NewzIntel.com

Category: Security

  • MIL-OSI USA: Welch Denounces Trump’s Attacks on DOJ’s Civil Rights Division in Judiciary Subcommittee Hearing 

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)
    WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Raking Member of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on The Constitution, this week denounced the President Trump’s attacks on the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Civil Rights Division, including the Administration’s plans to freeze all new civil rights cases or investigations at the division. 
    Ahead of yesterday’s hearing, Senator Welch released a memorandum with the new policy statements provided to career attorneys at the Civil Rights Division. These directives, which have not previously been made public, show how the Division’s enforcement priorities have been narrowed, changed, and in some cases reversed under the leadership of Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon, to mirror and advance President Trump’s political agenda. The memo also sheds light on Assistant Attorney General Dhillon’s efforts to oust career attorneys through reassignments and resignations. Senator Welch’s office obtained data showing that since the beginning of President Trump’s second term, more than 368 individuals have left the Civil Rights Division and only two Section chiefs remain in place. 
    “The Civil Rights Division is a crown jewel in the Department of Justice of the United States of America,” said Senator Welch. “But there’s a profound difference in the Justice Department today than there was the day before the election. The new policy directives that are being issued to DOJ attorneys is the zealous and faithful pursuit of, ‘The priorities of the President.’ No! It’s the priorities of the Constitution. It’s the priorities of the legislation passed by Congress. It is not the priorities of any person, even if that person is the President of the United States. That is not what the job of the Justice Department is to do.” 
    Watch Senator Welch’s full remarks below:  
    Read Senator Welch’s opening remarks as delivered here. 
    Senator Welch questioned Ms. Dhillon about whether the Trump Administration influenced the DOJ’s highly irregular decision to order mid-decade redistricting of Texas’ congressional districts. The Senator also called out Ms. Dhillon for her refusal to acknowledge that President Biden won the 2020 Presidential Election.   
    Read key excerpts from Senator Welch’s exchange with Ms. Dhillon: 
    “As you know, President Trump has recently ‘encouraged’—I’ll use that—Texas Republicans to do mid-cycle redistricting in order to gain more seats in the House of Representatives. I understand that after the President made that decision, or that announcement, you personally sent a letter on July 7 to Texas—in your capacity as Assistant Attorney General—arguing that four Democratic districts violate federal law,” said Senator Welch. “Before you sent the letter on July 7, did you have any conversation with any representatives of the White House?”   
    Ms. Dhillon: “Senator, as you’re aware, there are privileges that are involved in all Executive Branch communications and without—I’m not able to testify without breaching the Department of Justice’s guidelines in that regard. So, I’m unable to answer any questions about conversations I may have had with other Executive Branch officials.”   
    Senator Welch: “I’m not asking you what the content of the conversation was. I’m asking whether there was any conversation with anyone from the White House before you sent that July 7 letter.”  
    Ms. Dhillon: “Senator, I have the same answer. I think you’re aware of the scope, the broad scope of privileges that apply to lawyers’ conduct.” 
    Senator Welch: “Well, here’s what I’m aware of: the President made a directive—which is highly unusual—telling a legislature, the Texas legislature, mid-decade to do redistricting when we do that every ten years. And oh, it just so happened the Assistant Attorney General sent a letter to that legislature—after the President made his announcement—and said that your investigations suggest four districts are in violation of federal law.” 
    Ms. Dhillon: “Is there a question, Senator?” 
    Senator Welch: “There’s a point here that it’s hard to believe that that wasn’t coordinated.” 
    Senator Welch has been a leading voice in pushing back against the Trump Administration’s attacks on the rule of law and efforts to undermine the Department of Justice. In April, Senator Welch led six Senate Judiciary Committee colleagues in demanding answers from the DOJ concerning the Trump Administration’s efforts to dismantle the Department’s Civil Rights Division. The Senators separately called for Senator Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), Chair of the Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, to immediately hold an oversight hearing with Assistant Attorney General Dhillon on the politicization of DOJ’s Civil Rights Division. 
    During President Trump’s first week in office, Senator Welch slammed the President’s plans to freeze all new civil rights cases or investigations at DOJ’s Civil Rights Division and suggestions that it would sideline police reform agreements established by the Biden Administration.  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Secures Major Settlement with Columbia University

    Source: US Whitehouse

    SECURING HISTORIC SETTLEMENT WITH COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY: Today, President Donald J. Trump secured a historic settlement with Columbia University to address violations of federal civil rights laws and to restore fairness, merit, and safety in higher education.

    • The agreement ensures Columbia will not engage in unlawful racial discrimination in hiring, admissions, or university programming. Columbia will provide access to all relevant data and information to rigorously assess compliance with its commitment to merit-based hiring and admissions. 
    • Columbia will pay the United States $200 million to settle claims related to discriminatory practices, marking a significant win for accountability in academia.
    • Columbia will also pay the largest employment-discrimination public settlement in almost 20 years. Over $20 million will be paid to resolve alleged civil rights violations against Jewish Columbia employees that occurred on its campus following the October 7, 2023, Hamas terror attacks. This is also the largest ever settlement for victims of anti-Semitism and for workers of any religion.
    • The agreement secures privacy, dignity, and fairness in women’s sports, programing, facilities, and housing.
    • The agreement mandates a comprehensive review of Columbia’s portfolio of programs in regional areas, starting with those relating to the Middle East, and fosters new faculty appointments to promote intellectual diversity.
    • Columbia will strengthen oversight of international students by reviewing admission processes, including by assessing applicants’ reasons for wishing to study in the U.S., sharing relevant data with the Federal Government, and reducing financial dependence on overwhelming international student enrollment.
    • Columbia will enhance campus safety and ensure a safe learning environment by appropriately enforcing strict rules against disruptive protests, prohibiting masked protests, and maintaining trained security officers and ongoing cooperation with the New York Police Department.
    • The agreement establishes robust oversight, including with an independent Resolution Monitor and an Administrator, to ensure Columbia complies with the agreement and federal laws.
    • Consistent with Columbia’s announcement in March, student discipline and rules have been moved from an unaccountable faculty senate to the Office of the Provost, providing for stronger oversight, transparency, and accountability.
    • The agreement reinstates most terminated federal grants, restores Columbia’s eligibility for future grants and awards, and closes pending investigations into the university.

    ADDRESSING DISCRIMINATORY PRACTICES AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY: The Trump Administration took action to address Columbia University’s violations of federal civil rights laws, protecting students and upholding fairness in higher education.

    • The settlement culminates after concerning public incidents and subsequent civil rights investigations and actions regarding Columbia’s alleged discrimination on the basis of race and national origin.
    • Columbia’s failure to ensure a safe, non-discriminatory campus environment, including issues with protest policies and disciplinary processes, raised urgent concerns about student safety and free inquiry.
    • By securing this settlement, the Trump Administration is ensuring that Columbia upholds merit-based standards, complies with federal law, and fosters an environment of academic excellence and safety for all students.

    ADVANCING REFORMS IN HIGHER EDUCATION: President Trump is holding elite universities accountable, ensuring they prioritize fairness, merit, and American values.  

    • The Administration has challenged elite universities like Harvard and Columbia for discriminating against student and staff, failing to protect students from violent anti-Semitism, and otherwise failing to be a responsible steward of taxpayer dollars.
    • President Trump signed a Proclamation to safeguard national security by suspending the entry of foreign nationals seeking to study or participate in exchange programs at Harvard University. 
    • The Administration successfully negotiated a resolution with the University of Pennsylvania to keep men out of women’s sports and restore the trophies and records of women.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Joint Statement on the Invocation of the OSCE Moscow Mechanism

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Speech

    Joint Statement on the Invocation of the OSCE Moscow Mechanism

    UK and 40 other countries invoke the Moscow Mechanism to address ill treatment of prisoners of war by the Russian Federation

    Thank you, Chair.   I will deliver an abridged version of this statement this afternoon. The full statement will be circulated in writing and I request that it be attached to the Journal of the Day.  

    I am delivering this statement on behalf of the following participating States: Albania, Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France,  Georgia, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta,  Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania,  San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.   

    Today, our delegations will send the following letter to ODIHR Director Maria Telalian, invoking the Moscow Mechanism, with the support of Ukraine, as we continue to have concerns regarding violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law following Russia’s full-scale war of aggression against Ukraine, including with regard to ill treatment of Ukrainian Prisoners of War (POW).   

    Director Telalian, 

    With Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine in its fourth year and as Russia’s illegal occupation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol and certain areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine has entered its eleventh year, we continue to witness large scale human suffering and alarming reports of violations of international humanitarian law (IHL) and of international human rights law (IHRL), many of which may amount to the most serious international crimes.  

    Against the backdrop of the full-scale war of aggression against Ukraine, launched by the Russian Federation on February 24, 2022, a number of credible sources, including the Moscow Mechanism expert missions, the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry, as well as civil society organizations, have reported that the Russian Federation has consistently violated the rights of prisoners of war (POWs) throughout their detention and at multiple detention facilities within the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine and the Russian Federation. There have been credible reports that the extensive and routine torture and ill-treatment of Ukrainian POWs throughout their detention constitutes a continued systematic pattern of state policy and practice by the Russian Federation. Torture follows common patterns across different locations, indicating it is a coordinated, deliberate, and systematic practice.  

    In 2022, 2023 and 2024, 45 OSCE Delegations, following bilateral consultations with Ukraine under the Vienna (Human Dimension) Mechanism, invoked Paragraph 8 of the Moscow (Human Dimension) Mechanism. The reports of the independent missions of experts, received by OSCE participating States, confirmed our shared concerns about the impact of the Russian Federation’s invasion and acts of war, its violations and abuses of IHRL, and violations of IHL in Ukraine.  

    We remain particularly alarmed by the findings of the expert missions that some of the violations may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity as well as the identification of patterns of reported violations of IHL and IHRL regarding the treatment of prisoners of war.  

    The prohibition against torture in international law is absolute.  Parties to an armed conflict are obliged to ensure the rights of POWs as set out in the Third Geneva Convention of 1949 relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War and Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions. Prisoners of war must at all times be protected, particularly against acts of violence or intimidation and against insults and public curiosity. No physical or mental torture, nor any other form of coercion, may be inflicted on prisoners of war to secure from them information of any kind whatever. Prisoners of war who refuse to answer may not be threatened, insulted or exposed to unpleasant or disadvantageous treatment of any kin Torture and inhuman treatment of POWs are grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions, and likewise war crimes under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. 

    ODIHR’s Ukraine Monitoring Initiative has continued to identify patterns of reported IHL and IHRL violations related to the treatment of Ukrainian POWs including in their Sixth Interim Report of 13 December 2024 and their Seventh Interim Report of 15 July 2025. Interviews with survivors and witnesses attested to a continued practice of systematic torture and other IHL and IHRL violations perpetrated against Ukrainian POWs  prompting serious concerns about the Russian Federation’s failure to comply with the fundamental principles that govern the treatment of POWs.  

    In equal measure, the OHCHR and the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU) have reported on the systematic and widespread use of torture of Ukrainian POWs by Russian authorities. In its March 2023 report, the HRMMU documented violations of IHRL and IHL in 32 of 48 detention facilities in Russia and Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine, related to torture and other ill-treatment,  dire conditions of internment  including inadequate quarters, food, hygiene, and medical care, along with restricted communication, forced labor, and a lack of access of independent monitors. .  Many were held incommunicado deprived of the possibility to communicate with family or the outside world. Russian authorities subjected Ukrainian POWs to unlawful prosecutions for mere participation in hostilities; using torture to extract confessions; and denying fair trials.   

    According to witness testimonies, there were numerous incidents whereby POWs died in captivity due to execution, torture, ill-treatment and/or inadequate medical attention as well as inhumane conditions during their captivity.   

    The OHCHR’s October 2024 Report on the Treatment of Prisoners of War further documented detailed and consistent accounts of torture or ill treatment in Russian Federation custody.   

    Survivors have described the wide-ranging methods of torture or ill-treatment of Ukrainian POWs including: severe physical beatings; electrocution (including the targeting of genitalia); excessively intense physical exercise; stress positions; dog attacks; mock executions (including simulated hangings); threats of physical violence and death; sexual violence, including rape; threats of rape and castration; threats of coerced sexual acts; and other forms of humiliation.   

    Since the end of August 2024, OHCHR also has recorded a significant increase in credible allegations of executions of Ukrainian servicepersons captured by Russian armed forces, involving at least 97 individuals.   

    The UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine (UN COI) stated on 23 September 2024 that it has evidence of widespread and systematic torture by Russian authorities against Ukrainian civilians and POWs in the temporarily occupied territories and in Russia. They concluded that torture follows common patterns across different locations, indicating it is a coordinated practice.  In their March 2025 report, the UN COI again called on the Russian Federation to immediately end the widespread and systematic use of torture and other forms of ill-treatment committed against civilian detainees and prisoners of war  

    The Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine is investigating the reported execution of 273 Ukrainian POWs, including 208 who were reportedly executed on the battlefield and 59 in the ‘‘Olenivka’’ colony. However, the real number of those executed is likely much higher. 

    We are deeply concerned about the severity and frequency of these violations and abuses. We are particularly appalled by reported executions of Ukrainian POWs and Ukrainian soldiers rendered hors de combat upon their surrender and by the desecration/mutilation of bodies.  We are also deeply concerned with the practice of filming and distributing images of these abhorrent incidents.  

    Following grave concerns over the ill-treatment of Ukrainian POWs, highlighted, inter alia, by the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the OSCE, we call on all parties to the armed conflict ensure that POWs are treated in full compliance with IHL.  

    We recall that OSCE participating States have committed themselves to respect IHL, including the Third Geneva Convention relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War of 1949, bearing in mind that the willful killing, torture, inhuman treatment, causing great suffering, or serious injury to body or health of persons protected under the Geneva Conventions, including prisoners of war, constitutes a war crime. No prisoner of war may be subjected to physical mutilation or to medical or scientific experiments of any kind which are not justified by the medical, dental or hospital treatment of the prisoner concerned and carried out in his interest. Likewise, prisoners of war must at all times be protected, particularly against acts of violence or intimidation and against insults and public curiosity. 

    We also recall that the prohibition of torture is a peremptory norm of international law without territorial limitation, which applies at all times and in all places.   Measures of reprisal against POWs are prohibited. 

    We call on the Russia Federation to end the torture and ill-treatment of all detainees and ensure adequate conditions of detention including the provision of basic needs such as food, water, clothing, and medical care. We further call for providing timely and accurate information on detainees’ whereabouts and legal status, and for granting international humanitarian organizations, like the International Committee of the Red Cross, unfettered access to such persons. 

    Gravely concerned by the continuing impacts of Russia’s ongoing aggression against Ukraine, and gravely concerned by credible allegations of the torture, ill-treatment and executions of Ukrainian POWs, and soldiers hors de combat, the delegations of Albania, Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France,  Georgia, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta,  Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania,  San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, following bilateral consultations with Ukraine under the Vienna Mechanism, invoke the Moscow (Human Dimension) Mechanism under Paragraph 8 of that document.  

    We request that ODIHR inquire of Ukraine whether it would invite a mission of experts to build upon previous findings, and:  

    To establish the facts and circumstances surrounding possible contraventions of relevant OSCE commitments; violations and abuses of human rights; and violations of IHL, including possible cases of war crimes and crimes against humanity, related to the treatment of Ukrainian POWs by the Russian Federation ; 

    To collect, consolidate, and analyse this information including to determine if there is a pattern of widespread and systematic torture, ill-treatment and execution of Ukrainian POWs and soldiers hors de combat and/or at detention facilities by the Russian Federation in the temporarily occupied territories and in Russia and 

    To offer recommendations on relevant accountability mechanisms. 

    We also invite ODIHR to provide any relevant information or documentation derived from any new expert mission to other appropriate accountability mechanisms, including the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine or the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine, as well as national, regional, or international courts or tribunals that have, or may in future have, jurisdiction.  

    Thank you for your attention.

    Updates to this page

    Published 24 July 2025

    Invasion of Ukraine

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Over £20,000 in fines handed out as council takes aim at pedicabs and illegal street traders | Westminster City Council

    Source: City of Westminster

    Pedicab riders and illegal street traders have been given fines, costs and victim surcharges totalling £20,202.50 following the latest round of prosecutions at City of Westminster Magistrates Court on Wednesday 9th July.

    Prosecutions for five unlicensed street traders operating on Westminster Bridge selling peanuts and balloons saw £11,127.50 in convictions handed down Another three cases adjourned.

    Given the bridge’s location, Westminster City Council regularly partner with Lambeth Council and the Met Police to provide evidence for prosecutions and conduct enforcement operations on the bridge. Thanks to the joint intelligence, one of the vendors was convicted for the second time in two months for previously selling hotdogs.

    A shop on Charing Cross Road was hit with the largest fine of £3,382 had previously received multiple warnings for selling a multitude of souvenir goods on the street, and while the company was dissolved in the lead up to court, the director was still held personally liable and convicted.

    Additionally, nine pedicabs operators- several repeat offenders- have been hit with some the biggest individual fines totalling £9075.00 following the latest round of pedicab prosecutions. 

    The riders were found guilty thanks to the work of City Inspectors from Westminster City Council with fines, costs, and victim surcharges ranging from £750 to £1460 under the Control of Pollution Act 1974. Ahead of TfL’s licensing regime which is set to come into effect in early 2026 teams from the central London local Authority continue to patrol hotspot areas educating visitors against the dangers of using pedicabs and work with the Metropolitan Police to prosecute those in breach of current legislation. Given the repeat prosecutions, the council is exploring options such as injunctions or banning orders for the more prolific riders. 

    Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Children and Public Protection Cllr Aicha Less said:

    This is Westminster, not the Wild West. These fines send a clear message: if you break the rules in our city you will end up out of pocket and out of excuses.”

    “Whilst we work with TfL to finalise a structured the licensing scheme is being finalised, our City Inspectors continue to prosecute pedicab drivers and partner with our neighbours in Lambeth and in the Metropolitan Police to ensure unsuspecting tourists are not ripped off.” 

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Keep fighting for a nuclear-free Pacific, Helen Clark warns Greenpeace over global storm clouds

    Asia Pacific Report

    Former New Zealand prime minister Helen Clark warned activists and campaigners in a speech on the deck of the Greenpeace environmental flagship Rainbow Warrior III last night to be wary of global “storm clouds” and the renewed existential threat of nuclear weapons.

    Speaking on her reflections on four decades after the bombing of the original Rainbow Warrior on 10 July 1985, she said that New Zealand had a lot to be proud of but the world was now in a “precarious” state.

    Clark praised Greenpeace over its long struggle, challenging the global campaigners to keep up the fight for a nuclear-free Pacific.

    “For New Zealand, having been proudly nuclear-free since the mid-1980s, life has got a lot more complicated for us as well, and I have done a lot of campaigning against New Zealand signing up to any aspect of the AUKUS arrangement because it seems to me that being associated with any agreement that supplies nuclear ship technology to Australia is more or less encouraging the development of nuclear threats in the South Pacific,” she said.

    “While I am not suggesting that Australians are about to put nuclear weapons on them, we know that others do. This is not the Pacific that we want.

    “It is not the Pacific that we fought for going back all those years.

    “So we need to be very concerned about these storm clouds gathering.”

    Lessons for humanity
    Clark was prime minister 1999-2008 and served as a minister in David Lange’s Labour government that passed New Zealand’s nuclear-free legislation in 1987 – two years after the Rainbow Warrior bombing by French secret agents.

    She was also head of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in 2009-2017.

    “When you think 40 years on, humanity might have learned some lessons. But it seems we have to repeat the lessons over and over again, or we will be dragged on the path of re-engagement with those who use nuclear weapons as their ultimate defence,” Clark told the Greenpeace activists, crew and guests.

    “Forty years on, we look back with a lot of pride, actually, at how New Zealand responded to the bombing of the Rainbow Warrior. We stood up with the passage of the nuclear-free legislation in 1987, we stood up with a lot of things.

    “All of this is under threat; the international scene now is quite precarious with respect to nuclear weapons. This is an existential threat.”


    Nuclear-free Pacific reflections with Helen Clark         Video: Greenpeace

    In response to Tahitian researcher and advocate Ena Manuireva who spoke earlier about the legacy of a health crisis as a result of 30 years of French nuclear tests at Moruroa and Fangataufa, she recalled her own thoughts.

    “It reminds us of why we were so motivated to fight for a nuclear-free Pacific because we remember the history of what happened in French Polynesia, in the Marshall Islands, in the South Australian desert, at Maralinga, to the New Zealand servicemen who were sent up in the navy ships, the Rotoiti and the Pukaki, in the late 1950s, to stand on deck while the British exploded their bombs [at Christmas Island in what is today Kiribati].

    “These poor guys were still seeking compensation when I was PM with the illnesses you [Ena] described in French Polynesia.

    Former NZ prime minister Helen Clark . . . “I remember one of the slogans in the 1970s and 1980s was ‘if it is so safe, test them in France’.” Image: Asia Pacific Report

    Testing ground for ‘others’
    “So the Pacific was a testing ground for ‘others’ far away and I remember one of the slogans in the 1970s and 1980s was ‘if it is so safe, test them in France’. Right? It wasn’t so safe.

    “Mind you, they regarded French Polynesia as France.

    “David Robie asked me to write the foreword to the new edition of his book, Eyes of Fire: The Last Voyage and Legacy of the Rainbow Warrior, and it brought back so many memories of those times because those of you who are my age will remember that the 1980s were the peak of the Cold War.

    “We had the Reagan administration [in the US] that was actively preparing for war. It was a terrifying time. It was before the demise of the Soviet Union. And nuclear testing was just part of that big picture where people were preparing for war.

    “I think that the wonderful development in New Zealand was that people knew enough to know that we didn’t want to be defended by nuclear weapons because that was not mutually assured survival — it was mutually assured destruction.”

    New Zealand took a stand, Clark said, but taking that stand led to the attack on the Rainbow Warrior in Auckland harbour by French state-backed terrorism where tragically Greenpeace photographer Fernando Pereira lost his life.

    “I remember I was on my way to Nairobi for a conference for women, and I was in Zimbabwe, when the news came through about the bombing of a boat in Auckland harbour.

    ‘Absolutely shocking’
    “It was absolutely shocking, we had never experienced such a thing. I recall when I returned to New Zealand, [Prime Minister] David Lange one morning striding down to the party caucus room and telling us before it went public that it was without question that French spies had planted the bombs and the rest was history.

    “It was a very tense time. Full marks to Greenpeace for keeping up the struggle for so long — long before it was a mainstream issue Greenpeace was out there in the Pacific taking on nuclear testing.

    “Different times from today, but when I wrote the foreword for David’s book I noted that storm clouds were gathering again around nuclear weapons and issues. I suppose that there is so much else going on in a tragic 24 news cycle — catastrophe day in and day out in Gaza, severe technology and lethal weapons in Ukraine killing people, wherever you look there are so many conflicts.

    “The international agreements that we have relied are falling into disrepair. For example, if I were in Europe I would be extremely worried about the demise of the intermediate range missile weapons pact which has now been abandoned by the Americans and the Russians.

    “And that governs the deployment of medium range missiles in Europe.

    “The New Start Treaty, which was a nuclear arms control treaty between what was the Soviet Union and the US expires next year. Will it be renegotiated in the current circumstances? Who knows?”

    With the Non-proliferation Treaty, there are acknowledged nuclear powers who had not signed the treaty — “and those that do make very little effort to live up to the aspiration, which is to negotiate an end to nuclear weapons”.

    Developments with Iran
    “We have seen recently the latest developments with Iran, and for all of Iran’s many sins let us acknowledge that it is a party to the Non-Proliferation Treaty,” she said.

    “It did subject itself, for the most part, to the inspections regime. Israel, which bombed it, is not a party to the treaty, and doesn’t accept inspections.

    “There are so many double standards that people have long complained about the Non-Proliferation Treaty where the original five nuclear powers are deemed okay to have them, somehow, whereas there are others who don’t join at all.

    “And then over the Ukraine conflict we have seen worrying threats of the use of nuclear weapons.”

    Clark warned that we the use of artificial intelligence it would not be long before asking it: “How do I make a nuclear weapon?”

    “It’s not so difficult to make a dirty bomb. So we should be extremely worried about all these developments.”

    Then Clark spoke about the “complications” facing New Zealand.

    Mangareva researcher and advocate Ena Manuireva . . . “My mum died of lung cancer and the doctors said that she was a ‘passive smoker’. My mum had not smoked for the last 65 years.” Image: Asia Pacific Report

    Teariki’s message to De Gaulle
    In his address, Ena Manuireva started off by quoting the late Tahitian parliamentarian John Teariki who had courageously appealed to General Charles De Gaulle in 1966 after France had already tested three nuclear devices:

    “No government has ever had the honesty or the cynical frankness to admit that its nuclear tests might be dangerous. No government has ever hesitated to make other peoples — preferably small, defenceless ones — bear the burden.”

    “May you, Mr President, take back your troops, your bombs, and your planes.

    “Then, later, our leukemia and cancer patients would not be able to accuse you of being the cause of their illness.

    “Then, our future generations would not be able to blame you for the birth of monsters and deformed children.

    “Then, you would give the world an example worthy of France . . .

    “Then, Polynesia, united, would be proud and happy to be French, and, as in the early days of Free France, we would all once again become your best and most loyal friends.”

    ‘Emotional moment’
    Manuireva said that 10 days earlier, he had been on board Rainbow Warrior III for the ceremony to mark the bombing in 1985 that cost the life of Fernando Pereira – “and the lives of a lot of Mā’ohi people”.

    “It was a very emotional moment for me. It reminded me of my mother and father as I am a descendant of those on Mangareva atoll who were contaminated by those nuclear tests.

    “My mum died of lung cancer and the doctors said that she was a ‘passive smoker’. My mum had not smoked for the last 65 years.

    “French nuclear testing started on 2 July 1966 with Aldebaran and lasted 30 years.”

    He spoke about how the military “top brass fled the island” when winds start blowing towards Mangareva. “Food was ready but they didn’t stay”.

    “By the time I was born in December 1967 in Mangareva, France had already exploded 9 atmospheric nuclear tests on Moruroa and Fangataufa atolls, about 400km from Mangareva.”

    France’s most powerful explosion was Canopus with 2.6 megatonnes in August 1968. It was a thermonuclear hydrogen bomb — 150 times more powerful than Hiroshima.

    Greenpeace Aotearoa executive director Russel Norman . . . a positive of the campaign future. Image: Asia Pacific Report

    ‘Poisoned gift’
    Manuireva said that by France “gifting us the bomb”, Tahitians had been left “with all the ongoing consequences on the people’s health costs that the Ma’ohi Nui government is paying for”.

    He described how the compensation programme was inadequate, lengthy and complicated.

    Manuireva also spoke about the consequences for the environment. Both Moruroa and Fangataufa were condemned as “no go” zones and islanders had lost their lands forever.

    He also noted that while France had gifted the former headquarters of the Atomic Energy Commission (CEP) as a “form of reconciliation” plans to turn it into a museum were thwarted because the building was “rife with asbestos”.

    “It is a poisonous gift that will cost millions for the local government to fix.”

    Greenpeace Aotearoa executive director Russel Norman spoke of the impact on the Greenpeace organisation of the French secret service bombing of their ship and also introduced the guest speakers and responded to their statements.

    A Q and A session was also held to round off the stimulating evening.

    A question during the open mike session on board the Rainbow Warrior. Image: Asia Pacific Report

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Keep fighting for a nuclear-free Pacific, Helen Clark warns Greenpeace over global storm clouds

    Asia Pacific Report

    Former New Zealand prime minister Helen Clark warned activists and campaigners in a speech on the deck of the Greenpeace environmental flagship Rainbow Warrior III last night to be wary of global “storm clouds” and the renewed existential threat of nuclear weapons.

    Speaking on her reflections on four decades after the bombing of the original Rainbow Warrior on 10 July 1985, she said that New Zealand had a lot to be proud of but the world was now in a “precarious” state.

    Clark praised Greenpeace over its long struggle, challenging the global campaigners to keep up the fight for a nuclear-free Pacific.

    “For New Zealand, having been proudly nuclear-free since the mid-1980s, life has got a lot more complicated for us as well, and I have done a lot of campaigning against New Zealand signing up to any aspect of the AUKUS arrangement because it seems to me that being associated with any agreement that supplies nuclear ship technology to Australia is more or less encouraging the development of nuclear threats in the South Pacific,” she said.

    “While I am not suggesting that Australians are about to put nuclear weapons on them, we know that others do. This is not the Pacific that we want.

    “It is not the Pacific that we fought for going back all those years.

    “So we need to be very concerned about these storm clouds gathering.”

    Lessons for humanity
    Clark was prime minister 1999-2008 and served as a minister in David Lange’s Labour government that passed New Zealand’s nuclear-free legislation in 1987 – two years after the Rainbow Warrior bombing by French secret agents.

    She was also head of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in 2009-2017.

    “When you think 40 years on, humanity might have learned some lessons. But it seems we have to repeat the lessons over and over again, or we will be dragged on the path of re-engagement with those who use nuclear weapons as their ultimate defence,” Clark told the Greenpeace activists, crew and guests.

    “Forty years on, we look back with a lot of pride, actually, at how New Zealand responded to the bombing of the Rainbow Warrior. We stood up with the passage of the nuclear-free legislation in 1987, we stood up with a lot of things.

    “All of this is under threat; the international scene now is quite precarious with respect to nuclear weapons. This is an existential threat.”


    Nuclear-free Pacific reflections with Helen Clark         Video: Greenpeace

    In response to Tahitian researcher and advocate Ena Manuireva who spoke earlier about the legacy of a health crisis as a result of 30 years of French nuclear tests at Moruroa and Fangataufa, she recalled her own thoughts.

    “It reminds us of why we were so motivated to fight for a nuclear-free Pacific because we remember the history of what happened in French Polynesia, in the Marshall Islands, in the South Australian desert, at Maralinga, to the New Zealand servicemen who were sent up in the navy ships, the Rotoiti and the Pukaki, in the late 1950s, to stand on deck while the British exploded their bombs [at Christmas Island in what is today Kiribati].

    “These poor guys were still seeking compensation when I was PM with the illnesses you [Ena] described in French Polynesia.

    Former NZ prime minister Helen Clark . . . “I remember one of the slogans in the 1970s and 1980s was ‘if it is so safe, test them in France’.” Image: Asia Pacific Report

    Testing ground for ‘others’
    “So the Pacific was a testing ground for ‘others’ far away and I remember one of the slogans in the 1970s and 1980s was ‘if it is so safe, test them in France’. Right? It wasn’t so safe.

    “Mind you, they regarded French Polynesia as France.

    “David Robie asked me to write the foreword to the new edition of his book, Eyes of Fire: The Last Voyage and Legacy of the Rainbow Warrior, and it brought back so many memories of those times because those of you who are my age will remember that the 1980s were the peak of the Cold War.

    “We had the Reagan administration [in the US] that was actively preparing for war. It was a terrifying time. It was before the demise of the Soviet Union. And nuclear testing was just part of that big picture where people were preparing for war.

    “I think that the wonderful development in New Zealand was that people knew enough to know that we didn’t want to be defended by nuclear weapons because that was not mutually assured survival — it was mutually assured destruction.”

    New Zealand took a stand, Clark said, but taking that stand led to the attack on the Rainbow Warrior in Auckland harbour by French state-backed terrorism where tragically Greenpeace photographer Fernando Pereira lost his life.

    “I remember I was on my way to Nairobi for a conference for women, and I was in Zimbabwe, when the news came through about the bombing of a boat in Auckland harbour.

    ‘Absolutely shocking’
    “It was absolutely shocking, we had never experienced such a thing. I recall when I returned to New Zealand, [Prime Minister] David Lange one morning striding down to the party caucus room and telling us before it went public that it was without question that French spies had planted the bombs and the rest was history.

    “It was a very tense time. Full marks to Greenpeace for keeping up the struggle for so long — long before it was a mainstream issue Greenpeace was out there in the Pacific taking on nuclear testing.

    “Different times from today, but when I wrote the foreword for David’s book I noted that storm clouds were gathering again around nuclear weapons and issues. I suppose that there is so much else going on in a tragic 24 news cycle — catastrophe day in and day out in Gaza, severe technology and lethal weapons in Ukraine killing people, wherever you look there are so many conflicts.

    “The international agreements that we have relied are falling into disrepair. For example, if I were in Europe I would be extremely worried about the demise of the intermediate range missile weapons pact which has now been abandoned by the Americans and the Russians.

    “And that governs the deployment of medium range missiles in Europe.

    “The New Start Treaty, which was a nuclear arms control treaty between what was the Soviet Union and the US expires next year. Will it be renegotiated in the current circumstances? Who knows?”

    With the Non-proliferation Treaty, there are acknowledged nuclear powers who had not signed the treaty — “and those that do make very little effort to live up to the aspiration, which is to negotiate an end to nuclear weapons”.

    Developments with Iran
    “We have seen recently the latest developments with Iran, and for all of Iran’s many sins let us acknowledge that it is a party to the Non-Proliferation Treaty,” she said.

    “It did subject itself, for the most part, to the inspections regime. Israel, which bombed it, is not a party to the treaty, and doesn’t accept inspections.

    “There are so many double standards that people have long complained about the Non-Proliferation Treaty where the original five nuclear powers are deemed okay to have them, somehow, whereas there are others who don’t join at all.

    “And then over the Ukraine conflict we have seen worrying threats of the use of nuclear weapons.”

    Clark warned that we the use of artificial intelligence it would not be long before asking it: “How do I make a nuclear weapon?”

    “It’s not so difficult to make a dirty bomb. So we should be extremely worried about all these developments.”

    Then Clark spoke about the “complications” facing New Zealand.

    Mangareva researcher and advocate Ena Manuireva . . . “My mum died of lung cancer and the doctors said that she was a ‘passive smoker’. My mum had not smoked for the last 65 years.” Image: Asia Pacific Report

    Teariki’s message to De Gaulle
    In his address, Ena Manuireva started off by quoting the late Tahitian parliamentarian John Teariki who had courageously appealed to General Charles De Gaulle in 1966 after France had already tested three nuclear devices:

    “No government has ever had the honesty or the cynical frankness to admit that its nuclear tests might be dangerous. No government has ever hesitated to make other peoples — preferably small, defenceless ones — bear the burden.”

    “May you, Mr President, take back your troops, your bombs, and your planes.

    “Then, later, our leukemia and cancer patients would not be able to accuse you of being the cause of their illness.

    “Then, our future generations would not be able to blame you for the birth of monsters and deformed children.

    “Then, you would give the world an example worthy of France . . .

    “Then, Polynesia, united, would be proud and happy to be French, and, as in the early days of Free France, we would all once again become your best and most loyal friends.”

    ‘Emotional moment’
    Manuireva said that 10 days earlier, he had been on board Rainbow Warrior III for the ceremony to mark the bombing in 1985 that cost the life of Fernando Pereira – “and the lives of a lot of Mā’ohi people”.

    “It was a very emotional moment for me. It reminded me of my mother and father as I am a descendant of those on Mangareva atoll who were contaminated by those nuclear tests.

    “My mum died of lung cancer and the doctors said that she was a ‘passive smoker’. My mum had not smoked for the last 65 years.

    “French nuclear testing started on 2 July 1966 with Aldebaran and lasted 30 years.”

    He spoke about how the military “top brass fled the island” when winds start blowing towards Mangareva. “Food was ready but they didn’t stay”.

    “By the time I was born in December 1967 in Mangareva, France had already exploded 9 atmospheric nuclear tests on Moruroa and Fangataufa atolls, about 400km from Mangareva.”

    France’s most powerful explosion was Canopus with 2.6 megatonnes in August 1968. It was a thermonuclear hydrogen bomb — 150 times more powerful than Hiroshima.

    Greenpeace Aotearoa executive director Russel Norman . . . a positive of the campaign future. Image: Asia Pacific Report

    ‘Poisoned gift’
    Manuireva said that by France “gifting us the bomb”, Tahitians had been left “with all the ongoing consequences on the people’s health costs that the Ma’ohi Nui government is paying for”.

    He described how the compensation programme was inadequate, lengthy and complicated.

    Manuireva also spoke about the consequences for the environment. Both Moruroa and Fangataufa were condemned as “no go” zones and islanders had lost their lands forever.

    He also noted that while France had gifted the former headquarters of the Atomic Energy Commission (CEP) as a “form of reconciliation” plans to turn it into a museum were thwarted because the building was “rife with asbestos”.

    “It is a poisonous gift that will cost millions for the local government to fix.”

    Greenpeace Aotearoa executive director Russel Norman spoke of the impact on the Greenpeace organisation of the French secret service bombing of their ship and also introduced the guest speakers and responded to their statements.

    A Q and A session was also held to round off the stimulating evening.

    A question during the open mike session on board the Rainbow Warrior. Image: Asia Pacific Report

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: 6 arrested for allowance fraud

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    The Working Family & Student Financial Assistance Agency today said Police arrested a total of six people for allegedly defrauding or intending to defraud the agency, involving an amount of about $30,000.

    The agency had recently conducted a joint operation with Police to combat fraudulent acts by those seeking to obtain the Working Family Allowance (WFA) illegally.

    The agency’s Working Family Allowance Office, when processing WFA applications in April, detected suspicious documentary proof relating to employment and income submitted by some applicants.

    The agency swiftly reported the incident and referred the cases suspected of using false documents to Police for investigation.

    After a thorough investigation, Police recently carried out an operation and arrested a total of six people so far for allegedly defrauding or intending to defraud the agency.

    The agency will continue to render full assistance to Police in the investigation and recover the overpaid allowances from the relevant persons as appropriate in a timely manner.

    The agency pointed out that it scrutinises every WFA application in a stringent manner and has established a mechanism to identify and guard against fraud cases.

    It added that it will continue to examine WFA applications in a stringent manner to ensure the proper use of public funds. People are urged not to defraud the agency.

    The WFA Scheme aims to support low-income working households. Applicants are required to submit documentary proof of working hours, income and assets to the agency for assessing their eligibility.

    Anyone obtaining the WFA by deception will be disqualified for the WFA and are liable to a maximum penalty of 14 years’ imprisonment.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: ATO warns businesses against falsifying their GST claims

    Source: New places to play in Gungahlin

    The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) is sending a clear message to businesses considering committing GST fraud, making dishonest claims and falsifying invoices.

    Assistant Commissioner Adam O’Grady said the fraud is currently predominantly within the property and construction industry. We’ve also identified early signs of it proliferating in other industries, particularly by privately owned and wealthy groups.

    ‘Despite warnings from the Serious Financial Crime Taskforce late last year, recent observations show dishonest claims involving false invoicing are growing.’

    This is not related to a GST fraud scheme that was promoted through social media where individuals created fake businesses and lodged BAS statements to obtain GST refunds. These are real businesses creating disingenuous invoices to gain overinflated GST refunds.

    ‘While the numbers of businesses involved are relatively small, some are attempting to claim tens of millions of dollars in GST refunds they’re not entitled to,’ Mr O’Grady said.

    We’ve released Taxpayer Alert TA 2025/2: Arrangements designed to improperly obtain GST refunds to put businesses engaging in these concerning arrangements on notice and to warn businesses not to engage in these types of arrangements.

    ‘Most businesses do the right thing. What these others are doing is simply not fair. We’re dealing with dishonest and deliberate attempts to cheat the tax system.’

    ‘We will not tolerate this fraudulent behaviour deliberately undermining the system or providing an unfair advantage over honest businesses.’

    ‘Those involved will face consequences, including interest charges, penalties, fines, and where appropriate, prosecution, or referral to the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecution,’ Mr O’Grady said.

    We see arrangements where a business colludes with another related business to create a false invoice, in an attempt to justify an overly inflated GST refund. These may be:

    • entities claiming GST credits for the development and construction costs of industrial buildings that never occurred
    • entities claiming GST credits for intangible services such as ‘management fees’ that were never provided
    • entities claiming GST credits for property acquisitions before they occurred
    • multiple entities claiming GST credits for the same invoice
    • in the worst cases, invoices that are completely fictitious.

    ‘Often these schemes are dressed up and sold as clever schemes with a figleaf of technical analysis – but any scheme which generates GST refunds through paper shuffling is likely to be ineffective at best, and civilly and criminally actionable fraud at worst. If it’s too good to be true, it probably is.’

    ‘We’re encouraging employees, businesses, industry groups and the community to demonstrate their lack of tolerance for those doing the wrong thing, by helping us stamp out this behaviour.’

    ‘GST revenue is vital to Australia’s economy, funding essential services delivered by states and territories.’

    ‘Those involved are abusing the system, tarnishing the reputation of the property and construction industry and making it harder for compliant businesses to operate.’

    If you suspect another business of being involved in these arrangements, you can confidentially report to us by making a tip-off online or by calling 1800 060 062. 

    If you’re involved, you should come forward and make a voluntary disclosure rather than wait for the ATO to contact you. Early cooperation and making a voluntary disclosure may reduce the penalties imposed.  

    Notes to journalists

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: New taxpayer alert warns about GST refund fraud

    Source: New places to play in Gungahlin

    We’ve now published a new taxpayer alert – TA 2025/2: Arrangements designed to improperly obtain goods and services tax refunds. This alert strongly warns businesses against using arrangements where a business colludes with another related business to create fraudulent invoices, so they can attempt to claim large GST refunds. In many cases the invoice will overclaim GST credits on real goods or services that were provided. In the worst cases, invoices are completely fictitious.

    Deliberately exploiting the GST system to obtain a refund you’re not entitled to, or to avoid payment, is a criminal offence.

    We’re still seeing these arrangements occurring, despite warnings from the Serious Financial Crime Taskforce over the last 18 months about fraudulent GST refunds and false invoicing.

    Our data shows that the fraud is currently predominantly within the property and construction industry. We’ve also identified early signs of it proliferating in other industries, particularly by privately owned and wealthy groups.

    It’s a small number of businesses that are attempting to do this. However, they’re trying to fraudulently claim tens of millions of dollars – money that should instead be supporting vital services the Australian community relies on. Their behaviour:

    • disadvantages the vast majority of Australian businesses that are doing the right thing
    • tarnishes the reputation of the industries where those businesses operate
    • undermines the tax system.

    This is not related to the GST fraud scheme that was promoted through social media where individuals created fake businesses and lodged BAS statements to obtain GST refunds. These are real businesses creating fraudulent invoices to try to gain overinflated GST refunds.

    We’re equipped with resources, sophisticated data matching and analytics capabilities, and intelligence-sharing relationships to uncover even the most elaborate financial crime. Any businesses caught in these arrangements will face the full force of the law. Further:

    • If you’re a company director, you’re responsible for ensuring the company pays its GST in full and by the due date. If these obligations are not met, you can become personally liable for director penalties.
    • Promoter penalty laws may apply to any registered agent and adviser who promotes these arrangements. In some instances, cases will be pursued as criminal matters. The worst cases may result in imprisonment.

    What you can do

    We’re encouraging honest businesses, industry groups and the community to help us stamp out this behaviour. If you suspect another business of being involved in these arrangements, you can confidentially report to us by making a tip-off or by calling 1800 060 062.

    If you’re involved in a fraudulent arrangement, we strongly encourage you to come forward and make a voluntary disclosure rather than wait for us to contact you. If you cooperate early and make a voluntary disclosure, we may reduce the penalties imposed.

    Keep up to date

    We have tailored communication channels for medium, large and multinational businesses, to keep you up to date with updates and changes you need to know.

    Read more articles in our online Business bulletins newsroom.

    Subscribe to our free:

    • fortnightly Business bulletins email newsletterExternal Link
    • email notifications about new and updated information on our website – you can choose to receive updates relevant to your situation. Choose the ‘Business and organisations’ category to ensure your subscription includes notifications for more Business bulletins newsroom articles like this one.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Mayors Reflect on Hosting Nuclear Facilities

    Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

    “My city of Idaho Falls owns and operates its electric utility, integrating hydropower, wind, geothermal, and emerging hydrogen technologies. We are now planning to add micro-reactors. As policymakers, we study complex energy markets, transmission and regulations, all so we can provide reliable, cost-effective power to our citizens. And they in turn support nuclear because it offers safe, reliable, carbon-free, baseload energy. Advanced reactors are the path forward securing our community’s energy future while keeping costs low for generations to come.” 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Irregular migration of people: UK statement to the OSCE, July 2025

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Speech

    Irregular migration of people: UK statement to the OSCE, July 2025

    Ambassador Holland updates the Permanent Council on the UK’s newly introduced Global Irregular Migration Sanctions Regime.

    Thank you, Mr Chair.

    Fifty years ago, the Helsinki Final Act recognised the movement of migrants as a key issue for both States and individuals. Twenty years ago in Ljubljana, our Ministers acknowledged in Ministerial Council Decision 2/05 that migration was becoming increasingly diverse and complex, requiring both national and transnational responses. They identified ways the OSCE could contribute and tasked the Secretary General and OSCE structures to address migration across all three dimensions.

    That same year, Ministers adopted the Border Security and Management Concept. While reaffirming that border security is a matter of national sovereignty, we committed to enhancing mutually beneficial inter-State cooperation to address terrorism, organised crime, illegal migration, and the trafficking of weapons, drugs, and people. These threats remain persistent. We must respond nationally and through cooperation. Protecting our borders is protecting our national security.

    In the UK, our Border Security Command is building a more coherent and controlled system to tackle threats, including Organised Immigration Crime (OIC). Our newly established OIC Domestic Taskforce will strengthen how these crimes are investigated and prosecuted by police, law enforcement, and the justice system.

    We are also focused on the enablers of OIC. The online environment must not be a safe haven for criminal networks. The UK is committed to working with online platforms to prevent their use in facilitating irregular migration.

    To support this, we are strengthening our legislative framework. Our Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill introduces new counter-terror-inspired powers to target those who supply, or handle items used in immigration crime. It also enhances data-sharing powers to support law enforcement and immigration operations, both domestically and with international partners.

    On 22 July, we introduced the world’s first standalone Global Irregular Migration Sanctions Regime. This innovative tool enables us to impose sanctions related to people smuggling, human trafficking, and organised immigration crime.

    As Chair of the Security Committee, I look forward to September’s events marking the 20th anniversary of the Border Security and Management Concept. It will be a timely opportunity to reflect on how our practices must evolve to meet emerging challenges while upholding fundamental rights and OSCE principles, and I invite interested participating States to join us in considering how we can build on the OSCE’s mandates in this area.

    Thank you, Mr Chair.

    Updates to this page

    Published 24 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Deep-sea must not turn into ‘Wild West’ of rare minerals exploitation, agency head says

    Source: United Nations 2

    Marking its 30th anniversary, ISA is the world’s authority on the deep-sea beyond national jurisdiction. Washington may have passed an order on deep-sea licensing in international waters earlier this year, but the authority’s chief Leticia Carvalho said the United States, which is not an ISA member, “is going at it alone”.

    “The rest of the world is united and cohesive and all behind of the rule of the law and the International Seabed Authority,” Ms. Carvalho told UN News. “ISA is a super power. We have all the knowledge, we have the ability given by the law, we have the mandate.”

    Indeed, under international law, the deep seabed beyond national jurisdiction belongs to no single nation, Ms. Carvalho said, inviting the United States to join ISA.

    To address these concerns, ISA has been drafting a mining code as a way to ensure that the deep-sea remains protected and does not turn into the “Wild West” of exploitation, she said.

    Read our explainer on ISA and why it matters now here.

    Costly search for rare minerals

    Rare minerals needed to satiate demands for producing tech items from batteries to solar panels have driven interest in the deep-sea and what it offers. From cobalt to zinc, a plethora of rare earth minerals have been observed by explorations of the ocean floor.

    ISA has issued 31 contracts for mineral exploration to 21 firms from 20 countries as of 2024, according to the UN’s World Economic Situation and Report 2025. While commercial mining in international waters has not yet commenced, pending the finalisation of an international code for deep-sea mining by the ISA, right now, countries can pursue deep-sea mining within their own territorial waters or “exclusive economic zones”.

    Even after the international code is in place, those engaged in deep-sea mining will continue to face major challenges due to high capital requirements and operational costs relative to conventional mining and the enormous technical uncertainties associated with the unique problems surrounding mining on the ocean floor, according to the UN report.

    ‘One of our last frontiers’

    UN Secretary-General António Guterres said the international seabed is “the common heritage of humankind, a principle enshrined in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, which must continue to guide us”.

    “We must bring together our global efforts in climate action, biodiversity preservation and marine protection,” he said in a message marking ISA’s anniversary, commending its commitment to finding balanced and effective solutions. “The deep ocean remains one of our last frontiers. It holds great promise, but also requires great caution.”

    For 30 years, the authority has helped protect this shared realm through peaceful, sustainable and inclusive governance, and today, it is navigating complex challenges with care and clarity, he said, emphasising that “as we mark this milestone, let us advance cooperation grounded in science, and keep working together to safeguard the ocean for the benefit of all people, everywhere.”

    The deep-sea contains a plethora of life and rare earth minerals.

    Mining code and more

    In addition to achieving progress on a draft mining code at its ongoing annual session at headquarters in Kingston, Jamaica, ISA launched its Deep-Sea Biobank last month in a bid to preserve and share knowledge.

    The initiative aims to collect and preserve samples from the ocean floor that will benefit all nations, especially developing countries, Ms. Carvalho said, adding that the goal is to study the minerals, exploration and exploitation potential, but also to preserve and to study biodiversity and genetics.

    “The future that I see is we need to really take care, cherish [and] nurture the deep-sea,” Ms. Carvalho said. “The future of ISA is stronger, enhanced, wider and wiser. We will know much more than we know now.”

    Learn more about ISA here.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Honorary King’s Counsel nominations: deadline 19 September 2025

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    News story

    Honorary King’s Counsel nominations: deadline 19 September 2025

    The Ministry of Justice is inviting nominations for the award of King’s Counsel Honoris Causa. Please submit nominations via the digital form below, before the deadline of 19 September 2025.

    The Ministry of Justice (MOJ) is inviting nominations for the award of King’s Counsel Honoris Causa.

    Nomination forms must be completed and returned to MOJ by 23:55 on Friday 19 September 2025. To make a nomination, please complete and submit a nomination form via this link..

    KC HONORIS CAUSA – HONORARY KC

    This is an honorary award unique to the legal profession. It is a dedicated opportunity, made by royal prerogative, to recognise those in the profession who have made a major contribution to, and impact on, the legal sector and the law of England and Wales outside the courtroom.

    The award is not a working rank and is separate to substantive KC appointments administered by King’s Counsel Appointments. Where someone is eligible to apply for substantive KC in their role, we would not normally consider them for an Honorary KC award.

    Please note that anyone nominated may be subject to criminal record checks with the ACRO Criminal Records Office.

    What is the award for?

    The award is for:

    A significant, positive impact either on the shape of the law of England and Wales, or on the legal profession. This is for work outside the courtroom.

    This criterion can be interpreted broadly, either as:

    • a major contribution to the development of the law of England and Wales (for example, by dedicated research, influencing case law/ legislation and promoting initiatives),
    • to how it is advanced (for example, by positively impacting the shape of the profession)

    What is most important is that nominations clearly evidence the significant, positive impact an individual’s efforts have had.

    It is not a long-service award. Honours may be awarded for a significant impact over a long period of time, but they may equally be awarded for such an impact over a shorter period – it is the scale of impact that is important.

    We are keen to recognise diversity within the profession, with awards that reflect the range of different legal careers and different backgrounds that make up the profession. You can see examples of previous successful nominees by viewing their biographies via this link.

    Examples of what these different contributions may look like

    Influencing legislation

    • Making an impact on the law by influencing legislation or case law (e.g. through outcome of research, creating awareness or campaigning, pro bono work or other advocacy outside the courtroom).

    Social mobility and diversity

    • Making a considerable impact on the legal profession (e.g. through initiatives that have an impact on social mobility or diversity and increase the competitiveness of the sector).

    Innovation

    • Making an impact through a standout achievement or through innovation (e.g. by breaking through into new territory, such as making an impact through work on Lawtech, innovation in legal education, or on promoting UK legal services overseas).

    Academic work

    • Making an impact through outstanding academic work that makes a positive contribution to the law and/or legal system.

    Who is eligible?

    • To be eligible for the award, the individual must be a qualified lawyer or legal academic.
    • The nomination must be for achievement outside practice in the courts. In other words, an award would be made for non-advocacy work.
    • The award is open to foreign qualified professionals. There is no residency requirement.

    Examples of those eligible may include (but are not limited to):

    • Solicitors without higher rights of audience
    • Legal executives
    • In-house lawyers, including Counsel
    • Non-practising lawyers
    • Legal academics

    Holding a fee-paid judicial office in addition to practice would not exclude lawyers who meet the eligibility criteria above.

    How are awards made?

    The process is administered by the MOJ. Nominations are considered against the criterion by a panel of representatives from the legal profession, civil service, judiciary, and academia, which is chaired by an MOJ official.

    The panel of representatives provide the Lord Chancellor with recommendations of appointable nominees. The Lord Chancellor will then consider and decide the final recommendations. The recommendations are then referred to the King, who grants the awards under the royal prerogative.

    How is the information about nominees used?

    To assess each nominee’s suitability for the award and support the selection process, we use the information provided to carry out:

    • Cross-Whitehall checks to confirm whether the individual or their work may be known by, or of interest to, another government department
    • Checks against nominees on the main honours system as per the eligibility criteria
    • Evaluation by the selection panel of the individual’s legal qualifications and evidence of their contribution and impact on the law of England and Wales
    • Shortlisted nominees will undergo a criminal record check

    For more information on how we use and protect personal data, please refer to our privacy notice.

    Where someone from outside the legal profession has made a significant impact on the law of England and Wales, or how it is advanced, they would not qualify for this award. We would welcome those nominations as part of the main honours system.

    Scotland and Northern Ireland

    There is a separate Honorary King’s Counsel award in Scotland. There is no exact equivalent in Northern Ireland. However, this does not mean that achievements of a similar nature cannot be recognised. If you would like to nominate someone for an honour whose work is in Northern Ireland, you can contact the Honours Secretariat for Northern Ireland.

    Nominees and recipients of national honours

    Someone who has been honoured in the official UK honours system within the last two years, or who has been nominated for such an honour this year, would not be eligible to receive an Honorary KC award. Where someone was awarded an honour more than two years ago, the panel will consider the individual’s contribution to and impact on the law since that honour was awarded.

    How to make a nomination

    Please submit your nomination form using our digital form via this link.

    Please note that we will only accept nominations made via the digital form.

    If you are unable to use our digital form, or have any other questions, please contact HonoraryKC@justice.gov.uk.

    Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

    1. What is the process and timelines?

    • July: Nominations open
    • September: Nominations close
    • November: Panel meet and shortlist nominees
    • November: ACRO Criminal checks are conducted
    • December: Lord Chancellor makes final recommendations to the King
    • January: Successful nominees are announced
    • March: Ceremony

    These dates are provisional and subject to change

    2.Who can make a nomination?

    Anyone can make a nomination. You do not need to have a legal background or reside in the UK.

    3.Do I need to be a practising barrister or solicitor to be nominated?

    No. You do not need to be practising, although you do need to be a qualified lawyer or legal academic to be eligible. The award is for achievements outside the courtroom.

    4.Can I make more than one nomination?

    Yes. You may nominate as many people as you like, but please ensure that you submit separate nomination forms.

    5.Is there a limit to the number of nominations for an individual?

    No. An individual can be nominated by multiple people.

    6.Can I nominate a foreign national?

    Yes. There are no nationality or residence requirements for the award.

    7.In order to be considered for the award, do I need multiple nominations?

    No. The scoring is not based on how many nominations an individual has received.

    8.Can I attach letters or statements in support of a nomination?

    No. Letters or statements of support will not be accepted. If others wish to endorse the nomination, you can list their name(s) in the relevant section of the form.

    9.What happens if I miss the deadline to apply?

    Unfortunately, we cannot consider any nomination past the deadline. We encourage you to submit your application when the next round of nominations open.

    Updates to this page

    Published 24 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI: Ria Money Transfer strengthens Asia Pacific presence through strategic acquisition of Kyodai Remittance

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    BUENA PARK, Calif., July 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Ria Money Transfer (Ria), a global leader in the cross-border money transfer industry and a business segment of Euronet (NASDAQ: EEFT), today announced that it has become the majority shareholder through the acquisition of 60% of the shares of Unidos Co., Ltd., widely recognized by customers as Kyodai Remittance, a Japan-based funds transfer business and overseas remittance specialist. Leveraging Kyodai’s deep market insight, nuanced understanding of local customer needs and its distinction as the first remittance operator in Japan to be granted a Type 1 Funds Transfer Service Provider license—enabling the processing of high-value transactions exceeding JPY 1 million (approximately USD $6,800)—Ria is set to expand its footprint across the Asia Pacific region.

    Ria and Kyodai have maintained a close and collaborative relationship since 2010. Over the past 15 years, the companies have leveraged their omnichannel strategies to deliver a seamless and integrated customer experience across multiple touchpoints in Japan, such as 44,000 ATMs in Japan Post Bank and Lawson Bank locations nationwide. With the acquisition of a majority stake, Ria will now fully integrate Kyodai’s operations, including its digital products, and provide customers access to its expansive global network of more than 624,000 locations, 4 billion bank accounts, 3.2 billion digital wallets, and Visa debit cards worldwide.

    This acquisition comes amid significant demographic changes in Japan that are reshaping both its society and economy. According to the latest International Migration Outlook report by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), 144,000 new immigrants moved to Japan on a long-term or permanent basis in 2022, with 55% of them being labor migrants. The top three nationalities were Vietnam, China and Indonesia, reflecting a 150% increase compared to the previous year. This labor market transformation has also impacted the remittance sector. According to the World Bank Group, more than USD $6.07 billion was paid in personal remittances from Japan in 2024, ranking among the top third sending countries in Asia.

    “Kyodai’s success has always been rooted in our values, principles and the unwavering dedication of our employees,” said Yuichiro Kimoto, Chief Executive Officer of Kyodai Remittance. “This new chapter with Ria will allow us to scale further by tapping into a world-class global network, ultimately enhancing our service offering and creating more value for our customers.”

    “Ria and Kyodai’s 15-year partnership has thrived because we share a common mission and values,” said Shawn Fielder, President & Chief Executive Officer of Ria. “Together, we remain committed to delivering secure, convenient, and customer-focused money transfer solutions. By joining forces, we are well-positioned to make an even greater impact on the lives of people in Japan and the communities we serve worldwide.”

    About Ria Money Transfer

    Ria Money Transfer, a business segment of Euronet (NASDAQ: EEFT), delivers innovative financial services including fast, secure, and affordable global money transfers. With the world’s largest cross border real-time money movement network, Ria moves money where it matters.

    Bridging the gap between digital and physical spaces, Ria’s omnichannel products and services provide unprecedented consumer choice, including real-time payments, mobile wallets, currency exchange, home delivery, and cardless ATM payouts. Ria’s global infrastructure, powered by the Dandelion real-time, cross-border payments network, facilitates financial access to customers, agents and partners alike. By creating new market opportunities and promoting economic growth around the world, Ria opens ways for a better everyday life.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Plymouth Taxi Licensing Team first Council service to earn community safety accreditation

    Source: City of Plymouth

    Plymouth City Council’s Taxi Licensing Team is set to play a greater role in keeping the public safe, thanks to new powers granted through the Community Safety Accreditation Scheme (CSAS) accredited by Devon and Cornwall Police.

    The accreditation recognises the team’s ability to support frontline safety efforts and gives officers additional tools to help tackle anti-social behaviour, manage traffic incidents, and work more closely with police.

    CSAS gives trained Council officers limited police powers, enabling them to respond more effectively to issues that affect residents and visitors across the city.

    Councillor Sally Haydon, Cabinet Member for Community Safety for Plymouth City Council, said: “This is a fantastic achievement for our Taxi Licensing Team and a real boost for community safety in Plymouth. By equipping our officers with additional powers and training, we’re making sure they can respond quickly and effectively to issues that matter to residents. It’s about being proactive, visible, and working hand-in-hand with the police to keep people safe.”

    The team has undergone an assessed training with police colleagues, including traffic management and public engagement. Once accredited, officers will be able to:

    • Request name and address in cases of anti-social behaviour
    • Power to stop and direct traffic to protect public safety
    • Require names and addresses for individuals not complying with the above requests
    • Share and access relevant intelligence with Devon and Cornwall Police

    These new powers will help the team respond more effectively to incidents, increase partnership working between the council and provide a more visible uniformed presence in the community. Officers will continue to wear their standard uniforms, which will now display the CSAS logo as well as carrying police-approved ID badges and powers cards to reflect their new responsibilities.

    The scheme has already proven successful in other parts of the country, and across Devon and Cornwall, and Plymouth’s adoption marks a significant step forward in local efforts to build safer, more resilient communities.

    Find out more about CSAS and other schemes in Plymouth and the surrounding area by visiting www.dc.police.uk/csas

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Yellowstone has been a ‘sacred wonderland’ of spiritual power and religious activity for centuries – and for different faith groups

    Source: The Conversation – USA (3) – By Thomas S. Bremer, Professor Emeritus of Religious Studies, Rhodes College

    Beehive Geyser, in the Upper Geyser Basin of Yellowstone National Park. Thomas S. Bremer

    Nearly 5 million travelers come to Wyoming to visit Yellowstone National Park each year, most in the summer months. They come for the geysers, wildlife, scenery and recreational activities such as hiking, fishing and photography.

    However, few realize that religion has been part of Yellowstone’s appeal throughout the park’s history. My 2025 book “Sacred Wonderland” documents how people have long found holiness in Yellowstone: how a landscape once sacred to Native Americans later inspired Christians and New Age communities alike.

    Native reverence – and removal

    Long before European Americans “discovered” the Yellowstone region in the 19th century, numerous Indigenous peoples were aware of its unique landscape – particularly geysers, hot springs and other hydrothermal wonders. Several tribal groups engaged in devotional practices long before it became a park. These included the Tukudika, or Sheep Eaters, a band of mountain Shoshone. They lived year-round within the boundaries of what would become the national park.

    Anthropologists know relatively little about the specific beliefs that Native Americans held about Yellowstone during this era. However, it’s clear most of the Indigenous groups who frequented Yellowstone considered it, as historian Paul Schullery concludes, “a place of spiritual power, of communion with natural forces, a place that inspired reverence.”

    Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River, Yellowstone National Park.
    Thomas S. Bremer

    After the Civil War, more Euro-Americans entered the region. In 1872, the U.S. government created Yellowstone as the first national park, setting a precedent for others in the United States and around the world.

    Yellowstone and other U.S. national parks established in the 19th century were products of manifest destiny: the Christian idea that Americans had a divinely ordained right to expand their country across the continent. The nation’s westward expansion included turning supposedly wild, “uncivilized” areas into parks.

    The park system’s creation, though, came at the cost of Indigenous communities. In Yellowstone, the Tukudika were forcibly removed in the 1870s to two reservations in Idaho and Wyoming, as anthropologists Peter Nabokov and Lawrence Loendorf discuss in their book “Restoring a Presence.”

    Christian ministry

    In addition to the concept of manifest destiny, Christians brought their own religious practices to Yellowstone National Park.

    The U.S. Army was responsible for protecting and managing the park from 1886 to 1918. It operated from Fort Yellowstone at Mammoth Hot Springs in the northern part of the park. The last building it erected at the fort was a chapel, which has been in continuous use as a worship space – mostly for Christian groups – since its completion in 1913.

    The Yellowstone National Park Chapel at Mammoth Hot Springs, finished in 1913, was the last building constructed by the U.S. Army at Fort Yellowstone.
    Thomas S. Bremer

    One group that has used the chapel consistently since the 1950s is ACMNP, A Christian Ministry in the National Parks, an evangelical Protestant parachurch ministry founded in Yellowstone. Its volunteers conduct worship services and proselytize among employees and visitors.

    ACMNP began as the brainchild of Presbyterian minister Warren Ost, who had worked as a bellhop at the Old Faithful Inn during summer breaks in seminary. Upon graduation, he formed the ministry, hoping to capitalize on the awe people experience in the parks to affirm believers’ faith and bring new souls to Christ.

    ACMNP’s mission involves placing seminarians and other students in national parks as “worker-witnesses.” They work as paid employees in secular jobs and conduct religious activities after their regular working hours. Additionally, they are encouraged to talk about religion with their fellow workers on the job.

    ACMNP experienced rapid growth in the 1950s and 1960s, boosted by support from National Park Service leadership. Cooperation included reduced-cost housing for their volunteers, and in some parks the superintendents or other high-level officials served on local ACMNP committees.

    At its peak in the 1970s, ACMNP had nearly 300 volunteers working in over 50 locations. However, a federal lawsuit in the 1990s challenged its relationship with the government on the grounds of church-state separation and ended some of the privileges ACMNP had enjoyed. Not long after the legal action, Ost announced his retirement.

    Although the organization has scaled back operations, the ministry in Yellowstone has experienced few changes. ACMNP volunteers continue to offer religious services to park employees and visitors throughout the summer.

    Spiritual fortress

    Another religious group has a very different interpretation of Yellowstone. The Church Universal and Triumphant, which had several thousand members at its height, was founded by Elizabeth Clare Prophet in the 1970s, based on the teachings of her late husband, Mark Prophet.

    The Church Universal and Triumphant is an heir to the “I AM” movement, which flourished in the U.S. during the 1930s. Most prominent among I AM’s influences were theosophy, which promotes esoteric knowledge gleaned from Asian religious traditions as a universal wisdom underlying all religions; new thought, which advocates a mind-over-matter spirituality; and spiritualism, which involves communicating with spirits.

    In the 1980s, Prophet’s followers relocated from California to Montana, where they purchased a large ranch adjacent to Yellowstone National Park’s northwest boundary. With them, they brought an eclectic New Age theology that combines elements of Christianity, Buddhism and Hinduism with belief in “ascended masters,” spiritual beings who guide the church. The group’s tradition teaches that beneath Yellowstone are two underground caverns, hidden from human view, that contain a cache of sacred stones with spiritual powers.

    The Church Universal and Triumphant gained attention in the ‘90s when its believers in Montana built underground bunkers. Members believed that their ascended masters had predicted a nuclear war and had instructed the community to prepare to survive underground. When the prophecy of a nuclear attack did not materialize, many members became disillusioned.

    The group struggled to rebuild its reputation and establish goodwill with Montana neighbors, including the National Park Service. Elizabeth Clare Prophet retired in 1999, and since then the church has concentrated more on its publishing and educational enterprises. However, a core community of the faithful still live and worship on their Royal Teton Ranch adjacent to Yellowstone.

    The main church sanctuary at Church Universal and Triumphant headquarters, just outside Yellowstone National Park.
    Thomas S. Bremer

    Although the community teaches that its Montana ranch is a sacred location of the ascended masters, followers’ holiest place in the Western Hemisphere is roughly 35 miles south of Yellowstone, in Grand Teton National Park. They believe humanity began at Grand Teton Mountain and that the faithful will find their destiny there.

    Accordingly, members believe that Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks are brimming with spiritual powers, sacred sources of light and energy for the entire world.

    In my conversations with people in the park, I found that very few knew anything about Yellowstone’s religious history at all – especially Native American practices. The ongoing practices of religious communities in the park remain invisible to nearly all visitors. Still, many vacationers interpret Yellowstone’s wonders as evidence of God’s handiwork.

    Thomas S. Bremer received funding in the past to conduct historical research for the National Park Service at Lincoln Home National Historic Site in Springfield, Illinois.

    – ref. Yellowstone has been a ‘sacred wonderland’ of spiritual power and religious activity for centuries – and for different faith groups – https://theconversation.com/yellowstone-has-been-a-sacred-wonderland-of-spiritual-power-and-religious-activity-for-centuries-and-for-different-faith-groups-261045

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: The expert group of the State University of Management has developed recommendations for interdepartmental cooperation in the implementation of youth policy

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Official website of the State –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    On July 23, 2025, a public discussion of by-laws prepared as part of the implementation of the updated provisions of the Federal Law “On Youth Policy in the Russian Federation” took place in the House of Unions. Specialists from the State University of Management took part in the development of these by-laws.

    The public discussion was attended by: Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Youth Policy, GUU graduate Artem Metelev, Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education Olga Petrova, First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Youth Policy Mikhail Kiselev, Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Science and Higher Education Ekaterina Kharchenko, Deputy Head of Rosmolodezh Yuri Leskin and other experts.

    The agenda was outlined by the Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Youth Policy, Artem Metelev: “We have accumulated an agenda of three blocks, which we propose to discuss together today. The first: a set of measures for the patriotic education of youth and the spiritual and moral education of youth in the Russian Federation. The second: recommendations for the implementation of the main directions of youth policy in Russia, including the logistical support for its implementation. And the third: recommendations for the organization of interdepartmental interaction between the executive bodies of the country’s constituent entities in the implementation of youth policy.”

    Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education Olga Petrova noted the activity of universities participating in the development and discussion of documents: “For our part, we have also sent all the necessary materials for consideration to the expert community of the Government of Russia and plan to present the documentary results within the next month.”

    At the initiative of the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs, the Department of State and Municipal Administration, together with the Department of Youth Policy and Educational Work of the State University of Management, developed a draft of recommendations for organizing interdepartmental interaction between executive bodies of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation in implementing youth policy to ensure consistency, eliminate duplication of powers, and ensure the effectiveness and systematicity of the work of government bodies at all levels.

    The project team included: – Advisor to the rector of the State University of Management, head of the department of state and municipal management Sergey Chuev; – Professor of the department of state and municipal management, doctor of economic sciences Vladimir Zotov; – Professor of the department of state and municipal management, doctor of pedagogical sciences Tatyana Korosteleva; – Professor of the department of state and municipal management, doctor of economic sciences Mikhail Shatokhin; – Associate Professor of the department of state and municipal management, candidate of economic sciences Mikhail Polyakov; – Deputy Director of the Institute of Social and Cultural Policy and Culture for educational work, candidate of psychological sciences Svetlana Grishaeva.

    Vice-Rector of the State University of Management Pavel Pavlovsky reported to the public council: “As for the mechanism of interdepartmental cooperation, here we have a number of specific points: establishing a clear procedure for exchanging information and recommendations, obliging regional departments to prepare and implement comprehensive measures to support young specialists aimed at their professional growth and career. Here we also include the development of measures for the professional self-determination of young people, support for gifted children, the creation and implementation of educational programs for patriotism and civic responsibility among young people, the organization of internships and practice for graduates of educational institutions, ensuring their participation in real work projects.”

    The expert group of the State University of Management also proposed to develop a system of joint participation of different branches of government, institutions and organizations in the implementation of youth projects, to ensure openness and accessibility of information about all existing support measures and possible events, for which it is necessary to create one-stop services and digital platforms where young people could resolve any issues that arise.

    At the end of the meeting, Artem Metelev noted that if the recommendations are accepted and regulations are developed on their basis, this will seriously simplify the work of government bodies, which will have a clear line in working with young people.

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

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI: Nasdaq Reports Second Quarter 2025 Results; Double-Digit Net Revenue Growth Reflects Strong Momentum Across All Divisions

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, July 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Nasdaq, Inc. (Nasdaq: NDAQ) today reported financial results for the second quarter of 2025.

    • Second quarter 2025 net revenue1 was $1.3 billion, an increase of 13% over the second quarter of 2024, or up 12% on an organic2 basis. This included Solutions3 revenue growing 10%.
    • Annualized Recurring Revenue (ARR)4 of $2.9 billion increased 10% over the second quarter of 2024, or up 9% on an organic basis. Annualized SaaS revenue increased 13%, or 12% on an organic basis, and represented 37% of ARR.
    • Financial Technology revenue of $464 million increased 10% over the second quarter of 2024.
    • Index revenue of $196 million grew 17%, with $88 billion of net inflows over the trailing twelve months and $20 billion in the second quarter of 2025.
    • GAAP diluted earnings per share grew over 100% in the second quarter of 2025. Non-GAAP5 diluted earnings per share grew 24% in the second quarter of 2025.
    • In the second quarter of 2025, the company returned $155 million to shareholders through dividends and $100 million through repurchases of common stock. The company also repaid $400 million of senior unsecured notes in the quarter.

    Second Quarter 2025 Highlights

    (US$ millions, except per share) 2Q25 YoY change % Adjusted2YoY
    change %    		 Organic YoY
    change %
    Solutions revenue $991 10% 10% 10%
    Market Services net revenue $306 22% 21% 21%
    Net revenue $1,306 13% 12% 12%
    GAAP operating income $568 34%    
    Non-GAAP operating income $721 16% 16% 16%
    ARR $2,931 10% 9% 9%
    GAAP diluted EPS $0.78 103%    
    Non-GAAP diluted EPS $0.85 24%   24%

    Note: Adjusted and organic change for 2Q25 as compared to 2Q24 are equivalent as they include the same period over period adjustments. Refer to the footnotes to this press release for more information.

    Adena Friedman, Chair and CEO said, “Nasdaq delivered an excellent second quarter performance amid a dynamic market environment. Our ability to deliver broad-based growth through cycles is testament to our role as a partner to our clients, helping them capture strategic opportunities, manage risk, and solidify their operational resilience.

    Looking ahead, we remain well-positioned to enhance value for our clients and shareholders by driving innovation and deepening our client relationships through our One Nasdaq approach.”

    Sarah Youngwood, Executive Vice President and CFO said, “Nasdaq’s financial results highlight the resilience of our business model and its ability to achieve exceptional revenue and earnings growth with strong free cash flow generation.

    We are executing well on our capital allocation priorities, including repaying debt, and have surpassed our gross leverage milestone 16 months ahead of plan. We will optimize for long-term investor returns as we make organic growth investments and balance further deleveraging with opportunistic share repurchases.”

    FINANCIAL REVIEW

    • Second quarter 2025 net revenue was $1,306 million, reflecting 13% growth versus the prior year period. Organic net revenue growth was 12%.
    • Solutions revenue was $991 million in the second quarter of 2025, up 10% versus the prior year period, reflecting strong growth from Index and Financial Technology.
    • ARR grew 10% year-over-year, or 9% on an organic basis, in the second quarter of 2025, with 12% ARR growth for Financial Technology, or 11% on an organic basis, and 7% ARR growth for Capital Access Platforms, or 6% on an organic basis.
    • Market Services net revenue was $306 million in the second quarter of 2025, up 22% versus the prior year period, or 21% on an organic basis.
    • Second quarter 2025 GAAP operating expenses were $738 million, in line with the prior year period. The quarter reflected lower restructuring costs, offset by higher compensation and benefits costs, merger and strategic initiative costs, and increased investments in technology and people to drive innovation and long-term growth.
    • Second quarter 2025 non-GAAP operating expenses were $585 million, reflecting 9% growth versus the prior year period, or 8% growth on an organic basis. The organic increase for the quarter reflected growth driven by increased investments in technology and people to drive innovation and long-term growth, partially offset by the benefit of synergies.
    • Cash flow from operations was $746 million for the second quarter, enabling the company to make continued progress on its deleveraging plan. In the second quarter of 2025, the company returned $155 million to shareholders through dividends and $100 million through repurchases of common stock. As of June 30, 2025, there was $1.5 billion remaining under the board authorized share repurchase program. The company also repaid $400 million of senior unsecured notes in the second quarter of 2025.

    2025 EXPENSE AND TAX GUIDANCE UPDATE6

    • The company is updating its 2025 non-GAAP operating expense guidance to a range of $2,295 million to $2,335 million. The driver of the update is the impact of foreign exchange rates, which is offset in net revenue. The company is maintaining its 2025 non-GAAP tax rate guidance in the range of 22.5% to 24.5%.

    STRATEGIC AND BUSINESS UPDATES

    • Financial Technology achieved solid revenue growth across each subdivision in a dynamic macro environment. Robust client demand drove double-digit revenue and ARR growth. FinTech delivered 57 new clients, 130 upsells, and a record 7 cross-sells. Second quarter highlights included:
      • Financial Crime Management Technology is executing on its key growth initiatives. Second quarter results included three new enterprise client signings, including a cross-sell client and 2 upsells, reflecting continued progress on its enterprise client land and expand strategy. Nasdaq Verafin added 46 new small-and-medium bank clients in the second quarter. The business also signed its first proof of concept project with a European Tier 1 bank as part of its international expansion strategy.
      • Regulatory Technology’s success with new client wins and upsells driving growth. AxiomSL signed a new client and a cross-sell. The business accelerated its momentum with existing clients in the second quarter with 34 upsells, including the renewal of a large bank. Surveillance signed 6 new clients in the quarter, including 2 market operators and a European regulator, as well as 3 cross-sells. The business closed 33 upsells in the quarter, including a strategic upsell to a large European bank.
      • Solid momentum in Capital Markets Technology. Second quarter client demand was robust, supported by the ongoing market modernization mega trend. Calypso signed 2 new clients, 37 upsells, and a cross-sell. Market Technology secured 2 new clients, 24 upsells, and a cross-sell. In the second quarter, the business signed 3 clients to its fourth-generation marketplace technology platform, Nasdaq Eqlipse, including 2 fully managed services mandates where Nasdaq hosts and manages the clients’ entire trading environment and one AWS-hosted SaaS deployment.
    • Index ETP assets under management reached record levels and surpassed $700 billion at quarter-end. In the second quarter, Index had $20 billion in net inflows. ETP AUM was $745 billion at quarter-end, an all-time high. Nasdaq launched 33 new Index products in the second quarter, including 21 international products, 12 products in partnership with new Index clients, and 7 in the institutional insurance annuity space. Nasdaq and CME Group signed an extension through 2039 of CME Group’s exclusive license contract to offer futures and options on futures based on the Nasdaq-100 and other Nasdaq indexes, reflecting the companies’ shared commitment to delivering value through trusted benchmark products.
    • Nasdaq extended its listing leadership to 46 consecutive quarters. Nasdaq had the highest number of first half listings since 2021. New listings in the first half included 83 operating companies that raised more than $8 billion in total proceeds, contributing to a 81% win rate for eligible operating company listings. In the second quarter, the company welcomed 38 U.S. operating company IPOs that raised more than $3.5 billion in proceeds with a 79% win rate. Nasdaq maintained momentum in its switch program, attracting nearly $50 billion in market value in the second quarter and over $270 billion year-to-date, including Shopify, Thomson Reuters, and Kimberly Clark.
    • Market Services delivered record net revenue with record cash equities and derivatives revenue in the U.S. Nasdaq’s exchanges achieved record U.S. cash equities volumes in a quarter in which the industry achieved record volumes. During the Russell reconstitution, Nasdaq’s Closing Cross successfully executed 2.5 billion shares in 0.871 seconds across Nasdaq-listed securities that represented a record $102.5 billion dollars in notional value. Extending the first quarter’s trend, Nasdaq’s North American markets continued to experience exceptional message traffic in the second quarter, reaching a new record of more than 560 billion messages7 in a day. Nasdaq’s European equities business achieved sequential market share improvement in an elevated volume environment.
    • Nasdaq continues to execute on its 2025 strategic priorities — Integrate, Innovate, Accelerate — positioning the company to capitalize on opportunities for sustainable, scalable, and resilient growth.
      • Integrate – Nasdaq is on track to action its $140 million expanded net expense efficiency program by year-end, with approximately $130 million actioned as of the end of the second quarter. In the second quarter, Nasdaq surpassed the 3.3x gross leverage milestone that was set following the Adenza acquisition, achieving this milestone 16 months ahead of plan.
      • Innovate – Nasdaq continues to focus on innovating across the business. In July, Nasdaq Verafin announced the launch of its Agentic AI workforce. This suite of digital workers, now in beta testing, has the potential to address the most resource intensive anti-money laundering workflows. For example, when onboarded into a bank’s alert triage workflow, the Digital Sanctions Analyst automates the screening, documentation and acknowledgement processes, reducing alert review workload requiring human intervention by more than 80%. Beyond AI, Calypso announced a proof of concept that expands its industry-leading collateral management capabilities with digital assets. The use case demonstrates Nasdaq’s ability to integrate on-chain capabilities and help financial institutions manage collateral across asset classes in a more dynamic and efficient manner. Nasdaq became the exclusive distributor of Nasdaq Private Market’s Tape D(R) API in the second quarter to deliver real-time private market data and valuation insights to investors.
      • Accelerate – Nasdaq continued to deliver on its One Nasdaq strategy driving 7 cross-sell wins across Financial Technology in the quarter for a total of 26 cross-sells since the Adenza acquisition. Nasdaq remains on track to surpass $100 million in run-rate revenue from cross-sells by the end of 2027. At the end of the second quarter, cross-sells continued to account for over 15% of Financial Technology’s sales pipeline.

    ____________
    1 Represents revenue less transaction-based expenses.
    2 Adjusted and organic change for 2Q25 as compared to 2Q24 are equivalent as they include the same period over period adjustments. These changes are calculated by (i) removing the impact of period over period changes in foreign currency exchange rates (ii) adjusting for the impact of a divestiture and (iii) adjusting for the impact of AxiomSL on-premises contracts for ratable recognition for 2Q24, which was immaterial during that period. As it relates to ARR, organic changes only exclude the impacts of period over period changes in foreign currency exchange rates and a divestiture as the AxiomSL ratable recognition adjustment had no impact on ARR. Adjusted operating results also exclude the impact of the previously announced one-time revenue benefit in our Index business in 1Q24 ($16 million), which did not have an impact on our 2Q25 period over period change but does have an impact on year to date period over period results.
    3 Constitutes revenue from our Capital Access Platforms and Financial Technology segments.
    4 Annualized Recurring Revenue (ARR) for a given period is the current annualized value derived from subscription contracts with a defined contract value. This excludes contracts that are not recurring, are one-time in nature or where the contract value fluctuates based on defined metrics. ARR is currently one of our key performance metrics to assess the health and trajectory of our recurring business. ARR does not have any standardized definition and is therefore unlikely to be comparable to similarly titled measures presented by other companies. ARR should be viewed independently of revenue and deferred revenue and is not intended to be combined with or to replace either of those items. For AxiomSL and Calypso recurring revenue contracts, the amount included in ARR is consistent with the amount that we invoice the customer during the current period. Additionally, for AxiomSL and Calypso recurring revenue contracts that include annual values that increase over time, we include in ARR only the annualized value of components of the contract that are considered active as of the date of the ARR calculation. We do not include the future committed increases in the contract value as of the date of the ARR calculation. ARR is not a forecast and the active contracts at the end of a reporting period used in calculating ARR may or may not be extended or renewed by our customers.
    5 Refer to our reconciliations of U.S. GAAP to non-GAAP net income attributable to Nasdaq, diluted earnings per share, operating income, operating expenses and organic impacts included in the attached schedules.
    6 U.S. GAAP operating expense and tax rate guidance are not provided due to the inherent difficulty in quantifying certain amounts due to a variety of factors including the unpredictability in the movement in foreign currency rates, as well as future charges or reversals outside of the normal course of business.
    7 Message count represents the number of records across Nasdaq’s U.S. options, U.S. and Canadian equities markets, trade reporting facilities, and bond exchange that are recorded into Nasdaq’s data warehouse on a daily basis.

    ABOUT NASDAQ

    Nasdaq (Nasdaq: NDAQ) is a global technology company serving corporate clients, investment managers, banks, brokers, and exchange operators as they navigate and interact with the global capital markets and the broader financial system. We aspire to deliver world-leading platforms that improve the liquidity, transparency, and integrity of the global economy. Our diverse offering of data, analytics, software, exchange capabilities, and client-centric services enables clients to optimize and execute their business vision with confidence. To learn more about the company, technology solutions and career opportunities, visit us on LinkedIn, on X @Nasdaq, or at www.nasdaq.com.

    NON-GAAP INFORMATION

    In addition to disclosing results determined in accordance with U.S. GAAP, Nasdaq also discloses certain non-GAAP results of operations, including, but not limited to, non-GAAP net income attributable to Nasdaq, non-GAAP diluted earnings per share, non-GAAP operating income, and non-GAAP operating expenses, that include certain adjustments or exclude certain charges and gains that are described in the reconciliation tables of U.S. GAAP to non-GAAP information provided at the end of this release. Management uses this non-GAAP information internally, along with U.S. GAAP information, in evaluating our performance and in making financial and operational decisions. We believe our presentation of these measures provides investors with greater transparency and supplemental data relating to our financial condition and results of operations. In addition, we believe the presentation of these measures is useful to investors for period-to-period comparisons of results as the items described below in the reconciliation tables do not reflect ongoing operating performance.

    These measures are not in accordance with, or an alternative to, U.S. GAAP, and may be different from non-GAAP measures used by other companies. In addition, other companies, including companies in our industry, may calculate such measures differently, which reduces their usefulness as a comparative measure. Investors should not rely on any single financial measure when evaluating our business. This information should be considered as supplemental in nature and is not meant as a substitute for our operating results in accordance with U.S. GAAP. We recommend investors review the U.S. GAAP financial measures included in this earnings release. When viewed in conjunction with our U.S. GAAP results and the accompanying reconciliations, we believe these non-GAAP measures provide greater transparency and a more complete understanding of factors affecting our business than U.S. GAAP measures alone.

    We understand that analysts and investors regularly rely on non-GAAP financial measures, such as those noted above, to assess operating performance. We use these measures because they highlight trends more clearly in our business that may not otherwise be apparent when relying solely on U.S. GAAP financial measures, since these measures eliminate from our results specific financial items that have less bearing on our ongoing operating performance.

    Organic revenue and expense growth, organic change and organic impact are non-GAAP measures that reflect adjustments for: (i) the impact of period over period changes in foreign currency exchange rates, and (ii) the revenue, expenses and operating income associated with acquisitions and divestitures for the twelve month period following the date of the acquisition or divestiture and (iii) the impact of AxiomSL on-premises contracts for ratable recognition in comparable periods to align with current period presentation. Reconciliations of these measures are described within the body of this release or in the reconciliation tables at the end of this release.

    Foreign exchange impact: In countries with currencies other than the U.S. dollar, revenue and expenses are translated using monthly average exchange rates. Certain discussions in this release isolate the impact of year-over-year foreign currency fluctuations to better measure the comparability of operating results between periods. Operating results excluding the impact of foreign currency fluctuations are calculated by translating the current period’s results by the prior period’s exchange rates.

    Restructuring programs: In the fourth quarter of 2023, following the closing of the Adenza acquisition, our management approved, committed to and initiated a restructuring program to optimize our efficiencies as a combined organization. We further expanded this program in the fourth quarter of 2024 to accelerate our momentum and further optimize our efficiencies (efficiency program). We have incurred costs principally related to employee-related costs, contract terminations, asset impairments and other related costs and expect to incur additional costs in these areas in an effort to accelerate efficiencies through location strategy and enhanced AI capabilities. Actions taken as part of this program will be complete by the end of 2025, while certain costs may be recognized in the first half of 2026. We expect to achieve benefits primarily in the form of expense synergies. In October 2022, following our September announcement to realign our segments and leadership, we initiated a divisional realignment program with a focus on realizing the full potential of this structure. As of September 30, 2024, we completed our divisional realignment program. Costs related to the Adenza restructuring and the divisional realignment programs are recorded as “restructuring charges” in our condensed consolidated statements of income. We exclude charges associated with these programs for purposes of calculating non-GAAP measures as they are not reflective of ongoing operating performance or comparisons in Nasdaq’s performance between periods.

    CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

    Information set forth in this communication contains forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Nasdaq cautions readers that any forward-looking information is not a guarantee of future performance and that actual results could differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking information. Such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to (i) projections relating to our future financial results, total shareholder returns, growth, dividend program, trading volumes, products and services, ability to transition to new business models, taxes and achievement of synergy targets, (ii) statements about the closing or implementation dates and benefits of certain acquisitions, divestitures and other strategic, restructuring, technology, de-leveraging and capital allocation initiatives, (iii) statements about our integrations of our recent acquisitions, (iv) statements relating to any litigation or regulatory or government investigation or action to which we are or could become a party, and (v) other statements that are not historical facts. Forward-looking statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties or other factors beyond Nasdaq’s control. These factors include, but are not limited to, Nasdaq’s ability to implement its strategic initiatives, economic, political and market conditions and fluctuations, geopolitical instability, government and industry regulation, interest rate risk, U.S. and global competition. Further information on these and other factors are detailed in Nasdaq’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including its annual reports on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, which are available on Nasdaq’s investor relations website at http://ir.nasdaq.com and the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Nasdaq undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

    WEBSITE DISCLOSURE

    Nasdaq intends to use its website, https://ir.nasdaq.com/, as a means for disclosing material non-public information and for complying with SEC Regulation FD and other disclosure obligations.

    Media Relations Contact:

    David Lurie
    +1.914.538.0533
    David.Lurie@Nasdaq.com

    Investor Relations Contact:

    Ato Garrett
    +1.212.401.8737
    Ato.Garrett@Nasdaq.com

    -NDAQF-

    Nasdaq, Inc.
    Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income
    (in millions, except per share amounts)
    (unaudited)
               
      Three Months Ended   Six Months Ended
      June 30,   June 30,   June 30,   June 30,
        2025       2024       2025       2024  
                     
    Revenues:              
    Capital Access Platforms $ 527     $ 481     $ 1,042     $ 960  
    Financial Technology   464       420       896       813  
    Market Services   1,090       883       2,224       1,678  
    Other Revenues   9       8       18       18  
      Total revenues   2,090       1,792       4,180       3,469  
    Transaction-based expenses:              
    Transaction rebates   (629 )     (483 )     (1,208 )     (965 )
    Brokerage, clearance and exchange fees   (155 )     (150 )     (429 )     (227 )
    Revenues less transaction-based expenses   1,306       1,159       2,543       2,277  
                   
    Operating Expenses:              
    Compensation and benefits   352       328       681       669  
    Professional and contract services   39       39       75       72  
    Technology and communication infrastructure   79       69       156       135  
    Occupancy   30       27       58       56  
    General, administrative and other   23       30       29       58  
    Marketing and advertising   14       12       28       23  
    Depreciation and amortization   158       153       313       308  
    Regulatory   14       18       29       28  
    Merger and strategic initiatives   20       4       44       13  
    Restructuring charges   9       56       15       82  
      Total operating expenses   738       736       1,428       1,444  
    Operating income   568       423       1,115       833  
    Interest income   12       6       24       12  
    Interest expense   (95 )     (102 )     (192 )     (211 )
    Net gain on divestitures   39       —       39       —  
    Other income   1       12       —       13  
    Net income from unconsolidated investees   23       2       50       6  
    Income before income taxes   548       341       1,036       653  
    Income tax provision   96       119       190       198  
    Net income   452       222       846       455  
    Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests   —       —       1       1  
    Net income attributable to Nasdaq $ 452     $ 222     $ 847     $ 456  
                   
    Per share information:              
    Basic earnings per share $ 0.79     $ 0.39     $ 1.47     $ 0.79  
    Diluted earnings per share $ 0.78     $ 0.38     $ 1.46     $ 0.79  
    Cash dividends declared per common share $ 0.27     $ 0.24     $ 0.51     $ 0.46  
                   
    Weighted-average common shares outstanding              
    for earnings per share:              
    Basic   574.1       576.4       574.6       575.9  
    Diluted   579.0       579.0       579.5       578.9  
                     
    Nasdaq, Inc.
    Revenue Detail
    (in millions)
    (unaudited)
                     
            Three Months Ended   Six Months Ended
            June 30,   June 30,   June 30,   June 30,
              2025       2024       2025       2024  
                         
    CAPITAL ACCESS PLATFORMS              
      Data and Listing Services revenues $ 198     $ 187     $ 391     $ 372  
      Index revenues   196       167       388       336  
      Workflow and Insights revenues   133       127       263       252  
        Total Capital Access Platforms revenues   527       481       1,042       960  
                         
    FINANCIAL TECHNOLOGY              
      Financial Crime Management Technology revenues   81       67       157       131  
      Regulatory Technology revenues   104       95       206       186  
      Capital Markets Technology revenues   279       258       533       496  
        Total Financial Technology revenues   464       420       896       813  
                         
    MARKET SERVICES              
      Market Services revenues   1,090       883       2,224       1,678  
      Transaction-based expenses:              
          Transaction rebates   (629 )     (483 )     (1,208 )     (965 )
          Brokerage, clearance and exchange fees   (155 )     (150 )     (429 )     (227 )
        Total Market Services revenues, net   306       250       587       486  
                         
    OTHER REVENUES   9       8       18       18  
                         
    REVENUES LESS TRANSACTION-BASED EXPENSES $ 1,306     $ 1,159     $ 2,543     $ 2,277  
                         
    Nasdaq, Inc.
    Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets
    (in millions)
               
          June 30,   December 31,
            2025       2024  
    Assets   (unaudited)    
    Current assets:        
      Cash and cash equivalents   $ 732     $ 592  
      Restricted cash and cash equivalents     195       31  
      Default funds and margin deposits     5,218       5,664  
      Financial investments     84       184  
      Receivables, net     896       1,022  
      Other current assets     227       293  
    Total current assets     7,352       7,786  
    Property and equipment, net     656       593  
    Goodwill     14,328       13,957  
    Intangible assets, net     6,741       6,905  
    Operating lease assets     441       375  
    Other non-current assets     865       779  
    Total assets   $ 30,383     $ 30,395  
               
    Liabilities        
    Current liabilities:        
      Accounts payable and accrued expenses   $ 246     $ 269  
      Section 31 fees payable to SEC     411       319  
      Accrued personnel costs     280       325  
      Deferred revenue     848       711  
      Other current liabilities     154       215  
      Default funds and margin deposits     5,218       5,664  
      Short-term debt     500       399  
    Total current liabilities     7,657       7,902  
    Long-term debt     8,678       9,081  
    Deferred tax liabilities, net     1,540       1,594  
    Operating lease liabilities     453       388  
    Other non-current liabilities     237       230  
    Total liabilities     18,565       19,195  
             
    Commitments and contingencies        
    Equity        
    Nasdaq stockholders’ equity:        
      Common stock     6       6  
      Additional paid-in capital     5,425       5,530  
      Common stock in treasury, at cost     (706 )     (647 )
      Accumulated other comprehensive loss     (1,869 )     (2,099 )
      Retained earnings     8,955       8,401  
    Total Nasdaq stockholders’ equity     11,811       11,191  
      Noncontrolling interests     7       9  
    Total equity     11,818       11,200  
    Total liabilities and equity   $ 30,383     $ 30,395  
               
    Nasdaq, Inc.  
    Reconciliation of U.S. GAAP to Non-GAAP Net Income Attributable to Nasdaq and Diluted Earnings Per Share  
    (in millions, except per share amounts)  
    (unaudited)  
                         
                     
           Three Months Ended   Six Months Ended  
          June 30,   June 30,   June 30,   June 30,  
            2025       2024       2025       2024    
                         
    U.S. GAAP net income attributable to Nasdaq   $ 452     $ 222     $ 847     $ 456    
    Non-GAAP adjustments:                  
      Amortization expense of acquired intangible assets (1)     122       122       243       244    
      Merger and strategic initiatives expense (2)     20       4       44       13    
      Restructuring charges (3)     9       56       15       82    
      Net gain on divestitures (4)     (39 )     —       (39 )     —    
      Net income from unconsolidated investees (5)     (23 )     (2 )     (50 )     (6 )  
      Gain on extinguishment of debt (6)     —       —       (19 )     —    
      Legal and regulatory matters (7)     1       13       4       16    
      Pension settlement charge (8)     —       —       —       23    
      Other loss (income) (9)     1       (10 )     1       (9 )  
      Total non-GAAP adjustments     91       183       199       363    
      Non-GAAP adjustment to the income tax provision (10)     (24 )     (41 )     (70 )     (88 )  
      Other tax adjustments (11)     (27 )     33       (27 )     33    
      Total non-GAAP adjustments, net of tax     40       175       102       308    
    Non-GAAP net income attributable to Nasdaq   $ 492     $ 397     $ 949     $ 764    
                         
    U.S. GAAP diluted earnings per share   $ 0.78     $ 0.38     $ 1.46     $ 0.79    
      Total adjustments from non-GAAP net income above     0.07       0.31       0.18       0.53    
    Non-GAAP diluted earnings per share   $ 0.85     $ 0.69     $ 1.64     $ 1.32    
                         
    Weighted-average diluted common shares outstanding for earnings per share:     579.0       579.0       579.5       578.9    
                         
                         
    (1) We amortize intangible assets acquired in connection with various acquisitions. Intangible asset amortization expense can vary from period to period due to episodic acquisitions completed, rather than from our ongoing business operations.  
    (2) We have pursued various strategic initiatives and completed acquisitions and divestitures in recent years that have resulted in expenses which would not have otherwise been incurred. These expenses generally include integration costs, as well as legal, due diligence and other third-party transaction costs. The frequency and the amount of such expenses vary significantly based on the size, timing and complexity of the transaction. For the three and six months ended June 30, 2025 and June 30, 2024, these costs included Adenza integration costs and other strategic initiative costs. For the three and six months ended June 30, 2024, these costs were partially offset by the recognition of a termination fee due to Nasdaq in the second quarter of 2024 related to the termination of the then proposed divestiture of our Nordic power futures business. For the three and six months ended June 30, 2025, these costs included a repayment of this fee due to the closing of the transaction with another buyer, as designated in the settlement agreement.  
    (3) For a description of our restructuring programs, see “Restructuring Programs” in the “Non-GAAP Information” section of this earnings release.  
    (4) For the three and six months ended June 30, 2025, we recorded pre-tax net gains on the sale of our Nordic power futures business and our Nasdaq Risk Modelling for Catastrophes business, which are included in net gain on divestitures in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income.  
    (5) We exclude our share of the earnings and losses of our equity method investments. This provides a more meaningful analysis of Nasdaq’s ongoing operating performance or comparisons in Nasdaq’s performance between periods.  
    (6) For the six months ended June 30, 2025, we recorded a gain on the extinguishment of debt. This gain is recorded in general, administrative and other expense in our Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income.  
    (7) For the three and six months ended June 30, 2025, this includes accruals relating to certain legal matters, which are recorded in professional and contract services in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income. For the three and six months ended June 30, 2024, these items primarily included the settlement of a Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority, or SFSA, fine, which is recorded in regulatory expense in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income.  
    (8) For the six months ended June 30, 2024, we recorded a pre-tax charge as a result of settling our U.S. pension plan. The plan was terminated and partially settled in 2023, with final settlement occurring during the first quarter of 2024. The loss was recorded in compensation and benefits in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income.  
    (9) For the three and six months ended June 30, 2024, other items primarily include net gains from strategic investments entered into through our corporate venture program, which are included in other income in our Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income.  
    (10) The non-GAAP adjustment to the income tax provision primarily includes the tax impact of each non-GAAP adjustment. For the six months ended June 30, 2025, this also includes a release of the prior year’s reserves following a favorable audit settlement.  
    (11) For the three and six months ended June 30, 2025, we recorded a tax benefit related to payments made to certain former Adenza employees. For the three and six months ended June 30, 2024, other tax adjustments also includes a one-time net tax expense of $33 million related to the completion of an intra-group transfer of certain IP assets to our U.S. headquarters.  
                         
    Nasdaq, Inc.  
    Reconciliation of U.S. GAAP to Non-GAAP Operating Income and Operating Margin  
    (in millions)  
    (unaudited)  
                     
           Three Months Ended   Six Months Ended  
          June 30,   June 30,   June 30,   June 30,  
            2025       2024       2025       2024    
                         
    U.S. GAAP operating income   $ 568     $ 423     $ 1,115     $ 833    
    Non-GAAP adjustments:                  
      Amortization expense of acquired intangible assets (1)     122       122       243       244    
      Merger and strategic initiatives expense (2)     20       4       44       13    
      Restructuring charges (3)     9       56       15       82    
      Gain on extinguishment of debt (4)     —       —       (19 )     —    
      Legal and regulatory matters (5)     1       13       4       16    
      Pension settlement charge (6)     —       —       —       23    
      Other loss     1       2       1       2    
      Total non-GAAP adjustments     153       197       288       380    
    Non-GAAP operating income   $ 721     $ 620     $ 1,403     $ 1,213    
                       
    Revenues less transaction-based expenses   $ 1,306     $ 1,159     $ 2,543     $ 2,277    
                         
    U.S. GAAP operating margin (7)     44 %     36 %     44 %     37 %  
                         
    Non-GAAP operating margin (8)     55 %     53 %     55 %     53 %  
                         
    Note: The current period percentages are calculated based on exact dollars, and therefore may not recalculate exactly using rounded numbers as presented in US$ millions.  
    (1) We amortize intangible assets acquired in connection with various acquisitions. Intangible asset amortization expense can vary from period to period due to episodic acquisitions completed, rather than from our ongoing business operations.  
    (2) We have pursued various strategic initiatives and completed acquisitions and divestitures in recent years that have resulted in expenses which would not have otherwise been incurred. These expenses generally include integration costs, as well as legal, due diligence and other third-party transaction costs. The frequency and the amount of such expenses vary significantly based on the size, timing and complexity of the transaction. For the three and six months ended June 30, 2025 and June 30, 2024, these costs included Adenza integration costs and other strategic initiative costs. For the three and six months ended June 30, 2024, these costs were partially offset by the recognition of a termination fee due to Nasdaq in the second quarter of 2024 related to the termination of the then proposed divestiture of our Nordic power futures business. For the three and six months ended June 30, 2025, these costs included a repayment of this fee due to the closing of the transaction with another buyer, as designated in the settlement agreement.  
    (3) For a description of our restructuring programs, see “Restructuring Programs” in the “Non-GAAP Information” section of this earnings release.  
    (4) For the six months ended June 30, 2025, we recorded a gain on the extinguishment of debt. This gain is recorded in general, administrative and other expense in our Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income.  
    (5) For the three and six months ended June 30, 2025, this includes accruals relating to certain legal matters, which are recorded in professional and contract services in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income. For the three and six months ended June 30, 2024, these items primarily included the settlement of a SFSA fine, which is recorded in regulatory expense in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income.  
    (6) For the six months ended June 30, 2024, we recorded a pre-tax charge as a result of settling our U.S. pension plan. The plan was terminated and partially settled in 2023, with final settlement occurring during the first quarter of 2024. The loss was recorded in compensation and benefits in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income.  
    (7) U.S. GAAP operating margin equals U.S. GAAP operating income divided by revenues less transaction-based expenses.  
    (8) Non-GAAP operating margin equals non-GAAP operating income divided by revenues less transaction-based expenses.  
                         
    Nasdaq, Inc.
    Reconciliation of U.S. GAAP to Non-GAAP Operating Expenses
    (in millions)
    (unaudited)
                   
           Three Months Ended   Six Months Ended
          June 30,   June 30,   June 30,   June 30,
            2025       2024       2025       2024  
                       
    U.S. GAAP operating expenses   $ 738     $ 736     $ 1,428     $ 1,444  
    Non-GAAP adjustments:                
      Amortization expense of acquired intangible assets (1)     (122 )     (122 )     (243 )     (244 )
      Merger and strategic initiatives expense (2)     (20 )     (4 )     (44 )     (13 )
      Restructuring charges (3)     (9 )     (56 )     (15 )     (82 )
      Gain on extinguishment of debt (4)     —       —       19       —  
      Legal and regulatory matters (5)     (1 )     (13 )     (4 )     (16 )
      Pension settlement charge (6)     —       —       —       (23 )
      Other loss     (1 )     (2 )     (1 )     (2 )
      Total non-GAAP adjustments     (153 )     (197 )     (288 )     (380 )
    Non-GAAP operating expenses   $ 585     $ 539     $ 1,140     $ 1,064  
                       
                       
    (1) We amortize intangible assets acquired in connection with various acquisitions. Intangible asset amortization expense can vary from period to period due to episodic acquisitions completed, rather than from our ongoing business operations.
    (2) We have pursued various strategic initiatives and completed acquisitions and divestitures in recent years that have resulted in expenses which would not have otherwise been incurred. These expenses generally include integration costs, as well as legal, due diligence and other third-party transaction costs. The frequency and the amount of such expenses vary significantly based on the size, timing and complexity of the transaction. For the three and six months ended June 30, 2025 and June 30, 2024, these costs included Adenza integration costs and other strategic initiative costs. For the three and six months ended June 30, 2024, these costs were partially offset by the recognition of a termination fee due to Nasdaq in the second quarter of 2024 related to the termination of the then proposed divestiture of our Nordic power futures business. For the three and six months ended June 30, 2025, these costs included a repayment of this fee due to the closing of the transaction with another buyer, as designated in the settlement agreement.
    (3) For a description of our restructuring programs, see “Restructuring Programs” in the “Non-GAAP Information” section of this earnings release.
    (4) For the six months ended June 30, 2025, we recorded a gain on the extinguishment of debt. This gain is recorded in general, administrative and other expense in our Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income.
    (5) For the three and six months ended June 30, 2025, this includes accruals relating to certain legal matters, which are recorded in professional and contract services in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income. For the three and six months ended June 30, 2024, these items primarily included the settlement of a SFSA fine, which is recorded in regulatory expense in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income.
    (6) For the six months ended June 30, 2024, we recorded a pre-tax charge as a result of settling our U.S. pension plan. The plan was terminated and partially settled in 2023, with final settlement occurring during the first quarter of 2024. The loss was recorded in compensation and benefits in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income.
                       
    Nasdaq, Inc.
    Reconciliation of Organic Impacts for Revenues less transaction-based expenses, Non-GAAP Operating Expenses,
    Non-GAAP Operating Income, and Non-GAAP Diluted Earnings Per Share
    (in millions, except per share amounts)
    (unaudited)
                                   
                                   
      Three Months Ended   Total Variance   Other Impacts (1)   Adjusted/Organic
    Impact     (2)
      June 30, 2025   June 30, 2024   $   %   $   %   $   %
    CAPITAL ACCESS PLATFORMS                              
    Data and Listing Services revenues $ 198   $ 187   $ 11   6 %   $ 3   2 %   $ 8   5 %
    Index revenues   196     167     29   17 %     —   — %     29   17 %
    Workflow and Insights revenues   133     127     6   5 %     1   1 %     5   5 %
    Total Capital Access Platforms revenues   527     481     46   10 %     4   1 %     42   9 %
                                   
    FINANCIAL TECHNOLOGY                              
    Financial Crime Management Technology revenues   81     67     14   20 %     —   — %     14   20 %
    Regulatory Technology revenues   104     95     9   10 %     —   (1 )%     9   11 %
    Capital Markets Technology revenues   279     258     21   8 %     —   — %     21   8 %
    Total Financial Technology revenues   464     420     44   10 %     —   — %     44   10 %
                                   
    Solutions revenues (3)   991     901     90   10 %     4   — %     86   10 %
                                   
    Market Services, net revenues   306     250     56   22 %     4   2 %     52   21 %
                                   
    Other revenues   9     8     1   5 %     —   3 %     1   1 %
                                   
    Revenues less transaction-based expenses $ 1,306   $ 1,159   $ 147   13 %   $ 8   1 %   $ 139   12 %
                                   
    Non-GAAP Operating Expenses $ 585   $ 539   $ 46   9 %   $ 5   1 %   $ 41   8 %
                                   
    Non-GAAP Operating Income $ 721   $ 620   $ 101   16 %   $ 3   1 %   $ 98   16 %
                                   
    Non-GAAP diluted earnings per share $ 0.85   $ 0.69   $ 0.16   24 %   $ —   — %   $ 0.16   24 %
                                   
                                   
    Note: The current period percentages are calculated based on exact dollars, and therefore may not recalculate exactly using rounded numbers as presented in US$ millions. The sum of the percentage changes may not tie to the percentage change in total variance due to rounding.
    (1) Reflects the impacts from changes in foreign currency exchange rates and the impact of a divestiture within Capital Markets Technology.
    (2) Adjusted and organic period over period change are calculated by (i) removing the impact of period-over-period changes in foreign currency exchange rates (ii) adjusting for the impact of a divestiture and (iii) adjusting for the impact of AxiomSL on-premises contracts for ratable recognition for 2Q24, which was immaterial during that period. Adjusted operating results also exclude the impact of the previously announced one-time revenue benefit in our Index business in 1Q24 ($16 million), which did not have an impact on our 2Q25 period over period change but does have an impact on year to date period over period results. Adjusted and organic changes are equivalent as they include the same period over period adjustments.
    (3) Represents Capital Access Platforms and Financial Technology segments.
                                   
    Nasdaq, Inc.
    Key Drivers Detail
    (unaudited)
                     
        Three Months Ended   Six Months Ended
        June 30,   June 30,   June 30,   June 30,
          2025       2024       2025       2024  
    Capital Access Platforms              
      Annualized recurring revenues (in millions) (1) $ 1,315     $ 1,226     $ 1,315     $ 1,226  
      Initial public offerings              
      The Nasdaq Stock Market (2)   79       39       142       66  
      Exchanges that comprise Nasdaq Nordic and Nasdaq Baltic   6       5       10       6  
      Total new listings              
      The Nasdaq Stock Market (2)   194       84       364       163  
      Exchanges that comprise Nasdaq Nordic and Nasdaq Baltic (3)   6       10       15       12  
      Number of listed companies              
      The Nasdaq Stock Market (4)   4,238       4,004       4,238       4,004  
      Exchanges that comprise Nasdaq Nordic and Nasdaq Baltic (5)   1,148       1,198       1,148       1,198  
      Index              
      Number of licensed exchange traded products (6)   422       373       422       373  
      Period end ETP assets under management (AUM) tracking Nasdaq indexes (in billions) $ 745     $ 569     $ 745     $ 569  
      Total average ETP AUM tracking Nasdaq indexes (in billions) $ 663     $ 531     $ 662     $ 512  
      TTM (7) net inflows ETP AUM tracking Nasdaq indexes (in billions) $ 88     $ 53     $ 88     $ 53  
      TTM (7) net appreciation ETP AUM tracking Nasdaq indexes (in billions) $ 88     $ 115     $ 88     $ 115  
                     
    Financial Technology              
      Annualized recurring revenues (in millions) (1)              
      Financial Crime Management Technology $ 308     $ 258     $ 308     $ 258  
      Regulatory Technology   376       338       376       338  
      Capital Markets Technology   932       846       932       846  
      Total Financial Technology $ 1,616     $ 1,442     $ 1,616     $ 1,442  
                     
    Market Services              
      Equity Derivative Trading and Clearing              
      U.S. equity options              
      Total industry average daily volume (in millions)   52.5       42.1       53.0       42.7  
      Nasdaq PHLX matched market share   9.6 %     9.9 %     9.4 %     10.1 %
      The Nasdaq Options Market matched market share   4.3 %     5.5 %     4.7 %     5.4 %
      Nasdaq BX Options matched market share   1.7 %     2.3 %     1.7 %     2.3 %
      Nasdaq ISE Options matched market share   6.6 %     6.9 %     6.7 %     6.6 %
      Nasdaq GEMX Options matched market share   4.4 %     2.6 %     4.0 %     2.6 %
      Nasdaq MRX Options matched market share   2.8 %     2.1 %     2.8 %     2.3 %
      Total matched market share executed on Nasdaq’s exchanges   29.4 %     29.3 %     29.3 %     29.3 %
      Nasdaq Nordic and Nasdaq Baltic options and futures              
      Total average daily volume of options and futures contracts   223,450       251,677       240,133       246,527  
                     
      Cash Equity Trading              
      Total U.S.-listed securities              
      Total industry average daily share volume (in billions)   18.4       11.8       17.1       11.8  
      Matched share volume (in billions)   158.4       119.3       295.5       236.0  
      The Nasdaq Stock Market matched market share   13.5 %     15.6 %     13.8 %     15.7 %
      Nasdaq BX matched market share   0.3 %     0.3 %     0.3 %     0.3 %
      Nasdaq PSX matched market share   0.1 %     0.2 %     0.1 %     0.2 %
      Total matched market share executed on Nasdaq’s exchanges   13.9 %     16.1 %     14.2 %     16.2 %
      Market share reported to the FINRA/Nasdaq Trade Reporting Facility   47.7 %     42.9 %     47.9 %     42.2 %
      Total market share (8)   61.6 %     59.0 %     62.1 %     58.4 %
      Nasdaq Nordic and Nasdaq Baltic securities              
      Average daily number of equity trades executed on Nasdaq’s exchanges   804,121       663,897       796,426       665,183  
      Total average daily value of shares traded (in billions) $ 5.7     $ 4.7     $ 5.5     $ 4.7  
      Total market share executed on Nasdaq’s exchanges (9)   71.9 %     74.1 %     71.2 %     73.3 %
                     
                     
      (1) Annualized Recurring Revenue (ARR) for a given period is the current annualized value derived from subscription contracts with a defined contract value. This excludes contracts that are not recurring, are one-time in nature, or where the contract value fluctuates based on defined metrics. ARR is currently one of our key performance metrics to assess the health and trajectory of our recurring business. ARR does not have any standardized definition and is therefore unlikely to be comparable to similarly titled measures presented by other companies. ARR should be viewed independently of revenue and deferred revenue and is not intended to be combined with or to replace either of those items. For AxiomSL and Calypso recurring revenue contracts, the amount included in ARR is consistent with the amount that we invoice the customer during the current period. Additionally, for AxiomSL and Calypso recurring revenue contracts that include annual values that increase over time, we include in ARR only the annualized value of components of the contract that are considered active as of the date of the ARR calculation. We do not include the future committed increases in the contract value as of the date of the ARR calculation. ARR is not a forecast and the active contracts at the end of a reporting period used in calculating ARR may or may not be extended or renewed by our customers.
      (2) New listings include IPOs, issuers that switched from other listing venues, closed-end funds and separately listed ETPs. For the three months ended June 30, 2025 and 2024, IPOs included 41 and 8 SPACs, respectively. For the six months ended June 30, 2025 and 2024, IPOs included 59 and 13 SPACs, respectively.
      (3) New listings include IPOs and represent companies listed on the Nasdaq Nordic and Nasdaq Baltic exchanges and companies on the alternative markets of Nasdaq First North.
      (4) Number of total listings on The Nasdaq Stock Market for the three and six months ended June 30, 2025 and 2024 included 914 and 645 ETPs, respectively.
      (5) Represents companies listed on the Nasdaq Nordic and Nasdaq Baltic exchanges and companies on the alternative markets of Nasdaq First North.
      (6) The number of listed ETPs as of June 30, 2024 has been updated to reflect a revised methodology whereby an ETP listed on multiple exchanges is counted as one product, rather than formerly being counted per exchange. This change had no impact on reported AUM.
      (7) Trailing 12-months.
      (8) Includes transactions executed on The Nasdaq Stock Market’s, Nasdaq BX’s and Nasdaq PSX’s systems plus trades reported through the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority/Nasdaq Trade Reporting Facility.
      (9) European cash equities markets include cash equities exchanges of Sweden, Denmark, Finland, and Iceland. Minor adjustments to prior periods reflect data from a new consolidated data provider that accurately captures all primary trading venues and Multilateral Trading Facilities, or MTFs.
                     

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Defense News in Brief: Surging airpower in the Pacific: Lamontagne observes allied mobility in action

    Source: United States Airforce

    The commander of AMC visited the 515th AMOW squadrons during the U.S. Air Force Department-Level Exercise, to see how the Pacific-oriented AMC wing conducts an operational surge.

    JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii (AFNS) —  Gen. Johnny Lamontagne, Air Mobility Command commander, visited the 515th Air Mobility Operations Wing during a recent stop in the Indo-Pacific theater to observe the U.S. Air Force’s 2025 Department-Level Exercise series — this first-in-a-generation exercise series is designed to test the service’s ability to rapidly deploy at speed and scale and sustain global operations.

    The 515th AMOW, headquartered in Hawaii, plays a pivotal role in enabling air mobility across the Indo-Pacific region. Lamontagne’s visit focused on how air mobility squadrons operate during surge conditions and how they integrate with allies and partners to move critical capabilities where they are most needed.

    “Hosting General Lamontagne was a great chance to show how our Airmen rise to the challenge,” said Col. Jens Lyndrup, 515th AMOW commander. “They surge, adapt and deliver — with our allies by their side — and they do it with incredible precision and pride.”

    Lamontagne echoed that sentiment, praising the dedication and resilience of Airmen across the theater

    “The Airmen are what impress me, period,” Lamontagne said. “The Airmen of the air mobility squadrons are fully executing the mission in tough environments during a very challenging exercise, helping the Department of the Air Force come together in a big way.”

    With contested logistics becoming a central theme in defense planning, Lamontagne emphasized the 515th AMOW’s unique role in scaling operations and reinforcing key nodes in support of U.S. and allied objectives.

    “We couldn’t execute this large-scale exercise without the AMOW out here in the Pacific,” he said. “There’s no way we could project power at this scale without the 515th AMOW. They do an indispensable job surging capability where it’s needed, delivering greater throughput, capacity and operational reach.”

    Close coordination with international partners was also a key focus of the visit. Lamontagne highlighted the strong relationship between the 730th Air Mobility Squadron, based at Yokota Air Base, Japan, and the Japan Air Self-Defense Force.

    Gen. Johnny Lamontagne, Air Mobility Command commander receives a brief from Master Sgt. Travis Alton, 735th Air Mobility Squadron aerial port section chief during a squadron visit at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawai’i, July 12, 2025. Lamontagne visited the 515th Air Mobility Operations Wing squadrons during the U.S. Air Force Department-Level Exercise, to see how the Pacific oriented AMC wing conducts an operational surge. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Victoria Cowan)
    Gen. Johnny Lamontagne, Air Mobility Command commander receives a brief from Airmen assigned to the 735th Air Mobility Squadron aircraft maintenance unit at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawai’i, July 12, 2025. Lamontagne visited the 515th Air Mobility Operations Wing squadrons during the U.S. Air Force Department-Level Exercise, to see how the Pacific oriented AMC wing conducts an operational surge. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Victoria Cowan)
    Airmen assigned to the 735th Air Mobility Squadron aircraft maintenance unit brief Gen. Johnny Lamontagne, Air Mobility Command Commander during a squadron visit at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawai’i, July 12, 2025. Lamontagne visited the 515th Air Mobility Operations Wing squadrons during the U.S. Air Force Department-Level Exercise, to see how the Pacific oriented AMC wing conducts an operational surge. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Victoria Cowan)

    “The 730th AMS has a great relationship with their Japanese counterparts, and we had the opportunity to meet with a couple of their three-stars who run their Air Defense Command and Air Support Command,” Lamontagne said. “They help us present forces at the tactical level and enable success at the operational and strategic levels very effectively each and every day.”

    As competitors challenge U.S. military advantage in the region, Lamontagne emphasized the scale, speed and effectiveness of American airpower.

    “No other air force can do it at the scale and on the timeline that our Air Force can,” he said. “Operating as one big Air Force to do what our nation needs us to do is really where it’s at.”

    From enabling deterrence to sustaining operations at the tactical edge, the 515th AMOW and its network of mobility Airmen remain a critical part of the United States’ ability to project power — anytime, anywhere.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Public alerted to fake tax emails

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    The Inland Revenue Department today issued an alert regarding fraudulent emails purportedly issued by the department, which invite recipients to claim tax refunds.

    Each fraudulent email provides a hyperlink to a website that seeks to obtain the recipient’s personal particulars and credit card information.

    Apart from stressing that it has no connection with such emails, the department said it reported the case to Police for further investigation.

    It also reminded the public not to open suspicious emails or visit the attached hyperlinks.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: President Donald J. Trump Approves Major Disaster Declaration for Indiana

    Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

    Headline: President Donald J

    Trump Approves Major Disaster Declaration for Indiana

    President Donald J

    Trump Approves Major Disaster Declaration for Indiana

    WASHINGTON — FEMA announced that federal disaster assistance is available to the state of Indiana to supplement recovery efforts in the areas affected by severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes and flooding from March 30 – April 9, 2025

    Public Assistance federal funding is available to the state, tribal and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair and replacement of facilities damaged by the severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes and flooding in Bartholomew, Brown, Clark, Crawford, Decatur, Floyd, Franklin, Greene, Harrison, Jefferson, Lawrence, Madison, Marshall, Martin, Montgomery, Morgan, Orange, Owen, Perry, Switzerland, Vanderburgh, Warrick and Washington counties

    Joseph P

    Cirone has been named as the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area

    Additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the state and warranted by the results of further damage assessments

     
    erika

    suzuki
    Wed, 07/23/2025 – 20:01

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Financial news: Summary table of proposals and comments on the draft Bank of Russia instruction

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Central Bank of Russia –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    Public discussion

    Draft regulatory documents of the Bank of Russia for public discussion

    Summary table of proposals and comments on the draft Bank of Russia instruction “On Amendments to Bank of Russia Instruction dated April 10, 2023 No. 6406-U”

    Draft regulation of the Bank of Russia “On the requirements for targeted internal control rules to combat the legalization (laundering) of proceeds from crime, the financing of terrorism, extremist activity and the financing of the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, on the qualification requirements for special officials responsible for the implementation of targeted internal control rules to combat the legalization (laundering) of proceeds from crime, the financing of terrorism, extremist activity and the financing of the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and on the procedure for informing organizations carrying out transactions with funds or other property that are members of a banking group or banking holding company, on the introduction of the ban specified in Part Two of Article 13 of Federal Law No. 115-FZ of August 7, 2001 “On Combating the Legalization (Laundering) of Proceeds from Crime and the Financing of Terrorism”

    Draft Bank of Russia instruction “On the procedure for notification by a bank (other credit institution) of the opening or closing of an account, of a change in account details, of a change in account details in electronic form to the territorial body of the insurer”

    Draft Bank of Russia Instruction “On Amending Bank of Russia Instruction No. 3701-U of June 29, 2015 “On the Procedure for Sending Requests and Receiving Information from the Central Catalog of Credit Histories by Submitting a Request through a Notary”

    Draft Bank of Russia Instruction “On Amendments to Bank of Russia Instruction No. 135-I of April 2, 2010”

    Draft Bank of Russia Instruction “On the cases and procedure for partial redemption of investment units of a closed-end mutual investment fund without the owner of the investment units submitting a request for their redemption”

    Draft Bank of Russia Instruction “On Amendments to Bank of Russia Instruction No. 6568-U dated October 6, 2023”

    Summary table of comments and suggestions on the draft Bank of Russia instruction “On Amendments to Bank of Russia Instruction dated September 18, 2017 No. 4533-U”

    Summary table of comments, suggestions and questions on the draft Bank of Russia Instruction “On types of assets, characteristics of types of assets for which risk coefficient surcharges are established, and on the application of surcharges to the specified types of assets when credit institutions determine capital adequacy standards”

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

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: 24 July 2025 Departmental update WHO and UNODC release landmark report on contaminated medicines, urging action to protect patients from preventable harm

    Source: World Health Organisation

    The World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) have jointly released a landmark report unveiling critical findings on the persistent and preventable threat of contaminated medicines which claimed the lives and compromised the health of countless patients, predominantly children, through the ingestion of medicines with dangerously high levels of toxic chemicals.

    Over the past 90 years, at least 25 documented incidents of excipient contamination have resulted in more than 1300 deaths worldwide, many of them children. These incidents occur often due to systemic vulnerabilities in the global supply chain of pharmaceutical excipients, and they have disproportionately affected people in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where regulatory oversight and access to quality-assured medicines may be limited.

    Titled “Contaminated medicines and integrity of the pharmaceutical excipients supply chain”, the report highlights a tragic and ongoing public health crisis: the contamination of medicines with industrial-grade toxic chemicals, notably diethylene glycol (DEG) and ethylene glycol (EG).

    These substances are used as industrial solvents and antifreeze agents but can cause severe health issues and be fatal if ingested, even in small amounts, especially for children. They are often illegally substituted for pharmaceutical-grade excipients such as propylene glycol, glycerin, and sorbitol—ingredients used in the formulation of medicines, including cough and paracetamol syrups.

    Since October 2022, WHO has issued 7 Medical Product Alerts concerning multiple batches of contaminated liquid oral medicines, many of which were marketed for paediatric use and exported widely to LMIC. WHO also issued 2 Alerts concerning falsified bulk chemicals masquerading as pharmaceutical quality excipients.

    Following a particularly serious case in The Gambia, in which at least 66 children lost their lives, attention was once again focused on this issue. The case in The Gambia was quickly followed by similar incidents in Indonesia and Uzbekistan with a further 268 reported deaths and two further WHO Medical Product Alerts.

    Most of the recent cases involve inexpensive oral liquid medicines that can be bought without a prescription.  In most cases these medicines were marketed specifically for children and are registered medicines available in pharmacies, medicine stores or informal street markets.

    Key findings

    The report reveals how criminal networks exploit market volatility and regulatory gaps to introduce toxic substitutes into the supply chain. Key findings include:

    • The use of falsified labels and substitution of toxic chemicals for legitimate excipients such as propylene glycol.
    • The marketing of falsified excipients via online platforms, including e-commerce and social media.
    • A lack of regulatory oversight for manufacturers and distributors of high-risk excipients.
    • Deficiencies in post-market surveillance and enforcement mechanisms in both manufacturing and importing countries.
    • Intentional criminal conduct, including deliberate falsification of excipients and documentation, contributing directly to multiple contamination incidents.
    • Inadequate coordination and capacity among regulatory, customs and law enforcement authorities hindering timely investigations and prosecutions in some jurisdictions.

    Call to action

    The report calls for urgent global action to close regulatory gaps, strengthen oversight of excipient supply chains and protect all populations, especially the most vulnerable such as children, from preventable and deadly poisoning.

    WHO has long played a central and proactive role in preventing, detecting, and responding to substandard and falsified medical products. This report reinforces the critical importance of strong and effective medicines regulatory systems to ensure access to safe, effective and quality-assured products.

    Complementing this public health perspective, UNODC highlights the criminal dimension of the issue, documenting how organized criminal groups falsify documentation, substitute industrial-grade chemicals and exploit digital platforms to illegally infiltrate the global pharmaceutical supply chain with toxic and unregulated substances. Its contribution underscores the importance of criminal justice responses in parallel to regulatory action.

    The report underscores the need for:

    • Improved regulatory frameworks and enforcement mechanisms.
    • Enhanced compliance by manufacturers and distributors.
    • Greater transparency and traceability in the excipient supply chain.
    • Stronger collaboration between health authorities, law enforcement and the private sector.
    • Closer collaboration and timely information exchange between regulatory authorities, law enforcement and customs to support investigations and prosecutions.
    • Greater enforcement of existing laws, including the application of sanctions in cases of critical non-compliance with regulations related to contaminated excipients.
    • Improved investigation quality and prosecutorial capacity to address intentional acts of contamination and falsification of pharmaceutical excipients.
    • Strengthened post-market surveillance mechanisms to detect and respond to incidents with potential criminal dimensions.
    • Enhanced legal and operational frameworks to address the deliberate falsification of labels, certificates of analysis and excipient composition.

    In many cases, contaminated medicines are the result of intentional criminal conduct. Addressing this threat requires coordinated efforts by all stakeholders, including law enforcement agencies, customs officials, prosecutors and anti-corruption bodies. The report calls for greater cross-border cooperation, investigative capacity and the use of international legal instruments such as the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC).

    WHO and UNODC urge Member States, national regulatory authorities, criminal justice actors, law enforcement agencies, pharmaceutical manufacturers and excipient distributors to take immediate decisive action to prevent further avoidable tragedies. Failure to act now risks condemning future generations of children to the same unacceptable and avoidable harms.

    A collaborative effort grounded in global partnership

    This report is the result of a collaborative effort involving national regulatory authorities (NRAs) and global health partners. Its development was made possible through the generous support of the Fleming Fund and the Gates Foundation.

    WHO and UNODC extend their sincere appreciation to all stakeholders who contributed to this important work, particularly the NRAs of The Gambia, Indonesia and Pakistan, whose experiences and insights were instrumental in shaping the report’s findings.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Study – Artificial Intelligence and Civil Liability – 24-07-2025

    Source: European Parliament

    This study, commissioned by the European Parliament’s Policy Department for Justice, Civil Liberties and Institutional Affairs at the request of the Committee on Legal Affairs, critically analyses the EU’s evolving approach to regulating civil liability for artificial intelligence systems. In order to avoid regulatory fragmentation between Member States, the study advocates for a strict liability regime targeting high-risk systems, structured around a single responsible operator and grounded in legal certainty, efficiency and harmonisation.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Milestone for city’s Dementia Hub

    Source: City of Coventry

    Coventry’s pioneering Dementia Hub celebrated its second anniversary this week.

    The occasion was marked by a small celebration event which was attended by residents and partners from across the city.  Attendees had the opportunity to hear from some of the people behind the Hub’s success and to reflect on its future.

    Since opening in July 2023, the Coventry Dementia Partnership Hub has become a pillar of adult social care services in the city. Every year, the hub and its staff help around 4,000 people access essential support and guidance.

    Beyond that support, the Coventry Dementia Partnership Hub also offers a safe, caring space for those living with Dementia where they can meet other people and take part in fun activities such as singing and dancing.

    The hub involves a number of partners working together, including Admiral Nurses, Age UK, the Alzheimer’s Society, Carers’ Trust, Lions Club of Coventry Godiva, the Council, the Coventry Police Partnership Team, Dementia Champions, and more.

    Speaking at the event Cllr Linda Bigham, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, reflected on the importance of the hub to the city.  

    She said: “Dementia is a lonely, isolating illness which impacts thousands of people across Coventry. That’s why we launched the hub, we wanted a place for people to come together, make friends and get the support they need.

    “It’s so heart-warming to visit the building and hear first-hand the impact it’s been having on residents and their carers.

    “None of this would be possible without our partners and staff. Without them this would just be a building but because of their commitment it’s a sanctuary for so many people.”

    Stuart Jennings, Honorary Vice President of the Alzheimer’s Society, also attended the event.

    He said:” This is a place where people find friendship, encouragement, advice and even manage to raise a smile.

    “The hub is an example, not only across Coventry but nationally. It’s a model that, in my role, I hold up as a shining example for other cities to follow.”

    Find out more about the Hub by visiting the Council’s Website.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Inland Revenue Department alerts public to fraudulent emails

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Inland Revenue Department alerts public to fraudulent emails 
         The IRD has no connection with the emails and has reported the case to the Police for further investigation.

         The IRD reminded members of the public not to open suspicious emails or visit hyperlinks provided in such emails.
    Issued at HKT 17:10

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Boys rescued from mountain cliffs near Mahlakwane village

    Source: Government of South Africa

    Thursday, July 24, 2025

    Communities in Sekhukhune, Limpopo, have been urged to explore mountains cautiously and with proper guidance or supervision after four young boys went missing and required a search and rescue operation to be rescued. 

    On Monday, 21 July 2025, four boys from Mahlakwane village in Sekhukhune went to the mountain to hunt until late at night.

    They failed to return home and the following day, family members went to the police station to report them missing.

    “The report prompted the police to launch an immediate joint search operation conducted by Zaiplaas Vispol members, Burgersfort K9 unit, the Search and Rescue team, Emergency Medical Services personnel, fire department and community members.

    “They then embarked on a search with a view to safely rescue the four young boys, aged between nine and 19, who were trapped in the cliffs on the mountain at Mahlakwana village,” said the police in a statement.

    Three were successfully rescued, while the eldest one was found at his home after the operation.

    Provincial Commissioner of Police in Limpopo, Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe, cautioned communities to explore mountains safely.

    “This warning aims to raise awareness to prevent similar incidents and ensure public safety. We urge parents and guardians to take extra care of their children and to ensure that they are aware of their whereabouts at all times,” said Hadebe. – SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Gauteng welcomes arrests in high profile cases

    Source: Government of South Africa

    The Gauteng Provincial Legislature’s Portfolio Committee on Community Safety has commended the South African Police Service (SAPS) for their swift and decisive action in apprehending suspects linked to several high-profile crimes.

    These cases include the tragic murder of City of Ekurhuleni Chief Auditor, Mpho Mafole, as well suspects linked to the murder of renowned DJ Sumbody, the killing of engineer Armand Swart, and the attempted murder of actress Tebogo Thobejane.

    “These developments reflect the commitment and capability of law enforcement to pursue justice and dismantle criminal networks that threaten public safety and the rule of law.

    “However, while these successes are commendable, the committee emphasises that all victims of crime, regardless of their public profile, deserve equal attention, protection and justice. The fight against crime must be consistent and inclusive,” Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Community Safety, Bandile Masuku, said on Thursday.

    Mafole, who served as the Group Divisional Head for Corporate and Forensic Audits, was brutally gunned down in Kempton Park last month in an execution-style killing. 

    His death sent shockwaves across the province, while highlighting the grave risks faced by public servants committed to transparency and good governance.

    “The committee welcomes the arrest of one suspect, who appeared in the Kempton Park Magistrate’s Court yesterday. However, the second suspect, Hlanganani Agripper Mncwango, remains at large. The committee urges law enforcement to intensify efforts and leave no stone unturned in ensuring his swift apprehension,” Masuku said.

    The case was postponed to 15 August 2025 for further investigation.

    “It is particularly alarming that the arrested suspect was reportedly out on bail for a similar murder charge at the time of Mafole’s killing. This raises serious concerns about the adequacy of bail conditions in cases involving violent crimes and calls for an urgent review of current judicial practices to prevent repeat offenses and safeguard communities.

    “The committee also applauds SAPS for recent breakthroughs in other high profile cases, including the arrests of suspects linked to the murder of renowned DJ Sumbody, the killing of Swart, and the attempted murder of actress Thobejane. Crucially, the committee reiterates that trust between the police and the communities they serve is fundamental to effective policing.

    “Building and maintaining this trust requires transparency, accountability, and ongoing engagement. Communities must feel confident that their safety is a priority and that their cooperation with law enforcement will lead to meaningful outcomes. Without this trust, efforts to combat crime will be severely undermined,” Masuku said. – SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Alleged Chinese fugitive arrested in SA

    Source: Government of South Africa

    Thursday, July 24, 2025

    The International Criminal Police Organisation’s (INTERPOL) National Central Bureau (NCB) in Pretoria has arrested a 57-year-old Chinese fugitive, who is believed to be linked to a case of fraud reported in China.

    According to a preliminary report, INTERPOL circulated a Red Notice to all member countries to locate and provisionally arrest the Chinese national.

    This as wanted persons often flee to another country to evade their arrest.

    “The suspect reportedly applied for a visa at the United States of America Embassy in Sandton when his fugitive status was flagged, leading to his arrest on Tuesday, 22 July 2025,” said the police in a statement.

    The suspect made his first appearance in the Randburg Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, 23 July 2025.

    The police said the INTERPOL NCB continues to record commendable successes in dismantling transnational crime syndicates and arresting international fugitives in the country. – SAnews.gov.za

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Update 304 – IAEA Director General Statement on Situation in Ukraine

    Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

    The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) this week provided Ukraine with a freight vehicle for the transport of radioactive material, its 150th delivery of equipment to support nuclear safety and security in the country during the military conflict, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said today.

    State Enterprise USIE Izotop – involved in the management of radioactive material intended for medical, industrial and other purposes – received the truck that was funded by the European Union (EU) and Sweden. IAEA staff helped ensure that transport safety and security considerations were taken into account in the design of the vehicle.

    “Since the start of the conflict three and a half years ago, the IAEA has coordinated assistance for Ukraine of a wide range of technical equipment, medical supplies and other items that are of vital importance for nuclear safety and security. These deliveries are part of our overall efforts aimed at preventing a nuclear accident during this devastating war,” Director General Grossi said.

    “Thanks to the generous support of many of our Member States and the European Union, we have now carried out shipments with a total value of more than 19 million euros, each one helping to enhance different aspects of nuclear safety and security,” he said.

    Several other deliveries have taken place in recent weeks, supported by Belgium, the EU and Japan: the regional state laboratory in Mykolaiv province – badly affected by the destruction of the Kakhovka dam in mid-2023 – received a real-time PCR cycler (Polymerase Chain Reaction, a nuclear-derived technique) for fast and accurate analysis to help it fight the spread of disease as a result of the flooding; the medical unit of the Rivne Nuclear Power Plant received an ultrasound system; and a subsidiary of national nuclear operator Energoatom received a cryostat system ensuring continuity of services affected by power cuts and liquid nitrogen supply challenges.

    Director General Grossi said nuclear safety and security remains under threat in Ukraine.

    At the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), the IAEA team based at the site has continued to hear shelling, explosions, and gunfire almost every day.

    Earlier this month, the ZNPP informed the IAEA team that the site’s training centre was targeted in a drone strike on 13 July, resulting in damage to its roof. There were no reports of casualties. The team was not granted access to assess the damage to the training centre located outside the site perimeter, with the plant citing security concerns.

    In addition, the ZNPP’s off-site power situation continues to be extremely fragile, with the plant having had access to just one single power line for almost three months now, compared to ten before the conflict.

    The nearby city of Enerhodar – where most ZNPP staff live – suffered an electricity blackout on 17 July due to damage to its main power line, according to information provided to the IAEA team members.  They were also told that subsequent shelling had damaged some buildings in the city, which was also observed when the team visited Enerhodar on 19 July.

    A forest fire near Enerhodar that caused smoke which was observed by the IAEA team last weekend has been extinguished without any impact on nuclear safety, the plant said.  

    The IAEA team has continued to carry out walkdowns across the ZNPP site to monitor nuclear safety and security, observing the testing of three emergency diesel generators as well as visiting the containment and safety system rooms of two reactor units.

    They also discussed with the plant management different options for refilling the plant’s cooling pond following the loss of the Kakhovka dam two years ago and further planning on emergency preparedness and response, including preparations for a site exercise later this year.

    At Ukraine’s operating nuclear power plants (NPPs) – Khmelnytskyy, Rivne and South Ukraine – three of their total of nine units are currently in shutdown for refuelling and maintenance.

    The IAEA team based at these plants, and the Chornobyl site, reported hearing air raid alarms nearly every day over the past week.

    At the Khmelnytskyy and South Ukraine NPPs, the IAEA teams were informed that during the night of 18 July drones were detected a few kilometres away from the two sites. That same evening, the team at Chornobyl observed flashes of light and heard explosions in the distance.

    MIL Security OSI –