NewzIntel.com

Category: Transport

  • MIL-OSI USA: IAM Victory at Boeing

    Source: US GOIAM Union

    How did a union of 33,000 aircraft workers win a battle that set a new standard in the aviation industry with a 40% pay increase over four years? What strategies did they use to score a guarantee of building Boeing’s next commercial aircraft? What tactic did they use to defend their ground in a battle for retirement savings, not to give another inch of territory that had already been taken from them?

    “If it ain’t Boeing, I ain’t going.”

    This was the catchphrase during the heyday of commercial aviation in North America from the 1930s through the 1970s. Boeing aircraft were dominating the skies with silver bottom planes that denoted the quality engineering and manufacturing it took to build a transportation marvel.

    A job at Boeing in the Pacific Northwest was a key to the lock on a comfortable middle-class life for many families. And those jobs had been union jobs for generations, thanks to the foresight of early Boeing workers in 1936 who organized with the IAM.

    But the chase for middle-class life started racing uphill in the early 1980s. More recently, staggering inflation put even higher demands on workers’ salaries and compensation with exponential growth in the cost of living. Health insurance, housing, groceries, and energy prices grew faster than wage and benefit increases. The ability to retire with dignity and financial stability was becoming an afterthought. The bar for the middle class wasmoving higher and higher, and someone had to take a stand and choose a battlefield for a fight to begin.

    Thirty-three thousand IAM members from District 751 and W24 were ready.

    These members had been held in limbo for two contract cycles. They weathered two extensions of previous collective bargaining agreements, riddled with threats to move their work elsewhere, while Boeing stopped pension contributions. Meanwhile, since 2010, Boeing has sent $83 billion in profits to Wall Street, according to the Seattle Times. It had told its world-class workforce that cuts to worker compensation were necessary.

    Preparation and planning were key to readiness. Both districts focused on communication; putting the plan up front for all members to see. Face to face discussions, surveys, emails, and dropbox suggestions were used to gauge membership needs. District 751 Aero Mechanic printed road maps of the contracts back to 1952 -showing the history of contract wins and path of growth. W-24 held contract input and listening sessions at Mt. Hood community college.
    Shop stewards encouraged “swag days” when union members would wear the same union gear to mark solidarity.

    “This is our future, our fight, and we are ready for it,” said IAM District 751 President and Directing Business Representative Jon Holden. “We have spent the last decade listening to members tell us what’s important to them and their families. Many changes are necessary to address the membership’s priorities. We are creating a proposal to address a comprehensive list of membership demands.”

    Noted union organizer and author Marshall Ganz once said, “Movements have narratives. They tell stories because they are not just about rearranging economics and politics. They also rearrange meaning. And they’re not just about redistributing the goods. They’re about figuring out what is good.”

    And what a story IAM members working for Boeing in the Pacific Northwest would have to tell.

    “IAM members are the most dedicated, skilled, and experienced aerospace union in the world,” said IAM Western Territory General Vice President Robert “Bobby” Martinez. “We could not settle for anything less than the respect and family-sustaining wages and benefits that our members at Boeing need and deserve.”

    It was time for a bold move.

    A July 2024 rally at Seattle’s T-Mobile Park, the only sports venue in the area with enough capacity to hold the IAM’s Boeing membership in the area, saw a strike sanction vote pass by 99.9%.

    Boeing workers had decided this negotiation cycle was their chance—no more extensions to an existing agreement. Boeing management had made a series of high-profile blunders over the past decade, against the advice of its own workers.

    On Sept. 13, 2024, over 96% of Boeing IAM workers voted no on Boeing’s first contract offer. The path was set. Game on!“Our membership’s ‘no’ vote was a clear mandate. Boeing had to stop undervaluing its workforce,” IAM International President Brian Bryant said after the vote. “Our strength lies in our unity, and we do not back down.”

    Strike lines were set. Burn barrels were put in place. News media covered the strike from Seattle to Europe, where Boeing’s competitor, Airbus, was watching. The fight was on 24/7, and these workers were together.

    And the legacy of some past members stepped up at just the right time.

    IAM District 751 member Keith Olsen passed away from cancer in 2020. He left behind two children, Hawken and Bailey. Their mother, Arlene, saw her children take action no one expected. Bailey, now 16, shared, “When the strike started, my brother Hawken asked, ‘If Dad were alive, would he be out there?’” Bailey continued, “When I said yes, [Hawken] immediately wanted to join. He’s autistic, and the honking and crowds worried me, but he had so much fun. He kept telling everyone, ‘This is for my Dad.’”

    33,000 moms, dads, union brothers, sisters, and siblings knew what was at stake if they folded under pressure.

    A rejection of a Boeing offer on Oct. 23 ratcheted up the stakes. IAM leaders met with workers and listened to their objections to Boeing’s offers. It just wasn’t good enough, was the consensus.

    “Our membership spoke loudly and clearly about what they wanted in this agreement,” said IAM District 751 President and Directing Business Representative Jon Holden. “We stand strong until those needs are addressed.”

    As the strike continued past its 50th day, striking workers’ determination was further tested. Each day, one day longer, one day stronger.
    The strike was rearranging the meaning of solidarity. As Marshall Ganz described it, the narrative was figuring out what was good.

    “That means that we all needed to come together, stay informed, and take action as a group. There’s no way they’re gonna wait us out,” said District W24 President and Directing Business Representative Brandon Bryant. “We’re going to be here as long as it takes. We’ve got plenty of support for a long time.”

    U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell and U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal rallied with striking District 751 members on Oct. 15. Sen. Patty Murray and Reps. Adam Smith and Rick Larsen joined a support letter from Cantwell and Jayapal that called on the two sides to “expeditiously work out a fair and durable deal that recognizes the importance of the machinist workforce to Boeing’s future.”

    The continuing strike’s economic impact on the overall U.S. economy did not go unnoticed. The Seattle Times reported that Boeing and its suppliers had lost $9.7 billion by early November.

    Julie Su, then the Acting Labor Secretary, visited Seattle three times and gathered management and union leaders in late October.

    “There was a real history here where the prior leadership of the company had undervalued and undermined the relationship between management and the machinists,” Su told Axios News. “And so the workers felt that.”

    As day 53 of the strike ended, a deal was reached. Solidarity had won a new agreement.

    “This means growth and stability for Boeing workers. Our members went on strike for better wages and working conditions –and they won by staying united and exercising democracy in the workplace,” said IAM Resident General Vice President Jody Bennett said, “They hit the streets, held strong, and have been rewarded with an excellent contract. This dedicated frontline workforce does not just deserve these provisions —they are also overdue. This contract will set a new standard for aerospace across the region, the nation, and the industry.”

    Boeing workers in South Carolina, who are just like our members; facing the same employerand performing the same work, where Boeing moved some production lines to avoid union power in the right to work for less state, saw gains in their compensation packages influenced by the District 751 and W24 fight.

    “Our members fought courageously for what they deserve, and this victory proves the power of collective bargaining,” said IAM International President Brian Bryant. “IAM Boeing workers will help make the case to Boeing South Carolina workers on how we helped raise their wages and benefits at Boeing and the entire industry. We look forward to the conversations on the ground in Charleston about how the IAM can make their workplace stronger.”

    “This experience changed me. It wasn’t just about standing up to the company -it was about standing up for each other, for every worker who deserves respect and fairness. Our strength is our solidarity, and we proved that every day on the line.”, said District 751A member Chris McQueen as she returned to work after the 53 day strike.

    Members knew that standing up meant that more than just their current battle was won, it meant the door was open to change things for the future, together.

    “Education is power, and by equipping our members with the right tools and information, we build a more united and informed union. Together, we are shaping a stronger future for all IAM members and the entire aerospace industry,” said 751 President Holden. “From our family members to the flying public, we want everyone to be proud of this company once again. We are the watchdog with a unique opportunity to make things better for all.”

    Any movement starts with a step, and a step in the right direction tells a new story with new chapters yet to come.

    It was a fight worth winning.

    SIDEBAR
    Historic Agreement:
    IAM District 751 and W24 Members are now the best compensated aerospace workers in the industry.

    * 38% general wage increase over four years, which compounds to 43.65% over the life of the agreement 
    *401(k) employer match of 100% up to 8%-$12,000 ratification bonus 
    *AMPP incentive plan is reinstated, with a guaranteed minimum annual payout of 4%
    *Special company retirement contribution of 4% into 401(k) maintained
    *$105 pension multiplier per year for those vested in the pension plan
    *Call-in language back to current contract
    *New long-term disability plan and big improvement to short term disability plan-Health care cost containment
    *Improved overtime rules
    *Key job security provision for IAM members to build the next Boeing commercial aircraft in the Pacific Northwest
    *Additional Job Security language maintaining the headcount of Facilities and Maintenance members in the Collective Bargaining Agreement

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: The agentic web is reshaping the entire tech stack, and we are creating new opportunity for devs at every layer. You can watch my full Build keynote here.

    Source: Microsoft

    Headline: The agentic web is reshaping the entire tech stack, and we are creating new opportunity for devs at every layer. You can watch my full Build keynote here.

    Transcript

    We’re taking really a systems approach, a platform approach which you can expect from Microsoft across every layer of the stack, whether it’s GitHub and GitHub Copilot enabling an open ecosystem for the software development lifecycle, Microsoft 365, Copilot and Teams, and Copilot Studio enabling agents for every role and business process, and an agent factory in Foundry. Enabling you to build any AI app, any agent using any data, all running on world class infrastructure, and all of this on a robust set of rails are for management, identity and security. Ultimately though, all of this is about creating opportunity to fuel your ambition.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Global: The Coin by Palestinian writer Yasmin Zaher wins the Dylan Thomas Prize – an expert from the judging panel explains why

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Daniel G. Williams, Professor of English Literature, Swansea University

    Yasmin Zaher’s remarkable novel The Coin has won the Swansea University Dylan Thomas Prize for writers under the age of 40.

    This is not a story that begins at the beginning. Instead, its narrator starts with dirt and an obsession with cleanliness, but suggests later that the coin of the title – an Israeli shekel that she accidentally swallowed on a family road trip in which her parents were killed in a car crash – would have been an equally appropriate place to begin.

    Long forgotten, the swallowed coin begins to make its presence felt, somewhere in her body, following her move to America. The narrator is a wealthy young Palestinian woman, teaching boys at a New York City middle school. Her wealth, however, is in the hands of a brother who controls her allowance. She responds by developing a scheme to resell luxury handbags with a homeless con-artist, known throughout as “Trenchcoat”.

    This is one of several attempts at shaping the world around her: she revels in her sexuality and ability to redefine herself through fashionable clothes and accessories; she teaches her class about black power and takes them on a trip to listen to the “dagger poems” of a black nationalist poet in New Jersey.

    I assume this poet is Amiri Baraka since they eat “Black Dada Nihilismus” burgers, a reference to his poem of the same name. But such acts of resistance, if not futile, are limited. Like the swallowed coin, the levers of control, whether material or psychic, lie out of reach as we witness the narrator’s gradual unravelling.

    It is perhaps appropriate that a novel set in New York should win the prize named after Swansea’s most famous poet. New York both enticed and frightened Dylan Thomas. It was the city in which he died. The city, also, in which he recorded the ground-breaking reading of A Child’s Christmas in Wales.

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    In that story, as in his earlier Return Journey, his childhood self is a ghostly presence wandering among the “blitzed flat graves” of shops “marbled with snow and headstoned with fences”. The snow hides devastation. The destruction of the city that Thomas knew as a child. The 44 air raids mounted on Swansea between 1940 and 1943 killed 390 people. And it’s the similar loss of people and places, and the suffering in Gaza today, which Zaher’s novel examines.

    Palestine is a persistent and troubling presence in the The Coin. For Dylan the devastation of Swansea was a metonym for a wider world where civilians were increasingly the victims of war. His world is, regrettably, still ours in that sense. The Coin is a profound meditation on our contemporary world and our complicity in the destruction of another place and people.

    In a moving scene, the narrator recalls a Jewish friend, “a very gentle girl who dreamed of becoming a ballerina”. She lived in a house that once belonged to “a Palestinian family that had been expelled in 1948”. The friend tells her about two underground rooms in the garden. One of the rooms, “the poop room”, allows access to the second which contains “a big wooden chest full of treasures and gold”. The narrator keeps “thinking of that secret chamber off the shit room, the wooden chest inside, full of silverware and gold of the family who thought they would return.”

    The swallowed coin. The inaccessible allowance. The wooden chest full of treasures and gold. Unreachable currency functions as a powerful symbolic centre connecting the brief scenes and meditations that constitute this appropriately fragmented novel. Lost somewhere in the narrator’s entrails, removed from economic exchange, the coin belongs with the excrement and detritus of urban life, which is the object of the narrator’s disgusted obsessions.

    New York in this novel is a repository of failed circulation – the filth of the city’s streets offering a gothic underside to the endless flows of capitalism, frustrating the narrator’s obsessive attempts at keeping herself clean. Narratives and circulation end in the stasis of dirt. Palestinian history ends in dispossession. Swallowed coin, inaccessible allowance and a buried treasure chest are symbolic repositories of Palestinian traumatic memory.

    Zaher shows us how the novel form can still offer a unique way of understanding the world, of mapping our contemporary disorientation. It does this not by offering clarity, but by lingering in the spaces where movement, value and meaning break down. This is a novel about circulation – of money, of bodies and of meaning.

    The swallowed coin is itself a kind of resistance, a refusal to go along with the restless movement of capital that defines our world. The coin refuses liquidity and thereby refuses complicity; its removal from the economic system mimics a kind of muted protest. Beneath the novel’s often frenetic and energetic surface hides a resistant counter-politics of inaction.

    Daniel G. Williams was a judge of this years’ Dylan Thomas Prize.

    – ref. The Coin by Palestinian writer Yasmin Zaher wins the Dylan Thomas Prize – an expert from the judging panel explains why – https://theconversation.com/the-coin-by-palestinian-writer-yasmin-zaher-wins-the-dylan-thomas-prize-an-expert-from-the-judging-panel-explains-why-257063

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: UK adopts historic Pandemic Agreement

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Press release

    UK adopts historic Pandemic Agreement

    Better protections for British public and NHS thanks to deal adopted at the World Health Assembly in Geneva.

    • New Agreement will protect British public and NHS from future global health threats while preserving UK sovereignty
    • Pandemic Agreement will safeguard lives and UK economy by improving world’s collective ability to prevent, prepare for, detect and respond to global disease threats
    • This follows long negotiation process to ensure agreement is firmly in UK’s national interest

    The British people, our NHS and the economy will be better protected against future global health threats thanks to a new World Health Organization (WHO) Pandemic Agreement adopted by the UK today.

    The deal marks a significant step forward in stronger domestic and global prevention by improving the way countries around the world work together to detect and combat pandemic threats.

    The UK government has been actively engaged in negotiations to ensure a strong final agreement. The Agreement adopted at the World Health Assembly in Geneva respects national sovereignty while encouraging nations to work together more effectively to address shared global health threats, in turn helping strengthen our national security which is a key part of this government’s Plan for Change. There are no provisions that would give the WHO powers to impose domestic public health decisions on the UK.

    Minister of State for International Development Baroness Chapman said:

    The Pandemic Agreement is a great example of the UK working with our partners to support countries combat disease and strengthen their health systems. Acting together will help us to prevent pandemics, and prepare for and respond to any future pandemic threats.

    Diseases cross borders, and our diplomacy must too, if we are to prevent a repeat of the devastation caused by Covid-19. That’s why this agreement will make the world a healthier and safer place.

    Health Minister Ashley Dalton said:

    COVID-19 showed us the vital importance of international cooperation to save lives. This landmark agreement will help protect British people from future pandemic threats and safeguard our health system, supporting our mission to build an NHS fit for the future.

    Our national interest and the safety and wellbeing of the British public will always be our first priority. This agreement maintains our sovereignty while ensuring the NHS and the UK as a whole will be better prepared for possible future global health emergencies, through stronger early warning systems and faster response capabilities.

    Our world-class life sciences sector will also benefit from increased innovation in vaccines and treatments, boosting growth and improving care for patients across the UK.

    UKHSA Chief Executive Dame Jenny Harries said:

    It is gratifying to see the Pandemic Agreement adopted. It is clear that international co-operation and collaboration must be at the very heart of our pandemic preparedness strategy if it is to be effective, and this agreement is a welcome step towards making the world a safer place from pandemic threats.

    UKHSA has consistently been committed to sharing data and analysis on pathogens with pandemic potential with our international partners, and we will continue to do so as we work to develop the global capacity to respond to emerging threats to public health.

    This is also good news for scientific innovation and the UK’s world-leading life sciences industry, opening the door to enabling high quality vaccines to be delivered faster in the next pandemic.

    The Covid-19 pandemic has had an enduring impact on lives and livelihoods around the world. Thousands of families in the UK lost loved ones, children missed out on pivotal learning and development opportunities, and businesses were forced to close their doors. The estimated cost of the UK government’s COVID-19 measures was over £300 billion.

    The new Pandemic Agreement will help avoid a repeat of this devastation by creating a framework for countries to take action together to better prevent pandemics – by improving disease surveillance so we can detect and respond to new health threats sooner, and by speeding up innovation of life-saving vaccines and treatments.

    The aim is to prevent pandemic threats from emerging in the first place and stopping them in their tracks when they do.

    It will facilitate swifter pathogen and pathogen data sharing so we can act quickly to prevent further spread. It will also enable the UK to develop vaccines, treatments and tests faster, which will help save lives and drive economic growth in our world-leading life sciences sector.

    124 member states agreed to adopt the Pandemic Agreement today, demonstrating strong international commitment to multilateralism and collective action to strengthen global health security.

    The final text represents a strong outcome for the UK. Key wins include: 

    • Commitments on pandemic prevention, including for health, animal, and environmental sectors to collaborate through a “One Health” approach – a major step toward preventing disease spillover from animals to humans;
    • Provisions that will foster innovation, enhance global research and development, and strengthen supply chains;
    • The Pandemic Agreement paves the way for a new and voluntary Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing (PABS) system which should see pharmaceutical companies get faster access to the pathogens and genetic sequences that they need to create new vaccines, treatments and tests to respond to a pandemic. In return, manufacturers who voluntarily sign up to the system – not the government – will share a portion of their production with the WHO to allocate where it is most needed;
    • The PABS system is entirely voluntary for pharmaceutical companies, who may choose to join to gain faster access to pathogen data for innovation. There are no requirements placed on governments to share vaccines or treatments they have purchased.
    • The Pandemic Agreement does not include any provisions that would give the WHO powers to impose domestic public health decisions on the UK. The sovereignty of states is one of the guiding principles of the Agreement.

    Updates to this page

    Published 20 May 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Sobyanin and Murashko opened the Moscow Medical TechnoCenter after reconstruction

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    Sergei Sobyanin and the Minister of Health of the Russian Federation Mikhail Murashko opened the Moscow Medical Technocenter (Engineering Scientific and Practical Center “Gormedtekhnika”) after a comprehensive reconstruction.

    “Moscow has enormous medical capacities – hundreds of thousands of units of very complex medical equipment that require daily attention, operation, repair, and maintenance at a high level of readiness. In fact, the quality of medical care for citizens and their health largely depend on this. And, of course, without creating structures that would deal with this, it is impossible to operate such a volume of equipment in Moscow today. Therefore, we essentially recreated Gormedtekhnika, created the Moscow Medical Technocenter, reconstructed buildings for it, and equipped it with all the necessary technologies. With the support of the Russian Ministry of Health, we provide personnel with higher education from the leading universities of our country – Baumanka, Sechenov University and other universities. This synergy, of course, ensures the reliable operation of the entire technological complex of the Moscow medical system,” said Sergei Sobyanin.

    In turn, the Minister of Health of the Russian Federation Mikhail Murashko noted that more than 300 thousand large medical devices alone are purchased in Russia every year. In order to service this equipment, it is necessary to train specialists who will carry out verification, preventive examinations and necessary repairs. Currently, the country is training specialists with specialized higher and secondary technical education, who are in great demand in the healthcare system. 2.5 thousand organizations have already received licenses for the technical maintenance of medical equipment.

    “Moscow as a leader in the healthcare system, as a city that is implementing the very first new technologies, of course, needs such a division as today, in which we are present. This is an opportunity to train specialists and, if necessary, to tell medical workers in more detail how this or that equipment works already in some technical details, for a better understanding of the diagnostic and treatment process. We believe that what Moscow is doing today, Sergey Semenovich, is an absolutely leading position not only in our country, but also in the world,” said Mikhail Murashko.

    The capital occupies a leading position in the development of healthcare not only in the country, but also in the world. This is facilitated, in particular, by the fact that, on the instructions of the President of Russia, a number of national projects are being implemented today. They provide not only for the supply of equipment to medical institutions, but also for the implementation of tasks related to scientific developments. This includes health-preserving technologies, which require the creation of new drugs and medical products.

    “Of course, this requires competence, this requires specialists, so such a center is definitely in demand, and it has great serious prospects,” concluded Mikhail Murashko.

    The Moscow Medical Technocenter is a unique institution, which has no analogues in Russia, which provides the entire life cycle of medical equipment: from purchase and maintenance to disposal. The motto of the Technocenter is “We treat what people are treated with.”

    The comprehensive reconstruction of the main building of Gormedtekhnika, built in 1978, which houses the Moscow Medical Technocenter, was completed in May of this year. During the work, which took about two and a half years, the six-story building with an area of 13.7 thousand square meters was virtually completely rebuilt and equipped with the latest equipment.

    Thus, repair areas were modernized, including those authorized by key manufacturers of medical equipment. A stand class “Medtechlab” was created with unique equipment for training engineers and students. There are devices for computer (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in section, artificial lung ventilation (ALV), anesthesia and respiratory (ANR) and video endoscopic devices.

    “Our task is not only to cooperate with manufacturers, but also to develop our own capacities. The specialists of the updated Moscow Medical Technocenter will be able to handle even the most complex equipment,” Sergei Sobyanin wrote in

    on his telegram channel.

    Source: Sergei Sobyanin’s Telegram channel @mos_sobyanin

    Comfortable conditions were created for the employees to work. In particular, the assembly hall was reconstructed and re-equipped, the area of the canteen was increased to 100 seats, and the adjacent territory was landscaped.

    History of the Moscow Medical Technocenter

    The Moscow Medical Technocenter (State Autonomous Institution “Engineering Scientific and Practical Center “Gormedtekhnika”) was founded in 1949 as an electromechanical plant for the repair and restoration of medical equipment. In 1965, a city department for sales, installation and repair was created on its basis under the name “Medtekhnika”. One of the tasks of the organization, along with the previous ones, was the supply of medical equipment. In 1972, the enterprise was transformed into the Moscow Experimental Plant of Medical Equipment.

    Gormedtekhnika received the status of an engineering scientific and practical center in 2024. Thus, the repair and service institution became a full-fledged technology center with international certification from leading manufacturers of medical equipment and a base for specialized education in the field of repair and maintenance of relevant equipment.

    In particular, the Moscow Medical TechnoCenter is a licensed service center for repair of Olympus endoscopic equipment and Mindray, Philips, B. Braun medical equipment. Its specialists regularly undergo training from leading manufacturers.

    The institution has licenses for radiation safety and for the implementation of activities for the technical maintenance of all groups of medical devices, as well as accreditation in the field of ensuring the uniformity of measurements and testing of products.

    The main tasks of the Moscow Medical Technocenter

    The main activities of the Moscow Medical TechnoCenter include maintenance, repair, dismantling, relocation and disposal of medical equipment. Its engineers maintain over 147 thousand units of medical equipment of Moscow healthcare institutions. In 2023–2024 alone, specialists restored the functionality of over 24 thousand units of various medical equipment. The average repair period was 15 days. Since 2020, specialists have dismantled over 550 units of heavy equipment.

    “In recent years, city hospitals and clinics

    installed more than 480 thousand units of medical equipment. Everything must work without failures. That is why it is so important to carry out timely and high-quality maintenance and repairs,” Sergei Sobyanin wrote in on your telegram channel.

    Source: Sergei Sobyanin’s Telegram channel @mos_sobyanin

    In addition, the institution is engaged in metrological maintenance, verification of measuring instruments and control of operational parameters of medical devices. Every year, its specialists carry out metrological maintenance of more than 180 thousand units of medical devices. In addition, they carry out acceptance tests of high-tech equipment for radiation diagnostics, therapy and other medical equipment.

    Over the past five years, the volume of medical equipment inspected has exceeded 381 thousand units. Among them are over 1.4 thousand units of heavy equipment, such as X-ray machines, CT scanners, angiographs, magnetic resonance tomographs, and 3.5 thousand ultrasound machines and other high-tech equipment.

    In 2024, a testing laboratory for blood glucose monitoring systems was opened at the Moscow Medical TechnoCenter. It controls the quality of glucometers and test strips. The laboratory is accredited in the national accreditation system. Today, state standard samples of glucose solution are being developed here together with specialists from the All-Russian Research Institute of Physical, Technical and Radiotechnical Measurements.

    The functions of the center also include transportation and storage of medical equipment, as well as its commissioning.

    The Moscow Medical TechnoCenter is the largest centralized customer of medical equipment for the capital’s healthcare system. Specialists purchase high-tech equipment, including as part of programs to modernize outpatient clinics and reconstruct large multidisciplinary hospitals. Thus, in 2023-2025, more than 80 thousand of its units were installed and put into operation.

    Currently, 135 life cycle contracts have been concluded, under which more than seven thousand units of heavy equipment and other high-tech medical equipment have been purchased, including angiographs, MRI, CT, X-ray machines, mammographs, C-arm and ultrasound machines, and endoscopic stands (rigid and flexible).

    More than 3.5 thousand units of equipment under life cycle contracts have been delivered to Moscow clinicsCapital doctors conducted 150 thousand examinations using new ultrasound machinesSobyanin: Hospitals and clinics have begun using more than 220 units of medical equipment

    The Moscow Medical TechnoCenter provides technical support and control over the execution of government contracts for the supply of medical equipment, coordination and control over the execution of preparatory, installation and commissioning works, storage, delivery and transfer of medical equipment in accordance with the required conditions, as well as conducting control and technical tests. The area of warehouse premises used for these purposes is 35.8 thousand square meters.

    In addition, the institution is an expert center for the acceptance of equipment for the healthcare system. From 2022 to 2024, its engineers inventoried and labeled about 150 thousand units of medical equipment.

    Another area of the center’s activity is the examination of the technical condition of medical equipment for its licensing and write-off. It is carried out every year to ensure a continuous process of updating medical equipment.

    In addition, the technocenter is engaged in the design and development of medical equipment and its operating conditions. A design department has been created on the basis of the institution, where prototypes of innovative products are developed and prepared for their mass production. Among the projects currently being implemented are:

    — the Proximus-250 lifting and rail system for transporting patients, which will be in demand in intensive care, traumatology, neurology and other departments;

    — electric portable aspirator Torr-30 for equipping ambulances — a device with a reduced noise level and a high vacuum level, adapted for operation in low temperature conditions (down to minus 30 degrees).

    The technology center also monitors food supplies to more than 200 milk distribution points to provide for preferential categories of city residents: pregnant women and nursing mothers, as well as children under three years old, children from large families (from three to seven years old), with chronic diseases (from three to 15 years old), and disabled children (from three to 18 years old).

    Since 2021, this social support measure has been transferred to a digital format – the mos.ru portal has online services “Submitting an application to receive food at a milk kitchen” and “Ordering food at a milk kitchen, choosing a milk distribution point and a schedule for receiving food.”

    For over two years, food has been provided by electronic referral without the need for monthly visits to the clinic and issuing of a paper prescription. As a result, the number of visits to medical institutions and milk distribution points not related to receiving products has been reduced by eight million per year.

    Training of engineering personnel

    The Moscow Medical TechnoCenter employs over 1,500 specialists, including over 300 engineers. This is one of the sites for practical training of students from Moscow colleges and universities. The main partners include the First Moscow State Medical University named after I.M. Sechenov, Moscow State Technical University named after N.E. Bauman, Russian Technological University, Moscow Aviation Institute (National Research University), and National Research University “MPEI”. In 2020–2025, over 230 students completed their internships here.

    Since 2022, the targeted career project “Engineer Trainee” has been implemented, thanks to which 53 young specialists have come to work at the institution.

    Over the years of the technology center’s work, an electronic library has been formed – the so-called knowledge base, containing a wide range of educational materials.

    Experienced engineers who work for Moscow’s medical organizations also undergo practical training here. In 2020–2025, more than 3.1 thousand specialists took part in various advanced training programs.

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

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

    HTTPS: //vv.mos.ru/mayor/tkhemes/12778050/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: IOM and 115 Aid Organizations Call for Immediate Action to Pull Yemen Back From Brink Of Catastrophe

    Source: International Organization for Migration (IOM)

    Geneva/ Sana’a, 20 May 2025 – After more than a decade of severe crisis and conflict, people in Yemen are facing what may be their toughest year so far. Conflict, economic collapse and climate shocks continue to drive humanitarian needs. Aid is drying up due to severe funding cuts. Airstrikes have resulted in hundreds of civilian casualties and damaged critical infrastructure.

    As leaders gather tomorrow for the seventh Humanitarian Senior Officials Meeting (SOM VII), UN agencies and international and national NGOs operating in Yemen call on the international community to take urgent, collective action to prevent catastrophic conditions from taking hold.

    Almost five months into 2025, the Yemen Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan is less than 10 per cent funded, preventing critical aid delivery to millions of people across the country, including women and girls, displaced communities, children, refugees, migrants and other vulnerable and marginalized groups who are bearing the brunt of the crisis.

    Despite funding shortfalls and other challenges such as insecurity, access constraints and the continued detention of humanitarian personnel by the de facto authorities, aid agencies are on the ground and delivering. With support from donors, we are fighting hunger, disease and deprivation, and providing life-saving assistance and services including protection, education, shelter and clean water. Local NGOs and civil society organizations play a critical role in these efforts, often serving as the first and sometimes only responders in remote and hard-to-reach areas, having gained the trust of communities over years of engagement.

    Time and again, we have seen how donor support saves lives. Their generous contributions have prevented famine, alleviated suffering and protected the most vulnerable. Today, this solidarity is even more critical. We urgently appeal to donors to scale up flexible, timely, and predictable funding for the Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan. Without immediate action, the vital gains achieved through years of dedicated assistance could be lost.

    We also urge the international community to seize the opportunity presented by the SOM to help Yemenis rebuild their lives in dignity. In addition to sustained humanitarian aid, development assistance must be scaled up to prevent communities from sliding into more acute levels of humanitarian needs, ensure access to essential services and generate economic and livelihood opportunities.

    Strengthened engagement is also essential to stop the conflict that has destroyed so many lives and put Yemen back on a path toward peace and recovery. In the meantime, it is critical to minimize the impacts of conflict on civilians, and we appeal for action to ensure respect for international humanitarian law, including protection of civilians and humanitarian access to all those in need.

    Now more than ever, swift and resolute support is crucial to prevent Yemen from sliding deeper into crisis and move towards a lasting peace.

    Signatory Organizations

    •  Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
    •  International Organization for Migration (IOM)
    •  United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)
    •  United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women)
    •  United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
    •  United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
    •  United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
    •  United Nations Resident Coordinator / Humanitarian Coordinator (RC/HC)
    •  World Food Progamme (WFP)
    •  World Health Organization (WHO)
    •  Accept International
    •  Action For Humanity
    •  Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA)
    •  Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development
    •  Caritas Poland
    •  Center for Civilians In Conflict (CIVIC)
    •  Concern Worldwide
    •  Danish Refugee Council (DRC)
    •  Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe
    •  Gift of the Givers Foundation
    •  International Rescue Committee (IRC)
    •  INTERSOS
    •  Médecins du Monde (MdM)
    •  MedGlobal
    •  Medical and Healthcare Action for Development
    •  Mercy Corps
    •  Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC)
    •  Oxfam
    •  Polish Humanitarian Action
    •  Première Urgence – Aide Médicale Internationale
    •  Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) – Yemen Office
    •  Relief International
    •  Save the Children International
    •  Solidarités International
    •  Triangle Génération Humanitaire
    •  ZOA International
    •  Abductees Mothers Association (AMA)
    •  Abs Development Organization (ADO)
    •  Adan Network for Humiliation work (ANHW)
    •  Ahdaf Assosiation for Development & Work Humanitarian (ADWH)
    •  Al Baraka Foundation for Development (ABDF)
    •  Al Nokhbah Agriculture Cooperative Association (AAC)
    •  Alakhar Center for Peace and Development (ACPD)
    •  Al-Atta Institution for Social Development and Charity (AISDC)
    •  Aljood Foundation For Development (AFD)
    •  Altadhamon Foundation For Development (AFD)
    •  Al-Talib Society for Development (TSD)
    •  Altwasul for Human Development
    •  Al-Walaa Foundation for Development and Humanitarian Work (AWF)
    •  Al-Wed Development Foundation (WDF)
    •  Assistance for Response and Development (ARD-Y)
    •  Banan Benevolent Corporation for Development
    •  Basamat Development Foundation (BDF)
    •  Bena Charity for Humanitarian Development (BCFHD)
    •  Best Future Foundation (BFF)
    •  Building Foundation for Development (BFD)
    •  Child Protection Care Organization (CPCO)
    •  Coalition of Humanitarian Relief (CHR)
    •  DEEM for Development Organization
    •  Diversity Organization
    •  Empower Foundation for Development and Humanitarian Response (EFSD)
    •  Enqath Foundation for Development (EFD)
    •  Estijabah Foundation for Humanitarian Aid and Relief (EFHAR)
    •  Experts Organization For Development
    •  Field Medical Foundation (FMF)
    •  For Human Development Foundation (FHD)
    •  Future Pioneers Foundation for Training and Development (FPF)
    •  HETEEN Developmental and Charitable Foundation
    •  Human Access for Partnership and Development
    •  Humanitarian Organization for Women and Children (WKF)
    •  Iqra Development Association (IDA)
    •  Jannat Development Foundation (JDF)
    •  Jeel Albena Association for Humanitarian Development (JAAHD)
    •  Joodn Organization for Development and Peace (JODP)
    •  Khudh Beyadi Foundation Development (KBFD)
    •  Life Makers Meeting Place Organization (LMMPO)
    •  Light Foundation for Development
    •  Maali Foundation for Development (MFD)
    •  Medical Mercy Foundation Yemen (MMF)
    •  Mona Relief and Development Organization
    •  Mwatana Organization for Human Rights
    •  Nahda Makers Organization (NMO)
    •  Namaa Development Foundation (NDF)
    •  National NGOs Forum
    •  National Union for the Development of the Poorest
    •  Neda’a Foundation for Development (NFD)
    •  Rawabi Al-Nahdah Developmental Foundation (RADF)
    •  Rawafid Social Charity Foundation (RSD)
    •  Rawahel Foundation for Development (RFD)
    •  Read Foundation Yemen (RFY)
    •  Reduction of Humanitarian Disaster Organization (RHD)
    •  Relief and Development Peer Foundation (RDP)
    •  Reyadah for Development Foundation
    •  Safe Road for Peace and Development (SRPD)
    •  Sawaed Al-Khair Humanitarian Foundation (SKHF)
    •  School Feeding and Humanitarian Relief Project (SFHRP)
    •  Shibam Social Association for Development (SSAD)
    •  Social Coexistence Foundation (SCF)
    •  SOS Foundation For Development
    •  Sustainable Development Foundation (SDF)
    •  Tamdeen Youth Foundation (TYF)
    •  Together Foundation For Human Development (TFHD)
    •  Yamany Foundation for Development and Humanitarian Work (YDH)
    •  Yanabia Al-Khair Charity Foundation (YKF)
    •  Yemen Al-Khair for Relief and Development (YARD)
    •  Yemen Development Foundation (YDF)
    •  Yemen Displacement Response Consortium (YDR)
    •  Yemen Family Care Association (YFCA)
    •  Yemen General Union of Sociologists, Social Workers and Psychologists (YGUSSWP)
    •  Yemen Ghawth Foundation for Humanitarian Work (YRFH)
    •  Yemen International Agency for Development (YIAD)
    •  Yemen Karam Organization (YEKO)
    •  Yemen Red Crescent Society (YRCS)
    •  Yemen Women Union (YWU)
    •  Youth Association for the Development of Popular Neighborhoods
    •  Youth of Aden Ambition Foundation (APYF)
       

    For more information, please contact IOM Media Centre 

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: UConn Law Celebrates the Class of 2025

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    Nearly 200 UConn Law graduates, surrounded by a jubilant crowd of family and friends, celebrated the conferral of their degrees during the 102nd commencement ceremony on Sunday, May 19.

    Hartford Mayor Arunan Arulampalam delivered the keynote address, reflecting on how both triumphs and setbacks can guide us to where we’re meant to be. He noted that although he was once rejected by UConn Law, he now stood before the graduates as the city’s mayor and featured speaker.

    See photos from commencement

    Arulampalam spoke about how important it is to be able to see ourselves in each other and connect with each other on a personal level. He shared a story of meeting President Joe Biden at the White Houseand being struck by an octogenarian Irish Catholic finding similarities with a Sri Lankan-by-way-of-Zimbabwe immigrant half his age.  He urged the audience to overcome the instinct to mistrust those who are different and instead strive to build the kind of society they wish to live in.

    “UConn Class of 2025, you get to choose your destinies and our destinies, and you could be the very best of humanity,” Arulampalam said. “You could be the most powerful type of person, one who sows love in the midst of pain and brokenness and division, one who brings life into the midst of darkness, one who builds community in the midst of chaos. and collectively that is our point.”

    Dean Eboni S. Nelson spoke about the many ways the Class of 2025 served its community, both inside and outside the law school, calling acts of service the class’s “collective love language.”

    “You have exemplified the values of compassion, empathy, civility, and understanding as you’ve supported your peers and colleagues during challenging and fraught times,” she said. “The rich diversity of your cultures, experiences, and viewpoints has contributed to our excellence, and your leadership and advocacy have helped to bring and hold our community together. You have made one another better, and you have made this law school better. And for that, I thank you.”

    The Class of 2025 features 143 graduates with juris doctor (JD) degrees, 54 with master of laws (LLM) degrees, and one with a doctor of the science of laws (SJD) degree. Five graduates earned dual degrees – a JD and a graduate degree from another UConn school or college.

    Lois Nnenna Owunna, representing the LLM class, spoke of a feeling of belonging at UConn Law. She highlighted the diverse countries of origin, different languages, and unique traditions among the LLM graduates, noting that perseverance was their common thread. Nnenna Owunna added that they have a lot to give; they bring resilience, compassion, and a drive for justice, in addition to their legal knowledge.

    “What we have experienced has bonded us for life,” she said. “We didn’t let borders or accents divide us. We built bridges.”

    Meet some of the graduates

    Speaking on behalf of the Evening Division, Yanhire Sierra-Lavalle reflected on the support of her family. She has held onto her father saying “Of course she is, she’s Yani” about her plans to attend law school five years ago.

    “Look for mentors, colleagues, or friends, look for people who will continue to uplift you,” she told her classmates. “Look for the person who says ‘Of course you did it. You’re you.’ Don’t forget to give yourself grace. Be kind to yourself. Take care of yourself and give yourself the credit you have earned. When you find yourself in the room with some of the smartest people you have ever met, remember you’re in that room too.”

    Alex Davenport, speaking for the Day Division, shared a quote from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. about moments of conscience, expressing confidence that she and her classmates are prepared to meet those moments with courage.

    “Today is an expression of hope,” she said. “As we turn to the next chapter of our lives, I hope that we daily model commitments to empathy, service, community, and justice. I hope our lives are filled with love and joy. I hope we each know a career that embodies integrity and breathes courage.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: The EBA publishes 2024 Report of its key achievements and activities

    Source: European Banking Authority

    The European Banking Authority (EBA) today published the first part of its 2024 Annual Report presenting the main achievements and activities of the organisation in fulfilling its mandates under its Work Programme over the past year.  

    The year 2024 proved to be a milestone year, with the Agency delivering on over 93% of the tasks under its remit. On the regulatory front, the EBA made significant progress in the implementation of the Basel III reforms within the EU, aiming to ensure banks’ resilience in future crises and strengthen the financial system.  

    The EBA focused on enhancing the Single Rulebook by issuing guidelines and technical standards on key banking topics, such as credit, market and operational risk. The EBA also contributed to the European Green Deal by advancing sustainable finance integration, issuing guidelines and reports on ESG risks, greenwashing, and scenario analysis, reflecting its commitment to embedding environmental and social considerations into prudential frameworks. 

    In 2024, the EBA focused on monitoring financial stability amidst high interest rates, slow growth, and geopolitical uncertainty, with a particular emphasis on the impact on the banking sector. These assessments are included in two issues of its Risk Assessment Report, one published in spring and the other one autumn. The latter was accompanied by the publication of the results of the EU-wide transparency exercise. 

    Other achievements throughout the year included the update of the stress-testing methodology, incorporating new elements like net fee and commission income projections and market risk sensitivity. 

    The Authority also conducted a one-off climate risk stress test to assess the resilience of the financial sector under scenarios of the Fit-for-55 package, showing limited impact from transition risks but potential disruption when combined with macroeconomic factors. 

    Note to the editors  

    By end-June, the EBA will publish a consolidated version of the Annual Report that will provide a comprehensive account of the activities carried out by the EBA in the implementation of its mandate and work programme during 2024.  

    Part 1, published today, provides an overview of the annual key achievements, while Parts 2-5, will include comprehensive information on the implementation of the EBA’s work programme, budget, staff policy plan, its management and internal control systems. 

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: ASIA/CHINA – The Diocese of Fuzhou commemorates the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the Jesuit Giulio Aleni, the “Confucius of the West,” who came to tell “the story of Jesus”

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Fuzhou (Agenzia Fides) – It has been 400 years since the Jesuit Giulio Aleni, known as the “Confucius of the West,” landed in Fuzhou (now the capital of Fujian Province) to tell “the story of Jesus.” Today, the Diocese of Fuzhou paid tribute to this witness of the Gospel with a seminar held from May 16 to 17 and with the inauguration of a statue of him in the Cathedral of Saint Dominic, during a ceremony presided over by Bishop Joseph Cai Bingrui.The seminar dedicated to Giulio Aleni—who introduced neophytes to meditation on the mysteries of Jesus’ life based on Gospel passages, according to the Ignatian method—was attended by scholars from mainland China, Hong Kong, and Italy. The personality and contribution of the Italian Jesuit missionary, who was also an astronomer, man of letters, geographer, and mathematician, were the focus of several presentations.Priest and scholar Peter Zhao, of the Diocese of Beijing, presented a paper on “The Contribution of Father Giulio Aleni to the Life of the Province and to Cultural Exchange”; Professor Lin Jinshui spoke on the theme “From Matteo Ricci to Giulio Aleni”; and Dr. Jiang Wei spoke on “The Specificities and Consonances of Catholic Art in Portuguese India, the Spanish Philippines, and China during the late Ming and early Qing Dynasty.” Finally, the scholars took a guided tour of Father Aleni’s “places” in the Fuzhou area.Giulio Aleni was born in the Italian province of Brescia, Lombardy, in 1582. He joined the Society of Jesus in 1610 and was sent to China, where, after landing in Macau, he dedicated forty years of his life to proclaiming Christ among the Chinese. In fulfilling his mission, he also dedicated himself to teaching mathematics, which he considered a useful tool for connecting with the highest cultural circles of Chinese society. He was provincial of the Jesuit province of Huanan (southern China), and during his mission, he built more than 20 churches and administered the sacrament of baptism to 10,000 new Chinese Christians. In 1649, fleeing the soldiers of the Qing court, he took refuge in Yanping, where he died in May. His tomb is located on Mount of the Cross in Fuzhou. In his missionary work, Father Aleni adopted the ideas and practices followed by his Jesuit confrere Matteo Ricci, and published some twenty scientific, philosophical, spiritual, and doctrinal works.During his missionary years, he was, after Ricci, the best expert of the Chinese language among his fellow community members. His work “The True Origin of All Things” (1628), dedicated to the question of Creation, was widely recognized and reprinted numerous times. In 1635, with the work “True Exposition of the Words and Works of the Incarnate Lord of Heaven,” Aleni recounted the life of Jesus. Also of great value and interest are the texts of the 325 conversations he held with Chinese writers. (NZ) (Agenzia Fides, 20/5/2025)
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    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: IAEA Profile: A Passion For Measurement

    Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

    Zakithi Msimang working at the IAEA’s Dosimetry Laboratory in Seibersdorf (Photo: IAEA)

    The IAEA profiles employees to provide insight into the variety of career paths that support the Agency’s mission of Atoms for Peace and Development and to inspire and encourage readers, particularly women, to pursue careers in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) or STEM-adjacent fields. Read more profiles of women at the IAEA.  

    “Don’t let the pressures of life distract from following your heart, wherever it takes you. Understand your purpose and strive to fulfil it,” Zakithi Msimang encourages the young scientists she supports in the IAEA’s Division of Human Health.

    From South Africa to Austria, she has always let her interests and curiosity lead the way. Today, she is a medical physicist and metrologist, and a mentor in the IAEA’s Marie Sklodowska-Curie Fellowship Programme for women in STEM.

    “Every country doesn’t need its own lab for metrology, but they all have to resolve the challenge of measurement and accuracy in some way. Whether you are a patient receiving radiation as a cancer treatment or a baker buying flour, everyone needs assurance that the amount they receive is correct and consistent,” she explains.

    As the IAEA’s only Secondary Standards Dosimetry Laboratory (SSDL) Officer, Msimang has a unique role in ensuring consistency. She supports the 89 laboratories in 76 different countries that comprise the IAEA/World Health Organization Network of SSDLs. She oversees the data that laboratories around the world use daily to validate the calibration procedures they undertake at their own institutions. She also assists countries in establishing their own dosimetry calibration facilities, drafts IAEA guidance documents and organizes trainings on IAEA codes of practice.

    This commitment to ‘measurement for all’ — this year’s theme for World Metrology Day — has also been the beacon of Msimang’s career path.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Deer Lake — Join us in welcoming one of RCMP NL’s newest police officers, Constable Aidan Payne!

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    Join us in welcoming one of RCMP NL’s newest police officers, Constable Aidan Payne!

    Aidan is originally from Fogo Island, NL, and is currently working at the Deer Lake detachment.

    “I grew up around the police and I saw everything they did for my small community. It made me want to help others like they did,” he says. “I’m excited to start a great career with the RCMP and look forward to what it can bring.”

    His goal for his RCMP career is to become part of the Police Dog Service.

    Welcome to the RCMP, Aidan!

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: Bel Appoints Lynn Hutkin as Chief Financial Officer

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    WEST ORANGE, N.J., May 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Board of Directors of Bel Fuse Inc. (Nasdaq: BELFA and BELFB) (“Bel” or the “Company”) today announced the appointment of Lynn Hutkin as Bel’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO) effective immediately following Bel’s Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be held May 27, 2025. She will be responsible for Bel’s financial strategies and will lead the global finance organization, including planning, treasury, tax, reporting and investor relations. In her new role Ms. Hutkin is succeeding Farouq Tuweiq, Bel’s current CFO, who as previously announced will vacate his CFO role immediately following Bel’s 2025 Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be held May 27, 2025, upon Mr. Tuweiq’s assumption of the President and CEO role on that same date.

    Ms. Hutkin joined Bel in 2007 and has held roles with increasing responsibilities, most recently serving in the role of Vice President of Financial Reporting and Investor Relations along with her designation as Principal Accounting Officer for Bel, which she will continue in her new role (together with her newly added designation as Principal Financial Officer). In addition to her primary roles, throughout her tenure at Bel, she has also been a leader in a variety of other areas including mergers and acquisitions, bank financing, corporate insurance and employee benefit programs. Ms. Hutkin started her career at Arthur Andersen within the audit group and subsequently held roles of increasing responsibility within finance at companies ranging from an IT consulting start-up to a $250 million publicly-traded courier company prior to joining Bel. Ms. Hutkin earned her B.S. of Accountancy from Bentley University and is an active CPA in the State of New Jersey.

    “I am excited to continue working with Lynn and to build upon the accomplishments we have achieved since we began working together in 2021,” said Farouq Tuweiq, Bel’s current CFO. “Bel has gone through a number of transformational steps over the past four years and Lynn has been integral in strengthening best practices at Bel and enhancing financial discipline, financial reporting and internal procedures and controls throughout the organization.”

    “I’m beyond honored to step into the CFO role and very excited for the new journey ahead,” said Lynn Hutkin. “I look forward to the continued partnership with Farouq and our talented team in attaining our future goals.”

    About Bel
    Bel (www.belfuse.com) designs, manufactures and markets a broad array of products that power, protect and connect electronic circuits. These products are primarily used in the defense, commercial aerospace, networking, telecommunications, computing, general industrial, high-speed data transmission, transportation and eMobility industries. Bel’s portfolio of products also finds application in the automotive, medical, broadcasting and consumer electronics markets. Bel’s product groups include Power Solutions and Protection (front-end, board-mount, industrial and transportation power products, module products and circuit protection), Connectivity Solutions (expanded beam fiber optic, copper-based, RF and RJ connectors and cable assemblies), and Magnetic Solutions (integrated connector modules, power transformers, power inductors and discrete components). The Company operates facilities around the world.

    Company Contact:
    Farouq Tuweiq
    Chief Financial Officer
    ir@belf.com

    Investor Contact:
    Three Part Advisors
    Jean Marie Young, Managing Director or Steven Hooser, Partner
    631-418-4339
    jyoung@threepa.com; shooser@threepa.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: The International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC) Commences 2025 Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Annual Meetings Focusing on Boosting Intra-Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Trade in its Member Countries

    Source: Africa Press Organisation – English (2) – Report:

    ALGIERS, Algeria, May 20, 2025/APO Group/ — ITFC signed a five-year Framework Agreement with the Republic of Senegal valued at EUR 2 billion. Signed by H.E. Dr. Abdourahmane Sarr, Minister of Economy, Planning and Cooperation and Governor of IsDB, and Eng. Adeeb Y. Al Aama, CEO of ITFC, the agreement will provide financing support across vital sectors such as energy procurement, agriculture, healthcare, and private sector development, helping to promote sustainable job creation. ITFC signed two agreements with its long-standing partner in Uzbekistan to expand Islamic trade financing solutions for the country’s private sector. The first agreement is a US$10 million Mudaraba Financing Agreement with JSCB Smartbank, a subsidiary of JSCB AgroBank, in addition to the second agreement to increase the amount of Line of Finance Facility to US$ 25 million. These agreements reflect the growing demand for Sharia-compliant products in Uzbekistan and lay the groundwork for future cooperation in treasury and liquidity management services. 

    Held at the Abdelatif Rahal International Conference Center in Algiers, the opening day of the IsDB Annual Meetings has set the stage for an ambitious and action-oriented week. ITFC’s participation is already sparking meaningful dialogue on the future of trade financing and trade development across the member countries, addressing critical sectors such as food security, energy access, SME growth, and the expansion of digital trade. With several additional agreements and high-level engagements anticipated in the coming days, ITFC continues to strengthen its role as a catalyst for sustainable economic transformation. 

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICE Chicago captures shooters in December 2024 mass shooting tied to Tren de Aragua gang

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    CHICAGO — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced the arrests of the shooters involved in the Dec. 2, 2024, mass shooting at a house party in Chicago predominantly attended by Venezuelan nationals. This incident resulted in multiple injuries and the loss of three lives. Authorities believe the shooting was perpetrated by members of the Tren de Aragua gang.

    One of the suspected shooters, Venezuelan national Ricardo Granadillo Padilla, 25, was arrested on Feb. 8 by ICE Homeland Security Investigations Chicago and Raleigh, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Raleigh, U.S Border Patrol Tactical Unit, the U.S. Marshals Service, and CBP Air and Marine Operations in Raleigh, North Carolina. Granadillo Padilla is currently in federal custody after being sentenced in March 2025 for illegally entering the United States in 2022 near El Paso, Texas. Multiple firearms, high-capacity magazines, narcotics, and fraudulent documents were seized in January 2025 from Granadillo Padilla’s residence in Chicago. During his arrest in Raleigh, North Carolina, a pistol, ammunition, and other evidentiary items were also seized.

    Another suspected shooter, Venezuelan national Edward Martinez Cermeno, 24, was arrested on Jan. 26 by ICE HSI Chicago and the CBP Office of Border Patrol in Schaumburg, Illinois. Martinez Cermeno was initially released by a federal magistrate judge in Illinois following a federal detention hearing but was then re-arrested by ICE HSI Chicago on administrative immigration charges for being illegally present in the United States. He is currently in federal custody facing criminal charges for illegally entering the United States in 2023 near Eagle Pass, Texas.

    Over the past weeks, sixteen additional TdA members and associates of the shooters in the Chicago area and Raleigh, North Carolina were arrested by ICE HSI Chicago on immigration charges.

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

    Learn more about ICE’s mission to increase public safety on X at @HSIChicago.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Form 8.3 – [CRANEWARE PLC – 19 05 2025] – (CGWL)

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    FORM 8.3

    PUBLIC OPENING POSITION DISCLOSURE/DEALING DISCLOSURE BY
    A PERSON WITH INTERESTS IN RELEVANT SECURITIES REPRESENTING 1% OR MORE
    Rule 8.3 of the Takeover Code (the “Code”)

    1.        KEY INFORMATION

    (a)   Full name of discloser: CANACCORD GENUITY WEALTH LIMITED (for Discretionary clients)
    (b)   Owner or controller of interests and short positions disclosed, if different from 1(a):
            The naming of nominee or vehicle companies is insufficient. For a trust, the trustee(s), settlor and beneficiaries must be named.    		 N/A
    (c)   Name of offeror/offeree in relation to whose relevant securities this form relates:
            Use a separate form for each offeror/offeree    		 CRANEWARE PLC
    (d)   If an exempt fund manager connected with an offeror/offeree, state this and specify identity of offeror/offeree: N/A
    (e)   Date position held/dealing undertaken:
            For an opening position disclosure, state the latest practicable date prior to the disclosure    		 19 MAY 2025
    (f)   In addition to the company in 1(c) above, is the discloser making disclosures in respect of any other party to the offer?
            If it is a cash offer or possible cash offer, state “N/A”    		 N/A

    2.        POSITIONS OF THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE

    If there are positions or rights to subscribe to disclose in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 2(a) or (b) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security.

    (a)      Interests and short positions in the relevant securities of the offeror or offeree to which the disclosure relates following the dealing (if any)

    Class of relevant security: 1p ORDINARY
      Interests Short positions
    Number % Number %
    (1)   Relevant securities owned and/or controlled: 1,718,050 4.8519    
    (2)   Cash-settled derivatives:        
    (3)   Stock-settled derivatives (including options) and agreements to purchase/sell:        
    TOTAL: 1,718,050 4.8519    

    All interests and all short positions should be disclosed.

    Details of any open stock-settled derivative positions (including traded options), or agreements to purchase or sell relevant securities, should be given on a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions).

    (b)      Rights to subscribe for new securities (including directors’ and other employee options)

    Class of relevant security in relation to which subscription right exists:  
    Details, including nature of the rights concerned and relevant percentages:  

    3.        DEALINGS (IF ANY) BY THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE

    Where there have been dealings in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 3(a), (b), (c) or (d) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security dealt in.

    The currency of all prices and other monetary amounts should be stated.

    (a)        Purchases and sales

    Class of relevant security Purchase/sale Number of securities Price per unit
    1p ORDINARY PURCHASE 3,700 2195p

    (b)        Cash-settled derivative transactions

    Class of relevant security Product description
    e.g. CFD    		 Nature of dealing
    e.g. opening/closing a long/short position, increasing/reducing a long/short position    		 Number of reference securities Price per unit
    NONE        

    (c)        Stock-settled derivative transactions (including options)

    (i)        Writing, selling, purchasing or varying

    Class of relevant security Product description e.g. call option Writing, purchasing, selling, varying etc. Number of securities to which option relates Exercise price per unit Type
    e.g. American, European etc.    		 Expiry date Option money paid/ received per unit
    NONE              

    (ii)        Exercise

    Class of relevant security Product description
    e.g. call option    		 Exercising/ exercised against Number of securities Exercise price per unit

    (d)        Other dealings (including subscribing for new securities)

    Class of relevant security Nature of dealing
    e.g. subscription, conversion    		 Details Price per unit (if applicable)
    NONE      

    4.        OTHER INFORMATION

    (a)        Indemnity and other dealing arrangements

    Details of any indemnity or option arrangement, or any agreement or understanding, formal or informal, relating to relevant securities which may be an inducement to deal or refrain from dealing entered into by the person making the disclosure and any party to the offer or any person acting in concert with a party to the offer:
    Irrevocable commitments and letters of intent should not be included. If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state “none”

    NONE

    (b)        Agreements, arrangements or understandings relating to options or derivatives

    Details of any agreement, arrangement or understanding, formal or informal, between the person making the disclosure and any other person relating to:
    (i)   the voting rights of any relevant securities under any option; or
    (ii)   the voting rights or future acquisition or disposal of any relevant securities to which any derivative is referenced:
    If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state “none”

    NONE

    (c)        Attachments

    Is a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions) attached? NO
    Date of disclosure: 20 MAY 2025
    Contact name: MARK ELLIOTT
    Telephone number: 01253 376539

    Public disclosures under Rule 8 of the Code must be made to a Regulatory Information Service.

    The Panel’s Market Surveillance Unit is available for consultation in relation to the Code’s disclosure requirements on +44 (0)20 7638 0129.

    The Code can be viewed on the Panel’s website at www.thetakeoverpanel.org.uk.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Form 8.3 – [GLOBALDATA PLC – 19 05 2025] – (CGWL)

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    FORM 8.3

    PUBLIC OPENING POSITION DISCLOSURE/DEALING DISCLOSURE BY
    A PERSON WITH INTERESTS IN RELEVANT SECURITIES REPRESENTING 1% OR MORE
    Rule 8.3 of the Takeover Code (the “Code”)

    1.        KEY INFORMATION

    (a)   Full name of discloser: CANACCORD GENUITY WEALTH LIMITED (for Discretionary clients)
    (b)   Owner or controller of interests and short positions disclosed, if different from 1(a):
            The naming of nominee or vehicle companies is insufficient. For a trust, the trustee(s), settlor and beneficiaries must be named.    		 N/A
    (c)   Name of offeror/offeree in relation to whose relevant securities this form relates:
            Use a separate form for each offeror/offeree    		 GLOBALDATA PLC
    (d)   If an exempt fund manager connected with an offeror/offeree, state this and specify identity of offeror/offeree: N/A
    (e)   Date position held/dealing undertaken:
            For an opening position disclosure, state the latest practicable date prior to the disclosure    		 19 MAY 2025
    (f)   In addition to the company in 1(c) above, is the discloser making disclosures in respect of any other party to the offer?
            If it is a cash offer or possible cash offer, state “N/A”    		 N/A

    2.        POSITIONS OF THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE

    If there are positions or rights to subscribe to disclose in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 2(a) or (b) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security.

    (a)      Interests and short positions in the relevant securities of the offeror or offeree to which the disclosure relates following the dealing (if any)

    Class of relevant security: 0.01p ORDINARY
      Interests Short positions
    Number % Number %
    (1)   Relevant securities owned and/or controlled: 11,062,280 1.3716    
    (2)   Cash-settled derivatives:        
    (3)   Stock-settled derivatives (including options) and agreements to purchase/sell:        
    TOTAL: 11,062,280 1.3716    

    All interests and all short positions should be disclosed.

    Details of any open stock-settled derivative positions (including traded options), or agreements to purchase or sell relevant securities, should be given on a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions).

    (b)      Rights to subscribe for new securities (including directors’ and other employee options)

    Class of relevant security in relation to which subscription right exists:  
    Details, including nature of the rights concerned and relevant percentages:  

    3.        DEALINGS (IF ANY) BY THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE

    Where there have been dealings in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 3(a), (b), (c) or (d) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security dealt in.

    The currency of all prices and other monetary amounts should be stated.

    (a)        Purchases and sales

    Class of relevant security Purchase/sale Number of securities Price per unit
    0.01p ORDINARY SALE 4,000 187.39p

    (b)        Cash-settled derivative transactions

    Class of relevant security Product description
    e.g. CFD    		 Nature of dealing
    e.g. opening/closing a long/short position, increasing/reducing a long/short position    		 Number of reference securities Price per unit
    NONE        

    (c)        Stock-settled derivative transactions (including options)

    (i)        Writing, selling, purchasing or varying

    Class of relevant security Product description e.g. call option Writing, purchasing, selling, varying etc. Number of securities to which option relates Exercise price per unit Type
    e.g. American, European etc.    		 Expiry date Option money paid/ received per unit
    NONE              

    (ii)        Exercise

    Class of relevant security Product description
    e.g. call option    		 Exercising/ exercised against Number of securities Exercise price per unit

    (d)        Other dealings (including subscribing for new securities)

    Class of relevant security Nature of dealing
    e.g. subscription, conversion    		 Details Price per unit (if applicable)
    NONE      

    4.        OTHER INFORMATION

    (a)        Indemnity and other dealing arrangements

    Details of any indemnity or option arrangement, or any agreement or understanding, formal or informal, relating to relevant securities which may be an inducement to deal or refrain from dealing entered into by the person making the disclosure and any party to the offer or any person acting in concert with a party to the offer:
    Irrevocable commitments and letters of intent should not be included. If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state “none”

    NONE

    (b)        Agreements, arrangements or understandings relating to options or derivatives

    Details of any agreement, arrangement or understanding, formal or informal, between the person making the disclosure and any other person relating to:
    (i)   the voting rights of any relevant securities under any option; or
    (ii)   the voting rights or future acquisition or disposal of any relevant securities to which any derivative is referenced:
    If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state “none”

    NONE

    (c)        Attachments

    Is a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions) attached? NO
    Date of disclosure: 20 MAY 2025
    Contact name: MARK ELLIOTT
    Telephone number: 01253 376539

    Public disclosures under Rule 8 of the Code must be made to a Regulatory Information Service.

    The Panel’s Market Surveillance Unit is available for consultation in relation to the Code’s disclosure requirements on +44 (0)20 7638 0129.

    The Code can be viewed on the Panel’s website at www.thetakeoverpanel.org.uk.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: KlevaMova customers travel on the Gautrain free this weekend

    Source: South Africa News Agency

    Eligible Gauteng residents have been urged to sign up for the newly launched KlevaMova product – which offers a 50% discount on Gautrain train fares.

    The Gautrain recently announced the special product which caters for individuals living in households with a combined household annual income of R350 000 or less, students under the age of 25, scholars, pensioners, and recipients of the South African Social Security Agency’s (SASSA) disability grant.

    Gauteng MEC for Roads and Transport, Kedibone Diale-Tlabela, said the Gautrain was opening its doors this weekend, 24 and 25 May 2025, and allowing pre-registered customers free travel on the train.

    The free weekend special will allow an eligible individual to bring along up to three guests for this exclusive offer. 

    Seats are limited, so individuals who wish to take-up the free travel offer must register at klevamovaweekend.gautrainalerts.co.za by no later than 21 May 2025.

    Upon arrival at a Gautrain station on 24 and 25 May, eligible passengers will be received by a promoter who will verify that they are registered for the free travel promotion and issue them and their guests with a wristband which will allow them seamless free travel on the Gautrain for the day. 

    In addition, the promoters will assist customers who wish to register for the KlevaMova 50% off train fare discount. 

    “Eligible passengers do not only get to explore Gautrain for free on 24 and 25 May 2025, but also get an opportunity to sign up for a product that will reduce their day-to-day train travel costs to work, school, or other destinations in the province,” said Diale-Tlabela.

    The Gautrain’s KlevaMova product offers eligible passengers a 50% discount on train fares only, available as weekly, monthly and return trip products. 

    To qualify for the discount, interested individuals must apply by submitting relevant documentation, and are subject to an approval and verification process.

    “We are building a Gauteng that embraces all its communities, irrespective of their status in life. We want Gauteng to be connected and accessible, thereby allowing our residents access to opportunities they deserve while catalysing inclusive economic growth. 

    “I would like to encourage qualifying individuals to register for KlevaMova and experience an efficient, safe, and convenient public transport service,” said the MEC.

    For more information contact the Gautrain’s toll-free number 0800 428 87246 (0800 GAUTRAIN), daily from 05:30 to 20:00, or visit www.gautrain.co.za, or visit a Gautrain station (excluding OR Tambo) Monday to Saturday between 08:00 and 17:00.

    “If you quality, register and hop on the Gautrain for free this weekend. Experience this world-class public transport service and sign-up for the 50% off train discount product. 

    “Affordable public transport is not a luxury, but a fundamental service as it gives residents the opportunity to better access jobs and social activities, which then increases a city’s economic activity,” the MEC said. – SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: GDE condemns alleged assault by seven girl learners on fellow pupil

    Source: South Africa News Agency

    The Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) has expressed deep concern at a recent incident where a group of seven girl learners from Bedfordview High School, Kensington High School, Queens High School, and Phoenix College allegedly assaulted a fellow Bedfordview High girl learner in Yeoville.

    The incident reportedly took place on Saturday, 10 May 2025. 

    “According to information at our disposal, the victim reported this matter to the school on Monday, 12 May 2025, and alleged that the unfortunate group attack took place at a one of the houses in Yeoville, where the learners reside. 

    “A disturbing video capturing the group assault on the victim by the perpetrating learners has since gone viral on social media. The perpetrators, who are a group of seven girl learners, include four learners from Bedfordview High School (three in Grade 8 and one in Grade 9), one learner from Queens High School (Grade 9), one learner from Kensington High School (Grade 8), and one learner from Phoenix College (Grade 10). 

    “All implicated learners were swiftly suspended by their respective schools and appeared at the Magistrates Court on Monday, 19 May 2025, facing charges of common assault. 

    “The schools have begun internal investigations into the misconduct of the learners involved, in line with the codes of conduct and applicable disciplinary procedures from both schools

    “Psycho-social support will be provided by the department to all affected learners, including the victim. The GDE strongly condemns such acts of violence among learners. Violent behaviour among learners, whether within school grounds or beyond, is unacceptable and will carry serious consequences that may affect learners’ education and long-term prospects. 

    “We reaffirm that fostering safe, respectful, and supportive learning environments is a top priority for the department.”

    The department called on parents and guardians to play an active role in shaping the values and conduct of their children. 

    “Building a non-violent society starts at home. Parents must work hand-in-hand with schools and the department to instil discipline, empathy, and accountability in our learners. Together, we can cultivate a society of respect towards education institutions, which will ensure that Gauteng schools remain safe spaces for quality learning and teaching.”   

    The GDE urged all learners to speak out against bullying and any form of violence, whether directed at them or at their peers. 

    “Silence only protects the aggressor, and that can lead to more misconduct.” 

    Learners are encouraged to report incidents to a trusted teacher, school leadership, their parents or guardians, or the nearest Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) district office.   

    For additional support, learners can freely contact the South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG) at 0800 567 567 or reach out to Childline South Africa on 116. Both are free, confidential, and available 24/7.   

    Incidents of bullying or violence can also be reported directly to the GDE via WhatsApp on 060 891 0361 or through the GDE Contact Centre on 0800 000 789. – SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Government condemns Diepkloof protest action

    Source: South Africa News Agency

    Tuesday, May 20, 2025

    Government has condemned the acts of violence that claimed two lives in protest action in Gauteng’s Diepkloof.

    “We strongly condemn the violence and looting that took place in Diepkloof and extend our heartfelt condolences to the families of the two individuals who lost their lives. Every life lost under such circumstances is one too many, and we deeply mourn this tragedy,” Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) Acting Director-General, Nomonde Mnukwa said.

    In a statement on Tuesday, government said it deeply regrets the tragic loss of lives during the violent housing protest in Soweto on Monday.

    Two people lost their lives when angry Diepkloof residents blocked roads, looted trucks, and clashed with police, citing the City of Johannesburg’s failure to develop vacant land.

    Government further added that it acknowledges and upholds the constitutional right of all South Africans to protest and express their grievances.

    However, such actions must be conducted peacefully and within the confines of the law. The right to protest does not extend to acts of criminality, violence, or the infringement of the rights and safety of others.

    “We are confident that law enforcement authorities will conduct a thorough investigation into the events of Monday to ensure those responsible are held accountable and to help prevent similar incidents in the future. Government has full confidence in the ability of the South African Police Service to act decisively and lawfully,” said Mnukwa.

    Government called on all citizens to exercise their rights responsibly, and to uphold the values of democracy, dialogue, and mutual respect.

    “Violent acts and destruction of property not only weaken the legitimacy of genuine causes but also threaten the safety and livelihoods of innocent members of the community,” it said. –SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Mashatile engages with SA and French businesses in roundtable dialogue

    Source: South Africa News Agency

    Deputy President Shipokosa Paul Mashatile has engaged with South African and French businesses during a Roundtable Breakfast Dialogue hosted by MEDEF International in Paris. 

    MEDEF is France’s largest business federation, representing over 750 000 companies, from SMEs to large multinationals. It plays a central role in promoting French economic diplomacy, supporting private sector development, and facilitating international investment and trade relationships.

    The Business Dialogue is an important platform for businesses from both countries to expand on existing cooperation and identifying new areas of cooperation, with a specific focus on trade and investment.

    “The South African Government has committed to spending more than R940 billion on infrastructure over the next three years. This funding will revitalise our roads and bridges, build dams and waterways, modernise our ports and airports, and power our economy. 

    “Moreover, investors have an opportunity to collaborate with the South African Government by investing in infrastructure such as ports, rail, electricity, and manufacturing to improve local value-addition and boost trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area,” the Deputy President said in his address at the Business Dialogue.

    The Deputy President also touched on the European Union-SA Summit, which took place in Cape Town in March 2025, where there was an announcement of the EU investment package of around R90 billion to support investment projects in South Africa. 

    In addition, Mashatile met with Thierry Deau, Group CEO of Meridiam and Chairperson of the Global Long-Term Infrastructure Investors Association. 

    Meridiam is a global investment firm specialising in public infrastructure, with assets under management exceeding €12 billion. It focuses on long-term investments in transport, energy, social infrastructure, and environmental projects, with a commitment to sustainable development and inclusive growth.

    READ | Deputy President in France for a working visit

    During the meeting, the two discussed, among others, the importance of collaboration with various stakeholders, including infrastructure investors, policymakers, and academia, as being crucial for promoting responsible and long-term private capital deployment in public infrastructure.

    The Deputy President indicated that he is certain that South Africa and France can achieve new heights of prosperity through strengthening their economic links and encouraging closer cooperation. – SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • Yoga Sangam 2025: India gears up for historic wellness celebration

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Over 1,000 entities have already registered on the Yoga Sangam portal, setting the stage for what promises to be India’s largest-ever wellness celebration on June 21 — the 10th International Day of Yoga (IDY). The theme for 2025, “Yoga for One Earth, One Health,” reflects India’s global leadership in promoting holistic well-being.

    Participation spans all corners of the country, including schools, colleges, corporates, NGOs, Resident Welfare Associations, government departments, and community groups from all 28 States and 7 Union Territories. Each group has pledged to follow the Common Yoga Protocol (CYP), representing national unity through coordinated breath and movement. More than one lakh venues are expected to host yoga sessions — from the snow-capped Himalayas to the southern tip of Kanyakumari.

    The initiative encourages individuals and institutions to host yoga sessions and contribute to a national wave of wellness. Participants can earn recognition as community wellness ambassadors and receive official certificates of appreciation.

    To take part, visit yoga.ayush.gov.in/yoga-sangam, register your organisation, conduct your Yoga Sangam event on June 21, and upload participation details after the event.

    India’s Wellness Diplomacy: Ayush at Osaka Expo 2025

    India’s presence at the World Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan, is garnering praise for showcasing the country’s rich traditions of holistic health. The Ministry of Ayush, in collaboration with the India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO), Embassy of India in Tokyo, Consulate General of India in Osaka-Kobe, and the Heartfulness Institute, has been hosting daily yoga sessions at the India Pavilion — Bharat — from May 2 through October 13.

    So far, 55 sessions have been held, engaging over 2,100 participants, including Japanese nationals and international visitors. The inaugural session on May 2, attended by Ambassador Sibi George and Consul General Chandru Appar, coincided with Japan’s Golden Week and attracted a large audience.

    The upcoming Yoga Week from June 15 to 21 will culminate in a mega celebration of International Day of Yoga, featuring multiple daily sessions in various formats. From June 29 to July 5, the India Pavilion will also spotlight traditional medicinal plants, herbs, and Ayush-based wellness products. On June 30, a dedicated B2B meet and road show will promote investment opportunities and global partnerships in Ayush healthcare.

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Grenfell Tower next steps

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Correspondence

    Grenfell Tower next steps

    An update about the Grenfell Tower site.

    Applies to England

    Documents

    Grenfell Tower next steps

    PDF, 175 KB, 3 pages

    Grenfell Tower next steps

    HTML

    Details

    The government recognises that Grenfell Tower has a deep personal significance to those most affected by the tragedy and that all work at the Grenfell Tower site is sensitive. We are continuing to share information about the Tower, and listen to bereaved families, survivors and residents in the immediate community. 

    In this community update, we provide information about how the community can speak to us, and what to expect from the next stages as we prepare for work to carefully take down Grenfell Tower. We provide details of how we can support the community to mark the anniversary in June, and pay respects at the site. The update also includes information about health and wellbeing support, and how to get in touch with us. 

    The content of this update reflects information that has been sent directly to bereaved family members, survivors and residents in the immediate community.

    Updates to this page

    Published 20 May 2025

    Sign up for emails or print this page

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories: Foreign Secretary statement, 20 May 2025

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 3

    Oral statement to Parliament

    Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories: Foreign Secretary statement, 20 May 2025

    Statement by Foreign Secretary David Lammy to the House of Commons on the situation in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories

    With permission, Madam Deputy Speaker, I will make a statement on Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

    This weekend, the Israeli Defence Force started a new, extensive ground operation throughout Gaza, Operation Gideon’s Chariot. Five Israeli divisions are now operating there.

    Prime Minister Netanyahu says that they are going to take control of the Strip letting only minimal amounts of food reach Gazans. Madam Deputy Speaker I quote Prime Minister Netanyahu – “just enough to prevent hunger.”

    Fewer than ten trucks entered Gaza yesterday. The UN and WHO have issued stark warnings of the threat of starvation hanging over hundreds of thousands of civilians. Madam Deputy Speaker, this is abominable.

    Civilians in Gaza facing starvation, homelessness, trauma, desperate for this war to end, now confront renewed bombardment, new displacement and new suffering. And the remaining hostages kept apart from their loved ones by Hamas for almost six hundred days are now at heightened risk from the war around them.

    Madam Deputy Speaker, two months ago the ceasefire collapsed. Since then, the humanitarian catastrophe has rapidly intensified.

    For eleven weeks, Israeli forces have blockaded Gaza, leaving the World Food Programme without any any remaining stocks. Israel has repeatedly struck hospitals, with three more hospitals in northern Gaza ceasing operations this weekend.

    Yet more aid workers and medical workers have been killed. After last year proved the deadliest year on record for humanitarian personnel.

    The diplomatic deadlock between Israel and Hamas has sadly also hardened. Despite the efforts of the United States, Qatar and Egypt – which we of course support – no ceasefire has emerged.

    We repeat our demand that Hamas release all the hostages immediately and unconditionally and reiterate that they cannot continue to run Gaza.

    Madam Deputy Speaker, we are now entering a dark new phase in this conflict. Netanyahu’s government is planning to drive Gazans from their homes into a corner of the Strip to the south and permit them a fraction of the aid that they need.

    Yesterday, Minister Smotrich even spoke of Israeli forces “cleansing” Gaza, “destroying what’s left”, of resident Palestinians “being relocated to third countries”.

    We must call this what it is. It is extremism. It is dangerous. It is repellent. It is monstrous. And I condemn it in the strongest possible terms.

    Madam Deputy Speaker, Israel suffered a heinous attack on October 7th and the Government has always backed Israel’s right to defend itself. We have condemned Hamas and its abhorrent treatment of the hostages. And we have stood with families and demanded their loved ones be released.

    But the planned displacement of so many Gazans is morally unjustifiable, wholly disproportionate and utterly counter-productive. Whatever Israeli ministers claim, this is not the way to bring the hostages safely home.

    Nearly all the hostages have been freed through negotiations, not military force. And that is why hostage families themselves – and many other Israelis – oppose this plan so strongly.

    Nor will this plan eliminate Hamas or make Israel secure. This war has left a generation orphaned and traumatised, ready for Hamas to recruit. As we learned in Northern Ireland to defeat terrorists and their warped ideology you cannot just rely on military might. You have to offer a viable political alternative. Opposing the expansion of a war that’s killed thousands of children is not rewarding Hamas.

    Madam Deputy Speaker, since entering office, we have taken concerted action on Gaza.

    We restored funding to UNRWA. We supported the independence of international courts. We suspended arms export licences. We provided food and medical care to hundreds of thousands of Gazans. We’ve worked with Arab partners on a plan to ensure a reconstructed Gaza no longer run by Hamas.

    And since Israel restarted strikes on Gaza, this Government has demanded Israel change course. Privately, in my conversations with Foreign Minister Sa’ar and Strategic Affairs Minister Dermer, and publicly, in repeated joint statements with my French and German counterparts, we have made clear that Israel’s actions are intolerable.

    We have raised our concerns in the UN Security Council and before the International Court of Justice. Yesterday, my Right Honourable Friend the Prime Minister joined leaders from France and Canada strongly opposing the expansion of Israel’s military operations. And the UK led a further statement with twenty-seven partners criticising Israel’s proposed new aid delivery mechanism and defending the essential humanitarian principles of the international system that the UK did so much to establish in the first place.

    Our message is clear. There is a UN plan ready to deliver aid at scale, needed with mitigations against aid diversion. There are brave humanitarians ready to do their jobs. There are 9,000 trucks at the border. Prime Minister Netanyahu: end this blockade now and let the aid in.

    Regrettably, Madam Deputy Speaker, despite our efforts, this Israeli government’s egregious actions and rhetoric have continued. They are isolating Israel from its friends and partners around the world. Undermining the interests of the Israeli people. And damaging the image of the state of Israel in the eyes of the world.

    I find this deeply painful, as a lifelong friend of Israel and a believer in the values expressed in its declaration of independence.

    As the Prime Minister and fellow leaders said yesterday, we cannot stand by in the face of this new deterioration. It is incompatible with the principles that underpin our bilateral relationship. Rejected by Members across this House and frankly it’s an affront to the values of the British people.

    Therefore today, I am announcing that we have suspended negotiations with this Israeli government on a new free trade agreement. We will be reviewing cooperation with them under the 2030 Bilateral Roadmap.

    The Netanyahu government’s actions have made this necessary. Madam Deputy Speaker, today, my Honourable Friend the Minister for the Middle East is summoning the Israeli Ambassador to the Foreign Office to convey this message.

    I say now to the people of Israel: we want, I want a strong friendship with you based on our shared values with flourishing ties between our people and societies. We are unwavering in our commitment to your security and to your future, to countering the very real threat from Iran, the scourge of terrorism and the evils of antisemitism.

    But the conduct of the war in Gaza is damaging our relationship with your government. And, as the Prime Minister has said, if Israel pursues this military offensive as it has threatened, failing to ensure the unhindered provision of aid, we will take further actions in response.

    The UK, Madam Deputy Speaker, will not give up on a two-state solution. Israelis living in secure borders, recognised and at peace with their neighbours, free from the threat of terrorism. Palestinians living in their own state, in dignity and security, free of occupation.

    The two-state solution remains the ideal framework, indeed, the only framework, for a just and lasting peace. But as the House knows, its very viability is in peril.

    Endangered not only by the war in Gaza, but by the spread of illegal Israeli settlements and outposts across the Occupied West Bank, with the explicit support of this Israeli government.

    There are now weekly meetings to approve new settlement construction. Settlement approval has accelerated while settler violence has soared. Here too, we have acted, repeatedly pressing for a change in this course and direction, sanctioning seven entities last October, and signing a landmark agreement to bolster support for the Palestinian Authority, when Prime Minister Mustafa visited London just last month.

    But here too, we must do more. Today, we are therefore imposing sanctions on a further three individuals and four entities involved in the settler movement.

    I have seen for myself the consequences of settler violence. The fear of its victims. The impunity of its perpetrators. Today, we are demonstrating again that we will continue to act against those who are carrying out heinous abuses of human rights.

    Madam Deputy Speaker, despite the glimmer of hope from January’s ceasefire, the suffering from this conflict has worsened. But January showed another path was possible.

    We urge Netanyahu’s government to choose this path. The world is judging. History will judge them. Blocking aid, expanding the war, dismissing the concerns of your friends and partners. This is indefensible and it must stop.

    I commend this statement to the House.

    Updates to this page

    Published 20 May 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Deputy Prime Minister speech to UKREiif – 20 May 2025

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Speech

    Deputy Prime Minister speech to UKREiif – 20 May 2025

    Transcript of the Deputy Prime Minister’s speech at the UK Real Estate and Infrastructure Forum (UKREiiF) on 20 May 2025.

    Good morning!

    It’s fantastic to be back at UKREiiF, as Deputy Prime Minister.

    And it’s excellent to be here in Leeds.

    A great city under a great council and West Yorkshire’s Mayor, my friend Tracy Brabin.

    From Holbeck to Hunslet to Horsforth, it’s being remade and reborn.     

    Creating new good-quality jobs as well as opportunities for growth and investment.

    And it’s a testament to partnership between local, regional, and national government.

    And I want to say a big thanks to all of you here today. And it was great to hear Tom and the enthusiasm when I was backstage then and also throwing down the gauntlet to us to say we will match your ambition if you’ve got it, Tom we have that ambition.

    From our local leaders to housebuilders to investors.

    For the part you’re playing in all of this.

    And I’m here, today, to tell you that there’s more to come…

    … As we get Britain building again as part of our Plan for Change.

    I said last year that we would deliver this change.

    New homes, new infrastructure projects, jobs, higher living standards, strong communities and a strong economy.

    And I said that we would deliver this by working in partnership.

    By backing you to build, invest and succeed.

    So that our country and that is what we can do together to succeed.

    Last year, I told you about a new development that I had just visited in my own constituency.

    That delivered 62 much-needed new social and affordable homes.

    For families in my community who needed them.

    I told you what that development meant to me.

    [Political content removed]

    Because our vision is not just building houses, but it’s building homes for people of our country.

    And building the communities in which they live.

    We have a target to build 1.5 million homes this Parliament.

    As most of you in this room know I’m a straight talker, so I’ll say it straight.

    I know that target is stretching.

    [Political content removed]

    But I won’t shy away from the challenge.

    It’s desperately needed after years of failure.

    But I also want to be clear that our vision for housing is about so much more than hitting one target.

    We must continue building well beyond this Parliament.

    These must be well-designed, decent homes for local people.

    And they must come alongside the GP surgeries, schools and parks they need too.

    So, how will we know we’re succeeding?

    Firstly, if we get more and more homes – in every part of the country,  including here in West Yorkshire – built long into the future too.

    We can’t just ramp-up housebuilding over the next few years.

    Secondly, if more people have a home they can afford.

    And we bring crippling costs down.

    Thirdly, if we’re ensuring all homes are safe, secure and warm.

    And we’re driving down bills for working people.

    And finally, if we’re tackling the shameless homelessness crisis that is destroying the life chances of so many.

    Now this will demand huge ambition.

    And I am ready to meet it.

    Already, we are creating the right conditions for building.

    Ensuring smarter regulation for planning.

    And pro-growth and pro-building policy.

    We’re also working in partnership with you –

    Investors, industry…

    … The builders of our great nation.

    And I want to see new players, entrepreneurs and disruptors flourish.

    Small and medium enterprises, community-led housing projects and Councils who can disrupt the market for the better.

    Radically changing what we build, and who builds it.

    And transforming the system.

    To make it more diverse and innovative.

    Capable of not just delivering more homes, more quickly.

    But delivering secure, affordable and decent homes – for everyone, everywhere…

    And homes that will stand the test of time.

    I say that I don’t shy away from the scale of the crisis facing us.

    Because it is  monumentous.

    There’s barely a family in this country hasn’t been affected by it.

    The dream of home ownership has been snatched away from a generation.

    Just over 1.3 million people languish on waiting lists for social housing.

    It is a scandal we have over 160,000 children in temporary accommodation.

    Their lives have been held back.

    Our country is being held back.

    I know, from my own experience, how much having a secure, affordable home matters.

    Alongside decent work and a strong community.

    These were the foundations on which our parents and grandparents built good lives.

    But which are now just not there for too many working people.

    This is not just taking a personal toll, but it’s taking an economic one too.

    Because growth and development go hand in hand.

    Unlocking decent jobs, vital infrastructure and supporting our local economies.

    Which in turn delivers the growth that is so needed to improve living standards and revitalise our public services.

    Yet, I’ve heard from so many people since coming into office, how the system just stopped working.

    Desperate families failed.

    Local leaders feeling powerless to act.

    Developers navigating a complex system.

    This is not a series of crises.

    But the symptoms of a broken system.

    And so, nothing less than action everywhere will do.

    It’s a momentous challenge – but we will meet this moment.

    And in our first ten months of Government that is what I set out to do.

    We said getting shovels in the ground was crucial.

    And so, I wasted no time in turning the pages on years of decline.

    With unwavering action to reverse the tide and get Britain building again.

    We reintroduced local housing targets.

    [Political content removed]

    We set out and consulted on a new pro-growth, pro-supply National Planning Policy Framework within our first three weeks in Office.

    Unlocking brownfield and grey belt land for development.

    And before the summer was out, we started getting stalled sites moving again through our New Homes Accelerator.

    We’re pressing ahead with the hugely ambitious Planning and Infrastructure Bill.

    To speed up the delivery of new homes and critical infrastructure.

    With innovative reforms like our Nature Restoration Fund to unblock building.

    While creating a win-win for nature and development.

    As well as plans to modernise planning committees and bring in a new system of strategic planning.

    Changes which could add up to £7.5 billion to the UK economy over the next decade.  

    The New Towns Task force is also hard at work on its recommendations for sites.

    We’ve committed £3bn of support to small to medium enterprises and the build to rent sector, to access cheaper lending.

    And as part of our commitment to building 1.5 million homes this Parliament…

    …We’ll deliver  the biggest wave of affordable and social housing in a generation.

    And we’ve already topped up investment by £800 million.

    As well as a £2 billion top-up funding next year.

    With more to come at the Spending Review. 

    And that’s not all.

    Our landmark Renters’ Rights Bill was introduced within our first four months.

    Banning no fault evictions and giving the millions renting more security.

    In November, we also set out our blueprint to ending the feudal leasehold system.

    And earlier this year we published our Commonhold White Paper.

    Giving leaseholders more say and power over their homes and lives.

    And we’re empowering mayors through our devolution revolution.

    Because the homes we build must deliver for people in all corners of our country.

    This is the biggest shift of power from Whitehall to our town halls in a generation.

    That was why I was delighted to celebrate the launch of The Great North last night. Not just because I am a northerner.

    The North’s mayors coming together to herald a new era of Northern cooperation.

    Showing what’s possible when we work together.

    And we’re already seeing green shoots of this coming through.

    Today Homes England has announced it’s delivering thousands more homes across the country compared to last year.

    But this is just the start.

    Because I know that there is so much more that still needs to be done.

    As I’ve said, our planning reforms are a game-changer.

    But we know that there must also be a renewed focus on social housebuilding.

    I’m committed to resetting the foundations of the sector.

    And to give the sector stability and confidence to invest in the future.

    It’s also why we have made planning changes to support affordable housing too.

    And we’ve helped Councils to borrow sustainably from the Public Works Loan Board.

    Extending the preferential rate for council housebuilding to the end of 2025-26.

    And we’ll shortly be confirming future regulatory standards.

    To ensure that homes are safe, decent and warm.

    And that social housing tenants are treated with the respect that they deserve.

    Whilst also giving the sector the certainty to invest for the future. 

    I’m committed to this Council housebuilding revolution.

    And not just because social and affordable housing are a nice add-on.

    But because it’s essential to ensuring homes are built – and more quickly.

    Because we know developments with a mix of housing build out faster.

    And that affordable homes are the vital ingredient to unlocking private housebuilding too.

    Partnerships between housebuilders and the public sector – like Vistry’s partnerships model…

    And the projects between Homes England, Muse and Pension Insurance Corporation that are delivering 100% affordable sites in Bradford and Wakefield.

    And are adding greater diversity, ensuring we meet the needs of local communities.

    And I want to see these continue.

    And more partnerships like them too.

    We also want to see smaller housebuilders playing a bigger role.

    Both in terms of who builds our homes and the types of homes they build.

    They already make a significant contribution on smaller brownfield sites.

    Building out faster than is often possible on larger and more complex sites.

    So, we’re backing them to reclaim their rightful place as the backbone of housebuilding.

    But a diverse housing market also depends on a workforce that’s fit for the future.

    And so, we’re working closely with the construction sector to improve skills.

    And job opportunities across the country.

    The Chancellor has already announced £600 million to recruit an extra 60,000 construction workers by 2029.

    And I’m proud to be joining the inaugural meeting of the Construction Skills Mission Board with Mark Reynolds from Mace. This industry-led group will bring together the whole sector to invest in UK plc, and oversee industry plans to recruit 100,000 more workers per year by the end of the Parliament, securing the next generation of construction workers.  

    It’s also why we’re also plugging capacity back into local planning authorities.

    Making funds available to hire 300 new planners.

    And through reforms to our Planning and Infrastructure Bill, letting Councils set their own planning fees.

    And ringfencing this money to reinvest in planning.

    Today, we don’t have to look too far afield for inspiration.

    Just round the corner from this hall, the Leeds College of Building – the UK’s only specialist construction college – is training the next generation of workers.

    And when it comes to who will drive delivery, our Mayors will be key.

    With the powers we’re handing them, they will be critical to powering regional growth.

    They’ve already achieved so much.  

    South Yorkshire’s on course for 20,000 new homes over the next 20 years.

    In West Yorkshire, Mayor Brabin has helped get shovels in the ground on the Dyecoats project where 1,600 new homes will be built.

    In Greater Manchester, there’s a strategic place partnership with Homes England that’s supporting 10 councils with 13 projects.

    And in the North-East, Mayor McGuinness is supporting the delivery of 100 new family homes – including council housing – as part of a regeneration project in East Durham.

    And, just last week, Mayor Parker in the West Midlands, announced 300 affordable homes on the site of the former Yardley Sewage Works…

    … Including 150 for social rent.

    And going forward, we want to forge a stronger partnership between Mayors and Homes England.

    Moving Homes England to a more regionalised model, over time.

    This is Britain [Political content removed].

    Open to building.

    Open for business.

    And delivering for working people.

    So we give people the security and control they deserve.

    Regardless of whether they rent or they own their home.

    Or are in the private or social rented sector.

    We have big changes in the pipeline.

    Disrupting, diversifying and transforming the housing market.

    So that it delivers for working people.

    Big changes that mean big opportunities for investment and growth.

    I urge everyone across the whole system to seize them with both hands.

    To investors, I say: there are an exciting array of opportunities. Tom spoke about them.

    To our housebuilders, we have listened and we’re reversing the tide to create the right conditions.

    But now we need you to build, build, build.

    To our mayors, I say don’t hold back.

    Take control of planning to drive the growth across housing, transport and skills.

    Our councils, too, must raise their game with up-to-date Local Plans.

    And work together with housing associations to build a new generation of social housing.

    Because the days of business as usual are over.

    It’s time to fight for a brighter, more ambitious future for our country.

    And what better inspiration than Clement Attlee’s 1945 Labour Government.

    Out of the ruins of war, he built homes for heroes.

    And as we mark its 80th anniversary, it’s time to recommit ourselves to delivering in the same spirit.

    This is how we’ll unleash the growth and opportunities we all want to see.

    It’s how we will rebuild the foundations of a good life for everyone.

    And it’s how we will deliver for working people.

    Thank you.

    Updates to this page

    Published 20 May 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Testimony Before the United States House Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government

    Source: Securities and Exchange Commission

    Chairman Joyce, Ranking Member Hoyer, and members of the Subcommittee. Thank you for inviting me to testify today.[1]

    I am grateful for the opportunity to discuss the SEC, including our important mission on behalf of our fellow citizens, investors, and taxpayers.  I also appreciate the opportunity as well to speak to some of my priorities as Chairman.

    Four weeks ago today, I was sworn in by Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent in the Oval Office with President Donald Trump; my family was by my side. I am honored by the trust and confidence that the President and the Senate placed in me to lead the SEC.

    As I testify before you, this is my 20th working day as Chairman. I have returned to the SEC where I was a Commissioner from 2002 to 2008. In that time, I advocated for greater transparency at the agency and emphasized robust cost-benefit analysis when considering new regulations. I also previously served on the staff of two SEC chairmen—Richard Breeden, appointed by President George H.W. Bush, and Arthur Levitt, appointed by President Bill Clinton.

    With my fellow Commissioners, Congress, and SEC staff, I look forward to working to ensure that the United States is well-positioned to seize on the new excitement for investment and economic opportunity that President Trump’s leadership and pro-growth policies have inspired.

    SEC Mission

    First and foremost, it is a new day at the SEC. I am determined that we return to our core mission that Congress set for us more than 90 years ago.

    The SEC’s three-part mission was enunciated by Congress in the Exchange Act: protecting investors; facilitating capital formation; and maintaining fair, orderly, and efficient markets.  

    Investor protection is vital to our mission—holding accountable those who lie, cheat, and steal. The SEC will remain vigilant in our important role to ensure that investors have confidence to participate in the markets.

    Capital formation is also at the root of what we do—fostering a direct, economical route for investors’ capital to find its way to entrepreneurs and industry to create products and services. This engine of growth employs people, helping them to work and save to achieve their dreams.

    The third core part of our mission is maintaining fair, orderly, and efficient markets. Congress calls on the Commission to ensure that our regulations balance costs and benefits, that they do not become too burdensome by adding needless friction to the marketplace, undermining the capital formation that yields so much benefit.

    During my tenure as chairman, the SEC will not stray from this core three-part mission.

    My time in public service and the private sector, both earlier in my career and more recently, has allowed me to see firsthand how regulations affect markets and investors. They can stoke innovation, facilitate investment goals, and create opportunities—or burdens—on businesses’ ability to compete and serve their customers.

    How we implement regulations at the SEC is crucial; it is one thing to write a regulation, quite another for it to achieve its intended goal. Regulation should be smart, effective, and appropriately tailored within the confines of our statutory authority.

    It takes market experience and focused application to ensure that customers and investors of financial services firms benefit from efficient, effective, and well-designed regulation. Our goal at the SEC must be to facilitate those efforts, analyze their effectiveness, and use our enforcement power to cure and rectify wayward actions.

    In short, clear rules of the road benefit all market participants.

    The SEC is returning rulemaking to regular order. Our comment periods will not be artificially short, and the public will have ample time to provide feedback. The SEC will also be sure to take into consideration how rules overlap and how regulatory burdens build, in keeping with our obligation to consider their costs and benefits. The SEC also looks forward to working with the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs on our rulemaking.

    I am grateful to Commissioner Mark Uyeda for his stewardship of the agency as acting Chairman of the SEC from January to April, a very productive three months.

    During this transition, he brought clarity to some urgent policy issues that we faced in the courts and some organizational issues as the new Administration came into office.

    He established the Crypto Task Force together with Commissioner Pierce, which  has worked with staff to provide necessary guidance to the industry. He normalized the agency’s stance regarding materiality of disclosure requirements to comply with Supreme Court rulings and backed agency actions to extend certain compliance dates and remove personally identifiable information (PII) from the Consolidated Audit Trail (CAT).

    As we look ahead, I am confident in the direction of our work. My experience over the decades will naturally inform my approach as Chairman.

    The Commission will focus on providing meaningful pathways for entrepreneurs to obtain the capital that they need to execute their innovative ideas and grow their companies in both the private and public markets. At the same time, investors that provide such capital must be able to continue to depend on effective enforcement against fraudulent activities.

    Digital Assets

    From 2017 until my nomination, I worked to help develop best practices for the digital assets industry and saw firsthand how ambiguous or nonexistent regulations in this space created uncertainty and inhibited innovation. That lack of regulatory framework also invites fraud. 

    A key priority of my Chairmanship will be to develop a rational regulatory framework for crypto asset markets that establishes clear rules of the road for the issuance, custody, and trading of crypto assets while continuing to discourage bad actors from violating the law. Clear rules of the road are necessary for investor protection against fraud—not the least to help them identify scams that do not comport with the law.

    Policymaking will be done through notice and comment rulemaking not through regulation-by-enforcement. The Commission will utilize its existing authorities to set fit-for-purpose standards for market participants. The Commission’s enforcement approach will return to Congress’ original intent, which is to police violations of these established obligations, particularly as they relate to fraud and manipulation.

    This undertaking requires coordination across multiple offices and divisions within the Commission, which is why I am pleased that Commissioner Uyeda and Commissioner Hester Peirce have worked together to establish the Crypto Task Force. For too long, the Commission has been hindered by policymaking silos. The Crypto Task Force exemplifies how our policy divisions can come together to expeditiously provide long-needed clarity and certainty to the American public.

    I am confident that Commissioner Peirce, known for her principled and tireless advocacy for common-sense policy, is the right person to lead the Crypto Task Force’s effort to come up with a rational regulatory framework for crypto asset markets.

    The task force has held four roundtables so far on further defining security status, tailoring regulation for crypto trading, custody considerations, and tokenization. I look forward to the input from industry and additional public feedback during the next roundtable on decentralized finance.

    This is important work. Entrepreneurs across the United States and around the world are harnessing blockchain technology to modernize aspects of our financial system. I anticipate  benefits from this market innovation for efficiency, cost reduction, transparency, and risk mitigation.

    SEC Commissioner Roles

    In addition to Commissioner Peirce’s continued leadership of the Crypto Task Force, I have asked Commissioner Uyeda to be our “ambassador” to the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO). Commissioner Caroline Crenshaw has agreed to take on the SEC’s administrative law proceedings framework and the procedures in adjudications used by our administrative law judges in light of Supreme Court rulings that oblige us to rethink and reform this area.

    SEC Staff Numbers

    The SEC’s Offices and Divisions have decreased headcount by 15% since the beginning of the current fiscal year. Many of our colleagues at the SEC elected to take advantage of the Administration’s Fork in the Road, Voluntary Early Retirement Authority (VERA) or Voluntary Separation Incentive Payments (VSIP). Some left to pursue other opportunities. These departures leave vacancies that in many cases need to be filled. When I left the agency in 2008, we had approximately 3,600 employees. At our height a year ago, we had approximately 5,000 employees plus 2,000 contractors. Today we are at approximately 4,200 employees and 1,700 contractors.

    Reorganization

    Under Acting Chairman Uyeda, the reporting lines in the Divisions of Enforcement and Examinations were realigned to better reflect each Division’s national programs to improve efficiency, management, and oversight of the Divisions. There will be targeted, common-sense reorganizations to come at the SEC. To start, I am seeking approval from Congress to disband what is known as agency’s Strategic Hub for Innovation and Financial Technology (FinHub). Innovation should be ingrained into the culture SEC-wide and not limited to a relatively small office. Established in 2018, FinHub was created during a critical period of emerging technologies. The rapid development of distributed ledger technology, including digital assets, artificial intelligence, and machine learning, required a centralized effort to build understanding at the SEC. The principles and priorities under which it was established are being integrated into the very fabric of the SEC.

    Technology Review and Optimizing Efficiency

    We have begun a process to review our technology infrastructure and our contractual obligations. This review is long overdue—call it a spring cleaning and reassessment of contracts, especially regarding information technology.

    We publicly announced last week that the Commission determined that certain masked data fields on publicly available reports on Form N-PORT submitted between Feb. 3, 2025, and May 8, 2025, were inadvertently made public on the SEC’s EDGAR system. This was the result of a software update effective Feb. 3. The masking error has been corrected and did not affect Form N-PORT filings made after May 8, 2025.

    This situation is not acceptable. I have directed the initiation of a comprehensive review of the EDGAR system to ensure for data integrity. We need to evaluate what we have, where our vulnerabilities are, and how we can shore up and improve our systems. We will work on optimizing our efficiency and eliminating redundancy.  

    SEC Regional Offices and Leasing

    The SEC has 10 regional offices across the country. In late February, the GSA informed the SEC that it would terminate leases utilized by the SEC’s Los Angeles Regional Office and the Philadelphia Regional Office. Discussions with the GSA and the landlords are ongoing, and I will keep this committee apprised of those developments.  In the meantime, the leases are in their “soft term” and are not terminated.

    I firmly believe in the SEC’s regional office concept. We cannot and should not have all of the SEC’s staff in Washington and New York. Risk management, human resource development, and practicality for our examination teams –as one example – provide ample reinforcement for the need to maintain these offices.

    SEC Funding

    The SEC’s budget is set through the Appropriations process. Fees on securities transactions that the SEC collects provide an offset. The annual collections–fees paid by SROs based on the aggregate dollar amount of securities sales–go to the Treasury’s general fund.

    On April 8, 2025, the SEC announced that starting on May 14, 2025, the fee rates applicable to most covered sales would be set at $0 per million in securities transactions.[2] The Commission determined this new rate in accordance with Section 31 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

    The Commission collected its entire fiscal year 2025 appropriation before the new fee rate of $0 per million became effective on May 14. The prior fee rate was $27.80 per million. The Commission is required to set the fee rate to a level that generates fees equal to the Commission’s appropriated amount, so no further collections for fiscal year 2025 are required.

    The Commission will continue to keep this committee, and the public, informed of developments relating to fees on the SEC website.

    Conclusion

    As I said at the outset of this testimony, it is a new and brighter day for the SEC.

    We will work with our colleagues in the Administration, especially other financial services regulators, and with Congress to bolster the economy and build on U.S. leadership of the global markets.

    This is a pivotal moment for our economy. Entrepreneurs, businesses, and individuals here at home and across the globe are eager to invest in America.

    This SEC will work to protect investors from fraud, keep politics out of how our securities laws and regulations are applied, and advance clear rules of the road that encourage investment in our economy to the benefit of all Americans.

    This SEC will work to ensure that regulations promote capital formation rather than stifle it. We will work together to ensure American investors get disclosures that actually help them understand the true risks of an investment.

    This SEC will make every effort to ensure that the U.S. is the best and most secure place in the world to invest and do business. Americans should always have utmost confidence when investing their hard-earned dollars to save and provide for their future and the future of their families.

    Thank you.

     

    [1] The views expressed in this testimony are those of the Chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and do not necessarily represent the views of the President, the full Commission, or any Commissioner. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NIST Moonlight Data Will Help Satellites Get a More Accurate Look at Earth

    Source: US Government research organizations

    NASA’s ER-2 taking off with the air-LUSI moonlight collection equipment on board.

    Credit: NASA photo/Ken Ulbrich

    Weather forecasting, mineral prospecting and farming all could improve from a trove of data the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) recently gathered about moonlight, late at night and far above the clouds.

    NIST’s measurements of the Moon’s brightness — 10 times more accurate than previously available data — are a valuable commodity for engineers, who can use the data to calibrate the visual sensors aboard Earth-observing satellites. Proper calibration can help ensure that these satellites are accurately recording the actual amounts and colors of light from the ground, water and vegetation far below. NIST obtained its new set of moonlight measurements by deploying its equipment on a high-altitude NASA aircraft. 

    “Our goal with this data release is to help the satellite industry develop better models of lunar irradiance,” said Joe Rice, the NIST group leader for the project. “Using the data will help ensure that scientists have a more accurate understanding of what images of Earth from orbit actually mean.”

    Before a satellite can take reliable visuals of the planet, the satellite’s sensors need to be calibrated to make sure they are recording accurate data. Without this vital step, a sensor might indicate that a swath of territory is a different shade or intensity of color than it really is, leading farmers or prospectors to base their decisions on the inaccuracy.

    Measuring Moonlight from the Edge of the Atmosphere

    Researchers want to accurately measure the spectrum of moonlight so that the Moon can be used as a reference to calibrate satellite imagers. However, measuring this spectrum from the ground is challenging because the atmosphere distorts the moonlight, shifting the spectrum. This animation illustrates the NIST team’s solution, which is to place the measurement equipment in a high-altitude plane called the ER-2 and take the spectrum measurement above 95% of Earth’s atmosphere. Credit: Sean Kelley/NIST

    Sometimes engineers calibrate satellites before launch, but it costs time, money and effort, partly because a rocket ride to space puts a lot of stress on a satellite. The acceleration of launch subjects a satellite to forces that are the equivalent of many times Earth’s gravity, and powerful vibrations during flight shake and rattle the instruments vigorously, potentially undoing the effects of the calibrations.

    Larger satellites might carry devices that allow them to self-calibrate after launch, but such devices add weight and use up valuable real estate. And not all satellites are large enough even to have this option. In cubesats, built from a few cubic modules that are 10 centimeters to a side, volume is at a premium.

    An easier approach is to use light from the Moon, which has reflectance properties that change very little over time and therefore offers a consistent benchmark. From time to time, a satellite sensor may take an image that includes the Moon, and the sensor can be calibrated to the different wavelengths of light reflecting from its surface.

    Land-based telescopes have trouble getting accurate details of the Moon’s irradiance because our planet’s constantly changing atmosphere introduces too much uncertainty. So NIST physicist John Woodward and his colleagues arranged to mount a special telescope on a NASA ER-2 aircraft that flies at 70,000 feet, or 21 kilometers, which is higher than 95% of the atmosphere. The mission, called the Airborne Lunar Spectral Irradiance Mission (air-LUSI), flew from NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center. After several years of engineering and test flights, the project began gathering data in 2022 and conducted its most recent measurements in early 2025.

    The air-LUSI telescope during a calibration. The light on the other side of the room is an “artificial moon,” a stable source of light that has already been well characterized.

    Credit: NASA photo/Ken Ulbrich

    The new dataset allows distinct improvements over previous lunar irradiance models, which were good at measurements that could show how a sensor’s performance was changing over time but made it difficult to know if and how the Earth itself was changing. The new data not only reduces the uncertainty inherent in ground-based data, but it is also directly tied to the International System of Units (SI), making it easier to apply. 

    “This dataset is 10 times more accurate than the data people previously had to use,” said Woodward. “It will permit a distinct improvement over the other ways we have calibrated satellites.”

    The dataset, now available through NIST’s data portal, is in the netCDF format widely used by the scientific community. It contains irradiance measurements along with the time, location and uncertainty associated with them. It includes information about the instrument NIST used, to help people make useful comparisons with their own sensors’ performance. Also available are details of how to read and display the data along with guidance to help users get started working with it.

    Woodward said he was optimistic about the future use of the dataset. One reason is because accurate, consistent calibration among satellites would enable observers on the ground to spot trends more effectively. 

    “Satellites are expensive national assets, and you want them to be as useful as possible,” he said. “If we calibrate them using the Moon, satellite observations could become more valuable. For example, we’d know whether the color of farmland had changed because rain had improved crop health, rather than because two different satellites took two different images at different times.” 

    The air-LUSI project is a collaboration between scientists and engineers from NASA, NIST, the U.S. Geological Survey, the University of Maryland Baltimore County, and Ontario’s McMaster University.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: CAI Recognized as a Forbes 2025 Best Employers for New Grads

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    ALLENTOWN, Pa., May 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — CAI, a global services firm, announced today it has been awarded America’s Best Employers for New Grads 2025 by Forbes, an accolade that highlights companies fostering a positive working environment for young professionals. CAI ranked 24th out of 500 companies, across seven industries, that received recognition on this list.

    Statista, a leading statistics portal and industry ranking provider, in collaboration with Forbes, conducted an independent survey from over 100,000 U.S. young professionals with less than 10 years of work experience. The survey considered companies employing at least 1,000 people across various industry sectors, evaluating them on multiple dimensions such as Atmosphere & Development, Diversity, Image, Salary/Wage, Workplace, and Working Conditions.

    The survey employed both direct evaluations from employees and indirect evaluations from friends, family, and industry peers. The comprehensive scoring model considered personal drivers and public recommendations, ensuring a thorough analysis over a three-year period.

    “Being recognized as a top employer for new grads is a testament to our unwavering commitment to cultivating an environment where young talent not only shines but thrives,” said Tammy Harper, chief human resources officer at CAI. “Our Internship eXperience Program (IXP) is intentional on empowering the next generation of professionals. We give our teams the tools and support they need to succeed from day one.”

    CAI offers the IXP, providing college interns with real-world experience by working alongside CAI professionals. It equips interns with the first-hand knowledge and skills necessary to transition from an academic environment to the professional working world.

    For more information on the America’s Best Employers for New Grads 2025, please visit: https://www.forbes.com/lists/best-employers-for-new-grads/

    To browse open roles, visit https://careers.cai.io/us/en

    About CAI

    CAI is a global services firm with over 9,000 associates worldwide and a yearly revenue of $1.3 billion+. We have over 40 years of excellence in uniting talent and technology to power the possible for our clients, colleagues, and communities. As a privately held company, we have the freedom and focus to do what’s right—whatever it takes. Our tailor-made solutions create lasting results across the public and commercial sectors, and we are trailblazers in bringing neurodiversity to the enterprise.

    Contact:

    Madison Oler
    Sr. PR & Communications Specialist
    CAI
    Madison.oler@cai.io

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: NEW REPORT: Clean Energy Manufacturing Driving Next Chapter of U.S. Economic Prosperity

    Source: American Clean Power Association (ACP)

    Headline: NEW REPORT: Clean Energy Manufacturing Driving Next Chapter of U.S. Economic Prosperity

    Clean power manufacturing contributes $18 billion to GDP annually and supports 122,000 American jobs
    Projected to contribute $86 billion to GDP annually and support over 575,000 jobs by 2030
    Investments are concentrated in rural communities and 73% of active facilities are in Republican states

    PHOENIX, AZ, May 20, 2025 – Today at CLEANPOWER 2025, the American Clean Power Association (ACP) released its State of Clean Energy Manufacturing in America report, showing a significant and sustainable ripple effect across states and economic sectors. The clean power manufacturing sector currently contributes $18 billion to U.S. GDP annually, spurs $33 billion in domestic spending annually, and supports 122,000 American jobs across the country.
    If all announced manufacturing facilities become operational, clean power manufacturing is projected to support over 575,000 jobs and contribute $86 billion annually to GDP by 2030.
    “Surging clean energy deployment is creating new manufacturing facilities across the country. This success will create hundreds of thousands of jobs and revitalize American communities if policy leaders place economic progress over partisan division,” said Jason Grumet, CEO of ACP. “Today’s report shows that the manufacturing activities across the clean energy sector drive a ripple effect of economic growth that extends far beyond factory walls, reaching every corner of the country. Reshoring this critical supply chain requires a shared commitment by both industry and policymakers to prioritize domestic economic growth and global competitiveness.”
    Clean Power Manufacturing Driving U.S. Economic Boom
    The report illustrates how the industry has laid the groundwork for a secure domestic supply chain, revitalizing manufacturing communities and driving American competition on the global stage.

    Over 800 manufacturing plants currently contributing to the U.S. clean energy supply chain, with at least one in every state.
    200 existing manufacturing facilities are actively building primary clean power components across 38 states to supply the booming demand for new energy in America.

    Creating Generational Opportunities for Local Communities
    New data highlights how clean power manufacturing is creating generational opportunities at the local level, providing opportunities across skillsets, industries, and generating wages well above the national average.

    Clean energy manufacturing is booming in regions across the country, such as the Southeast, Midwest, and in states like Texas.
    The clean energy manufacturing workforce made on average $42,000 more than the average worker in the U.S. economy in 2024.

    These manufacturing jobs also generate additional employment across the economy: Upstream supply chain jobs paid an average of $75,000, while downstream jobs supported by household spending—such as those in retail, food service, and hospitality—averaged about $52,000.

    Driving US Competitiveness and Global Leadership
    The industry’s investments are critical to international competitiveness and innovation, positioning the U.S. as a global leader and strengthening our energy security.

    America’s power needs are growing fast—projected to rise 35–50% by 2040—as data centers expand, domestic manufacturing rebounds, and our transportation and buildings electrify.
    Energy manufacturing processes are considerably complex and capital intensive, often requiring multiple intricate steps, specialized equipment, and expertise. This intricacy often comes with trade exposure or a series of imports and exports before the final energy component is ready for installation.
    A resilient, American-made supply chain for clean energy technologies makes the economy stronger, the country’s energy more secure, and serves as the foundation for innovation and growth.

    The Path Forward
    There are 200 manufacturing facilities in the pipeline representing over $150 billion of investment. If all announced facilities become operational by 2030, the impact could be transformative.

    Clean power manufacturing could support over 575,000 jobs
    Generate over $40 billion in earnings
    Contribute $86 billion to the GDP
    Add $164 billion in output to the economy annually

    Employment from existing and planned facilities by 2030 by region is projected to be:

    Northeast: 4,300+
    Mid-Atlantic: 123,000+
    South: 172,000+
    Midwest: 86,000+
    West: 173,000+

    Policy and Business Certainty Critical to American Manufacturing Leadership
    The report details how these economic and job benefits have largely been made possible because of federal clean energy tax credits enacted in 2022. The report calls on policymakers to build on this historic American manufacturing legacy with a suite of targeted policy tools to continue the momentum. They include:

    Preserving energy tax credits (45X, 45Y, 48C, 48E)
    Creating a stable and strategic trade environment
    Facilitating a true all-of-the above energy strategy
    Streamlining permitting to benefit American manufacturers and their customers
    Ensuring critical minerals policy appropriately leverages demand from downstream domestic clean energy manufacturers.

    To read the full report, click here.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Global: How mindfulness therapy could help those left behind by depression treatment

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Thorsten Barnhofer, Professor of Clinical Psychology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, School of Psychology, University of Surrey

    Yuri A/PeopleImages.com/Shutterstock

    For some people, depression is like an unwanted guest who moves in and refuses to leave. Even with therapy and medication, the heavy fog of low mood, exhaustion and hopelessness never fully lifts for long. For around 30% of people with depression, this is a daily reality.

    It’s not just a personal burden. Difficult-to-treat depression affects families, workplaces and communities – and carries a huge cost for society.

    In England, the NHS Talking Therapies programme is the first place many adults turn when they’re struggling with depression or anxiety. In 2023-24, it supported more than 1.26 million people. Yet, for all its reach, around half of those who complete treatment still feel depressed by the end. And if the therapy hasn’t worked, there are often no further options available.

    Most people in this situation are sent back to their GP. A small number may be referred to more specialist mental health services, but those are typically reserved for the most severe cases. That leaves a significant number of people in limbo – still unwell, but without a clear route to further care.

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    This is part of a wider problem in mental health services: the so-called “missing middle”. These are people whose needs are too complex for primary (GP) care, but not severe enough for secondary services. As a result, they fall through the cracks.

    For many of these people, medication is often the only treatment on offer. But our study, with colleagues, suggests that a different approach, using mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT), could offer a way forward.

    Promising results

    We worked with more than 200 patients who had completed NHS Talking Therapies but were still experiencing symptoms of depression. Half were offered an eight-week MBCT course, delivered in small online groups. The others continued with their usual care.

    MBCT blends traditional cognitive therapy (which aims to reduce negative thinking patterns) with intensive mindfulness training. Participants learn how to stay present, recognise harmful thought spirals early, and respond to difficult emotions with greater awareness and compassion. Most importantly, they gain skills they can use for the rest of their lives.

    The results were promising. People who took part in the mindfulness programme reported bigger improvements in their depressive symptoms than those who didn’t. Six months later, the benefits had not only lasted – they had consolidated and slightly strengthened.

    What’s more, those in the MBCT group used fewer health and social care services overall. The programme was also inexpensive to run, costing less than £100 per person. In a time when health systems are under extreme financial pressure, that’s a big deal. Our research suggests MBCT is not just effective, it’s cost-saving too.

    When depression doesn’t respond to standard treatment, it can upend lives. People may struggle to work, maintain relationships, or care for their families. Children are especially affected when a parent has long-term depression. Without the right support, things often get worse – and the costs, both personal and financial, continue to grow.

    MBCT is already being used for relapse prevention – and there is a trained workforce to deliver it. Consisting of just eight group-based sessions, it is accessible and designed to equip people with practical tools. We believe it can offer hope to those who do not benefit sufficiently from existing services, and should be made available to more people.

    Beyond the promise of MBCT itself, this research offers a wider message: we need to invest in psychological therapies for people in the “missing middle”. These are people who are often overlooked but stand to gain the most from targeted, practical support.

    In times of tight budgets, the idea that we can improve lives and save money is more than compelling – it’s necessary. This is a clear opportunity to improve outcomes, reduce strain on overstretched services, and help people move forward with their lives.

    Thorsten Barnhofer is the author of a book on mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT). He regularly provides workshops on mindfulness-based interventions. He is co-investigator of a programme grant evaluating an adapted MBCT course for adolescents experiencing depression and is among the investigators for the NIHR Research for Patient Benefit-funded trial described in this article.

    Barney Dunn receives funding from the National Institute of Health Research for mental health treatment trials at the University of Exeter, including the Research for Patient Benefit Funding for the RESPOND trial discussed in this article. He co-directs an NHS commissioned psychological therapies service, which delivers Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy.

    Clara Strauss is co-lead for Sussex Mindfulness Centre (SMC), part of Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, and has received funding to conduct MBCT research from NIHR and other funders, funding to deliver MBCT courses and funding to train MBCT therapists within SMC.

    – ref. How mindfulness therapy could help those left behind by depression treatment – https://theconversation.com/how-mindfulness-therapy-could-help-those-left-behind-by-depression-treatment-256547

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Labour governments have always struggled with immigration – here’s what Keir Starmer could learn from them

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Erica Consterdine, Senior Lecturer in Public Policy, Lancaster University

    The government has outlined its plans to reduce net migration to the UK. The proposals are generally restrictive: scrapping social care visas, tightening work visas, longer residency requirements, tougher English tests and restructuring student visas.

    While Reform’s recent success at the local elections hardened Keir Starmer’s rhetoric in announcing the changes, the thrust of this policy was to be expected. But will the political calculation pay off?

    Immigration has long been a headache for Labour. It is a topic that cuts across the party’s ideological factions – its protectionist roots, its universalist values, and its market-friendly third way leanings. Each of these calls for a different approach on immigration.

    Labour’s record on immigration is historically patchy. Previous Labour governments have been responsible for some of the most deplorable immigration acts, including the racially discriminatory 1968 act, which restricted non-white immigration in a betrayal of Kenyan Asians fleeing persecution.

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    The British public then was far more illiberal on immigration than it is today. Trade unions were historically anti-immigrant, perceiving foreign labour as a threat to wages and job displacement. Labour, like their Tory counterparts, mostly operated on a bipartisan consensus of limiting immigration, on the idea that this was better for cohesion.

    This is exemplified in the Hattersley equation (named for former MP Roy Hattersley), a bipartisan political consensus that lasted from the postwar years up until Thatcher’s government. The compromise was between restrictive immigration policy and liberal integration measures (the Race Relations Act) to appease Labour’s liberal base.

    New Labour embraced the Thatcherite, neoliberal agenda, with Tony Blair declaring that there is no alternative to globalisation and therefore immigration. Framing immigration as an economic good, and humanitarian mobility as the bogeyman, Labour’s regime radically transformed the immigration system from one of the most restrictive in Europe to one of the most liberal labour regimes. But this was never for the benefit of migrants – it was simply economic calculation.

    We know what happened next: the political battleground, the cursed net migration target, Brexit and the lurches to the right ever since. In opposition, Labour has never been able to resolve this.

    Starmer’s approach

    A sticking point since 2010 has been traditionally working-class Labour constituents, viewed as “left behind” due to globalisation, and who now make up the red wall. The narrative goes that these voters have drifted rightwards due to dissatisfaction with immigration.

    But overall, Labour voters are still more positive than Conservatives towards immigration. A regressive policy on migrant rights could lose Labour some of its voter base.

    What’s more, net migration is likely to decrease over Labour’s term anyway, due to changes made by the last government and the tailing off of unprecedented migration from bespoke humanitarian schemes, like the one for Ukrainians. Arguably, Starmer’s reforms weren’t strictly necessary.

    Starmer could have framed the same policies around a softer rhetoric, one that embraces multicultural Britain while making the case for reforming the labour market. The enemy could have easily been cast as the Conservative government that neglected investment in the people at the expense of global corporations.

    Data from the Institute of Public Policy Research suggests that the UK public has become softer on immigration, but they want fairness. The easy way out here was to praise the benefits that immigration can bring while emphasising the need for control to maximise those benefits.

    Denigrating the current system as a “squalid chapter” of history is playing to Reform voters – arguably a foolish move, given that evidence shows you can’t beat the far right at its own game.

    Will the proposals work?

    If these proposals do reduce migration, it will come at a high cost for the country, not least in the consequences for the higher education and social care sectors. It may even increase irregular migration, as more people go underground in their attempts to reach Britain.

    The crux of the government’s problem is promising to reduce immigration in a system dependent on labour market flexibility. The proposals would make the UK extortionately expensive for both applicants and the employers who sponsor them, and make it economically unviable for the sectors that rely on foreign labour to recruit.

    A more social democratic immigration policy would invest in training, skills and wages of domestic workforces, while providing rights to the migrants who already reside here.

    Labour’s policy does not do this. It curtails rights significantly, for example in the doubling of the waiting period to apply for the right to stay indefinitely, and the plans to review how the right to family life is applied. Both of these are arguably counterproductive to the aims of integration and out of step with other countries.

    The theory behind the government reforms is that migrant workers will be replaced by the economically inactive domestic labour force – a win-win. Aside from the suspect simplicity of this equation, it will require more than sticks on employers and migrants. It necessitates a radical overhaul of the system, the economic model and a more interventionist state to move towards a coordinated market economy, one with more organisation and regulation on the labour market.

    Despite the government’s significant majority, a disciplined cabinet and an infighting opposition, the government appears reluctant to make such dramatic change, wedded to the existing paradigms of neoliberal free markets in a quest for growth in stagnating economies. If it wants its plans to work, Labour will have to be bolder and provide carrots to go with the sticks.

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

    – ref. Labour governments have always struggled with immigration – here’s what Keir Starmer could learn from them – https://theconversation.com/labour-governments-have-always-struggled-with-immigration-heres-what-keir-starmer-could-learn-from-them-256737

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –