pain, no gain’: why some primary students are following intense study routines

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christina Ho, Associate professor in Social and Political Sciences, University of Technology Sydney

    MNStudio/ Shutterstock

    Every year, thousands of New South Wales students sit a test to determine places for highly sought-after selective high schools. These are academically selective public schools often associated with high Year 12 scores.

    While there has long been a level of expectation around selective school entrance, the most recent round of testing has shone a fresh light on the pressures some young people are experiencing.

    Media reports have described some students studying for 18 months to prepare for the selective school test, with multiple sessions of tutoring each week.

    Earlier this month, police were called to control crowds at two testing centres as parents and students from one session overlapped with another. This is also the first year the tests have been done online and there were technical difficulties as students tried to complete exams.

    One exam invigilator told The Sydney Morning Herald about the stress they witnessed among students.

    We were dealing with kids who were freaking out and totally traumatised by what was going on. You could not make up a worse nightmare than what we went through that day.

    It’s not surprising children were upset. The pressure to perform well on test day is enormous. As my previous research has found, some families believe entry into a selective school will secure their child’s future.

    As my new research with colleagues suggests, this sees some families place huge pressure on students to study and prepare for academic tests in primary school.

    Not just a NSW thing

    Most (albeit not all) of Australia’s selective schools are in NSW.

    But there is pressure around other tests in the primary years. There are similar levels of competition for lucrative private school scholarships around Australia, which children sit as early as Year 3. Many of these are determined by centralised tests.

    Tutoring companies also offer programs for primary students preparing for NAPLAN tests in Year 3 and Year 5, as well as the “opportunity class” test in NSW (for an academically selective stream for Year 5 and 6).

    Our research

    In ongoing, as yet unpublished research on education cultures among migrant communities in Sydney, colleagues and I are focusing on 38 families with children in upper primary school.

    In 2022 and 2023, we interviewed students, parents and teachers at six schools in high and low income areas of Sydney. All schools included large numbers of Asian migrants, allowing us to compare different groups’ approaches to education.

    While not necessarily representative of all Asian migrant families, or all families with school-aged children in general, we found intensive preparation for the selective test was common in this group, especially among those students already enrolled in an opportunity class.

    The tutoring routine

    Many students preparing for the selective test told us they attended private tutoring three or more days per week, in addition to completing home based study. Some had begun this routine up to 12 months before to the test.

    One mother, whose son attended tutoring every day, at three different centres, on top of two hours of daily homework, told us,

    That’s how we prepare for selective […] You need to be methodical […] no pain, no gain.

    Other parents explained they resorted to private tutoring because schools did not teach what was needed to succeed in the selective tests.

    Not only do children spend afternoons, evenings and weekends in tutoring centres, they are also often giving up most if not all recreational, sporting and other extracurricular activities, narrowing their focus to acing the test.

    Families also postpone holidays, outings and other potential distractions. Many of our student participants aiming for a selective school told us they never socialised with their friends outside of school time.

    Sometimes they even neglected their school work so as to focus on the selective test. One teacher told us many of her students were absent from school in the week prior to the test, to ramp up their preparation.

    How does this impact students?

    This culture of extreme study and competitive schooling raises profound questions about the implications for student wellbeing. Some students spoke about their fatigue. As one student said:

    I work up to late at night. So sometimes I feel drowsy and I yawn a bit and have water in my eyes.

    Their teachers also expressed concern about insufficient sleep and heightened stress caused by the pressure to get into a selective school. They described students’ tears if they were not successful when the results came out.

    One teacher said he had a “blanket rule” of not talking about the tests in the classroom, because his students were so preoccupied with ensuring they were doing enough preparation.

    Other teachers reflected on students’ fear of taking risks because of the culture of perfectionism associated with scoring and ranking through tests.

    Some students stop doing other activites to prepare for the selective schools test.
    Maria Sbytova/ Shutterstock

    What does the research say?

    International research shows an association between high-stakes testing in primary years and issues with children’s mental health and academic confidence. There is also a negative association with students’ achievement in maths and literacy. That is, students who experience pressured exams were more likely to experience anxiety and depression, and not do as well in core subjects as those who did not experience this pressure.

    Some parents in our study expressed concern for their child’s wellbeing. But others saw stress a positive sign of engagement and commitment, and necessary for securing the all important place in a selective school.

    Given many are recent migrants, without established networks in Australia, and fearful of racial discrimination against their children, they believe education to be the most crucial foundation for future success.

    However, we need more research on the impacts of these parental aspirations and anxieties on the next generation. And a broader discussion about the benefits of selecting some students – who may have benefited from extensive and expensive private tutoring – to go to separate, high-performing government schools.

    Megan Watkins, Greg Noble and Alexandra Wong all contributed to the research on migrant families mentioned in this article, as part of a larger Australian Research Council-funded project.

    Christina Ho received funding from the Australian Research Council to conduct this research.

    – ref. ‘No pain, no gain’: why some primary students are following intense study routines – https://theconversation.com/no-pain-no-gain-why-some-primary-students-are-following-intense-study-routines-256815

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Surviving swamps on South Australia’s parched Fleurieu Peninsula are a lifeline to wildlife – and farmers

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christopher Auricht, Visiting Research Fellow in Natural Resources Management, University of Adelaide

    Yundi Nature Conservancy, CC BY-NC-ND

    South Australia is famously the driest state on the driest inhabited continent.

    But even for South Australia, the current drought is extreme. Rainfall has been the lowest on record across large areas.

    When drought strikes and water sources dry up, life becomes hard for wildlife. In these conditions, perennial water sources become enormously valuable.

    Dotted across the drought-stricken Fleurieu Peninsula south of Adelaide are more than 850 swampy wetlands. When the landscape dries out, these swamps act as refuges. Animals, birds, insects and reptiles come from far and wide, drawn by permanent spring-fed water, good habitat, diverse plant species and cooler, more humid micro-climates. These swamps are vital habitat for the critically endangered Mount Lofty Ranges southern emu-wren.

    Drainage channels were cut through many of these swamps in the early days of settlement, in an effort to turn them into pasture. The Fleurieu swamps are now considered an endangered ecological community. More than 90% of the remaining swamps are located on private property.

    Keeping these swamps intact and restoring dried out wetlands comes with real benefits for farmers. Birds and insects seek refuge in the swamps, but feed on pest species on nearby farmland.

    As drought tightens its grip on South Australia, these swamps will only become more important to wildlife. Restoring these swamps by bringing back the water and restoring plants and pollinators could go some way to help.

    Important for nature – and humans

    The swamps of the Fleurieu are some of the most diverse and productive habitats on Earth. Many species of plants, birds, frogs, fish, insects, mammals and reptiles rely on them to survive.

    Before colonisation, swamps and wetlands covered large areas of the Fleurieu Peninsula. Three First Nations language groups lived in these areas on the central and eastern peninsula. The importance of these wetlands is recorded in the shared story of Tjilbruki, a Kaurna ancestor whose tears at the death of his nephew gave rise to six freshwater springs.

    Over the last 200 years, most of this region has been cleared for pasture, crops and vineyards. Only 4% of the swamps are conserved. They are now listed as a critically endangered ecological community. These swamps are still declining due to threats such as more human settlement, land clearance, water extraction and invasive species such as blackberries.

    Many were drained to make way for agriculture. We don’t fully know how many remain, as many are not well captured in current maps.

    But we know these wetlands are vital, not just for nature but for farmers too. Farmers would miss them if they were gone.

    We can see this most clearly during droughts. As the land gets drier and ephemeral water sources evaporate, ibises, eastern great egrets, white-faced herons and masked lapwings move into these swamps, seeking water. During the days, though, they spread out and feed on pasture pests such as grasshoppers and cockchafer beetle grubs.

    Similarly, these wetlands act as a haven for important insect pollinators and predators. Hoverflies and native bees help farmers by pollinating pasture legumes such as clover, while predators keep down the numbers of pest species.

    As adults, parasitic wasps rely on the nectar from swamp plants such as woolly teatree. But they lay their eggs on common pasture pests such as caterpillars and grubs. When their larvae hatch, they eat these pests. Carnivorous insects such as ladybirds and assassin bugs eat other insects which can trouble farmers.

    Ibises and other bird species base themselves in the swamps during drought, but fan out to eat insects which can trouble farmers.
    Yundi Nature Conservancy, CC BY-NC-ND

    Restoration is possible

    Swamps don’t have a great reputation. Throughout human history, they have been seen as sources of foul air and a haven for insects and disease. A common response was to dig channels to drain them.

    We now know much more about how important swamps and other wetlands for the natural world – and for humans. Wetlands naturally store water and carbon, tame floods and offer refuges during drought. Correcting these historic mistakes will take time.

    Wetlands are home to many species of plants, insects and animals.
    Yundi Nature Conservancy, CC BY-NC-ND

    Peatlands like these store huge volumes of carbon in their waterlogged soils. Our research estimated the carbon storage of a peat swamp at Yundi at more than 2,500 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per hectare. The depth of carbon-rich organic peat was up to three metres in places. By contrast, a healthy woodland stores around 650 tonnes per hectare.

    This natural carbon sink will remain as long as the peat remains moist and annual increments from plant growth and decay add to the stock.

    When an agricultural drain is cut through a swamp, water gradually leaches out of the peat profile. Over time, enough water leaves to dry out the peat, beginning with the surface layer. This means long-stored carbon and methane can be released back to the atmosphere.

    Conserving remaining peatlands and restoring those already drained is essential if the climate goals of the Paris Agreement are to be achieved, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization.

    On the Fleurieu Peninsula, there’s huge potential to return water to the soils and expand these once-thriving wetlands.

    The good news? Community groups and farmers have already embarked on several restoration projects. Around 50 farmers in the region have formed the Fleurieu Swamp Restoration Network. To date, in cooperation with Yundi Nature Conservancy, 25 swamp restoration plans have been developed and 15 are under way. If successful, these will restore more than 100 hectares of swamp.

    Christopher Auricht is a director of environmental consultancy Auricht Projects Pty Ltd. He receives funding from both state and federal governments for wetland related consulting and research.

    – ref. Surviving swamps on South Australia’s parched Fleurieu Peninsula are a lifeline to wildlife – and farmers – https://theconversation.com/surviving-swamps-on-south-australias-parched-fleurieu-peninsula-are-a-lifeline-to-wildlife-and-farmers-256238

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Baldwin Challenges Trump to Close Tax Loophole for Wall Street

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Tammy Baldwin

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) led a group of their colleagues in challenging President Donald Trump to end a tax loophole, the carried interest loophole, that benefits wealthy money managers on Wall Street. Senator Baldwin leads legislation to close this loophole and, in February, she pushed for a vote on her amendment to end the tax break during the Senate’s budget resolution debate. While he failed to enact it in his first term, President Trump has been supportive of closing this loophole and has advocated for closing it as recently as this year.

    “During your first campaign, you claimed that the carried interest loophole was ‘ridiculous’ and ‘unfair to American workers’ and that the individuals reaping the benefits from the loophole were ‘getting away with murder.’ We agree,” wrote Baldwin and the lawmakers in a letter to President Trump. “We write to ask that you follow through on your promise to eliminate the carried interest loophole and demand that Congressional Republicans eliminate it in any tax bill they send to your desk.”

    When private equity managers oversee an investment fund, they receive a 20% share of the profits earned from the funds’ investments, called “carried interest.” This interest is not subject to the ordinary income tax rate of 37%, and is instead taxed at the 20% capital gains rate as long as the investments are held for at least three years. As a result, private equity fund managers who routinely make hundreds of millions of dollars are subject to a tax rate lower than that of an average blue-collar worker.

    “Despite the extraordinary profits that private equity funds are raking in each year, the carried interest loophole allows private equity managers to avoid paying their fair share of taxes, often paying tax rates that are lower than middle-class workers,” continued Baldwin and the lawmakers.

    The massive loophole costs the federal government tens of billions of dollars in tax revenue, and the private equity industry regularly donates significant sums to politicians sympathetic to their cause in order to make sure the loophole remains open for their profit. The industry has donated almost $600 million to political campaigns over the last decade to maintain a loophole worth upwards of $63 billion over the next 10 years.

    In addition to Senators Baldwin and Warren, this letter is co-signed by Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Jack Reed (D-RI), Peter Welch (D-VT), and Bernie Sanders (I-VT).

    The full letter is available here and below.

    Dear Mr. President:

    We write to ask that you follow through on your promise to eliminate the carried interest loophole and demand that Congressional Republicans eliminate it in any tax bill they send to your desk. 

    During your first campaign, you claimed that the carried interest loophole was “ridiculous” and “unfair to American workers” and that the individuals reaping the benefits from the loophole were “getting away with murder.” We agree. Despite the extraordinary profits that private equity funds are raking in each year, the carried interest loophole allows private equity managers to avoid paying their fair share of taxes, often paying tax rates that are lower than middle-class workers.

    When private equity managers oversee an investment fund, they receive a 20% share of the profits earned from the funds’ investments. This portion of future profits is known as “carried interest.” Although carried interest is essentially salary for private equity managers, it is not subject to the ordinary income tax rate of 37% and instead is taxed at the 20% capital gains rate as long as the investments are held for at least three years. The result? Private equity fund managers who routinely make hundreds of millions of dollars are subject to a tax rate lower than that of an average blue-collar worker making $85,000 a year.

    Though this massive loophole costs the federal government billions of dollars in revenue, efforts to constrain it have consistently fallen short. In a desperate attempt to retain Wall Street’s favorite loophole, the private equity industry doles out eye-popping amounts of campaign cash to curry favor with politicians sympathetic to their cause. And it works. In fact, economists have credited the hedge-fund-led lobbying blitz to the survival of the loophole. Overall, the industry doled out almost $600 million to political campaigns over the last decade, a cheap price tag for a loophole worth upwards of $63 billion over the next ten years.

    It is clear that the private equity industry has fought hard to retain these extraordinary tax giveaways. What is less clear is whether you will allow your party to deviate from your commitments, bow to industry demands, and fail to close the loophole for a second time. You were an avid supporter of closing the carried interest loophole throughout your first campaign and during the first few months of your first administration.  Your chief economic adviser even publicly confirmed in September 2017 that you “remain[ed] committed to ending the carried interest deduction.” Yet, only a few months later, your signature legislative package, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, did virtually nothing to change the loophole.

    Now, you have another opportunity to get the job done. You have once again confirmed your desire to end the loophole, and we understand that last week you asked Speaker Johnson to close the carried interest loophole. Notably, the House Ways and Means Committee defied your wishes and chose to advance legislation that does not eliminate the carried interest loophole.

    So, Mr. President, will you get it done?

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: New AJC Op-Ed: 42,000 New Jobs in Georgia Could Vanish if GOP Tax Bill Passes Warns Warnock

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock – Georgia

    New AJC Op-Ed: 42,000 New Jobs in Georgia Could Vanish if GOP Tax Bill Passes Warns Warnock

    Read the op-ed HERE

    Senator Reverend Warnock penned an op-ed in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC) outlining how Georgia risks losing up to 42,000 good-paying jobs if Washington Republicans repeal the Inflation Reduction Act’s (IRA) Clean Energy Tax Credits

    These endangered clean energy tax credits support 51 clean energy projects worth over $28 billion, largely outside metro Atlanta

    Senator Reverend Warnock in the AJC: “If the President and Congressional Republicans were serious about bringing American manufacturing back to the United States, as I am, they would protect these tax credits”

    Senator Reverend Warnock in the AJC: “Politics has a way of trying to make easy stuff, complicated. I’ll tell you what’s not complicated – 51 new projects worth $28 billion all across our state and up to 42,000 new jobs”

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) penned an op-ed in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC) warning that 42,000 good-paying Georgia jobs could be at risk if Congress passes the GOP tax bill, which repeals the Inflation Reduction Act’s (IRA) Clean Energy Tax Credits. The Senator called on his House GOP colleagues to protect good-paying Georgia jobs. 

    “If Washington Republicans move forward with a GOP tax bill that repeals these clean energy tax credits, it’s their districts that will lose jobs and private investments: three out of four clean energy projects that were announced or boosted following the passage of these tax credits have gone to House districts held by Republicans. This is especially true in Georgia: 80% of the projects, 94% of the total investments, and 75% of the proposed new jobs and investments are in Congressional districts represented by Republicans,” warned Senator Reverend Warnock. “By repealing clean energy tax credits to give a tax cut to the wealthy and well-connected, Washington Republicans could cause Georgia to lose up to 42,000 jobs in communities desperate for new jobs and investments. If the President and Congressional Republicans were serious about bringing American manufacturing back to the United States, as I am, they would protect these tax credits.”

    The op-ed follows the release of the Senator’s comprehensive report that found Georgia risks losing up to 42,000 good-paying jobs if Washington Republicans repeal the clean energy tax credits. Since the tax credit’s passage, clean energy jobs and investments exploded across the country, but nowhere was that growth more potent than in Georgia. In less than three years, 51 new projects in Georgia worth over $28 billion have been announced or boosted by the clean energy tax credits. According to the Senator’s report, in Georgia, nearly all the new investments and new jobs are in counties outside of the Atlanta region. Over 70 percent of the new investments and 83 percent of new jobs are in counties with median family incomes below the national median. More than 95 percent of the new jobs and investments are in counties where the percentage of people with a bachelor’s degree is below the national average.

    The full op-ed is available HERE and below. 

    This week, Washington politicians are voting on partisan legislation to cut taxes for billionaires by repealing clean energy tax credits that are creating tens of thousands of manufacturing jobs and are bringing billions of investments to communities across Georgia. It’s up to us to speak out and keep these good-paying, advanced manufacturing jobs coming to communities that are too often overlooked.

    The sad truth is cynical politicians want to repeal these tax credits because they were passed by a Democratic Congress and signed into law by a Democratic president. They’re so focused on the politics that they’re willing to take good-paying jobs, which often don’t require a college degree, away from their constituents. If we set politics aside and center what’s best for ordinary people, there’s no doubt everyone would come together to protect these tax credits and thousands of Georgia jobs.

    During my first term in the Senate, I was proud to champion these clean energy tax credits, which were passed as part of landmark climate legislation in August 2022. Since then, clean energy investment has exploded across Georgia. In less than three years, businesses have announced or advanced 51 new projects worth over $28 billion in our state. In fact, Georgia has benefited from these clean industry tax credits more than any other state. New projects are expected to add nearly 42,000 jobs across all corners of Georgia. More than 95% of these new jobs are outside metro Atlanta, and these projects overwhelmingly benefit places where folks are less likely to have a college degree and don’t earn as much as the average American. 

    This month, I laid out the benefits of these tax credits in a report that outlines Georgia’s Clean Energy Boom. In an era defined by gridlock, Democrats and Republicans across the state agree: these clean energy manufacturing jobs are good for Georgians and their families.

    Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene said solar panel manufacturer Qcells, which will invest over $2.5 billion in projects across Georgia, partially thanks to these tax credits, is “fantastic” and claims her constituents are “excited to have jobs”. Congressman Barry Loudermilk, whose congressional district is home to a future Qcells facility, praised the company’s solar panel production as a “win for our state” and a “great source of jobs”.

    Congressman Buddy Carter has noted that “countless American companies” have used the tax credits to make “major investments” in clean energy. His constituents alone stand to benefit from 11 new clean energy projects representing nearly $7.9 billion in investments and 7,400 new jobs announced after these tax credits were signed into law. The congressman has supported preserving these private sector investments, which he said, “increase domestic manufacturing, promote energy innovation, and keep utility costs down.”

    If Washington Republicans move forward with a GOP tax bill that repeals these clean energy tax credits, it’s their districts that will lose jobs and private investments: three out of four clean energy projects that were announced or boosted following the passage of these tax credits have gone to House districts held by Republicans. This is especially true in Georgia: 80% of the projects, 94% of the total investments, and 75% of the proposed new jobs and investments are in Congressional districts represented by Republicans.

    By repealing clean energy tax credits to give a tax cut to the wealthy and well-connected, Washington Republicans could cause Georgia to lose up to 42,000 jobs in communities desperate for new jobs and investments. If the President and Congressional Republicans were serious about bringing American manufacturing back to the United States, as I am, they would protect these tax credits.

    Politics has a way of trying to make easy stuff, complicated. I’ll tell you what’s not complicated – 51 new projects worth $28 billion all across our state and up to 42,000 new jobs. Georgians are smart enough to know who is actually looking out for them. Now, it’s up to Georgians to ask their Congressional representatives: when the GOP tax bill comes up for a vote, are you going to protect good-paying Georgia jobs?

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Wasserman Schultz Condemns Supreme Court Order that Empowers Trump to Return Venezuelans to Murderous Dictator

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-23)

    “Venezuelan TPS holders fled the Maduro regime and built lives in America. They sought refuge in America from his oppression and tyranny. This atrocious decision allows Trump to deport non-criminals back to this murderous dictator. This fight is not over. We must pass my Venezuela TPS Act to keep our community safe.”

    Washington D.C. – Today, U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25), co-chair of the Venezuela Democracy Caucus, denounced a U.S. Supreme Court order that would allow the Trump Administration to return hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans right back into the hands of a murderous dictator that they had sought refuge from in coming to America.

    “Venezuelan TPS holders fled the Maduro regime and built lives in America. They sought refuge in America from his oppression and tyranny. This atrocious decision allows Trump to deport non-criminals back to this murderous dictator,” Wasserman Schultz said about the court order. “This fight is not over. We must pass my Venezuela TPS Act to keep our community safe.”

    Wasserman Schultz had led 48 Democratic Members of Congress this month in filing an amicus brief to the Supreme Court in this case, opposing Trump’s attempt to cancel TPS. Lower courts had agreed to temporarily block Trump’s attempt to rescind those TPS protections. But earlier today, the Supreme Court released an unsigned court order that basically allows the Trump Administration to lift those TPS restrictions and begin the mass deportations of Venezuelans who had lawful status just hours ago.

    The Trump Administration seeks to deport as many as 350,000 Venezuelans, despite President Joe Biden redesignating Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, to them last year. Despite being characterized as “criminal illegals” and “dirtbags” by senior Trump Administration officials, TPS recipients must pass continuous background checks and anyone with a criminal record is not eligible for protections.

    Wasserman Schultz has also sponsored bipartisan legislation to restore and redesignate TPS for Venezuelans, led calls to Secretary Noem and Secretary Rubio to demand answers on their TPS betrayal, given worsening political repression and economic conditions in in Venezuela. And the Congresswoman from Weston, Florida, also re-introduced the Venezuelan Adjustment Act to create a pathway to lawful permanent residence for Venezuelan nationals in the United States.

    ####

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: CISA Welcomes Madhu Gottumukkala as the New Deputy Director

    News In Brief – Source: US Computer Emergency Readiness Team

    WASHINGTON – The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is proud to announce the appointment of Madhu Gottumukkala as its new Deputy Director. In this role, he will help lead CISA’s mission to understand, manage, and reduce risk to the cyber and physical infrastructure that the American people rely on every day. 

    Prior to his appointment as the CISA Deputy Director, Dr. Gottumukkala served as Commissioner and Chief Information Officer for South Dakota’s Bureau of Information and Technology, overseeing statewide technology and cybersecurity initiatives. He assumed this role after serving as South Dakota’s second-ever chief technology officer, focused on innovation through the adoption of emerging technologies, while increasing efficiency by replacing outdated legacy systems.

    “I am honored to be appointed by Secretary Noem to serve as Deputy Director of CISA. As a former state and local leader, I have seen firsthand the exceptional work CISA does in advancing our nation’s cybersecurity and infrastructure resilience,” said Gottumukkala. “I look forward to building on that foundation by fostering collaboration and strengthening resilience across all levels of government and the private sector. Together, through trusted partnerships, transparency, and shared responsibility, we can better manage systemic risks and safeguard the critical functions that ensure our nation’s safety and prosperity.”

    “CISA is excited to welcome Madhu to the team. As we work around the clock to safeguard our nation’s most critical infrastructure, Madhu brings a unique blend of technical expertise and real-world experience that will enhance our mission,” said CISA Senior Official Performing the duties of the Director Bridget Bean. “His deep understanding of both the complexities and practical realities of infrastructure security will strengthen CISA in its role as the nation’s lead cyber defense agency and the national coordinator for infrastructure resilience today and into the future.”

    With over 24 years of experience in information technology (IT), Dr. Gottumukkala has held leadership roles spanning both the public and private sectors, including work across the wireless and telecom, unified communications, and health technology industries. He currently serves on the Advisory Committee of the College of Business and Information Systems at Dakota State University.

    Dr. Gottumukkala holds a Ph.D. in Information Systems from Dakota State University, an MBA in Engineering and Technology Management from the University of Dallas, an M.S. in Computer Science from the University of Texas at Arlington, and a B.E. in Electronics and Communication Engineering from Andhra University.

    For more information about CISA’s leadership team, please visit the official CISA website at CISA Leadership | CISA

    ###

    About CISA 

    As the nation’s cyber defense agency and national coordinator for critical infrastructure security, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency leads the national effort to understand, manage, and reduce risk to the digital and physical infrastructure Americans rely on every hour of every day.

    Visit CISA.gov for more information and follow us on X, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: No Credit Check Loans – Credit Clock is the Number 1 Pick for US Customers

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Memphis, May 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —

    Do you have a hard time making both ends meet and require immediate cash? In most cases, having a poor credit score can make it tough to locate a lender that is willing to give you a no credit check loan.

    However, there’s no need to worry—we have good news for you. Our team has extensively researched the American market and identified the most exceptional lenders that offer no credit check loans.

    These loans help you cover unexpected expenses and financial shortfalls. As such, they serve as reliable financial aid for emergencies and assist between pay periods. Read on to get more insight on them.

    Click Here to Apply 

    Top US No Credit Check Loan Lenders

    1. Credit Clock: Longer loan repayment periods

    Credit Clock is a top selection for borrowers with bad credit and no credit history looking to obtain no credit check loans in the US in 2025. The company is best known for its longer repayment periods, which give the borrower ample time to repay the loan. The loan amounts start from $100 to $5,000. This amount range ensures that you meet your financial needs. On top of that, no extra charges or costs are added to the loan.

    Below are some of the benefits of using Credit Clock as your preferred lender:

    • Flexible repayment periods of up to 24 months.
    • Fast approval processes.
    • Flexible lending amounts.
    • Reputable lenders.
    • Soft credit checks.
    • No hidden charges or costs.

    Credit Clock ensures that you get your loans in time through same-day approvals, helping your financials meet your needs.

    What Is a No Credit Check Loan?

    A no credit check loan is a type of loan that does not require the lender to perform credit checks on the borrower. As such, credit history and credit score are not important factors to consider when approving such loans. This fact makes no credit check loans a suitable borrowing option for individuals who have poor credit scores or bad credit histories and have no chance of being granted loans by financial institutions.

    These loans do not require any security as collateral and are usually accompanied by interest rates that are relatively higher than those offered by conventional financial institutions. Therefore, it is highly advised that you thoroughly examine the fees, rates, and terms before taking them.

    What Are the Examples of No Credit Check Loans

    Several types of loans can be extended to borrowers without having hard credit checks performed. They include:

    1. Payday loans – These are short-term loans that are taken to be repaid on the borrower’s next payday. They are taken in small amounts that could range from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand dollars and are meant to cover unexpected expenses before payday.
    2. Car title loans – These are secured loans that use the vehicle as collateral. The lenders of car title loans tend to hold onto the title of the vehicle until the loan is paid back in full. It is key to note that they have high-interest rates and fees.
    3. Cash advance – A cash advance is a type of short-term loan that allows you to borrow money against your future paycheck. Cash advances can be obtained through your credit card or a payday lender.
    4. No credit check installment loans – An installment loan is a type of loan that is repaid over time through a series of scheduled payments or, better yet, installments. They can be used for various purposes, such as home repairs, medical bills, or car purchases, and are available through a variety of lenders.
    5. Personal lines of credit – A personal line of credit is a flexible borrowing option that allows you to access funds as needed, up to a predetermined credit limit. These are similar to credit cards, but instead of a revolving credit limit, you are given a line of credit that you can draw from as needed.

    What to Look at to Get the Best No Credit Check Loan

    When obtaining a no credit check loan, there are important aspects that must be considered to ensure you not only get the best lenders and offers but also make an informed decision. Some of those factors include:

    1. Interest rates – The interest rate, being the amount that the lender charges on the loan has to be compared between various lenders to ensure that you get the lowest rates available.
    2. Fees – It is important to read carefully the terms of the loans and understand all the fees associated with the loan before agreeing to it. These fees may include origination fees and late repayment fees among others.
    3. Online reviews – It is of the essence to take a sneak peek at the online reviews of the possible lenders to have a glimpse of what previous borrowers have to say. This will give you an idea of the lender’s reputation and customer service.
    4. Licensing – Laws regarding no credit check loans are not similar in all states. As such, it is important to ensure that the lender you choose is licensed to operate in your state and is compliant with all state laws. Licensed lenders tend to follow the regulations on fee limits, interest rates, and loan terms.
    5. Terms – Understand the loan terms and conditions, such as the repayment period, payment frequency, and any penalties for early or late repayment. Ensure that the terms are favorable and suit your financial needs.

    Alternatives to No Credit Check Loans

    When you need quick cash, you may consider getting a no credit check loan. However, it is important to note that there are several alternatives to no credit check loans. Here are some options, especially if you have a good credit score:

    1. Personal loans – If you have a good credit score, you may be able to qualify for a personal loan from a bank, credit union, or online lender. Personal loans typically have lower interest rates than no credit check loans and may have more flexible repayment terms.
    2. Co-signer loans – Getting a co-signer with good credit to apply for a loan gives you a higher chance of approval and getting a favorable interest rate. However, it is important to repay the loan on time to improve your credit and avoid leaving the co-signer responsible for the payments.
    3. Credit unions – Unlike banks, credit unions offer loans at lower interest rates than most traditional lenders. They often provide flexible repayment terms and lower fees.
    4. Secured loans – Secured loans require collateral, such as a car or property, to secure the loan. They have lower interest rates than unsecured loans as the collateral reduces the risks associated.
    5. Bad credit loan lenders – These are lenders who are specifically designed for borrowers with poor credit scores. These lenders offer loans with higher interest rates and fees, but they are more willing to lend a helping hand if you have a low credit score.

    Eligibility Criteria for No Credit Check Loans

    Even though no credit checks are performed for no credit check loans, there are several other background checks that lenders perform to ensure eligibility. They are:

    • A US citizenship.
    • Be at least 18 years of age.
    • A verifiable source of income.
    • An active bank account.
    • Functional contact details.

    The above qualifications are easily met by a fair share of applicants and as a result, high approval rates are attributed to no credit check loans.

    In addition, the application processes are easy to follow, and the cash payouts are almost instantaneous, as they are instantly approved.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Do I have to visit a physical store to apply for a no credit check loan?

    No, most lenders offering no credit check loans have online applications. You can apply for the loan online and receive the funds directly deposited to your bank account.

    How much can I borrow?

    The amount you can borrow depends on the lender’s policies. The maximum amount you can get from a no credit check loan is $50,000.

    Do I have to pay fees?

    Not necessarily. Most lenders do not charge prior or extra fees for loans. Nonetheless, some charge application fees, processing fees, and late payment fees. The fees vary by lender, and you should review the terms and conditions carefully before accepting a loan offer.

    Are no credit check loans a good idea?

    No credit check loans are a good option for people with bad credit or no credit history who need quick cash. However, it is vital to ensure that you can adhere to the loan’s terms and policies.

    What happens if I miss a loan repayment?

    If you miss a loan repayment for a no credit check loan, you will likely face additional fees and interest charges. In addition, your credit score may be negatively impacted, making it harder for you to obtain credit in the future. Some lenders may also report late payments to credit bureaus, which can lower your credit score. It’s important to contact your lender as soon as possible if you think you may miss a payment and work out a plan to avoid any negative consequences.

    Company Name:Payday Ventures Ltd (trading as Credit Clock)
    Email:business@paydayventures.com
    Phone:+44 208 064 1293

    Disclaimer & Affiliate Disclosure

    The information presented in this press release is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice, lending advice, or legal guidance. Credit Clock is not a lender, does not make credit decisions, and does not issue any loan or financial product directly. All loans are subject to the approval criteria and underwriting processes of independent third-party lenders or lending networks, which may include additional checks and verification of eligibility.

    Loans facilitated through the Credit Clock platform are available to individuals aged 18 and over, contingent upon status, state of residence, and the criteria set by lending partners. Availability of products and services may vary by jurisdiction and may not be accessible to residents of all U.S. states. Services are explicitly unavailable in the following states: Arkansas, Connecticut, New Hampshire, New York, Montana, South Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia, Indiana, and Minnesota.

    This press release may contain references to third-party offers, services, or products. Any representations, benefits, rates, or terms mentioned are subject to change at the sole discretion of the respective provider. No guarantees are made regarding loan approval, loan amounts, or funding timelines. While some lenders may offer loans up to $5,000, this amount is not guaranteed and will depend on individual qualifications and lender policies. Some lenders may conduct soft or hard credit checks with credit bureaus such as Experian, Equifax, or TransUnion, or use alternative credit reporting systems.

    No Guarantee of Loan Approval or Terms

    Completing the online form does not constitute a loan application and does not guarantee approval, qualification, or receipt of funds. Credit Clock uses a proprietary algorithm to connect users with potential lenders based on the borrower’s profile and the available lending options within its network. Not all lenders or loan products are accessible through this service, and users are encouraged to independently evaluate all available financial solutions to determine what best suits their individual needs.

    Funding Model and Compensation Disclosure

    This website does not charge users any fees for submitting loan requests. The operator of this website is a broker, not a direct lender. Compensation is received from lenders, lender networks, and other marketers in the network when a user is matched and offered a financial product or alternative lending option through this platform.

    Annual Percentage Rates (APR) and Terms

    Representative APRs for installment loans accessed through this service may range from 5.99% to 35.99%. The minimum repayment term is 61 days. Actual APRs and loan terms may vary depending on the borrower’s creditworthiness, financial history, state of residence, and lender assessment. APR disclosures are based on historical lender data and are illustrative only; they do not reflect a guarantee of rates. Not all users will qualify for the lowest advertised rates.

    Tribal Lender Disclosures

    Some lending partners may operate under tribal jurisdiction and are governed by federal and tribal laws, not state law. As such, rates, fees, and loan terms may differ substantially from those offered by state-licensed lenders and may be higher in certain cases. Consumers should review all loan agreements thoroughly before accepting terms.

    Publisher & Syndication Partner Disclaimer

    The content herein is distributed for informational purposes only and reflects the opinions of the original source at the time of publication. All facts, figures, representations, and claims regarding loan services or benefits are provided by Credit Clock and are subject to change without notice. Neither the publisher of this press release nor any affiliated distribution or syndication network shall be held liable for errors, inaccuracies, outdated information, or omissions contained herein. This release may contain typographical errors or inadvertent misstatements.

    Parties interested in financial products described herein are strongly advised to conduct independent due diligence, verify terms directly with lenders, and seek appropriate legal or financial counsel prior to entering any agreement.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Georgia formally accepts Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies

    Source: WTO

    Headline: Georgia formally accepts Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies

    DG Okonjo-Iweala said: “Georgia’s ratification brings us closer to making this Agreement a powerful demonstration of how multilateral cooperation can advance the global common good. Together, we can magnify our impact to improve ocean sustainability – for people and for our shared planet. Only 13 more acceptances to go!”
    Deputy Minister Arveladze said: “Georgia has always been a top performer in implementing WTO commitments in full. By depositing its instrument of acceptance of the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies today, Georgia is clearly demonstrating its firm support for the rules-based multilateral trading system. This step reaffirms our continued engagement in international efforts to promote the sustainable and responsible use of marine resources. We commend the collective efforts by WTO members in concluding this Agreement and look forward to continued cooperation toward its entry into force and effective implementation.”
    For the Agreement to come into force, formal acceptances from two-thirds of WTO members are required – representing 111 members. The list of current instruments of acceptance deposited with the WTO is available here.
    At the WTO’s 12th Ministerial Conference (MC12) held in Geneva in June 2022, ministers adopted by consensus the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies, setting new, binding, multilateral rules to curb harmful fisheries subsidies. The Agreement prohibits subsidies for illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, for fishing overfished stocks, and for fishing on the unregulated high seas. Ministers also recognized the needs of developing economies and least-developed countries by establishing a fund to provide technical assistance and capacity-building to help governments which have formally accepted the Agreement implement the new obligations.
    WTO members also agreed at MC12 to continue negotiating on remaining fisheries subsidies issues. The objective is to find consensus on additional provisions to further strengthen the disciplines of the Agreement.
    Information for members on how to accept the Protocol of Amendment can be found here.

    Share

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: China Round Table on WTO Accessions, focusing on Arab economies, concludes in Muscat

    Source: WTO

    Headline: China Round Table on WTO Accessions, focusing on Arab economies, concludes in Muscat

    Entitled “Advancing Arab Economies: From Strategic Accessions to Global Trade Integration”, the 13th China Round Table highlighted the benefits of WTO membership for economic policy coherence, growth and development. With the aim of informing the strategies of other acceding economies, the event explored how accession has enabled Arab economies to reform their trade regimes and engage more effectively with the multilateral trading system. The challenges that members faced immediately following their accession were also examined.
    A high-level session celebrated the 25th anniversary of Oman’s WTO accession and recognized the challenges that Oman faced on its path to accession, as well as the contributions that Oman has made to the multilateral trading system.
    Opening the Round Table, Oman’s Undersecretary for Commerce and Industry, Dr Saleh bin Said Masan, said: “Since joining the WTO in November 2000, Oman has been an active and committed member of the multilateral trading system. It has always regarded membership of the WTO as a strategic step towards enhancing its role in the global economy and deepening its co-operation with countries around the world.”
    Highlighting the importance of the China Round Table in fostering cooperation among nations, Dr Saleh added: “It seems timely to consider efforts to restore the central role of the WTO as a platform for resolving global trade issues. The WTO should serve the interests of all countries, regardless of their level of economic development, in line with the principles enshrined in its founding agreement.
    In addition to acceding economies, participants at the Round Table included the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states – namely, the Kingdom of Bahrain, the State of Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates – and representatives of the International Trade Centre (ITC), United Nations Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the World Bank Group. Comoros, which became a WTO member in August 2024, also participated in the Round Table.
    China’s Vice Minister of Commerce, Mr Yan Dong, said: “The 13th China Round Table is a unique opportunity to discuss how to help developing countries speed up accessions and benefit from the multilateral trading system. … As the global landscape undergoes rapid changes unseen in a century, accelerating accessions of developing countries, especially LDCs, to the WTO, and better integrating them into the multilateral trading system is conducive not only to their economic resilience and recovery, but also to the vitality and representation of the WTO.”
    WTO Deputy Director-General Xiangchen Zhang said: “Oman’s journey since 2000 shows how the multilateral trading system can underpin bold diversification and outward-looking reform.”  
    Underscoring the relevance of the 13th China Round Table, DDG Zhang noted: “These round tables have supported many acceding countries in their journeys, and we expect that they will continue to make further progress for the rest of the year. Eight members of the Arab League remain outside the WTO and seven of them have been negotiating, on average, for twenty years. … These numbers speak of untapped potential – potential that accession can unlock by anchoring domestic reforms, attracting investment and fostering regional integration. … Pragmatic solutions, creative flexibilities and targeted technical assistance can minimize years of negotiations and deliver concrete development dividends.”
    The Round Table addressed the state of play of current accession negotiations in the context of preparations for the 14th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC14), to be held in March 2026, with Ethiopia and Uzbekistan stating that they intend to complete their accession processes by MC14. The discussion also highlighted the need to better leverage technical assistance and capacity-building activities to support both accession efforts and new members’ participation in the WTO.
    Participants also explored the role of the private sector in facilitating WTO accession and promoting regional integration. A dedicated session on Oman’s economic diplomacy provided insights into how trade can contribute to economic resilience, long-term peace and sustainable prosperity.
    Acceding governments and interested WTO members meet annually at the China Round Table to discuss the integration of new economies into the rules-based multilateral trading system. Of the 22 members of the League of Arab States, 14 are WTO members, seven are currently undertaking the accession process, and one has held observer status in WTO ministerial conferences since 2005.
    More information on the 13th China Round Table is available here.
    The China Round Tables are among the activities of the China Programme, which supports and finances activities under six pillars:
    An accessions internship programme at the WTO
    Annual China Round Tables on WTO accessions
    Increasing participation of LDCs in WTO meetings
    South-South dialogue on LDCs and development
    Follow-up workshops to LDCs’ Trade Policy Reviews
    An LDC Experience Sharing Programme.
    More information on WTO accessions can be found here.

    Share

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Russia: ‘No authoritarian assault will silence our fight for justice’ – Amnesty responds to Kremlin ban

    Source: Amnesty International –

    Russian authorities have declared Amnesty International an ‘undesirable organisation’

    The decision comes three years after Russian authorities blocked access to Amnesty’s websites and shut down its Moscow office

    ‘You must be doing something right if the Kremlin bans you’ says Amnesty International’s Secretary General Agnès Callamard

    Reacting to the news that the Russian authorities have declared Amnesty International an “undesirable organisation” thereby criminalising its activities and any association with the organisation in Russia, Agnès Callamard, Amnesty International’s Secretary General, said: 

    “This decision is part of the Russian government’s broader effort to silence dissent and isolate civil society. In a country where scores of activists and dissidents have been imprisoned, killed or exiled, where independent media has been smeared, blocked or forced to self-censor, and where civil society organisations have been outlawed or liquidated, you must be doing something right if the Kremlin bans you.  

    “The authorities are deeply mistaken if they believe that by labelling Amnesty “undesirable” we will stop our work documenting and exposing human rights violations – quite the opposite. We will not give in to the threats and will continue undeterred to work to ensure that people in Russia are able to enjoy their human rights without discrimination. We will keep documenting and speaking worldwide about the war crimes committed in Ukraine by Russia. We will redouble our efforts to expose Russia’s egregious human rights violations both at home and abroad.  

    “We will never stop fighting for the release of prisoners of conscience detained for standing up for human rights or for the repeal of repressive laws that prevent people in Russia from speaking up against injustice. We will continue to work relentlessly to ensure that all those who are responsible for committing grave human rights violations, whether in Russia, Ukraine, or elsewhere, face justice. Put simply, no authoritarian assault will silence our fight for justice. Amnesty will never give up or back down in its fight for upholding human rights in Russia and beyond.” 

    Amnesty ban in Russia

    On 19 May, the Russian Prosecutor General’s Office declared Amnesty International an “undesirable organisation” under repressive 2015 Russian legislation which allows the authorities to ban arbitrarily any foreign organisation and criminalise its activities in Russia. The announcement accused Amnesty of promoting “Russophobic projects” and indicated that it was prompted by Amnesty’s work on freedom of expression and association in Russia, and its documentation and exposition of crimes under international law committed by Russian forces in Ukraine. The decision is based on a Russian law which in itself violates international law, and the language of the decision goes against facts accusing Amnesty of activities which, within its statutory documents and policies, it is prevented from undertaking.

    The designation comes three years after the Russian authorities blocked access to Amnesty’s websites in Russia and de-registered – effectively closed down – the organisation’s office in Moscow. The designation puts at risk of prosecution in Russia partner organisations and individual supporters, journalists, other persons who now work with, or are seen by the authorities as supporting or promoting the organisation.

    Under Russian legislation, participation in the activities of an “undesirable organiation” is punishable by law. First-time “offenses” may result in administrative fines of up to 15,000 rubles (around US$185). Repeated violations as well as funding or managing such organisations carry criminal liability and can lead to prison sentences of up to six years. The law has previously been applied to the distribution or reposting of any materials from the designated organisation, including publications and hyperlinks predating its designation as “undesirable”.

    This designation places Amnesty among dozens of independent NGOs and media outlets that have been targeted in recent years as part of a sweeping campaign to suppress dissent and dismantle civil society in Russia and prevent international watchdogs and partners from providing support or showing solidarity with them. These moves are the backbone of a pattern whereby the Russian authorities are using authoritarian practices to silence voices, undermine accountability and entrench power.

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Russia: Amnesty International declared “undesirable organization” amid escalating crackdown on dissent  

    Source: Amnesty International –

    Reacting to the news that the Russian authorities have declared Amnesty International an “undesirable organization” thereby criminalizing its activities and any association with the organization in Russia, Agnès Callamard, Amnesty International’s Secretary General, said: 

    “This decision is part of the Russian government’s broader effort to silence dissent and isolate civil society. In a country where scores of activists and dissidents have been imprisoned, killed or exiled, where independent media has been smeared, blocked or forced to self-censor, and where civil society organizations have been outlawed or liquidated, you must be doing something right if the Kremlin bans you.  

    “The authorities are deeply mistaken if they believe that by labelling our organization “undesirable” we will stop our work documenting and exposing human rights violations – quite the opposite. We will not give in to the threats and will continue undeterred to work to ensure that people in Russia are able to enjoy their human rights without discrimination. We will keep documenting and speaking worldwide about the war crimes committed in Ukraine by Russia. We will redouble our efforts to expose Russia’s egregious human rights violations both at home and abroad.  

    The authorities are deeply mistaken if they believe that by labelling our organization “undesirable” we will stop our work documenting and exposing human rights violations – quite the opposite

    Agnès Callamard, Amnesty International’s Secretary General

    “We will never stop fighting for the release of prisoners of conscience detained for standing up for human rights or for the repeal of repressive laws that prevent people in Russia from speaking up against injustice. We will continue to work relentlessly to ensure that all those who are responsible for committing grave human rights violations, whether in Russia, Ukraine, or elsewhere, face justice. Put simply, no authoritarian assault will silence our fight for justice. Amnesty will never give up or back down in its fight for upholding human rights in Russia and beyond.” 

    Background 

    On 19 May 2025, the Russian Prosecutor General’s Office declared Amnesty International an “undesirable organization” under repressive 2015 Russian legislation which allows the authorities to ban arbitrarily any foreign organization and criminalize its activities in Russia. The announcement accused Amnesty International of promoting “Russophobic projects” and indicated that it was prompted by the organization’s work on freedom of expression and association in Russia, and its documentation and exposition of crimes under international law committed by Russian forces in Ukraine. The decision is based on a Russian law which in itself violates international law, and the language of the decision goes against facts accusing Amnesty International of activities which, within its statutory documents and policies, it is prevented from undertaking.

    The designation comes three years after the Russian authorities blocked access to Amnesty International’s websites in Russia and de-registered – effectively closed down – the organization’s office in Moscow. The designation puts at risk of prosecution in Russia partner organizations and individual supporters, journalists, other persons who now work with, or are seen by the authorities as supporting or promoting, the organization.

    Under Russian legislation, participation in the activities of an “undesirable organization” is punishable by law. First-time “offenses” may result in administrative fines of up to 15,000 rubles (around US$185). Repeated violations as well as funding or managing such organizations carry criminal liability and can lead to prison sentences of up to six years. The law has previously been applied to the distribution or reposting of any materials from the designated organization, including publications and hyperlinks predating its designation as “undesirable”.

    This designation places Amnesty International among dozens of independent NGOs and media outlets that have been targeted in recent years as part of a sweeping campaign to suppress dissent and dismantle civil society in Russia and prevent international watchdogs and partners from providing support or showing solidarity with them. These moves are the backbone of a pattern whereby the Russian authorities are using authoritarian practices to silence voices, undermine accountability and entrench power.

    MIL OSI NGO –