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MIL-OSI Analysis: In the sky over Iran, Elon Musk and Starlink step into geopolitics – not for the first time

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Joscha Abels, Post-Doctoral Researcher, Institute of Political Science, University of Tübingen

It was the briefest of messages, but the potential consequences could have been significant. Elon Musk posted a four-word tweet on June 14: “The beams are on”. The message prefigured a consequential intervention – not only in Iranian domestic affairs but potentially in the geopolitics of the Middle East. The US billionaire was responding to a request on his online platform X, asking him to activate the Starlink satellite system over Iran in support of anti-government protests.

Following Israel’s military strikes on critical sites in Iran, the Islamic Republic imposed a large-scale internet shutdown that saw a drastic drop in connectivity throughout the county. Nationwide restrictions were placed on access to websites, social media platforms and mobile networks.

This has effectively limited the inflow of media reports to the Iranian public. It has also made it more difficult for Iranians to organise amid violent crackdowns by the regime’s security forces. The activation of Starlink could allow them to bypass government censorship and restore contact with the outside world – and each other.

It is not the first time Iran’s government has restricted internet access to stifle unrest – nor is it the first time that Musk got involved. In 2022, amid nationwide protests following the death of a 22-year-old Kurdish Iranian woman, Mahsa Amini, at the hands of the security forces, ostensibly for wearing her hijab incorrectly, Musk activated Starlink over Iran for the first time.

This triggered the smuggling of thousands of Starlink terminals into the country from neighbouring states. These terminals are flat rectangular devices, no larger than a baking tray. It is estimated that around 20,000 of them have found their way into Iran, giving Musk’s latest move a more immediate impact.

Still, reestablishing internet coverage remains difficult. The few available Starlink terminals are traded on the black market at exorbitant prices, and Starlink services in Iran still require payments of a monthly subscription fee. Iran’s government has also issued threats against citizens who use the system.

A new kind of warfare

Starlink is the most advanced communication satellite system in the world. Orbiting Earth at an altitude of about 550kms, its satellites deliver high-speed internet to customers around the globe. Out of more than 12,000 active satellites in orbit, around 7,600 belong to Starlink.

The system is operated by SpaceX, a space tech firm headquartered in Texas. SpaceX has recently become the world’s most valuable privately held company according to Bloomberg, surpassing even ByteDance (TikTok) and OpenAI.

Musk continues to act as the company’s largest stakeholder and chief executive, even while wielding huge political influence (following his recent rift with the US president, there is evidence he still wields considerable political clout in the US).

Starlink owes much of its geopolitical relevance to modern warfare. Secure communications have become essential on today’s data-driven battlefields. The mass availability of drones has fundamentally changed how wars are fought. High-bandwidth connections are needed for drones to transmit live video and receive targeting data.

As land-based connections are vulnerable to sabotage and outright attacks, mega-constellations such as Starlink provide a robust alternative. Comprising thousands of units, several hundreds of kilometres above ground, their services are difficult to disrupt.

Ukraine: a cautionary tale

Nowhere has the importance of satellite communications for geopolitics been more evident than in Ukraine. Russia prepared its invasion by conducting cyberattacks on Ukraine’s Viasat system. Musk responded by activating Starlink, announcing the move in the same casual style that he used for Iran.

The effect was immediate. Starlink quickly became indispensable for Ukraine’s counter-offensive efforts. Amid the Russian onslaught, it provided the nation’s military with secure communications to push back against the invasion. For SpaceX, this yielded not just hugely positive publicity but also substantial financial injections from investors.

Just months into Starlink’s activation, SpaceX initiated a strategic shift. Ukrainian forces reported outages along the front lines, especially when pushing into Russian-occupied territory. In October 2022, Musk floated the idea that SpaceX might withdraw support altogether, citing high operational costs.

By February 2023, the company had begun limiting Starlink’s use for the operation of Ukrainian drones. SpaceX’s chief operating office, Gwynne Shotwell stated that the system was “never intended to be weaponized”.

Power in private hands

Starlink’s role in Ukraine offers a striking example of how modern communications can change the course of conflicts, as I argued in a recent article in the European Journal of International Relations. At the same time, it serves as a cautionary tale about the reliability of critical systems in the hands of private corporations and powerful individuals.

In Ukraine, Musk held the power to effectively veto military operations. No democratic body provided oversight – the signal could be switched off with a tweet. Starlink’s role in Iran raises similarly uncomfortable questions: who decides when – or whether – citizens get to communicate?

While the region is struggling to establish a fragile ceasefire, political unrest in Iran is unlikely to subside soon. The deeper truth remains that communications within Iran’s civil society currently depend on the world’s wealthiest person – and no alternatives are in sight.

Joscha Abels receives funding from the German Research Foundation (DFG), grant 526359979.

– ref. In the sky over Iran, Elon Musk and Starlink step into geopolitics – not for the first time – https://theconversation.com/in-the-sky-over-iran-elon-musk-and-starlink-step-into-geopolitics-not-for-the-first-time-259833

MIL OSI Analysis –

June 27, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Jefferson County Woman Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for Child Exploitation Violations

Source: US FBI

BEAUMONT, Texas – A Port Arthur woman has been sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for child exploitation violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.

Sasha Sheree Abshire, 36, pleaded guilty to production of child pornography and was sentenced to 360 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Michael Truncale on June 24, 2025.

According to information presented in court, in July 2024, law enforcement authorities received information that sexually explicit photos of a pre-school age child were being offered for distribution online by an individual with a screen name associated with Abshire. Abshire subsequently sent images of child pornography to another person from a cell phone that was later determined to belong to Abshire who was living at an address in Port Arthur. Some of the sexually explicit images contained an adult woman’s face. Social media accounts belonging to Abshire confirmed the woman in some of the photos was in fact Abshire. Federal agents arrested Abshire at her Port Arthur home and confirmed that she was the woman who produced the child pornography.

This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

This case was investigated by the FBI and Port Arthur Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Grove.

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MIL Security OSI –

June 27, 2025
MIL-OSI Analysis: There is no loneliness epidemic – so why do we keep talking as if there is?

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Brendan Kelly, Professor of Psychiatry, Trinity College Dublin

fran_kie/Shutterstock.com

Most people experience periods of loneliness, isolation or solitude in their lives. But these are different things, and the proportion of people feeling lonely is stable over time. So why do we keep talking about an epidemic of loneliness?

Before the COVID pandemic, several studies showed that rates of loneliness were stable in England, the US, Finland, Sweden and Germany, among other places, over recent decades.

While COVID changed many things, loneliness levels quickly returned to pre-pandemic levels. In 2018, 34% of US adults aged 50 to 80 years reported a lack of companionship “some of the time” or “often”. That proportion rose to 42% during the pandemic but fell to 33% in 2024.

That’s a lot of lonely people, but it is not an epidemic. In some countries, such as Sweden, loneliness is in decline – at least among older adults.

Despite these statistics, the idea that loneliness is increasing is pervasive. For example in 2023, the US surgeon general warned about an “epidemic of loneliness and isolation”. The UK even has a government minister with an explicit responsibility for addressing loneliness.

Loneliness is a problem, even if it is not an epidemic. Social connection is important for physical and mental health. Many people feel lonely in a crowd or feel crowded when alone. In 2023, the World Health Organization announced a “Commission on Social Connection”. The WHO is right: we need to reduce loneliness in our families, communities and societies.

But the idea that loneliness is an “epidemic” is misleading and it draws us away from sustainable solutions, rather than towards them. It suggests that loneliness is a new problem (it is not), that it is increasing (it is not), that it is beyond our control (it is not), and that the only appropriate reaction is an emergency one (it is not).

In the short term, loneliness is an undesirable psychological state. In the long term, it is a risk factor for chronic ill health.

Loneliness is not a sudden crisis that needs a short-term fix. It is a long-term challenge that requires a sustained response. An emergency reaction is not appropriate – a measured response is. Initiatives by the US surgeon general and WHO are welcome, but they should be long-term responses to an enduring problem, not emergency reactions to an “epidemic”.

Vivek Murthy, the former US surgeon general warned about an epidemic of loneliness in America.
lev radin/Shutterstock

Medicalising normal human experience

Conceptual clarity is essential if true loneliness is to be addressed. Pathologising all instances of being alone risks medicalising normal human experiences such as solitude. Some people feel alive only in crowds, but others were born lighthouse keepers. In a hyper-connected world, loneliness should be solvable, but solitude must be treasured.

So, if there is no loneliness epidemic, why do we keep talking as if there is? Media framing of the issue and the human tendency to panic reinforce each other. We click into news stories based on subjective resonance rather than objective evidence.

Human behaviour is shaped primarily by feelings, not facts. We dramatise, panic, and overstate negative trends. If trends are positive, we focus on minor counter-trends, ignore statistics and make things up.

In the case of loneliness, the problem is real, even if the “epidemic” is not. Loneliness is part of the human condition, but alleviating each other’s loneliness is also part of who we are – or who we can become.

Addressing loneliness is not about solving a short-term problem or halting an “epidemic”. It means learning to live with each other in new, more integrated ways that meet our emotional needs. Loneliness is not the problem. It is a consequence of living in societies that are often disconnected and fragmented.

The solution? We cannot change the essentials of human nature – and nor should we try. But we can be a little kinder to ourselves, speak to each other a little more, and cultivate compassion for ourselves and other people.

We need to connect with each other better and more. We can. We should. We will.

Brendan Kelly 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. There is no loneliness epidemic – so why do we keep talking as if there is? – https://theconversation.com/there-is-no-loneliness-epidemic-so-why-do-we-keep-talking-as-if-there-is-259072

MIL OSI Analysis –

June 27, 2025
MIL-OSI Analysis: Why evolution can explain human testicle size but not our unique chins

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Max Telford, Jodrell Professor of Zoology and Comparative Anatomy, UCL

neurobit/Shutterstock

The human body is a machine whose many parts – from the microscopic details of our cells to our limbs, eyes, liver and brain – have been assembled in fits and starts over the four billion years of our history.

But scientists are still puzzling over why we evolved into this particular form. Why do humans uniquely have a chin, for example? And why, relative to body weight, is a human testicle triple the size of a gorilla’s but a fifth of that of a chimpanzee? As I show in my new book, The Tree of Life, we are still searching for the answers to many of these “why” questions. But we are starting to find answers to some of them.

The story of evolution tells us how, starting from simple beginnings, each species was built – when each of the components that make a living creature was added to its blueprint. If we climb the evolutionary tree of life, we can follow a twisting path that visits the increasingly specialised branches that a species belongs to. We humans, for example, were animals before we became vertebrates; mammals before evolving into primates and so on.

The groups of species we share each of these branches with reveal the order our body parts appeared in. A body and a gut (inventions of the animal branch) must have come before backbone and limbs (vertebrate branch); milk and hair (mammals) came before fingernails (primates).

There is a way we can study the separate problem of just why we evolved each of these body parts, but it only works if the feature in question has evolved more than once on separate branches of the tree of life. This repeated evolution is called convergence. It can be a source of frustration for biologists because it confuses us as to how species are related. Swallows and swifts, for example, were once classified as sister species. We now know from both DNA and comparisons of their skeletons that swallows are really closer relatives of owls than swifts.

Size matters when it comes to evolution

But convergent evolution becomes something useful when we think of it as a kind of natural experiment. The size of primate testicles gives us a classic example. Abyssinian black and white colobus monkey and bonnet macaque adult males are roughly the same size. But, like chimps, humans and gorillas, these similar monkeys have vastly dissimilar testicles. Colobus testicles weigh just 3 grams. The testicles of the macaques, in contrast, are a whopping 48 grams.

Bonnet macaques are no monogamists.
SHAJI C/Shutterstock

You could come up with several believable explanations for their different testicle sizes. Large testicles might be the equivalent of the peacock’s tail, not useful per se but attractive to females. But perhaps the most plausible explanation relates to the way they mate. A male colobus monkey competes ferociously for access to a harem of females who will mate exclusively with him. Macaques, on the other hand live in peaceful mixed troops of about 30 monkeys and have a different approach to love where everyone mates with everyone else: males with multiple females (polygamy) and females with multiple males (polyandry).

The colobus with his harem can get away with producing a bare minimum of sperm – if a droplet is enough to produce a baby, then why make more? For a male macaque the competition to reproduce happens in a battle between his sperm and the sperm of other males who mated before or after. A male macaque with large testicles should make more sperm, giving him a higher chance of passing on his genes. It’s a sensible explanation for their different testicle sizes, but is it true? This is where convergent evolution helps.

If we look across the whole of the mammal branch of the tree of life we find there are many groups of mammals that have evolved testicles of all different sizes. In almost all these separate cases, larger testicles are consistently found in promiscuous species and smaller in monogamous.

A small-testicled, silverback male gorilla has sole access to a harem. Big-testicled chimps and bonobos are indeed highly promiscuous. Dolphins, meanwhile, may have the biggest mammalian testicles of all, making up as much as 4% of their body weight (equivalent to human testicles weighing roughly 3 kilos). Although wild dolphin sex lives are naturally hard to study, spinner dolphins at least fit our expectations, engaging in mass mating events called wuzzles.

It was thanks to the multiple observations provided by convergent evolution that we were able to discover this consistent correlation between testicle size and sex life right across the mammals. And as for humans, we have testicle size somewhere in the middle, you can make of this what you want!

But what of the human chin?

The human chin has been fertile ground for arguments between scientists over its purpose. As with testicles, there are half a dozen plausible ideas to explain the evolution of the human chin. It could have evolved to strengthen the jaw of a battling caveman. Maybe the chin evolved to exaggerate the magnificence of a manly beard. It might even be a by-product of the invention of cooking and the softer food it produced – a functionless facial promontory left behind by the receding tide of a weakening jaw.

Intriguingly, however, a chin can be found in no other mammal, not even our closest cousins the Neanderthals. Thanks to the uniqueness of the Homo sapiens chin, while we have a rich set of possible explanations for its evolutionary purpose, in the absence of convergent evolution, we have no sensible way of testing them.

Some parts of human nature may be destined to remain a mystery.

This article includes links to bookshop.org. If you click on one of the links and go on to buy something from bookshop.org The Conversation UK may earn a commission.

Max Telford 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. Why evolution can explain human testicle size but not our unique chins – https://theconversation.com/why-evolution-can-explain-human-testicle-size-but-not-our-unique-chins-259419

MIL OSI Analysis –

June 27, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Operation Interflex reaches three-year milestone
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

News story

Operation Interflex reaches three-year milestone

UK-led training programme of Ukrainian recruits launched on 26 June 2022.
Crown copyright

More than 56,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been trained by the UK and 13 partner nations on Operation Interflex; the UK-led, multination training programme.

Today (Thursday 26 June 2025) marks three years since the first Ukrainian trainees landed on British soil to begin the vital military training that turns civilians into soldiers capable of returning home to repel Russia’s illegal invasion of their country.

During this time Operation Interflex has continued to evolve to match the specific threats being faced on the frontlines in Ukraine. A variety of training programmes have been delivered via Operation Interflex focussed on equipping trainees with the battlefield essentials: the basic infantry course, leadership training, and instructor courses, which continuously adapt to Ukraine’s needs.

Led by the UK, Operation Interflex has been delivered alongside 13 other partner nations: Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Albania, Estonia, Kosovo, Lithuania, and Romania. Service personnel from these nations are united in the objective to deliver high quality training that meets the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

At a recent meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group (UDCG) on the 4 June, the Defence Secretary announced that the UK will spend a further £247m this year on training the Armed Forces of Ukraine, supporting Operation Interflex’s highly successful training programmes. This funding not only supports Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression, but it is also vital in ensuring both European and UK security, underpinned by the Government’s Plan for Change.

Recent polling data reveals that 90% of all the trainees who have completed Interflex training since January 2025 feel more confident in their lethality and survivability at the end of training. The polling also revealed that one of the most valued elements of the training is the battlefield first aid, with 93% of basic recruits saying they felt more confident about treating casualties after receiving the training.

Minister for the Armed Forces, Luke Pollard MP said:

From each Ukrainian soldier made combat-ready on UK soil, to the £13bn committed in military support, we are proud of every element of our contribution to Ukraine’s fight against Russia’s illegal invasion.

The Government is clear that providing military support to Ukraine is essential to both UK and European security. Keeping the country safe is the Government’s first priority, and a foundation of its Plan for Change.

The UK and its allies are united in our support for Ukraine. I am sure they share my constant awe of the resilience shown by the Ukrainian people in the face of Russian aggression.”

Colonel Andrew Boardman, Commanding Officer of Operation Interflex:

Today marks three years since the launch of Operation INTERFLEX to train Ukrainian personnel in the UK. Over this period, the multinational coalition of 14 nations, led by the UK, has trained over 56,000 Ukrainian soldiers, a testament to the enduring strength and shared resolve of our international partnership.

This milestone reflects not only our unity of purpose but our unwavering commitment to Ukraine’s freedom and NATO’s collective security.”

The UK is proud to be a leading partner in providing vital support to Ukraine. The government has committed £13 billion of military aid for Ukraine, with £4.5 billion expected to be provided this year. This military aid includes training programmes like Operation Interflex, but also military capabilities and equipment such as drones, air defence systems and munitions.

The UK and Ukraine’s allies are committed to supporting Ukraine secure a just and lasting peace. The training effort provided by Operation Interflex aims to put Ukraine in the strongest possible position to achieve this peace and to safeguard their sovereignty and our collective security against Russian aggression.

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Updates to this page

Published 26 June 2025

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Find out about the UK’s response
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
June 27, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: York has the fewest pregnant smokers in Yorkshire

Source: City of York

York has the lowest rate of pregnant women smoking in Yorkshire and the Humber at the time of delivery, new figures have revealed.

According to new data published by NHS England Statistics on Women’s Smoking Status at Time of Delivery: Data tables – NHS England Digital only 4.6 per cent (65 women) smoked in York, at the time of their delivery. This shows a significant drop, when compared to figures in 2020, which were 10.4 per cent (167 women).

Many women have been supported to help quit for good through help from the Health Trainers.

Cllr Lucy Steels- Walshaw, Executive Member for Health, Wellbeing and Adult Social Care at City of York Council, said “Stopping smoking during pregnancy is a positive step you can take for the health of you and your baby.

“Stopping smoking can be challenging, but you do not have to face this alone. The council’s health trainers can offer support tailored to your needs and look at techniques and strategies to keep you motivated on your journey to becoming smoke free”.

The Health Trainers offer an incentive scheme of £170 in shopping vouchers which are offered, if they continue to quit during their pregnancy and quit for good.

Lucy Evans, from Acomb, gave birth at full term to a 7lb 14oz healthy baby girl, Violet, 12 weeks ago. She stopped smoking a week after her first health trainer appointment early in her pregnancy, and received free nicotine gum and patches as well as one-to-one support sessions.

She has just received her final voucher this week, which she plans to spend on clothes for Violet and a treat for herself.

She said: “I wanted to quit to make sure my baby was healthy and would definitely recommend this scheme, you get so much support and help and it makes you want to quit even more.

“I feel a lot healthier, I’m not coughing as much and am breathing better, and I feel like I can handle stress a lot better as I’m not relying on smoking.”

The service offers personalised, individual support and advice, and signing up is really simple.

Visit York Health Trainers and complete the online referral form, call 01904 553377 or email cychealthtrainers@york.gov.uk

Across the region, the Smoking at Time of Delivery (SATOD) data shows that 7.5 per cent (3,901) of pregnant women across Yorkshire and the Humber were recorded as smoking in 2024/25.

This is 1.8 per cent lower than the previous year, when maternal smoking rates were 9.3 per cent across the region. This equates to 642 fewer women smoking compared to last year.

This is the lowest rate of smoking during pregnancy recorded in Yorkshire and the Humber since data began to be collected. This also reflects improvement across England as a whole, where SATOD rates fell to 6.1 per cent from 7.4 per cent last year.

Smoking during pregnancy significantly increases the risk of harm to both mother and baby. It increases the risk of stillbirth, miscarriage, and sudden infant death. Children born to parents who smoke are also more likely to experience respiratory illness, learning difficulties, and diabetes, and are more likely to grow up to be smokers when compared to children born into smoke-free households.

As well as the health harms caused by smoking during pregnancy, it also adds to the cost of living and pushes families further into poverty. The average smoker spends £3,000 per year on tobacco, with younger women from the most deprived areas being the most likely to smoke and be exposed to second-hand smoke during pregnancy.

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

June 27, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: China-Laos Railway Carries 10 Billion Yuan in Import and Export Cargo in January-May

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian –

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

KUNMING, June 26 (Xinhua) — The China-Laos railway carried more than 2.48 million tonnes of foreign trade cargo worth over 10 billion yuan (about 1.4 billion U.S. dollars) from January to May this year, official data showed Thursday.

During this period, there was a significant increase in both the volume and cost of transportation. The volume of transportation increased by 7.9 percent year-on-year, and the cost by 33.2 percent.

In May alone, the railway carried 512,000 tons of cargo worth 3.76 billion yuan, a new record since the railway opened in December 2021.

As of May 22, the total volume of cargo transported via this railway exceeded 60 million tons, with cross-border shipments reaching 13.9 million tons.

The range of goods transported has expanded significantly – from 10 to over 3,000 items. Among them are electronics, photovoltaic products, communications equipment, automobiles, agricultural products, industrial goods and essential items. -0-

MIL OSI Russia News –

June 27, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: China advocates overcoming disunity through dialogue of civilizations – Chinese Ambassador to Russia Zhang Hanhui

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

Moscow, June 26 /Xinhua/ — China advocates overcoming disunity through dialogue among civilizations. The Global Civilization Initiative, put forward by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2023, calls for respecting the diversity of world civilizations, paying attention to both the preservation of cultural heritage and innovation, and strengthening international humanitarian cooperation and exchanges. This is stated in an article by Chinese Ambassador to Russia Zhang Hanhui, published on Thursday by the TASS news agency.

“Since the launch of this initiative, platforms for equal dialogue between different civilizations have been created within its framework, such as the Forum of Ancient Civilizations, the Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations, the Conference on Dialogue of China-Africa Civilizations, and others,” the ambassador recalls.

“This initiative advanced the idea of establishing the UN International Day of Dialogue Among Civilizations, which allowed the international community to unite its broad efforts to strengthen mutual understanding between peoples and overcome misunderstandings and disunity. This initiative gradually transformed from a Chinese proposal into an international consensus,” the article says.

“China and Russia have deep cultural traditions, unique cultural characteristics and outstanding achievements in civilizational development,” Zhang Hanhui notes. “In recent years, humanitarian exchanges between China and Russia have become even deeper and more meaningful.”

According to the diplomat, countries around the world are currently facing common challenges. “Faced with the stubborn adherence of individual countries to the concepts of ‘civilizational superiority’, ‘clash of civilizations’ and ‘cold war between civilizations’, China has consistently fulfilled its mission of promoting human progress and striving for universal harmony in the world,” the article emphasizes.

“China advocates overcoming disunity through dialogue among civilizations, overcoming conflicts through mutual learning, overcoming claims to superiority through the coexistence of civilizations, and a joint response to global challenges,” sums up the Chinese Ambassador to the Russian Federation Zhang Hanhui. –0–

MIL OSI Russia News –

June 27, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Letlow Honors LSU Baseball on Floor of U.S. House

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Julia Letlow (LA-05)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today Louisiana Congresswoman Julia Letlow honored LSU’s national champion baseball team on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives.

On Sunday LSU captured their eighth NCAA Division I baseball title, capping off a 53-win season with an undefeated College World Series run. Letlow’s 5th Congressional District includes LSU’s campus.

To see a full video of Congresswoman Letlow’s remarks, click HERE. A full transcript can be found below.

Congresswoman Letlow Remarks:

I rise to congratulate the Louisiana State University baseball team for taking home their eighth national title.

Under the leadership of Coach Jay Johnson, LSU captured their second title in three years. The Tigers triumphed through their championship season with 53 wins and an undefeated College World Series.

Coach Johnson and his team exemplified excellence on and off the field, making Louisiana proud of not only their athleticism – but also their upstanding character and service to the Baton Rouge community.

As LSU’s representative in Congress, I joined my constituents in following the team’s journey to yet another championship.

ESPN this week referred to LSU as the “Greatest Ever College Baseball Program.” I couldn’t agree more!

This victory wasn’t just about raising the trophy at the end. It was a testament to the resilient, winning spirit of our state.

To the players, coaches, and staff: thank you for inspiring a new generation of Tigers to dream big. And thank you for representing Louisiana with honor on the national stage.

Congratulations and Geaux Tigers!
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MIL OSI USA News –

June 27, 2025
MIL-OSI Canada: Message by Minister Guilbeault to Canadians on Canada Day 2025
Source: Government of Canada News (2)

OTTAWA, June 26, 2025

In just a few days, Canada will mark the 158th anniversary of our Confederation. This day is an occasion for all Canadians to celebrate who we are with pride and conviction, as well as to look back on our shared history with reflection, and to the future with hope and determination.

This year, more than ever, Canada Day holds special meaning. Over the past few months, we have seen Canadians come together in a tremendous display of unity. Whether by buying Canadian, exploring our country, cheering on our sports teams, or celebrating our artists, Canadians have shown inspiring solidarity.

This July 1, it is your day, Canada. I invite all Canadians to experience a 100% Canadian day—celebrating with family and friends and taking part in the festivities and free activities organized in their communities all across the country!

Wherever you are, don’t miss out:
- Experience the highlights of the day: Watch the national noon ceremony and national evening show live on CBC and Radio-Canada platforms, or join the celebrations in person at LeBreton Flats Park in Ottawa—or on giant screens on Parliament Hill and in front of the Supreme Court of Canada.
- Enjoy free activities across the country: From four official sites in Ottawa–Gatineau to hundreds of venues all across Canada!
- Take part in the O Canada! Station initiative: Until July 2, share what makes you proud to be Canadian by recording a short video for a chance to win one of two unforgettable VIA Rail trips, valued at up to $15,000 each.
- Immerse yourself in Canadian music: Listen to the Official Canada Day Playlist featuring the incredible Canadian artists performing this year.
- Be part of the conversation: Share your Canada Day pride with the hashtag #CanadaDay.
- Celebrate all summer long: Keep choosing Canada with the Canada Strong Pass, offering discounts and free access to some of our country’s most iconic destinations and experiences.
Visit the Canada Day website for all the details.

On July 1, let’s come together—our hearts, our voices and our energy—to celebrate all that it means to be Canadian.

Happy Canada Day, Canada!

MIL OSI Canada News –
June 27, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Guthrie Votes to Fully Fund Department of Veterans Affairs and Support Military Infrastructure Projects

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Brett Guthrie (2nd District Kentucky)

Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Guthrie (KY-02) issued the following statement following the House passage of H.R. 3944, the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2026 yesterday evening.

“Our nation owes a true debt of gratitude for those who have chosen to serve our nation in uniform. Last night, the House took a step to ensure that our veterans have access to the benefits that are owed to them and that our active duty servicemembers have the highest quality facilities to support their mission,” said Congressman Guthrie. “This legislation also includes significant funding to upgrade existing infrastructure at Fort Knox, ensuring local soldiers are in the best possible position to carry out their duties in Kentucky and beyond.”

Specific information about the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2026, before adoption of amendments, can be found here.

MIL OSI USA News –

June 27, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Allen Introduces the Employee Rights Act of 2025

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Rick Allen (R-GA-12)

Today, Congressman Rick W. Allen (GA-12), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions (HELP), introduced the Employee Rights Act of 2025 (ERA). This legislation seeks to modernize outdated federal labor laws to meet the needs of today’s workers.

The ERA represents the Republican vision for the future of the American workforce—promoting growth, freedom, and innovation—while also ensuring our laws protect workers and guarantees unions are acting in the best interest of union members. After introducing the bill, Congressman Allen issued the statement below:

“Following a four-year assault on workers’ choices and freedoms under the Biden-Harris Administration, the Employee Rights Act puts 21st-century workers first by advancing commonsense labor policies,” said Congressman Allen. “To rebuild a vibrant, pro-growth economy, Congress must empower workers to achieve the American Dream through a variety of innovative pathways, not limit their choices with burdensome regulations and policymaking. I am grateful for Chairman Walberg’s support of this legislation to modernize our outdated labor laws and put the American worker back in the driver’s seat.”

“With Republicans leading the way, our economy is booming like never before—but our federal labor laws are stuck in the past,” said Chairman Walberg. “After years of Biden-Harris efforts to manipulate labor laws to favor activists and union leaders, we need updated policies that protect workers’ independence and interests in today’s evolving workforce. The Employee Rights Act is another strong step in reversing policies that undermine workers’ independence and fail to hold union leadership accountable to their members. I will always support giving workers the right to choose their own path to success.”

“The Employee Rights Act is the most comprehensive labor legislation of this Congress, from protecting the secret ballot and unionization elections, to safeguarding workers from harassment and protecting their privacy, to putting workers in control of their own destiny. It truly puts the American worker first. We applaud Representative Allen for his steadfast leadership and support of worker freedom,” said F. Vincent Vernuccio, President of the Institute for the American Worker.

To read the full bill text, CLICK HERE.
To read a one-pager on the bill, CLICK HERE.

MIL OSI USA News –

June 27, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: PRESS RELEASE: Reps. Barragán and Lofgren Lead Democrats’ Response to Rep. Kim’s Distorted, Partisan Resolution Regarding Trump’s Authoritarian Response to the LA Protests

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

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 25, 2025

Contact: Jin.Choi@mail.house.gov

Reps. Barragán and Lofgren Lead Democrats’ Response to Rep. Kim’s Distorted, Partisan Resolution Regarding Trump’s Authoritarian Response to the LA Protests

Washington, D.C. — Today, Representatives Nanette Barragán (CA-44) and Zoe Lofgren (CA-18), Chair of the California Democratic Congressional Delegation, led Democrats in introducing a resolution to condemn Donald Trump’s deployment of the National Guard and Marines during the LA protests, while reaffirming support for state and local law enforcement and the people’s First Amendment right to peacefully protest. This resolution provides a fact-based response to Representative Young Kim’s distorted, partisan, and misleading resolution that House Republican leadership will have the House vote on later this week.

Rather than working on a bipartisan basis to condemn violence, defend the peaceful expression of First Amendment rights, and thank members of law enforcement, Rep. Kim’s resolution instead falsely claims that violence was widespread across LA and that California’s leadership has “prioritized protecting illegal immigrants and violent individuals over United States citizens” among other highly partisan claims.

In contrast, the Barragán-Lofgren resolution accurately notes that violence in LA was limited and under control by local and state law enforcement. When communities exercised their First Amendment right to assemble and protest U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids, President Trump wrongfully deployed the National Guard and active-duty members of the U.S. Marine Corps in violation of the Posse Comitatus Act and without the consent of California Governor Gavin Newsom or local officials. Democrats’ resolution commends the state and local law enforcement officers who have worked to protect public safety and maintain peace, supports Americans’ right to protest peacefully, condemns acts of violence, and supports the military servicemembers in the Marines and National Guard while objecting to their current deployment to Los Angeles County.

“Our communities have been terrorized by Donald Trump and Stephen Miller’s indiscriminate mass deportation ICE operations — in response, people spoke up and protested to express their fear, anger, and anxiety,” said Rep. Nanette Barragán. “State and local law enforcement had the situation under control and the Trump Administration intentionally escalated the situation when they deployed troops into Los Angeles. Our resolution makes clear that we will not stand by while the federal government tries to intimidate Californians into silence through a show of military force. We must protect the right to protest, condemn violence, and reject authoritarian tactics that have no place in America.”

“Rep. Kim’s resolution regarding the L.A. protests is not just misguided, inaccurate, and disingenuous: it’s dangerous,” said Rep. Zoe Lofgren (CA-18), Chair of the California Democratic Congressional Delegation. “President Trump’s deployment of Marines and the National Guard in response to largely peaceful protests was unprecedented and wrong. Trump’s refusal to coordinate with state and local officials in deploying active-duty troops also put both protestors and state and local law enforcement officers at risk. House Republicans should be conducting vigorous oversight of the shocking deployment of servicemembers – a blatant attempt to take over states’ law enforcement responsibility – not reflexively jumping to providing justification for Trump to send troops into other communities or defending his dangerous attempt to squash constitutionally-protected dissent.”

“Communities throughout California have been upended by ICE raids where masked ICE agents are using excessive force to go after people without probable cause. People want safer communities, not to see elementary school students and sick people at hospitals deported without due process. Instead of deescalating violence, Trump has fomented it. By deploying Marines and the National Guard against protestors in LA, Trump exacerbated a situation that local officials had under control. The resolution introduced by Rep. Kim does not accurately state the facts of the situation and instead falsely lays blame on Californians for Trump’s escalatory actions. By introducing a resolution with the correct facts, Democrats are standing up for Californians, including our law enforcement officials, who have been repeatedly demonized by partisan hacks looking to score cheap political points,” said Rep. Lieu.

“There was only one reason Trump deployed the National Guard and Marines in Los Angeles: to launch his pathetic, made-for-TV reality show to justify his authoritarian crackdowns and cruel ICE raids,” said Rep. Kamalger-Dove. “But Angelenos know our city is not on fire. We see right through the reality TV president’s theatrics that are meant to distract from this Administration’s tanking of our economy, devastating cuts to Medicaid, and the brutality and inhumanity of its mass deportations. If you pan away from the set, you won’t see Trump’s toy soldiers or violence, but real people hurting from his policies. Let’s focus the camera back on that.”

“The Trump Administration is using our military service members as political pawns to create a false narrative of uncontrolled violence, trample on legal precedent, and perpetuate fear and hate in our communities,” said Rep. Cisneros. “Last week, I led a letter with over 34 of my colleagues demanding that the President withdraw troops from L.A. and allow our local officials and law enforcement to do their jobs. I’m proud to join California Democrats in demanding answers from the Administration.”

“As a proud born-and-raised Angeleno, Los Angeles will always be home. The Republican resolution we are voting on this week is a distorted and inaccurate attack on Los Angeles and our great state,” said Congresswoman Luz Rivas. “I thank Representatives Barragan and Lofgren for leading our California colleagues in introducing this resolution that reaffirms our support for peaceful protest and condemns President Trump’s mobilization of the National Guard and Marines on American soil. The President’s unprovoked and politically-motivated escalation of our military sowed more chaos and harm across our communities. My California House Democratic Caucus colleagues will continue to support the Constitutional right to peacefully protest the Trump Administration’s heartless immigration agenda while also swiftly condemning any acts of violence. Our Republican colleagues – especially our California Republican colleagues – need to do the same.”

“Trump’s deployment of Marines to Los Angeles was a dangerous overreach that bypassed both state and local authority. We all condemn violence. Californians have a right to protest peacefully — and the Governor’s office assured me that local law enforcement had the capacity to get the situation under control,” said Congresswoman Laura Friedman (CA-30). “The Republican resolution isn’t about safety — it’s political theater aimed at stripping Americans of their rights. Instead of targeting violent criminals, Trump is going after hardworking community members and using military force to intimidate dissent. Our resolution makes clear: we won’t let fear or federal overreach silence Californians exercising their constitutional rights.”

“This week, Republicans are forcing a vote on a partisan resolution to legitimize Trump’s unacceptable attacks on our community in Los Angeles and to excuse his warrantless mass ICE raids, his takeover of our National Guard, and his deployment of U.S. Marines on the streets of Southern California. This is just wrong. I’m proud to instead join my California Democratic colleagues in introducing this resolution to stand up to Trump’s attacks on California, defend our constitutional rights to due process and free expression, and thank the state and local law enforcement officers who have worked to protect public safety and prosecute those committing acts of violence and vandalism,” said Rep. Chu.

The resolution is cosponsored by: Reps. Aguilar, Bera, Brownley, Bynum, Carbajal, T. Carter, Chu, Cisneros, Correa, Costa, Dean, DelBene, DeSaulnier, Doggett, Espaillat, Friedman, Garamendi, R. Garcia, S. Garcia, J. Gomez, Gray, J. Hayes, Huffman, Ivey, Jacobs, Hank Johnson, Kamlager-Dove, T. Kennedy, Khanna, Landsman, Larsen, Latimer, Leger Fernandez, Levin, Liccardo, Lieu, Lofgren, Matsui, McCollum, Min, Morelle, Mullin, Panetta, Pelosi, Peters, Pettersen, Rivas, Ross, Ruiz, Salinas, L. Sanchez, Sherman, Simon, Swalwell, Takano, Thanedar, Thompson, N. Torres, Tran, Vargas, Waters, Whitesides.

The text of the resolution can be found HERE.

###

MIL OSI USA News –

June 27, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: Frontex hosts the Annual European Coast Guard Event 2025 in Gdańsk

Source: Frontex

Gdańsk, 24–26 June 2025 – Over 100 coast guard experts and decision-makers from across Europe gathered in Gdańsk for the 8th Annual European Coast Guard Event, hosted by Frontex in partnership with the European Fisheries Control Agency (EFCA) and European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA). Held under the Tripartite Working Arrangement, the event provided a space for open dialogue, fresh ideas, and closer cooperation between EU agencies and national maritime authorities.

This year’s edition focused on strengthening interagency services and building more effective partnerships to respond to shared challenges at sea.

Deep dive into Multipurpose Maritime Operations

AECGE 2025 was fully dedicated to Multipurpose Maritime Operations (MMOs) – the flagship operational model for joint EU agencies–Member States coast guard cooperation. Since 2019, a total of 16 such operations have taken place in key European maritime basins. Just days before the event, MMO Baltic Sea 2025 operation was launched, bringing together seven Member States and showing how far tripartite cooperation has come, in both scale and ambition.

MMOs are increasingly recognised by the Member States as valuable operational instruments, particularly in the current dynamic geopolitical landscape and in light of emerging maritime risks. They support joint situational awareness, cross-sector response capabilities, and operational solidarity across borders. The European Union Maritime Security Strategy (EUMSS) identifies the MMO model as a reliable tool for fostering interoperability – especially relevant in addressing complex, evolving threats.

Participants took part in hands-on breakout sessions aimed at shaping the future of multipurpose operations. Together, they explored how to:

• Bring more countries and authorities into the fold

•  Improve planning and coordination between agencies

•  Boost participation in joint trainings and exercises

•  Tailor the length and scope of future operations to real-world needs

MME BRACE 2025: Joint exercise in the Bay of Gdańsk

On the second day of the event, theory met practice with the execution of MME BRACE 2025, a Multipurpose Maritime Exercise held in the Bay of Gdańsk. The exercise was developed and coordinated by Frontex and the Kashubian Border Guard Squadron of the Polish Maritime Border Guard, with participation from EFCA, EMSA, and other national maritime authorities.

Under the leadership of Frontex, MME BRACE 2025 brought together Poland’s Border Guard, search and rescue, fisheries, and maritime security communities, along with operational experts from EU agencies. The drill tested real-time coordination in complex scenarios involving several coast guard functions.

It demonstrated the MMO concept’s potential to strengthen joint response capabilities, interoperability, and cross-sectoral trust between EU and national actors.

Celebrating cooperation, shaping the future

AECGE 2025 also marked the 20th anniversaries of Frontex and EFCA, highlighting two decades of service in support of Europe’s coast guard authorities.

An official handover of the TWA chairmanship from Frontex to EMSA took place at the historical Ziółkowski Pier, underscoring the agencies’ shared commitment to continuity and operational excellence.

MMOs remain a cornerstone of EU-level support for the Member States in the maritime domain. Under the Tripartite Working Arrangement, Frontex, EFCA, and EMSA reaffirmed their joint commitment to a more safe, secure, and sustainable maritime environment.

In a world of fast-moving changes and growing complexity, unity remains our greatest strength. In line with the event’s motto – Together we navigate tomorrow – it is the spirit of cooperation that allows us to anticipate challenges, act with confidence, and navigate safely, whatever the future may hold.

MIL OSI Europe News –

June 27, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: IAM Veteran Services Department Congratulates Local 1125 Retiree on VA Accreditation

Source: US GOIAM Union

IAM Local 1125 (District 725) member Bob Svenson recently received his long awaited notice that he has cleared the bar and is now a fully accredited Veterans Administration claims representative. He is now able to represent veterans seeking help with VA claims.

The status is hard to achieve because it allows these representatives to act much like an attorney, representing veterans in the claims process, and more.

“Many times the VA will come back and say your condition is not service connected and the veteran will just walk away,” said Svenson, a disabled U.S. Navy veteran. “Maybe one percent of those people will say, ‘Nope,’ and they’ll fight for it. I want to help everyone fight to get what they deserve.”

“Bob fought hard for this accreditation and the VA does not make it easy because it’s a very serious process when processing benefits from the VA,” said IAM Assistant Veterans Services Coordinator Bryan Stymacks. “He was banging on doors and making calls to people that could push the VA to act on his application. It takes three to five years sometimes to get through the process to be accredited.”

The IAM Union launched its Veterans Services Program in January 2021 with one accredited VA claims representative. So far, that representative, IAM Veterans Services Coordinator Rich Evans, has successfully gained more than $406,000 in monthly benefit increases, providing ongoing support to veterans and their 155 spouses and 259 children. The cumulative total of backpay recovered since the start of the program now stands at nearly $3.6 million.

“I sought accreditation on my own from the VA in 2016 and I know how hard it is to fight within the VA system”, said Evans. “So now there are two accredited claims representatives within the IAM Veterans Services Program, and we could probably use about 20.”

The IAM offers representation to IAM members and their families free of charge. Also the first labor organization to be recognized by the VA as a Veterans Service Organization (VSO), much like the DAV and American Legion. Accredited representatives can demand thousands of dollars to help with a claim, but the IAM views the representation as a guaranteed benefit of IAM membership.

The IAM Veterans Services Department continues to grow and and expand its services to military veteran members, many of whom do not realize that benefits like VA Healthcare can work as a supplement to other health insurance, reducing the out of pocket costs for healthcare for the veteran and enrolling the veteran in the proper programs as they become eligible for Medicare at retirement age. You can find out more here: IAM Veterans Services Intake Form

“I have three sets of families; my family that’s blood, my next family is my union family, and then it’s my military,” said Svenson. “I don’t care where on the spectrum they are, those are my families – you don’t mess with them.”

Svenson has been a member of the IAM Veterans Steering Committee since he attended the first veteran’s service training course at the Winpisinger Center in 2020. He is very active in the veterans councils in the western United States, and is based in San Diego with several roles at Local 1125.

The post IAM Veteran Services Department Congratulates Local 1125 Retiree on VA Accreditation appeared first on IAM Union.

MIL OSI USA News –

June 27, 2025
MIL-OSI NGOs: Update 298 – IAEA Director General Statement on Situation in Ukraine

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) –

Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) remains reliant on one single off-site power line to receive the external electricity it needs to cool its six reactors and their spent fuel, some seven weeks after it lost the connection to its last back-up power line, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said today.

“The extremely fragile external power situation as well as challenges related to the availability of cooling water after the Kakhovka dam was destroyed two years ago underline the fact that nuclear safety remains highly precarious at the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant. There are many important issues that must be addressed before it will be feasible to restart the plant,” Director General Grossi said.

The 330 kilovolt (kV) power line was disconnected on 7 May due to military activities some distance away from the ZNPP, leaving Europe’s largest nuclear power plant (NPP) dependent on one 750 kV line. Before the conflict, it had access to ten off-site power lines. Its six reactors have been in cold shutdown since 2024, but still require cooling water for their reactor cores.

Almost every day over the past week, the IAEA team based at the ZNPP has continued to hear explosions at various distances away from the site, a constant reminder of the close proximity to the frontline of the conflict.

The IAEA team has continued to conduct walkdowns across the site as part of the Agency’s mission to monitor and assess nuclear safety and security there.

Elsewhere in Ukraine, the IAEA teams at Ukraine’s three operating NPPs – Khmelnytskyy, Rivne and the South Ukraine – and the Chornobyl site reported hearing air-raid alarms over the past week. The teams at the Chornobyl site and the Rivne and South Ukraine NPPs have all rotated in recent days. Early on 21 June, the IAEA team at the South Ukraine NPP observed a drone around one kilometre from their hotel.

Two new deliveries of equipment have taken place under the IAEA’s comprehensive assistance programme for nuclear safety and security in Ukraine, bringing the total number of such shipments to 142 since the start of the armed conflict.

The State Enterprise Ukrainian Geological Company received portable radiation detection and monitoring devices within the framework of the IAEA Support and Assistance Mission to the Kherson Oblast (ISAMKO) programme in response to flooding caused by the destruction of the Kakhovka dam in mid-2023. The two deliveries were supported with funds from Japan.

MIL OSI NGO –

June 27, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: China’s Defense Ministry Opposes Using China as Pretext for NATO Expanding East

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

BEIJING, June 26 (Xinhua) — Chinese Defense Ministry spokesperson Zhang Xiaogang on Thursday strongly objected to NATO using China as a pretext for “expanding eastward into the Asia-Pacific region.”

He made this statement at a press briefing, commenting on recent statements by the NATO Secretary General.

Zhang Xiaogang noted that China has consistently followed the path of peaceful development and pursued a defense policy that is defensive in nature.

China’s development of military potential is aimed solely at protecting its sovereignty, security and development interests, Zhang Xiaogang emphasized, adding that China’s cooperation with Russia is not directed against third parties, but at the same time does not accept the interference and influence of third parties.

NATO, on the other hand, is engaged in instigation and fanning flames in various parts of the world to create unrest and provoke wars, thereby living up to its nickname of “war machine,” a senior Chinese military official said.

In recent years, NATO has expanded its powers and authority beyond the geographical boundaries stipulated in its treaty, causing high concern among countries in the region, Zhang Xiaogang added.

China calls on NATO to rethink its actions, change its course and make a greater contribution to global security and stability, a Chinese Defense Ministry official concluded. -0-

MIL OSI Russia News –

June 27, 2025
MIL-OSI United Nations: Secretary-General’s remarks to the General Assembly on the Informal Plenary Meeting on the 80th Anniversary of the UN Charter [bilingual, as delivered; scroll down for all-English and all-French]

Source: United Nations secretary general

Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,

Eighty years ago, from the ashes of war, the world planted a seed of hope.

One Charter, one vision, one promise: that peace is possible when humanity stands together.

The UN Charter is a declaration of hope — and the foundation of international cooperation for a better world.

And from day one, the United Nations has been a force of construction in a world often marked by destruction.

A meeting ground where the fiercest rivals can come together to solve global problems.

An institution where the smallest are represented alongside the most powerful.

A platform where voices of people everywhere can be heard.

A place grounded in the principles and letter of the Charter and other rules of international law.

And an engine of progress for human rights, sustainable development and humanitarian action.

The Charter has given us the tools to change destinies, save lives, and deliver hope to the most desperate corners of the world.

And we can draw a direct line from the creation of the United Nations and the prevention of a third world war.

Excellencies,

Upholding the purposes and principles of the Charter is a never-ending mission.

Over the decades, we have celebrated the end of wars — while witnessing the start of others.

We have delivered lifesaving aid to people in desperate need — while watching more humanitarian disasters unfold.

We have seen progress towards denuclearization — and simultaneously renewed steps to rearmament.

We had seen the progression of democracy, human rights, and adherence to international law — while unfortunately now seeing a troubling trend in the opposite direction.

We have rallied behind the Sustainable Development Goals — and also seen growing gaps in inequalities.

We have mobilized for climate action — and also are enduring record heat and climate chaos.

We have witnessed the breathtaking rise of digital technology and artificial intelligence, which hold so much potential for humanity — while we still work to ensure this technology is managed responsibly and safely.

Excellencies,

We must continue to advance our work across all these fronts.

But let’s be clear: Today, we see assaults on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter like never before.

The threat or use of force against sovereign nations.

The violation of international law, including international humanitarian law and international human rights law.

The targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure.

The weaponization of food and water.

The erosion of human rights.

On and on, we see an all too familiar pattern:

Follow when the Charter suits, ignore when it does not.

The Charter of the United Nations is not optional.

It is not an à la carte menu.

It is the bedrock of international relations.

We cannot and must not normalize violations of its most basic principles.

Excellences,

Aujourd’hui plus que jamais, nous devons respecter et renouveler notre engagement envers le droit international — en paroles comme en actes.

Afin de nous adapter à un monde numérique et de plus en plus multipolaire.

Afin de faire face aux chocs mondiaux avec unité et détermination.

Afin d’ouvrir grand nos portes — à la société civile, aux jeunes, au secteur privé.

Et afin de repenser notre manière d’agir, en bâtissant un multilatéralisme plus fort, renouvelé, inclusif et en réseau — en somme, un multilatéralisme adapté au XXIème siècle.

En septembre dernier, les États Membres ont adopté le Pacte pour l’avenir, réaffirmant l’engagement du monde en faveur du droit international et de la Charte des Nations Unies.

En cet anniversaire, j’invite tous les États Membres à être à la hauteur :

De l’esprit et de la lettre de la Charte.

Des responsabilités qu’elle nous confie.

Et de l’avenir qu’elle nous appelle à construire.

Pour la paix. Pour la justice. Pour le progrès. Pour « nous les peuples ».

Merci

***
[All-English]

Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,

Eighty years ago, from the ashes of war, the world planted a seed of hope.

One Charter, one vision, one promise: that peace is possible when humanity stands together.

The UN Charter is a declaration of hope — and the foundation of international cooperation for a better world.

And from day one, the United Nations has been a force of construction in a world often marked by destruction.

A meeting ground where the fiercest rivals can come together to solve global problems.

An institution where the smallest are represented alongside the most powerful.

A platform where voices of people everywhere can be heard.

A place grounded in the principles and letter of the Charter and other rules of international law.

And an engine of progress for human rights, sustainable development and humanitarian action.

The Charter has given us the tools to change destinies, save lives, and deliver hope to the most desperate corners of the world.

And we can draw a direct line from the creation of the United Nations and the prevention of a third world war.

Excellencies,

Upholding the purposes and principles of the Charter is a never-ending mission.

Over the decades, we have celebrated the end of wars — while witnessing the start of others.

We have delivered lifesaving aid to people in desperate need — while watching more humanitarian disasters unfold.

We have seen progress towards denuclearization — and simultaneously renewed steps to rearmament.

We had seen the progression of democracy, human rights, and adherence to international law — while unfortunately now seeing a troubling trend in the opposite direction.

We have rallied behind the Sustainable Development Goals — and also seen growing gaps in inequalities.

We have mobilized for climate action — and also are enduring record heat and climate chaos.

We have witnessed the breathtaking rise of digital technology and artificial intelligence, which hold so much potential for humanity — while we still work to ensure this technology is managed responsibly and safely.

Excellencies,

We must continue to advance our work across all these fronts.

But let’s be clear: Today, we see assaults on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter like never before.

The threat or use of force against sovereign nations.

The violation of international law, including international humanitarian law and international human rights law.

The targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure.

The weaponization of food and water.

The erosion of human rights.

On and on, we see an all too familiar pattern:

Follow when the Charter suits, ignore when it does not.

The Charter of the United Nations is not optional.

It is not an à la carte menu.

It is the bedrock of international relations.

We cannot and must not normalize violations of its most basic principles.

Excellencies,

Now more than ever, we must respect and re-commit to international law — in words and deeds.

To adapt to the digital, increasingly multipolar world.

To respond to global shocks with unity and resolve.

To open our doors wider — to civil society, to young people, to the private sector.

And to update how we work and build a stronger. renewed, inclusive, networked multilateralism — one that is tuned to the 21st century.

Last September, Member States adopted the Pact for the Future, which reaffirmed the world’s commitment to international law and the Charter of the United Nations.

On this anniversary, I urge all Member States to live up:

To the spirit and letter of the Charter.

To the responsibilities it demands.

And to the future it summons us to build.

For peace. For justice. For progress. For we the peoples.

Thank you.

***

[All-French]

Excellences, Mesdames et Messieurs,

Il y a 80 ans, sur les ruines laissées par la guerre, le monde a fait germer l’espoir.

Une Charte, une vision, une promesse : la paix est possible lorsque l’humanité fait bloc.

La Charte des Nations Unies est une déclaration d’espoir et le fondement de la coopération internationale pour un monde meilleur.

Et depuis sa création, l’Organisation des Nations Unies est une force constructive dans un monde souvent marqué par la destruction.

Un lieu de rencontre où les adversaires les plus féroces peuvent s’unir pour régler des problèmes mondiaux.

Une institution où les plus petits sont représentés aux côtés des plus puissants.

Un forum où, de partout, la voix de tous et toutes peut être entendue.

Un lieu ancré dans les principes et la lettre de la Charte et des autres règles du droit international.

Et une force motrice pour les droits humains, le développement durable et l’action humanitaire.

La Charte nous a donné les moyens de changer des destins, de sauver des vies et d’apporter de l’espoir dans les endroits les plus éprouvés du monde.

Nous pouvons établir un lien direct entre la création de l’Organisation des Nations Unies et la prévention d’une troisième guerre mondiale.

Excellences,

Défendre les objectifs et principes de la Charte est une mission sans fin.

Au fil des décennies, nous avons vu avec satisfaction des guerres prendre fin – mais en avons vu d’autres éclater.

Nous avons apporté une aide vitale à des personnes qui en avaient désespérément besoin – tout en assistant à de nouvelles catastrophes humanitaires.

Nous avons constaté des progrès vers la dénucléarisation – et observé dans le même temps des mesures de réarmement.

Nous avons assisté à des avancées en matière de démocratie, de respect des droits humains et du droit international – mains nous constatons malheureusement aujourd’hui une tendance troublante dans la direction opposée.

Nous avons fait cause commune concernant les Objectifs de développement durable – tout en voyant les inégalités se creuser de plus en plus.

Nous nous sommes mobilisés en faveur de l’action climatique – et connu dans le même temps des records de chaleur et le chaos climatique.

Nous avons assisté à l’essor époustouflant de la technologie numérique et de l’intelligence artificielle, qui recèlent un immense potentiel pour l’humanité – tout en continuant d’œuvrer pour que cette technologie soit exploitée de manière responsable et sûre.

Excellences,

Nous devons continuer à faire avancer notre travail sur tous ces fronts.

Mais soyons clairs : aujourd’hui, nous assistons à des attaques contre les buts et principes de la Charte des Nations Unies comme jamais auparavant.

La menace ou l’usage de la force contre des nations souveraines.

La violation du droit international, y compris du droit international humanitaire et du droit international des droits humains.

La prise pour cible de civils et d’infrastructures civiles.

L’instrumentalisation de la nourriture et de l’eau.

L’érosion des droits humains.

Encore et encore, nous observons un schéma bien trop familier :

Suivre la Charte quand cela nous arrange, l’ignorer quand elle dérange.

La Charte des Nations Unies n’est pas optionnelle.

Ce n’est pas un menu à la carte.

C’est le fondement des relations internationales.

Nous ne pouvons pas et ne devons pas normaliser les violations de ses principes les plus fondamentaux.

Excellences,

Aujourd’hui plus que jamais, nous devons respecter et renouveler notre engagement envers le droit international — en paroles comme en actes.

Afin de nous adapter à un monde numérique et de plus en plus multipolaire.

Afin de faire face aux chocs mondiaux avec unité et détermination.

Afin d’ouvrir grand nos portes — à la société civile, aux jeunes, au secteur privé.

Et afin de repenser notre manière d’agir, en bâtissant un multilatéralisme plus fort, renouvelé, inclusif et en réseau — en somme, un multilatéralisme adapté au XXIème siècle.

En septembre dernier, les États Membres ont adopté le Pacte pour l’avenir, réaffirmant l’engagement du monde en faveur du droit international et de la Charte des Nations Unies.

En cet anniversaire, j’invite tous les États Membres à être à la hauteur :

De l’esprit et de la lettre de la Charte.

Des responsabilités qu’elle nous confie.

Et de l’avenir qu’elle nous appelle à construire.

Pour la paix. Pour la justice. Pour le progrès. Pour « nous les peuples ».

Merci.

***

MIL OSI United Nations News –

June 27, 2025
MIL-OSI United Nations: IOM Seeks USD 100M to Sustain Critical Services After Assisting 26M People in 186 Countries in 2024

Source: International Organization for Migration (IOM)

Geneva, 26 June 2025 – As the International Organization for Migration (IOM) presents its 2024 Annual Report to the Standing Committee on Programmes and Finance (SCPF), the Organization has simultaneously launched a global Resilience Campaign, calling on all its Member States for USD 100 million in flexible funding to protect its core humanitarian operations and maintain critical support for people on the move.

“In a world where crises are escalating and resources are stretched thin, it’s critical that we protect the systems and solutions that are already saving lives,” said IOM Director General Amy Pope. “Our teams are on the frontlines, delivering results day in and day out. But to sustain this impact, we need more than just commitment – we need support.”

The Annual Report launched today at the SCPF reveals that IOM assisted more than 26.4 million people in 2024, delivering life-saving aid, fostering solutions to displacement, facilitating safe migration, and supporting recovery and resilience efforts across 186 countries. These results were achieved in a year marked by compounding crises and financial uncertainty, making sustained investment more important than ever.

The campaign, titled From Reform to Resilience: Securing What We Built Together, comes in response to potential shortfalls in Operational Support Income, the funding stream that enables IOM’s essential systems, such as global data tools that informed 91 percent of Humanitarian Needs Overviews and Response Plans in 2024. With only five percent of IOM’s total income coming from flexible sources, the Organization’s ability to maintain these services is at risk.

“We are asking that donors and Member States provide just 5 to 10 per cent of existing contribution as flexible funding,” DG Pope added. “Flexible funding is what allows us to act fast in crises. It’s what allows us to support the most vulnerable, not just the most visible. It ensures the institutional stability you asked us to build.”

In 2024, IOM undertook significant structural realignment measures to increase efficiency, shifting more resources to the field and reducing institutional costs. Efforts that generated USD 38 million in savings include automation, enhancing procurement processes, and staff relocations to lower-cost duty stations.

Over 6.2 million people received emergency health assistance, nearly 3 million were supported with protection services, and 1.5 million migrants and displaced persons accessed mental health and psychosocial care.

In fragile and conflict-affected contexts, IOM supported the safe relocation of tens of thousands of individuals and provided recovery assistance to 2.8 million people. As climate-related disasters intensified, almost 900,000 people received support to recover and adapt. Meanwhile, IOM enabled over 220,000 people to move safely and with dignity, and helped nearly 60,000 return voluntarily to their countries of origin.

IOM’s 2024 Annual Report also highlights the Organization’s growing engagement with governments and the private sector to facilitate safe pathways for regular migration. In 2024, IOM worked with 145 governments to strengthen migration governance and expanded its corporate partnerships, reaching over one million people through joint initiatives with 33 new private sector partners.

Presented to Member States at the SCPF, the Annual Report not only affirms the scale and scope of IOM’s global operations but also makes clear that the ability to sustain these efforts depends on continued, flexible funding. The Resilience Campaign is a call for solidarity and action.

“Behind every figure in the report is a person seeking safety, dignity, and a chance to rebuild. Whether it’s a family displaced by conflict or a community recovering from disaster, flexible support ensures IOM can remain present and responsive. With continued backing, these efforts can go further and reach those who need them most,” DG Pope said.

Note to Editors:

The full report will be published next week and made available on IOM’s website.

For more information, please contact IOM Media Centre.

MIL OSI United Nations News –

June 27, 2025
MIL-OSI United Nations: World Bank Group, IAEA Formalize Partnership to Collaborate on Nuclear Energy for Development
Source: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)

Rafael Mariano Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, and Ajay Banga, President of the World Bank Group, sign a partnership agreement to collaborate on the safe, secure and responsible use of nuclear energy for development. (Photo: M Arnaldo/World Bank)
The World Bank Group and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) sealed an agreement today to work together to support the safe, secure and responsible use of nuclear energy in developing countries. The partnership agreement, signed by World Bank Group President Ajay Banga and IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi, formalizes multiple engagements between the two institutions over the last year, and marks the World Bank Group’s first concrete step to reengage with nuclear power in decades.

The agreement also reflects a new, broader approach by the World Bank Group to electrification—one that prioritizes accessibility, affordability, and reliability, while managing emissions responsibly. With electricity demand in developing countries expected to more than double by 2035, this approach aims to help countries deliver the energy people need by enabling pathways that best fit their national context, including development objectives and Nationally Determined Contributions.

Nuclear energy provides continuous baseload power, enhancing grid stability and resilience. Reliable baseload electricity is essential for job-generating sectors such as infrastructure, agribusiness, healthcare, tourism, and manufacturing. Nuclear power is also a source of high-skilled employment and stimulates investment across the broader economy. In addition, it can adjust to changes in electricity demand and support frequency regulation, enabling greater integration of variable renewable energy sources.

“Jobs need electricity. So do factories, hospitals, schools, and water systems. And as demand surges—with AI and development alike—we must help countries deliver reliable, affordable power. That’s why we’re embracing nuclear energy as part of the solution—and reembracing it as part of the mix the World Bank Group can offer developing countries to achieve their ambitions. Importantly, nuclear delivers baseload power, which is essential to building modern economies,” said World Bank Group President Ajay Banga. “Our partnership with the IAEA marks an important step, and I’m grateful to Rafael for his personal commitment and leadership in making this possible. Together, we’ll deepen our expertise, support countries that choose nuclear, and ensure that safety, security, and sustainability guide every step forward.”

“Today’s agreement is a milestone and the result of a year of joint work since President Ajay Banga kindly invited me to the World Bank Group Executive Board in Washington in June of last year,” IAEA Director General Grossi said. “This landmark partnership, yet another sign of the world’s return to realism on nuclear power, opens the door for other multilateral development banks and private investors to consider nuclear as a viable tool for energy security and sustainable prosperity. Together, we can help more people build a better future.”

Under the memorandum of understanding signed today, the IAEA will work with the World Bank Group in three key areas:
- Build knowledge related to the nuclear field: Expand the World Bank Group’s understanding of nuclear safety, security, safeguards, energy planning, new technologies, fuel cycles, reactor lifecycles, and waste management.
- Extend the lifespan of existing nuclear power plants: Support developing countries in safely extending the life of existing nuclear reactors-one of the most cost-effective sources of low-carbon power-as many global reactors near the end of their original 40-year design life.
- Advance SMRs: Accelerate the development of small modular reactors (SMRs), which offer flexible deployment, lower upfront costs, and potential for wide adoption in developing economies.
Thirty-one countries currently operate nuclear power plants, which combined produce about 9% of the world’s electricity, amounting to almost a quarter of all low-carbon power globally. More than 30 other countries, most of them in the developing world, are considering or already embarking on the introduction of nuclear power and are working with the IAEA to develop the necessary infrastructure to do so safely, securely and sustainably.

“SMRs have great potential to cleanly and reliably power progress and fight poverty, but financing remains a roadblock,” Director General Grossi said. “Today’s agreement is a crucial first step to clearing that path.”

Contacts

World Bank Group (London): David Young, (202) 473-4691, dyoung7@worldbankgroup.org;

International Atomic Energy Agency (Vienna): Jeffrey Donovan, +43 699 165 22443, j.r.donovan@iaea.org

About the World Bank Group: The World Bank Group works to create a world free of poverty on a livable planet through a combination of financing, knowledge, and expertise. It consists of the World Bank, including the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and the International Development Association (IDA); the International Finance Corporation (IFC); the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA); and the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID). For more information, please visit www.worldbank.org, ida.worldbank.org/en/home, www.miga.org, www.ifc.org, and www.icsid.worldbank.org.

About the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA): The IAEA is an international organization that seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy and to prevent its use for military purposes. The IAEA supports its member states in developing robust and sustainable nuclear safety and security infrastructures and applies safeguards to verify the peaceful use of nuclear material and technology.
MIL OSI United Nations News –
June 27, 2025
MIL-OSI United Nations: Update 298 – IAEA Director General Statement on Situation in Ukraine

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)

Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) remains reliant on one single off-site power line to receive the external electricity it needs to cool its six reactors and their spent fuel, some seven weeks after it lost the connection to its last back-up power line, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said today.

“The extremely fragile external power situation as well as challenges related to the availability of cooling water after the Kakhovka dam was destroyed two years ago underline the fact that nuclear safety remains highly precarious at the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant. There are many important issues that must be addressed before it will be feasible to restart the plant,” Director General Grossi said.

The 330 kilovolt (kV) power line was disconnected on 7 May due to military activities some distance away from the ZNPP, leaving Europe’s largest nuclear power plant (NPP) dependent on one 750 kV line. Before the conflict, it had access to ten off-site power lines. Its six reactors have been in cold shutdown since 2024, but still require cooling water for their reactor cores.

Almost every day over the past week, the IAEA team based at the ZNPP has continued to hear explosions at various distances away from the site, a constant reminder of the close proximity to the frontline of the conflict.

The IAEA team has continued to conduct walkdowns across the site as part of the Agency’s mission to monitor and assess nuclear safety and security there.

Elsewhere in Ukraine, the IAEA teams at Ukraine’s three operating NPPs – Khmelnytskyy, Rivne and the South Ukraine – and the Chornobyl site reported hearing air-raid alarms over the past week. The teams at the Chornobyl site and the Rivne and South Ukraine NPPs have all rotated in recent days. Early on 21 June, the IAEA team at the South Ukraine NPP observed a drone around one kilometre from their hotel.

Two new deliveries of equipment have taken place under the IAEA’s comprehensive assistance programme for nuclear safety and security in Ukraine, bringing the total number of such shipments to 142 since the start of the armed conflict.

The State Enterprise Ukrainian Geological Company received portable radiation detection and monitoring devices within the framework of the IAEA Support and Assistance Mission to the Kherson Oblast (ISAMKO) programme in response to flooding caused by the destruction of the Kakhovka dam in mid-2023. The two deliveries were supported with funds from Japan.

MIL OSI United Nations News –

June 27, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: SEC Publishes Data on Broker-Dealers, Mergers & Acquisitions, and Business Development Companies
Source: Securities and Exchange Commission

The Securities and Exchange Commission’s Division of Economic and Risk Analysis (DERA) has published new reports and data on broker-dealers, mergers and acquisitions (M&A), and business development companies (BDCs).

Today’s reports provide the public with information about the changes in broker-dealer and M&A activity over time. In addition, the BDC data allow the public to conduct its own analysis of data filed with the Commission.

“It is important to understand the current status of markets and how they have been changing,” said Robert Fisher, Acting Chief Economist and Director of the SEC’s Division of Economic and Risk Analysis. “Providing such information helps all of us to understand how the markets are functioning.”

The three reports and data issued today are:
- Broker-Dealer Activity in the United States provides information on registered broker-dealers and their activities over the period 2010-2024, including an analysis of the industry, the structure of activity of different types of broker-dealers, and the revenues and expenses of broker-dealers. As of 2024, there were approximately 3,340 broker-dealers with total assets of approximately $6.4 trillion. The number of broker-dealers declined by approximately 30% from 2010 to 2024, but assets grew by approximately $1.7 trillion. These results show a trend of industry consolidation, with a declining fraction of market participants responsible for a larger asset pool by the end of the sample period.
- Analysis of Merger & Acquisition Activity provides a recent analysis of the U.S. mergers and acquisitions market, including an analysis of the characteristics of a typical deal and the geographic location of the acquirers and targets. The market has exhibited cyclicality such that years with favorable overall market performance were generally associated with higher deal volume. The average deal value was $3.5 billion, while the median deal value was $0.5 billion. The average acquirer had assets of $40 billion, but the median was close to $7 billion. In contrast, targets were significantly smaller, with the average target reporting assets of $5 billion and the median target reporting assets of $1 billion. Close to three-quarters of the deals involved acquirers and targets in the same two-digit Standard Industrial Classification industry and approximately a third of the deals involved targets and acquirers headquartered in the same state.
- Business Development Company Data Sets provide data extracted from disclosures filed by BDCs with the Commission. The BDC Data Sets provide a schedule of investments report, detailed financial data sets, and a summary non-financial data set.
DERA integrates financial economics and rigorous data analytics into the SEC’s core mission. It conducts detailed, high-quality economic and statistical analyses to advise on Commission matters and helps identify and respond to issues, trends, and innovations in the marketplace.

MIL OSI USA News –
June 27, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: SEC Publishes Data on Broker-Dealers, Mergers & Acquisitions, and Business Development Companies
Source: Securities and Exchange Commission

The Securities and Exchange Commission’s Division of Economic and Risk Analysis (DERA) has published new reports and data on broker-dealers, mergers and acquisitions (M&A), and business development companies (BDCs).

Today’s reports provide the public with information about the changes in broker-dealer and M&A activity over time. In addition, the BDC data allow the public to conduct its own analysis of data filed with the Commission.

“It is important to understand the current status of markets and how they have been changing,” said Robert Fisher, Acting Chief Economist and Director of the SEC’s Division of Economic and Risk Analysis. “Providing such information helps all of us to understand how the markets are functioning.”

The three reports and data issued today are:
- Broker-Dealer Activity in the United States provides information on registered broker-dealers and their activities over the period 2010-2024, including an analysis of the industry, the structure of activity of different types of broker-dealers, and the revenues and expenses of broker-dealers. As of 2024, there were approximately 3,340 broker-dealers with total assets of approximately $6.4 trillion. The number of broker-dealers declined by approximately 30% from 2010 to 2024, but assets grew by approximately $1.7 trillion. These results show a trend of industry consolidation, with a declining fraction of market participants responsible for a larger asset pool by the end of the sample period.
- Analysis of Merger & Acquisition Activity provides a recent analysis of the U.S. mergers and acquisitions market, including an analysis of the characteristics of a typical deal and the geographic location of the acquirers and targets. The market has exhibited cyclicality such that years with favorable overall market performance were generally associated with higher deal volume. The average deal value was $3.5 billion, while the median deal value was $0.5 billion. The average acquirer had assets of $40 billion, but the median was close to $7 billion. In contrast, targets were significantly smaller, with the average target reporting assets of $5 billion and the median target reporting assets of $1 billion. Close to three-quarters of the deals involved acquirers and targets in the same two-digit Standard Industrial Classification industry and approximately a third of the deals involved targets and acquirers headquartered in the same state.
- Business Development Company Data Sets provide data extracted from disclosures filed by BDCs with the Commission. The BDC Data Sets provide a schedule of investments report, detailed financial data sets, and a summary non-financial data set.
DERA integrates financial economics and rigorous data analytics into the SEC’s core mission. It conducts detailed, high-quality economic and statistical analyses to advise on Commission matters and helps identify and respond to issues, trends, and innovations in the marketplace.

MIL OSI USA News –
June 27, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Wilson praises SCOTUS decision upholding South Carolina’s authority in Planned Parenthood CaseRead More

Source: US State of South Carolina

(COLUMBIA, S.C.) – South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson today applauded the United States Supreme Court for ruling in favor of South Carolina in Medina v. Planned Parenthood, affirming that states, not abortion providers, decide who participates in their Medicaid programs.

“I want to thank the six Justices who stood up for the Constitution and the rule of law,” said Attorney General Wilson. “The Supreme Court just slammed the door on Planned Parenthood’s latest attempt to force its radical agenda through the courts on our state. South Carolina, not federal judges or D.C. activist groups, gets to decide how we run our Medicaid program.”

In a 6–3 opinion authored by Justice Gorsuch, the Court held that the Medicaid Act’s “any qualified provider” language does not give private individuals or organizations the power to sue states under federal civil rights law. The Court emphasized that Medicaid is a cooperative partnership between the states and federal government, not an entitlement program for politically connected providers.

“Planned Parenthood and its allies tried to turn Medicaid into a weapon to force their agenda on our State. The Court just told them: No,” Wilson said. “This is about who runs South Carolina—our elected leaders, or out-of-state activists and unelected judges. We’re glad the Court got it right.”

Attorney General Wilson pledged to keep fighting for the rule of law and thanked Governor McMaster and his team for taking a principled stand in this case.

You can read the Court’s full opinion here.

MIL OSI USA News –

June 27, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: World Bank Group, IAEA Formalize Partnership to Collaborate on Nuclear Energy for Development
Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

Rafael Mariano Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, and Ajay Banga, President of the World Bank Group, sign a partnership agreement to collaborate on the safe, secure and responsible use of nuclear energy for development. (Photo: M Arnaldo/World Bank)
The World Bank Group and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) sealed an agreement today to work together to support the safe, secure and responsible use of nuclear energy in developing countries. The partnership agreement, signed by World Bank Group President Ajay Banga and IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi, formalizes multiple engagements between the two institutions over the last year, and marks the World Bank Group’s first concrete step to reengage with nuclear power in decades.

The agreement also reflects a new, broader approach by the World Bank Group to electrification—one that prioritizes accessibility, affordability, and reliability, while managing emissions responsibly. With electricity demand in developing countries expected to more than double by 2035, this approach aims to help countries deliver the energy people need by enabling pathways that best fit their national context, including development objectives and Nationally Determined Contributions.

Nuclear energy provides continuous baseload power, enhancing grid stability and resilience. Reliable baseload electricity is essential for job-generating sectors such as infrastructure, agribusiness, healthcare, tourism, and manufacturing. Nuclear power is also a source of high-skilled employment and stimulates investment across the broader economy. In addition, it can adjust to changes in electricity demand and support frequency regulation, enabling greater integration of variable renewable energy sources.

“Jobs need electricity. So do factories, hospitals, schools, and water systems. And as demand surges—with AI and development alike—we must help countries deliver reliable, affordable power. That’s why we’re embracing nuclear energy as part of the solution—and reembracing it as part of the mix the World Bank Group can offer developing countries to achieve their ambitions. Importantly, nuclear delivers baseload power, which is essential to building modern economies,” said World Bank Group President Ajay Banga. “Our partnership with the IAEA marks an important step, and I’m grateful to Rafael for his personal commitment and leadership in making this possible. Together, we’ll deepen our expertise, support countries that choose nuclear, and ensure that safety, security, and sustainability guide every step forward.”

“Today’s agreement is a milestone and the result of a year of joint work since President Ajay Banga kindly invited me to the World Bank Group Executive Board in Washington in June of last year,” IAEA Director General Grossi said. “This landmark partnership, yet another sign of the world’s return to realism on nuclear power, opens the door for other multilateral development banks and private investors to consider nuclear as a viable tool for energy security and sustainable prosperity. Together, we can help more people build a better future.”

Under the memorandum of understanding signed today, the IAEA will work with the World Bank Group in three key areas:
- Build knowledge related to the nuclear field: Expand the World Bank Group’s understanding of nuclear safety, security, safeguards, energy planning, new technologies, fuel cycles, reactor lifecycles, and waste management.
- Extend the lifespan of existing nuclear power plants: Support developing countries in safely extending the life of existing nuclear reactors-one of the most cost-effective sources of low-carbon power-as many global reactors near the end of their original 40-year design life.
- Advance SMRs: Accelerate the development of small modular reactors (SMRs), which offer flexible deployment, lower upfront costs, and potential for wide adoption in developing economies.
Thirty-one countries currently operate nuclear power plants, which combined produce about 9% of the world’s electricity, amounting to almost a quarter of all low-carbon power globally. More than 30 other countries, most of them in the developing world, are considering or already embarking on the introduction of nuclear power and are working with the IAEA to develop the necessary infrastructure to do so safely, securely and sustainably.

“SMRs have great potential to cleanly and reliably power progress and fight poverty, but financing remains a roadblock,” Director General Grossi said. “Today’s agreement is a crucial first step to clearing that path.”

Contacts

World Bank Group (London): David Young, (202) 473-4691, dyoung7@worldbankgroup.org;

International Atomic Energy Agency (Vienna): Jeffrey Donovan, +43 699 165 22443, j.r.donovan@iaea.org

About the World Bank Group: The World Bank Group works to create a world free of poverty on a livable planet through a combination of financing, knowledge, and expertise. It consists of the World Bank, including the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and the International Development Association (IDA); the International Finance Corporation (IFC); the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA); and the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID). For more information, please visit www.worldbank.org, ida.worldbank.org/en/home, www.miga.org, www.ifc.org, and www.icsid.worldbank.org.

About the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA): The IAEA is an international organization that seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy and to prevent its use for military purposes. The IAEA supports its member states in developing robust and sustainable nuclear safety and security infrastructures and applies safeguards to verify the peaceful use of nuclear material and technology.
MIL Security OSI –
June 27, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Update 298 – IAEA Director General Statement on Situation in Ukraine

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) remains reliant on one single off-site power line to receive the external electricity it needs to cool its six reactors and their spent fuel, some seven weeks after it lost the connection to its last back-up power line, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said today.

“The extremely fragile external power situation as well as challenges related to the availability of cooling water after the Kakhovka dam was destroyed two years ago underline the fact that nuclear safety remains highly precarious at the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant. There are many important issues that must be addressed before it will be feasible to restart the plant,” Director General Grossi said.

The 330 kilovolt (kV) power line was disconnected on 7 May due to military activities some distance away from the ZNPP, leaving Europe’s largest nuclear power plant (NPP) dependent on one 750 kV line. Before the conflict, it had access to ten off-site power lines. Its six reactors have been in cold shutdown since 2024, but still require cooling water for their reactor cores.

Almost every day over the past week, the IAEA team based at the ZNPP has continued to hear explosions at various distances away from the site, a constant reminder of the close proximity to the frontline of the conflict.

The IAEA team has continued to conduct walkdowns across the site as part of the Agency’s mission to monitor and assess nuclear safety and security there.

Elsewhere in Ukraine, the IAEA teams at Ukraine’s three operating NPPs – Khmelnytskyy, Rivne and the South Ukraine – and the Chornobyl site reported hearing air-raid alarms over the past week. The teams at the Chornobyl site and the Rivne and South Ukraine NPPs have all rotated in recent days. Early on 21 June, the IAEA team at the South Ukraine NPP observed a drone around one kilometre from their hotel.

Two new deliveries of equipment have taken place under the IAEA’s comprehensive assistance programme for nuclear safety and security in Ukraine, bringing the total number of such shipments to 142 since the start of the armed conflict.

The State Enterprise Ukrainian Geological Company received portable radiation detection and monitoring devices within the framework of the IAEA Support and Assistance Mission to the Kherson Oblast (ISAMKO) programme in response to flooding caused by the destruction of the Kakhovka dam in mid-2023. The two deliveries were supported with funds from Japan.

MIL Security OSI –

June 27, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Update 298 – IAEA Director General Statement on Situation in Ukraine

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) remains reliant on one single off-site power line to receive the external electricity it needs to cool its six reactors and their spent fuel, some seven weeks after it lost the connection to its last back-up power line, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said today.

“The extremely fragile external power situation as well as challenges related to the availability of cooling water after the Kakhovka dam was destroyed two years ago underline the fact that nuclear safety remains highly precarious at the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant. There are many important issues that must be addressed before it will be feasible to restart the plant,” Director General Grossi said.

The 330 kilovolt (kV) power line was disconnected on 7 May due to military activities some distance away from the ZNPP, leaving Europe’s largest nuclear power plant (NPP) dependent on one 750 kV line. Before the conflict, it had access to ten off-site power lines. Its six reactors have been in cold shutdown since 2024, but still require cooling water for their reactor cores.

Almost every day over the past week, the IAEA team based at the ZNPP has continued to hear explosions at various distances away from the site, a constant reminder of the close proximity to the frontline of the conflict.

The IAEA team has continued to conduct walkdowns across the site as part of the Agency’s mission to monitor and assess nuclear safety and security there.

Elsewhere in Ukraine, the IAEA teams at Ukraine’s three operating NPPs – Khmelnytskyy, Rivne and the South Ukraine – and the Chornobyl site reported hearing air-raid alarms over the past week. The teams at the Chornobyl site and the Rivne and South Ukraine NPPs have all rotated in recent days. Early on 21 June, the IAEA team at the South Ukraine NPP observed a drone around one kilometre from their hotel.

Two new deliveries of equipment have taken place under the IAEA’s comprehensive assistance programme for nuclear safety and security in Ukraine, bringing the total number of such shipments to 142 since the start of the armed conflict.

The State Enterprise Ukrainian Geological Company received portable radiation detection and monitoring devices within the framework of the IAEA Support and Assistance Mission to the Kherson Oblast (ISAMKO) programme in response to flooding caused by the destruction of the Kakhovka dam in mid-2023. The two deliveries were supported with funds from Japan.

MIL Security OSI –

June 27, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Armed Career Criminal on Federal Supervision for a Prior Criminal Conviction is Sentenced to More Than 15 Years for Robbery and Possession of a Firearm by a Felon

Source: US FBI

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Terry Sherwood Slade, 55, was sentenced to 188 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release today after he was convicted of Hobbs Act robbery and possession of a firearm by a felon, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Slade was also ordered to serve an additional 12 months and a day for violating his supervised release.

According to filed court documents and today’s sentencing hearing, on November 20, 2023, while Slade was under federal supervision for a prior robbery conviction, he entered the House of Clouds Smoke Shop located in Charlotte and requested cigarettes from the store’s employee. When the store employee opened the register, Slade demanded money and threatened to shoot her. Slade then put his hand in his jacket pocket and gestured toward the employee. He then walked behind the counter into the employee area and took money from the register along with cigarettes and fled the scene.

According to court records, on December 3, 2023, Slade entered Nick’s Arcade located in Charlotte. Upon entering the store, Slade approached a security guard and grabbed her firearm. Following a brief struggle between Slade, the security guard, and a cashier, Slade grabbed the security guard’s firearm and pointed the weapon at the two employees. While armed, Slade went to the arcade’s private office and stole cash located in a safe before fleeing the scene.

On December 13, 2023, an individual contacted the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) to report he had been shot at by a man with whom he’d previously had an argument. During the investigation, the victim identified Slade as the shooter. CMPD officers arrested Slade. At the time of the arrest, Slade possessed the firearm he’d taken from security guard during the arcade store robbery. CMPD analyzed a cartridge collected at the scene of the reported shooting and determined it matched the security guard’s firearm found on Slade when he was arrested.

In September 2024, Slade pleaded guilty to Hobbs Act robbery and possession of a firearm by a felon. Court records indicate that Slade has a prior federal conviction for Hobbs Act robbery, and multiple state felony convictions in North Carolina, including for Assault With a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to Kill Inflicting Serious Injury and Common Law Robbery. Slade was sentenced as an armed career criminal.

In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson credited the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department for the investigation of this case and thanked the U.S. Probation Office for its assistance.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.

MIL Security OSI –

June 27, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Armed Career Criminal on Federal Supervision for a Prior Criminal Conviction is Sentenced to More Than 15 Years for Robbery and Possession of a Firearm by a Felon

Source: US FBI

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Terry Sherwood Slade, 55, was sentenced to 188 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release today after he was convicted of Hobbs Act robbery and possession of a firearm by a felon, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Slade was also ordered to serve an additional 12 months and a day for violating his supervised release.

According to filed court documents and today’s sentencing hearing, on November 20, 2023, while Slade was under federal supervision for a prior robbery conviction, he entered the House of Clouds Smoke Shop located in Charlotte and requested cigarettes from the store’s employee. When the store employee opened the register, Slade demanded money and threatened to shoot her. Slade then put his hand in his jacket pocket and gestured toward the employee. He then walked behind the counter into the employee area and took money from the register along with cigarettes and fled the scene.

According to court records, on December 3, 2023, Slade entered Nick’s Arcade located in Charlotte. Upon entering the store, Slade approached a security guard and grabbed her firearm. Following a brief struggle between Slade, the security guard, and a cashier, Slade grabbed the security guard’s firearm and pointed the weapon at the two employees. While armed, Slade went to the arcade’s private office and stole cash located in a safe before fleeing the scene.

On December 13, 2023, an individual contacted the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) to report he had been shot at by a man with whom he’d previously had an argument. During the investigation, the victim identified Slade as the shooter. CMPD officers arrested Slade. At the time of the arrest, Slade possessed the firearm he’d taken from security guard during the arcade store robbery. CMPD analyzed a cartridge collected at the scene of the reported shooting and determined it matched the security guard’s firearm found on Slade when he was arrested.

In September 2024, Slade pleaded guilty to Hobbs Act robbery and possession of a firearm by a felon. Court records indicate that Slade has a prior federal conviction for Hobbs Act robbery, and multiple state felony convictions in North Carolina, including for Assault With a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to Kill Inflicting Serious Injury and Common Law Robbery. Slade was sentenced as an armed career criminal.

In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson credited the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department for the investigation of this case and thanked the U.S. Probation Office for its assistance.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.

MIL Security OSI –

June 27, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Armed Crips Member Receives Six Years in Prison

Source: US FBI

RALEIGH, N.C. – A Greenville gang member was sentenced to 72 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute a quantity of cocaine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. Leonard Williams Jr., 36, pled guilty to the charges on February 18, 2025.

According to court documents and other information presented in court, the Greenville Regional Drug Task Force conducted several controlled purchases of cocaine from Williams Jr. during July and August 2024. On August 12, 2024, law enforcement searched a residence associated with Williams Jr. on Ward Street and found more than an ounce of cocaine and a loaded .40 caliber handgun in the bedroom. According to law enforcement, Williams Jr. is a validated member of the 83 set of the Crips street gang. Williams Jr. has a prior conviction from 2016 for conspiracy to commit second degree murder.

This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launders, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Greenville Regional Drug Task Force investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Severo prosecuted the case.

Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:24-CR-00072.

MIL Security OSI –

June 27, 2025