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  • MIL-OSI USA: New IAM Union Merch Now Available on Updated IAM Online Store!

    Source: US GOIAM Union

    The IAM Union’s refreshed branding has been a hit with our membership and beyond!

    Now, we have a way for every IAM Union member and supporter to get our brand new merch shipped directly to them.

    Visit our revamped iamuniongear.org online store to order today!

    We have the following IAM Union swag ready for purchase, with more on the way:

    • T-Shirts
    • Polos
    • Hats
    • Magnets
    • Lapel pins
    • Pencils
    • Lanyards
    • Ties and pocket squares/scarves

    In addition, our heritage IAM gear is available at bargain prices, so visit iamuniongear.org today!

    As always, IAM Union merch also remains available for purchase at IAM Headquarters and the Winpisinger Center.

    The post New IAM Union Merch Now Available on Updated IAM Online Store! appeared first on IAM Union.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: United Nations – United States’ withdrawal from UNESCO (22.07.25)

    Source: Republic of France in English
    The Republic of France has issued the following statement:

    France regrets the United States’ decision to leave UNESCO, of which it is a founder member and a host country for its headquarters.

    Founded in 1946 to prevent conflicts through education, culture and tolerance, UNESCO helps maintain international peace and security. It embodies an effective multilateralism of action, focused on its missions to benefit populations, operating rehabilitation programmes in conflict zones, from Mosul in Iraq to Odessa in Ukraine.

    In this respect, France welcomes the reforms begun in 2018 by Director-General Audrey Azoulay, which have led to a stronger consensus within the organization.

    France supports UNESCO, which backs several of its priorities at international level, particularly access to education for all, the protection of endangered heritage, the protection of our oceans, the responsible development of artificial intelligence and the fight against anti-Semitism and hate speech.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Marshals Lone Star Fugitive Task Force Commemorates 20 Years Investigating, Apprehending West Texas Fugitives

    Source: US Marshals Service

    San Antonio, TX – The U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) is commemorating the Lone Star Fugitive Task Force’s 20 years of service as part of the Western District of Texas.

    The Lone Star Fugitive Task Force (LSFTF) is a multi-agency task force focused on the reduction of violence within the Western District of Texas through the identification, investigation, and apprehension of fugitives wanted for egregious crimes against the community. Since its inception in March 2005, the task force has investigated and apprehended over 58,991 fugitives, including 1,795 wanted for murder.  

    The Western District of Texas consists of 93,000 square miles, 68 counties, 809 miles of border with Mexico, with eight divisions located in Austin, Alpine, Del Rio, El Paso, Midland, Pecos, San Antonio and Waco.

    Notable historical cases, arrests, and awards in the Western District of Texas include: 

    In April 2017, the Austin division was presented the Outstanding Team Award at the 34th Annual 100 Club of Central Texas Awards Banquet. 

    June 2022, the Austin division conducted a fugitive investigation that led to the arrest of Kaitlin Armstrong, sought for the May 2022 murder of professional cyclist Moriah “Mo” Wilson. Armstrong was apprehended at a hostel in Costa Rica following a 43-day fugitive investigation with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Office of International Operations, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Department of State Diplomatic Security Service.

    February 2024, the Alpine division investigated the whereabouts of Ivan Ramos-Hernandez, who fled from Presidio Police, engaging them in a high-speed pursuit and firing gunshots. Ramos-Hernandez fled to Ojinaga, Mexico, where he was apprehended by Mexican authorities following a multi-agency collaboration with assistance provided from Homeland Security Investigations, Custom Border Protection, U.S. Probation, Texas Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigation Division, Presidio Police and Mexican officials. Ramos-Hernandez attempted a violent escape one last time during transport that was halted by authorities. 

    January 2022, the Del Rio division was contacted by the Gulf Coast Violent Offenders Fugitive Task Force to locate and apprehend Oscar Rosales, who was wanted for capital murder, when he shot and killed Corporal Charles Galloway with the Harris County Constables Office during a traffic stop. Rosales fired multiple rounds from an assault rifle and fled from the scene. Rosales was added to the Texas10 Most Wanted Fugitive list and was believed to have fled to Mexico. Investigators in the Del Rio division worked directly with Mexican authorities and coordinated his apprehension in Acuna, Mexico. 

    August 2017, the El Paso division initiated a fugitive investigation to apprehend Javier Gonzalez and Manual Gallegos, members of the Kinfolk Outlaw Motorcycle Gang sought for multiple counts of engaging in organized criminal activity and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Gonzales and Gallegos were arrested in two separate incidents within a 10-day span with additional assistance from El Paso Police Department’s SWAT team.

    April 2025, the Midland division adopted the apprehension of Noah Gilbert Olgin, who was wanted for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, injury to a child, deadly conduct and a federal supervised release violation for possession of a firearm, following an incident where he was involved in a drive-by-shooting in Odessa, that resulted in a serious injury to a child.  Olgin was arrested in Midland with assistance from the Midland SWAT team. 

    November 2022, the Pecos division arrested Jose Hernandez, a Texas 10 Most Wanted Fugitive apprehended in Monterey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico, through a coordinated effort with the Gulf Coast Violent Offenders Fugitive Task Force and Mexican authorities. Hernandez was sought on a bond violation for two counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child. 

    January 2024, the San Antonio division joined efforts to apprehend Romeo Nance, who was wanted in connection with a mass shooting in Joliet, Illinois, that killed eight people and wounded one other person. The Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force, Joliet Police Department, and the Will County Sheriff’s Department requested immediate assistance from the LSFTF who located and observed Nance at a gas station in Natalia, Texas. As members of the LSFTF attempted to contain Nance in his vehicle, he fled on foot, taking his own life with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. 

    June 2020, the Waco division was contacted by the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division to locate 20-year-old Pfc. Class Vanessa Guillen, a Fort Hood soldier who had been reported missing under unusual circumstances in April 2020. Joining CID’s investigation, task force members determined Guillen had been murdered by another soldier. Less than 24 hours after Guillen’s remains were located in a shallow grave near a river, the LSFTF identified Spc. Aaron David Robinson and his girlfriend Cecily Aguilar as primary suspects in her murder. As task force members attempted to take Robinson into custody, he fatally shot himself. Aguilar pleaded guilty in federal court and was sentenced to 30 years of incarceration. In 2021, the Waco Division received the Distinguished Group Award for District Task Forces at the 40th United States Marshals Service Director’s Honorary Awards in recognition of locating Guillen’s remains and identifying those responsible for her death. In July of 2022, personnel in the Waco Division were recognized for their outstanding service, selfless pursuit of justice, and assisting in bringing closure for Guillen’s family and friends by being granted the 69th Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service.   

    On June 2, the Waco Division received the Distinguished Group Award for the District Task Forces at the 43rd United States Marshals Service Director’s Honorary Awards for a two-year-old cold case from Leon County, involving a missing child, and possible homicide of the child’s mother. The division conducted an intensive investigation that resulted in the recovery of the mother’s decomposed remains found buried in a field and completed a multifaceted arrest operation that resulted in the arrest of the suspect and safe recovery of the missing child. During the conclusion of the arrest, multiple firearms, ammunition, body armor, and narcotics were seized, and the suspect was indicted on capital murder.

    “I am immensely proud of the Deputy U.S. Marshals and the numerous task force officers of the Lone Star Fugitive Task Force, men and women who are fully devoted to making their communities safer for their fellow citizens by apprehending offenders wanted for the most serious crimes such as murder and child abuse, while ensuring the equal application of justice for all,” said Marshal Susan Pamerleau, U.S. Marshal of the Western District of Texas.  

    U.S. Marshals task forces combine the efforts of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to locate and arrest the most dangerous fugitives. Fifty-eight local task forces are dedicated to reducing violent crime by locating and apprehending wanted criminals. They also serve as the central point for agencies to share information on fugitive matters.  Task force officers are state and local police officers who receive special deputations with the U.S. Marshals. While on a task force, these officers can exercise U.S. Marshals authorities, such as crossing jurisdictional lines.

    Members of the Lone Star Fugitive Task Force across the Western District of TexasSAN ANTONIO – The U.S. Marshals Service is commemorating the Lone Star Fugitive Task Force’s 20 years of service as part of the Western District of Texas.

    The Lone Star Fugitive Task Force (LSFTF) is a multi-agency task force focused on the reduction of violence within the Western District of Texas through the identification, investigation, and apprehension of fugitives wanted for egregious crimes against the community. Since its inception in March 2005, the task force has investigated and apprehended over 58,991 fugitives, including 1,795 wanted for murder.  

    The Western District of Texas consists of 93,000 square miles, 68 counties, 809 miles of border with Mexico, with eight divisions located in Austin, Alpine, Del Rio, El Paso, Midland, Pecos, San Antonio and Waco.

    Notable historical cases, arrests, and awards in the Western District of Texas include: 
    In April 2017, the Austin division was presented the Outstanding Team Award at the 34th Annual 100 Club of Central Texas Awards Banquet. 
    June 2022, the Austin division conducted a fugitive investigation that led to the arrest of Kaitlin Armstrong, sought for the May 2022 murder of professional cyclist Moriah “Mo” Wilson. Armstrong was apprehended at a hostel in Costa Rica following a 43-day fugitive investigation with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Office of International Operations, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Department of State Diplomatic Security Service.
    February 2024, the Alpine division investigated the whereabouts of Ivan Ramos-Hernandez, who fled from Presidio Police, engaging them in a high-speed pursuit and firing gunshots. Ramos-Hernandez fled to Ojinaga, Mexico, where he was apprehended by Mexican authorities following a multi-agency collaboration with assistance provided from Homeland Security Investigations, Custom Border Protection, U.S. Probation, Texas Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigation Division, Presidio Police and Mexican officials. Ramos-Hernandez attempted a violent escape one last time during transport that was halted by authorities. 
    January 2022, the Del Rio division was contacted by the Gulf Coast Violent Offenders Fugitive Task Force to locate and apprehend Oscar Rosales, who was wanted for capital murder, when he shot and killed Corporal Charles Galloway with the Harris County Constables Office during a traffic stop. Rosales fired multiple rounds from an assault rifle and fled from the scene. Rosales was added to the Texas10 Most Wanted Fugitive list and was believed to have fled to Mexico. Investigators in the Del Rio division worked directly with Mexican authorities and coordinated his apprehension in Acuna, Mexico. 
    August 2017, the El Paso division initiated a fugitive investigation to apprehend Javier Gonzalez and Manual Gallegos, members of the Kinfolk Outlaw Motorcycle Gang sought for multiple counts of engaging in organized criminal activity and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Gonzales and Gallegos were arrested in two separate incidents within a 10-day span with additional assistance from El Paso Police Department’s SWAT team.
    April 2025, the Midland division adopted the apprehension of Noah Gilbert Olgin, who was wanted for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, injury to a child, deadly conduct and a federal supervised release violation for possession of a firearm, following an incident where he was involved in a drive-by-shooting in Odessa, that resulted in a serious injury to a child.  Olgin was arrested in Midland with assistance from the Midland SWAT team. 
    November 2022, the Pecos division arrested Jose Hernandez, a Texas 10 Most Wanted Fugitive apprehended in Monterey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico, through a coordinated effort with the Gulf Coast Violent Offenders Fugitive Task Force and Mexican authorities. Hernandez was sought on a bond violation for two counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child. 
    January 2024, the San Antonio division joined efforts to apprehend Romeo Nance, who was wanted in connection with a mass shooting in Joliet, Illinois, that killed eight people and wounded one other person. The Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force, Joliet Police Department, and the Will County Sheriff’s Department requested immediate assistance from the LSFTF who located and observed Nance at a gas station in Natalia, Texas. As members of the LSFTF attempted to contain Nance in his vehicle, he fled on foot, taking his own life with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. 
    June 2020, the Waco division was contacted by the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division to locate 20-year-old Pfc. Class Vanessa Guillen, a Fort Hood soldier who had been reported missing under unusual circumstances in April 2020. Joining CID’s investigation, task force members determined Guillen had been murdered by another soldier. Less than 24 hours after Guillen’s remains were located in a shallow grave near a river, the LSFTF identified Spc. Aaron David Robinson and his girlfriend Cecily Aguilar as primary suspects in her murder. As task force members attempted to take Robinson into custody, he fatally shot himself. Aguilar pleaded guilty in federal court and was sentenced to 30 years of incarceration. In 2021, the Waco Division received the Distinguished Group Award for District Task Forces at the 40th United States Marshals Service Director’s Honorary Awards in recognition of locating Guillen’s remains and identifying those responsible for her death. In July of 2022, personnel in the Waco Division were recognized for their outstanding service, selfless pursuit of justice, and assisting in bringing closure for Guillen’s family and friends by being granted the 69th Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service.   
    On June 2, the Waco Division received the Distinguished Group Award for the District Task Forces at the 43rd United States Marshals Service Director’s Honorary Awards for a two-year-old cold case from Leon County, involving a missing child, and possible homicide of the child’s mother. The division conducted an intensive investigation that resulted in the recovery of the mother’s decomposed remains found buried in a field and completed a multifaceted arrest operation that resulted in the arrest of the suspect and safe recovery of the missing child. During the conclusion of the arrest, multiple firearms, ammunition, body armor, and narcotics were seized, and the suspect was indicted on capital murder.

    “I am immensely proud of the Deputy U.S. Marshals and the numerous task force officers of the Lone Star Fugitive Task Force, men and women who are fully devoted to making their communities safer for their fellow citizens by apprehending offenders wanted for the most serious crimes such as murder and child abuse, while ensuring the equal application of justice for all,” said Marshal Susan Pamerleau, U.S. Marshal of the Western District of Texas.  

    U.S. Marshals task forces combine the efforts of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to locate and arrest the most dangerous fugitives. Fifty-eight local task forces are dedicated to reducing violent crime by locating and apprehending wanted criminals. They also serve as the central point for agencies to share information on fugitive matters.  Task force officers are state and local police officers who receive special deputations with the U.S. Marshals. While on a task force, these officers can exercise U.S. Marshals authorities, such as crossing jurisdictional lines.

    Members of the Lone Star Fugitive Task Force across the Western District of Texas:

    • Austin Police Department-Tactical Intelligence Unit
    • Police Departments:  Anthony, Buffalo, Crystal City, Del Rio, Eagle Pass, El Paso, Georgetown, Killeen, New Braunfels, Nolanville, Round Rock, San Marcos, Uvalde, and Waco, Texas.
    • Sheriff’s Offices:  Bexar County, Coryell County, Dimmett County, Ector County, Hays County, McLennan County, Maverick County, Midland County, New Braunfels, Real County, Travis County, Val Verde County, Williamson County, and Zavala County.
    • District Attorney’s Offices: Bexar County, and Val Verde County.
    • Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
    • Midland Fire Marshals Office
    • Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS)
    • Texas Attorney General’s Office
    • Texas Board of Criminal Justice (TBCJ) – Office of the Inspector General (OIG)
    • Texas Department of Public Safety
    • Texas Parks and Wildlife Division
    • Texas National Guard Joint Counterdrug Task Force
    • U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement
    • U.S. DHS/Homeland Security Investigations

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: How falling vaccination rates are fuelling the antibiotic resistance crisis

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Ruchika Gupta, Assistant Professor and Medical Microbiologist, Department of Pathobiology and Lab Medicine, London Health Sciences Centre and Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University

    Antibiotic resistance is one of the biggest health threats we face today. It’s often blamed on the overuse of antibiotics, and for a good reason. But there’s another major factor quietly driving this crisis that doesn’t get as much attention: low vaccination rates.

    In early 2025, Ontario had a measles outbreak with 2,200 cases as of mid-July, mostly in people who hadn’t been fully vaccinated. An outbreak in Alberta that began in March has expanded to more than 1,300 cases as of mid-July.

    Measles had been eliminated in Canada since 1998, but it’s now reappearing, largely due to missed or delayed vaccinations. On the surface, these might seem like a limited viral outbreak. But the ripple effects go much further, causing more illness, more complications and, ultimately, more antibiotic use.

    Why measles can lead to antibiotic use

    Measles itself is a viral infection, so antibiotics don’t treat it directly. But the virus weakens the immune system, leaving people vulnerable to bacterial infections like pneumonia or ear infections, conditions that do require antibiotics.

    Unsurprisingly, this pattern isn’t new. A 2019 study published in Pediatrics showed that many children hospitalized with measles in the United States developed secondary infections that required antibiotic treatment, especially pneumonia and ear infections.

    While data from the Ontario outbreak is still being analyzed, experts expect a similar surge in antibiotic prescriptions to treat these preventable complications.

    The antibiotic resistance chain reaction

    Every time we use antibiotics, we give bacteria a chance to adapt.
    (NIAID), CC BY

    Here’s where it gets dangerous. Every time we use antibiotics, we give bacteria a chance to adapt. The most vulnerable bacteria die, but tougher ones survive and spread. This leads to antibiotic resistance where treatments that used to work no longer do.

    Even appropriate use of antibiotics, like treating a bacterial infection after measles, adds to the problem. And the more often we need to prescribe antibiotics, the faster this resistance builds.

    A 2022 global study published in The Lancet estimated that antimicrobial resistance directly caused 1.27 million deaths in 2019 and contributed to many millions more. As resistance spreads, doctors are forced to use more toxic, expensive or last-resort drugs, and sometimes, no effective treatment exists at all.

    Antibiotic resistance means that treatments that used to work no longer do.
    (NIAID), CC BY

    How vaccines help fight resistance

    Vaccines are one of the most powerful tools we have not just to prevent disease, but to reduce antibiotic use and slow resistance. By stopping infections before they happen, vaccines reduce the need for antibiotics in the first place.

    Some vaccines protect directly against bacteria. Pneumococcal vaccines (PCV13, PCV15, PCV20) guard against a major cause of pneumonia, brain infections and ear infections. Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) and diphtheria vaccines prevent other respiratory bacterial diseases.

    Other vaccines protect against viruses, which can weaken the body and open the door to bacterial infections called as secondary bacterial infections.

    The MMR (measles-mumps-rubella) vaccine not only prevents measles but also reduces the chance of bacterial pneumonias that often occur after measles due to immunosuppression.

    The seasonal flu and COVID-19 vaccines help prevent viral infections that can trigger secondary bacterial complications.

    The rotavirus vaccine that protects against diarrheal disease in children has also been shown to reduce antibiotic use by more than 20 per cent, according to a 2024 study in Vaccine.

    In fact, a 2020 study in Nature found that improving childhood vaccination coverage in low- and middle-income countries could reduce antibiotic-treated illnesses in kids under five by more than 20 per cent. That’s a massive step forward in the fight against antibiotic resistance.

    A wake-up call

    The measles outbreaks in Ontario and Alberta aren’t just local issues; they are a global warning. Each missed vaccine doesn’t just put one person at risk; it potentially means more infections, more complications and more antibiotics. That, in turn, means more antibiotic resistance for everyone.

    Vaccines are not just about individual protection. They are a public health strategy that keeps antibiotics effective for when we really need them, especially for vulnerable people like cancer patients, transplant recipients and the elderly, who rely on antibiotics to survive routine infections.

    Vaccines, in fact, do more than prevent disease. They protect our ability to treat infections by reducing the need for antibiotics and slowing the rise of resistant bacteria. With preventable diseases like measles making a comeback, now is the time to recognize the broader impact of vaccine hesitancy.

    Choosing to vaccinate is more than a personal decision. It’s a way to protect our communities and preserve the life-saving power of antibiotics for generations to come.

    Ruchika Gupta 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. How falling vaccination rates are fuelling the antibiotic resistance crisis – https://theconversation.com/how-falling-vaccination-rates-are-fuelling-the-antibiotic-resistance-crisis-259682

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: I research rip currents where ‘Cosby Show’ star Malcolm-Jamal Warner drowned. Here’s why they’re so deadly

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Chris Houser, Professor in Department of Earth and Environmental Science, and Dean of Science, University of Waterloo

    Malcolm-Jamal Warner, the actor who played Theo Huxtable on The Cosby Show, has drowned on Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast.

    It is reported that he was swimming at Playa Cocles in Limon province when a current pulled him offshore. This is a beach popular among surfers and one that’s known to have large waves and strong currents.

    It’s also a beach that I have taken students to in order to study the formation of rip currents and to better understand what beach users know about the hazard.

    What exactly are rip currents?

    Rip currents — commonly referred to as rips or colloquially as rip tides — are found on ocean beaches and some large lakes around the world.



    Read more:
    The Great Lakes are powerful. Learning about ‘rip currents’ can help prevent drowning

    The rips at Playa Cocles and along a large part of the Costa Rican Caribbean coast are known as channel or bathymetric rips that form as the nearshore sand bar moves toward the land through the summer. The water thrown towards the land by the breaking waves returns offshore as a concentrated and fast flowing current at gaps in the nearshore sand bar.

    During storm conditions, we have measured the rip currents at Playa Cocles at over two metres per second. These rips are known to increase rapidly (or pulse) in strength due to changes in wave breaking, leading to unsuspecting swimmers being taken far offshore and exiting beyond the zone of breaking waves.

    Rip current at Playa Cocles showing change in size and strength with surfers for scale. (Chris Houser)

    While it can be difficult to spot a rip from shore, they can be identified by an area of relatively calm water between breaking waves, a patch of darker water or the offshore flow of water, sediment and debris.

    Caught in a rip current

    A person caught in a rip is transported away from shore into deeper waters, but they aren’t pulled under the water. If they are a weak swimmer or try to fight the current, they may panic and fail to find a way out of the rip and back to shore. Survivor stories highlight panic, anxiety, distress and fear, a tendency to fight the current and an inability to make a decision on how to escape the rip.

    While it is possible to “break the grip of the rip” by swimming parallel to the beach or toward breaking waves at an angle to the beach, there is no single escape strategy due to the unique rip circulation pattern.

    It’s possible to escape a rip by flipping onto your back, floating to keep your head above the water and following the current until you’re returned to the shore by the current or able to swim safely toward the shore. If you are taken beyond where the waves break, or you’re unable to swim back to shore, continue to float and signal for help.

    Rip currents account for more than 50 deaths a year in Costa Rica; approximately 19 drownings a year involve foreign tourists from the United States, Nicaragua, Canada and Germany. While most drownings in the country occur on Pacific coast beaches that are a short distance to the city of San José, more than five drownings occur each year along the Caribbean coast.

    Playa Cocles was the site of five drownings that occurred over eight days in 2004, an event that prompted tourism-dependent business owners to establish a lifeguard station on the beach.

    Costa Rican drownings

    On average, each drowning in Costa Rica costs more than US$2 million (USD). This includes the direct costs of search and rescue, the costs of repatriation and the long-term economic burden of a lost life. This is in addition to the great personal loss experienced by family and friends.

    A survey at Playa Cocles and other beaches in Costa Rica revealed that a majority of beach users did not observe warning signs and that many were unable to interpret the warning and did not change their behaviour.

    The majority of foreign drowning victims in Costa Rica had limited knowledge of rips and were unable to avoid the times and locations that were most hazardous.

    In general, visitors to a beach often use simple visual cues when deciding to take risks. Recent studies suggest that tourists think beach access points and resorts are located adjacent to safe swimming areas, particularly when visual cues such as manicured paths and promotional posters that promote swimming at those locations.

    Visitors are a high-risk group for drownings. They’re generally unfamiliar with the beach and its safety measures and often have poor knowledge of beach hazards, such as rip currents and breaking waves. This lack of knowledge can be exacerbated by language barriers, an overconfidence in swimming ability and peer pressure.

    Rip current and beach users at Playa Cocles. The red flag was placed by lifeguards to mark the location of the rip for beach users. (Chris Houser)

    Playa Cocles is a beautiful beach, but it’s known to have dangerous rips depending on the size of the breaking waves and the position of the sand bar.

    When visiting any beach — from the Caribbean to the Great Lakes — it’s important to remember that there may be rip currents and to take serious precautions.

    Chris Houser receives funding from NSERC.

    – ref. I research rip currents where ‘Cosby Show’ star Malcolm-Jamal Warner drowned. Here’s why they’re so deadly – https://theconversation.com/i-research-rip-currents-where-cosby-show-star-malcolm-jamal-warner-drowned-heres-why-theyre-so-deadly-261653

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Ghana’s security strategy has kept terror attacks at bay: what other countries can learn from its approach

    Source: The Conversation – Africa (2) – By Paa Kwesi Wolseley Prah, Postdoctoral Fellow, Dublin City University

    Ghana stands out in west Africa as a nation that has not experienced terrorist attacks, even though it’s geographically close to countries that have. In Burkina Faso, Mali and Nigeria, extremist groups such as Boko Haram and Islamic State in West Africa (ISWAP) have wreaked havoc.

    This resilience is not accidental. It is the result of deliberate counter-terrorism strategies employed by Ghana’s security institutions.

    Ghana’s counter-terrorism framework was set out in 2020. It has four pillars: prevent, pre-empt, protect, and respond. The idea is to coordinate multiple agencies, including the Ghana Police Service, Ghana Immigration Service, Ghana Armed Forces and the National Intelligence Bureau.

    These pillars guide strategies to address both immediate threats and underlying vulnerabilities. Poverty, religious radicalism and porous borders are common drivers of terrorism in west Africa.

    I am an international security and global governance researcher. My co-author is a government and international studies scholar.

    Four years ago we wrote a paper examining Ghana’s resilience against terrorist attacks. Our findings are still relevant given the increasing activities of terror groups in the west African region.



    Read more:
    West Africa terror: why attacks on military bases are rising – and four ways to respond

    We wanted to identify what works as a potential model for other countries.

    Using a qualitative methodology, we interviewed stakeholders — including police officers, members of the armed forces, Muslim community leaders, and immigration officials. We also analysed the national framework for preventing and countering violent extremism and terrorism.

    Our findings showed that Ghana’s success is traceable to an approach that integrates community engagement with advanced border technology, inter-agency training, media collaboration and intelligence operations. And it addresses both immediate and underlying threats.

    We argue that Ghana’s ability to balance prevention with security offers solutions for stability in a geopolitically volatile region.



    Read more:
    Ghana’s new president faces tough regional security problems: why he’s well-placed to tackle them

    Community engagement

    One of the standout strategies is community engagement. This serves multiple purposes, from guiding people away from extremism to gathering intelligence.

    The Ghana Police Service, for instance, engages Muslim-dominated communities, known as “Zongos”, to counter radical Islamic ideologies that could be exploited by terrorist groups.

    By collaborating with local religious leaders, police make communities aware of the dangers of radicalisation. They foster trust and encourage residents to report suspicious activities. This approach also works in tackling illegal arms circulation.

    Ghana has an estimated 2.3 million small arms in circulation – 1.1 million of them illegally possessed. The availability of so many weapons fuels terrorist activities across west Africa.

    Community based de-radicalisation aligns with global best practices. In Norway, for instance, it was used to disengage youth from extremist groups.

    Technology at borders

    Ghana’s border control management is another part of its counter-terrorism strategy. Ghana Immigration Service uses advanced security software and integrated systems like the “Immigration 360” system, designed to fully automate passenger processing and data management.

    The system manages records of fingerprints and other data to improve reporting and intelligence sharing between Ghana Immigration and other security agencies.

    The technology makes it possible to quickly identity individuals on terrorist watchlists and detects concealed goods. This helps prevent illegal cross-border movements.

    There are gaps in Ghana’s defences, however. The influx of migrants fleeing extremist violence in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger in 2024 highlights the urgency of scaling up investments in the technology.



    Read more:
    West Africa could soon have a jihadist state – here’s why

    Training for preparedness

    Ghana combats new and varying forms of terrorism by uncovering trends and training personnel to deal with them.

    A notable example was the six-day joint training in 2022 involving the Ghana Immigration Service, Police Service, Customs, Economic and Organised Crime Office, and the National Intelligence Bureau.

    The country also works with regional neighbours like Burkina Faso, Togo and Benin, and partners such as the United States, through initiatives like “Operation Epic Guardian”.

    Media as a strategic partner

    Terrorists rely on media to amplify fear and publicise their causes. Ghana’s security agencies counter this tactic by actively engaging media houses to report accurately.

    The Ghana Armed Forces, for instance, works with media to debunk false reports, which can cause public panic and inadvertently aid terrorists.

    The Ghana Police Service emphasises regular dialogue with media to ensure sensitive information is verified before publication, reducing the risk of tipping off suspects. However, media competition for viewers poses a challenge.

    Surveillance and intelligence gathering

    Surveillance and intelligence gathering is critical. Plainclothes armed forces and immigration personnel blend into communities to monitor potential threats. The approach has worked but is constrained by resources.

    It can also risk human rights violations, such as wrongful profiling, and is less effective against multiple targets compared to technological solutions like facial recognition or CCTV.



    Read more:
    Funding terror: how west Africa’s deadly jihadists get the money they need to survive

    Challenges and regional implications

    Despite its successes, Ghana’s counter-terrorism framework faces challenges that could undermine its long-term efficacy:

    • logistical and financial constraints

    • the influx of migrants fleeing regional violence

    • a lack of harmonised security cultures within the regional body, Ecowas.

    In all, Ghana’s strategies offer lessons for west Africa, where terrorism is a growing threat.

    Its community engagement model could be followed in Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger to counter radicalisation and arms proliferation, provided it avoids religious stereotyping.

    The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Ghana’s security strategy has kept terror attacks at bay: what other countries can learn from its approach – https://theconversation.com/ghanas-security-strategy-has-kept-terror-attacks-at-bay-what-other-countries-can-learn-from-its-approach-260333

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Livestock and lions make uneasy neighbours: how a fence upgrade helped protect domestic and wild animals in Tanzania

    Source: The Conversation – Africa (2) – By Jonathan Salerno, Associate Professor, Colorado State University, Colorado State University

    Protecting livestock in areas where large carnivores (like lions) live is increasingly important as human land use expands, wildlife habitat shrinks, and climatic changes reshape the ways in which humans and wildlife interact. Protecting the carnivores from livestock owners is important too. Intact carnivore populations support more resilient food webs and the ecosystem services they provide.

    It’s not easy for people, livestock, and carnivores to live together without conflict, though. One of the best ways to reduce conflict is to protect livestock like cattle and sheep from being attacked by predators.

    There are various methods to do this, like guarding livestock or erecting fences. That’s all very well for the livestock inside the fences, but do predators simply turn to the nearest unprotected livestock for their meal instead? Are the neighbours’ cattle, sheep, and goats at greater risk? This question hasn’t been explored much by researchers.

    We’re a group of conservation practitioners and scientists who have studied the interactions of carnivores, livestock, and people in Tanzania and elsewhere for decades to try and find solutions to conflict problems.

    Our study area is next to a national park which protects important populations of lion, leopard, hyena, African wild dog, and cheetah. The people who live here have traditionally kept their livestock overnight in enclosures made of acacia-thorn branches. More recently, some of them have built pens, or corrals, from tall chain link fencing. We knew from years working with communities and from previous research that these fortified corrals were effective at keeping livestock safe from predators.

    Our next step was to find out whether this made other nearby livestock less safe.



    Read more:
    What’s behind the conflict between people and animals in Tanzania

    The results were intriguing. We found that the new enclosures made predation less likely in the nearby traditional enclosures too.

    This type of beneficial spillover effect had yet to be documented in other systems where interventions aim to protect livestock from large carnivores.

    Our results show that in conservation, it’s important to look closely at complex local dynamics. The findings may help explain why there’s so much uncertainty about the effectiveness of various human–wildlife conflict mitigation strategies.

    Beneficial spillover effects

    People who keep livestock in east Africa have long had strategies to keep their animals safe from large carnivores. Sometimes acacia-thorn night enclosures (known locally as bomas), intensive herding practices, and guarding dogs work well.

    Other times, and especially in communities within and adjacent to large, protected carnivore populations, traditional strategies fall short.

    This is the case in Tanzania’s Ruaha-Rungwa Landscape. In our study area adjacent to Ruaha National Park, any pastoralist or agropastoralist (herding and crop farming) household has about a 30% chance of losing one or more animals to predation each year. This is a serious economic loss on top of important cultural and emotional costs.



    Read more:
    Losing a calf to wolves in Sweden hurts. But if lions take one in Uganda, a farming family’s income is gone

    Lion Landscapes, an organisation that some of us have been running for over a decade, works to support human-carnivore coexistence. Adjacent to Ruaha, we have been partnering with households to build 1.8-metre chain-link corrals. We subsidise them. Households contribute 25% of the cost and some of the labour for construction.

    We analysed about 25,000 monthly reports of livestock predation in fenced and traditional enclosures, using statistical models. There were 846 predation events over nearly four years. Unexpectedly, while we did detect spillover effects, these appeared to be beneficial. Rather than displacing conflicts, fortified enclosures actually conferred protective effects on their traditional-enclosure neighbours.

    For example, households within 50 metres (the minimum observed distance) of a fortified enclosure were half as likely to experience predation compared with distant households 2 kilometres away. And these beneficial effects increased with the number of fortified enclosures in a neighbourhood. Finally, the effects appeared to be durable over time.

    The fortified enclosures were extremely effective. We showed that households could break even after paying for the fence in just a few years through avoided livestock losses. And we know that when domestic animals aren’t being killed, their owners are more tolerant of predators. We didn’t record carnivore killings in this study but it has happened fairly frequently in the area in the past.

    In a few of the world’s human-wildlife conflict systems, where data exist to assess spillover effects, there is evidence that detrimental spillovers do occur. For instance, beehive deterrents may redirect elephants to nearby crop fields, or lethal removal of individual wolves may redirect the surviving pack to prey on adjacent ranches. Nevertheless, these are very under-studied interactions.

    Livestock management and carnivore coexistence

    In systems where humans, livestock, and wildlife overlap and sometimes come into conflict, management strategies too often focus on wildlife. Another option is to reduce whatever attracts wildlife. In the case of large carnivores, this means managing livestock.



    Read more:
    Livestock are threatened by predators – but old-fashioned shepherding may be an effective solution

    Our results support this approach by demonstrating that management and protection of livestock is fundamental for reducing conflict, and can benefit not only livestock owners but landscape-level coexistence.

    Conservationists and policy-makers need to encourage these practices that benefit people, carnivores, and livestock in shared landscapes.

    Amy Dickman works for Lion Landscapes as the Joint CEO

    Jonathan Salerno, Kevin Crooks, Rekha Warrier, and Stewart Breck do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Livestock and lions make uneasy neighbours: how a fence upgrade helped protect domestic and wild animals in Tanzania – https://theconversation.com/livestock-and-lions-make-uneasy-neighbours-how-a-fence-upgrade-helped-protect-domestic-and-wild-animals-in-tanzania-258113

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Learning statistics through story: students get creative with numbers

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Johan Ferreira, Professor, University of the Witwatersrand

    Photo by Markus Krisetya via Unsplash

    Statistics professor Johan Ferreira was feeling overwhelmed by the amount of “screen time” involved in online learning in 2021. He imagined students must be feeling the same way, and wondered what he could do to inspire them and make his subject matter more appealing.

    One of the topics in statistics is time series analysis: statistical methods to understand trend behaviour in data which is measured over time. There are lots of examples in daily life, from rainfall records to changes in commodity prices, import or exports, or temperature.

    Ferreira asked his students to write a short, fictional “bedtime” story using “characters” from time series analysis. The results were collected into a book that is freely available. He tells us more about it.

    Why use storytelling to learn about statistics?

    I’m fortunate to be something of a creative myself, being a professional oboe player with the Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra. It’s a valuable outlet for self-expression. I reflected on what other activity could inspire creativity without compromising the essence of statistical thinking that was required in this particular course I was teaching.

    I invited my third-year science and commerce students at the University of Pretoria to take part in a voluntary storytelling exercise, using key concepts in time series analysis as characters. Students got some guidelines but were free to be creative. My colleague and co-editor, Dr Seite Makgai, and I then read, commented on and edited the stories and put them together into an anthology.

    Students gave their consent that their stories could be used for research purposes and might be published. Out of a class of over 200 students, over 30 contributions were received; 23 students permitted their work to be included in this volume.

    We curated submissions into two sections (Part I: Fables and Fairy Tales and Part II: Fantasy and Sci-Fi) based on the general style and gist of the work.

    The project aimed to develop a new teaching resource, inspire students to take ownership of their learning in a creative way, and support them through informal, project-based peer learning.

    This collection is written by students, for students. They used personal and cultural contexts relevant to their background and environment to create content that has a solid background in their direct academic interests. And the stories are available without a paywall!

    What are some of the characters and stories?

    Student Lebogang Malebati wrote Stationaryville and the Two Brothers, a tale about AR(1) and AR(2). In statistics, AR refers to processes in which numerical values are based on past values. The brothers “were both born with special powers, powers that could make them stationary…” and could trick an evil wizard.

    David Dodkins wrote Zt and the Shadow-spawn. In this story, Zt (common notation in time series analysis) has a magic amulet that reveals his character growth through a sequence of models and shows the hero’s victory in the face of adversity. He is a function of those that came before him (through an AR process).

    Then there’s Nelis Daniels’ story about a shepherd plagued by a wolf called Arma (autoregressive moving average) which kept making sheep disappear.

    And Dikelede Rose Motseleng’s modern fable about the love-hate relationship between AR(1) (“more of a linear guy” with a bad habit of predicting the future based on the past) and MA(1), “the type of girl who would always provide you with stationarity (stability).”

    What was the impact of the project?

    It was a deeply enriching experience for us to see how students see statistics in a context beyond that of the classroom, especially in cases where students reformulated their stories within their own cultural identities or niche interests.

    Three particular main impacts stand out for us:

    • students have a new additional reference and learning resource for the course content

    • new students can refer to the experiences and contextualisation of this content of former students, leading to informal peer learning

    • students engage in a cognitive skill (higher-order and creative thinking) that is not frequently considered and included in this field and at this level.

    In 2024, shortly after the book was published, we asked students in the time series analysis course of that year to read any one of four stories (related to concepts that were already covered in the course material at that point in time). We asked them to complete a short and informal survey to gauge their experience and insights regarding the potential of this book as a learning resource for them.

    The 53 responses we got indicated that most students saw the book as a useful contribution to their learning experience in time series analysis.

    One positive comment from a student was:

    I will always remember that the Random Walk is indeed not stationary but White Noise is. I already knew it, but now I won’t forget it.

    Will you build on this in future?

    It is definitely valuable to consider similar projects in other branches of statistics, but also, in other disciplines entirely, to develop content by students, for students.

    At this stage, we’re having the stories and book translated into languages beyond English. In large classes that are essential to data science (such as statistics and mathematics), many different home languages may be spoken. Students often have to learn in their second, third, or even fourth language. So, this project is proving valuable in making advanced statistical concepts tactile and “at home” via translations.

    Our publisher recently let us know that the Setswana translation is complete, with the Sepedi and Afrikaans translations following soon. To our knowledge, it’ll be the first such project not only in the discipline of statistics, but in four of the official languages in South Africa.

    Johan Ferreira receives funding from the Centre of Excellence in Mathematical and Statistical Sciences, based at the University of the Witwatersrand, towards this Scholarship of Learning and Teaching project.

    – ref. Learning statistics through story: students get creative with numbers – https://theconversation.com/learning-statistics-through-story-students-get-creative-with-numbers-261198

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Animal Sentience Committee letter regarding food labelling policy

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Correspondence

    Animal Sentience Committee letter regarding food labelling policy

    Letter from the Animal Sentience Committee to the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) Committee regarding a food labelling policy.

    Documents

    Animal Sentience Committee letter regarding food labelling policy

    HTML

    Details

    The Animal Sentience Committee sent this letter to the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee (EFRA) committee on 21 July 2025. It outlines the committee’s view on the consideration of impacts on animal welfare in food labelling policy.

    Updates to this page

    Published 22 July 2025

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    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: UK Biobank’s whole body imaging project scans 100,000 volunteers

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    UK Biobank has reached its target of scanning 100,000 volunteers as part of a landmark project to provide for scientific research the most detailed look inside the human body. This is now the world’s largest whole-body imaging project – scanning the brains, hearts, abdomens, blood vessels, bones and joints of volunteers to give researchers a new layer of detail to explore what happens in people’s bodies as they age and how and why we become ill as we age.

    One billion images have now been generated from these scans, and tens of thousands of researchers around the world have been using these (as it has been released in batches since the project began) along with UK Biobank’s information on lifestyle, medical history, genetics and blood proteins from the same volunteers, to do research into ill health.

    Findings from the 1,300 peer-reviewed papers using this data so far include better brain scanning for patients with dementia symptoms in NHS memory clinics, faster analysis of heart scans in over 90 countries, and developments in understanding biological age of organs versus chronological age.

    Soon, approved researchers will have access to the full set of imaging data from all 100,000 volunteers to help develop new diagnostics, preventative medicines and treatments.

    Journalists came to this press briefing to ask your questions and to hear from those running the project discuss:

    – What’s so special about this data and why are researchers so excited by it?

    – How is this project helping the UK and the NHS right now?

    – What scientific findings have the imaging data already led to?

    – Why is the focus now switching to repeating scans of people, rather than scanning more people?

    – Who can use this data and what can they use it for?

    Speakers included:

    Prof Sir Rory Collins, Principal Investigator and Chief Executive, UK Biobank

    Prof Naomi Allen, Chief Scientist, UK Biobank

    Prof Paul Matthews, Chair of the UK Biobank Imaging Working Group; and Edmond and Lily Safra Professor of Translational Neuroscience and Therapeutics, Imperial College London; and Director, The Rosalind Franklin Institute

    Prof Louise Thomas, Professor of Metabolic Imaging, University of Westminster

    Prof Rachel McKendry, Executive Director, Discovery, Wellcome

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Community efforts lead to Green Flags for Perth park’s gardens

    Source: Scotland – City of Perth

    In the run up to the national Love Parks Week (26 July to 3 August 2025) which highlights the vital role green spaces play in boosting the health and wellbeing of residents and communities, local ‘in bloom’ charity Beautiful Perth and Perth and Kinross Council will be marking the achievement of two Green Flag Community Awards* from Keep Scotland Beautiful (KSB) for the Heather Garden and Compassionate Friends Garden, both in Bellwood Riverside Park on the banks of the River Tay in Perth.  

    The Heather Garden has been a real partnership project between Beautiful Perth and the Council, with discussions beginning in 2011 and work getting underway on site in 2012 to transform and refresh a previously overgrown and less appealing area of the park. The garden now comprises 15 beds containing 600 varieties and over 16,000 heather plants, all maintained and managed by Beautiful Perth, providing year-round colour for visitors and a haven for insect pollinators. The charity was also in 2022 awarded the National Collection of Erica carnea heathers by Plant Heritage.  This follows on from the unique achievement of Riverside Park winning Best Park in the UK in the RHS Britain in Bloom Awards in both 2018 and 2019.  

    The Compassionate Friends Garden was developed to create a picturesque, peaceful garden for reflection and contemplation following a request from the Compassionate Friends UK, a charity that supports bereaved parents, siblings and grandparents. In 2012 remedial work done by the Council and Beautiful Perth uncovered a small round turreted stone building dating back to the 1800’s on site. The building forms the focal point of the garden, with further work uncovering a waterway and wells. The space was then transformed with sustainable pollinator plants for all year colour and interest by Beautiful Perth volunteers as well as the planting of rowan and snakeskin maple trees with marker stones and a sculpture of a robin. In 2018, Compassionate Friends held their annual gathering in Perth and unveiled a new bench for visitors and at the entrance to the garden, a beautiful carved commemorative stone.  

    Vice-Convener of Climate Change and Sustainability, Councillor Liz Barrett said: “As we head towards Love Parks Week, the fantastic achievement of Green Flag Awards for these two very different but equally beautiful gardens reflects how vital parks and open spaces are for our health and wellbeing as places to relax, exercise, appreciate the outdoors and nature and much more. 

    “I’d like to thank Beautiful Perth, and volunteer groups in other parts of Perth and Kinross, for their key role in maintaining and developing green spaces that benefit us all and contribute to improving our environment and biodiversity. Everyone can help, whether by volunteering locally or simply taking a few minutes to feedback to our Community Greenspace team about biodiversity in your local park.” 

    Chair of Beautiful Perth, Gordon Lindsay commented: “Our volunteers over many years have taken a genuine pride in cultivating and maintaining the Compassionate Friends and Heather Gardens to a high standard.  

    “Both gardens exhibit a unique horticultural skill level appreciated by the many visitors and tourists to Riverside Park and importantly provide an ideal haven for bees, butterflies and other wildlife. 

    “The Green Flag Awards are the “icing on the cake” for the ‘Beautiful Perth’ volunteers acknowledging their tireless work and efforts in a special corner of Perth.  We would also like to acknowledge and thank our supporters, Perth and Kinross Council, The Gannochy Trust, the Heather Society and Kilmac.” 

    Jamie Ormiston, Training and Accreditation Coordinator at Keep Scotland Beautiful, said: “Parks across Scotland are vital spaces for people of all ages to reconnect with nature and I’m delighted we once again have Green Flag Award winners all over the country – including plenty of new areas – for people to enjoy during the summer months. 

    “The Heather Garden and Compassionate Friends Garden are two of our new Community Award winners and their awards show the dedication, care and commitment of all involved in maintaining and improving Riverside Park. 

    “Our stalwart winners have a brilliant history of commitment to environmental excellence and a desire to offer visitors a safe and enjoyable place to visit.  

    “Our new winners have shown a similar desire and their journey is only just beginning but I look forward to many more wins in the future.” 

    *The Green Flag Awards are awarded to parks and green spaces that can demonstrate excellent management and environmental standards. Further information on the Awards can be found at Keep Scotland Beautiful’s website.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Government secures label-led measures to boost earnings for UK artists

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Government secures label-led measures to boost earnings for UK artists

    Major boost for UK music creators as government drives industry to produce new measures to support legacy artists, songwriters and session musicians

    *Changes estimated by labels to deliver tens of millions of pounds in new investment to support musicians by 2030, rewarding artists for their work and driving growth through Plan for Change *Agreement backed by UK arms of major labels Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment and Warner Music Group

    UK music creators are set to benefit from a boost to their earnings thanks to the Government driving forward a new label-led agreement on streaming pay agreed today (Tuesday 22nd July).

    The Creator Remuneration Working Group (CRWG), chaired by Creative Industries Minister Sir Chris Bryant, has been meeting regularly since 2024 to explore industry-led action – driving growth in the creative industries as part of the Government’s Plan for Change.

    This process has delivered a set of measures designed to boost the earnings of legacy artists, songwriters and session musicians and marks a further step towards ensuring the music streaming market works for everyone, on top of existing industry programmes.

    The principles include a new framework for the renegotiation of contracts by artists who signed record deals before streaming became commonplace, in addition to support for the digitisation of their back catalogues so that it can be made available online. This aims to help legacy artists to increase their streaming earnings for their existing body of work. 

    Support for songwriters and composers includes a commitment to the payment of per diems and expenses for recording sessions, to ensure they are not left out of pocket.

    The British Phonographic Industry (BPI) and Musicians’ Union also agreed to an uplift in session musician fees of up to 40% for pop sessions and 15% for classical to ensure they are more fairly paid for their work. 

    The agreed principles have been adopted by the BPI and Association of Independent Music (AIM) and recommended to their UK members. The UK divisions of Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment and Warner Music Group, the world’s three largest labels, have also committed to delivering them.

    Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said:

    Streaming has totally revolutionised how audiences discover and enjoy music, and how artists connect with their fans across the globe.

    But we have heard loud and clear from creators that more needs to be done to ensure they are fairly compensated when their work is used on streaming platforms.

    That is why I am delighted that the industry has agreed these new measures, which will go a long way to making sure our talented artists and creators are properly rewarded for their hard work, while driving growth through our Plan for Change.

    Creative Industries Minister Sir Chris Bryant said:

    Everyone loves music and it’s about time we really valued the people who create it. Millions of us use music streaming platforms who provide a fantastic service to their customers, connecting users with a wealth of music from around the world. 

    But many musicians and songwriters are really struggling and artists simply don’t  think they receive their fair share of the profit generated by their work on these platforms. These new measures, which apply specifically in the UK, are an important step in ensuring creators are fairly paid for their work.

    I would like to thank the sector for coming together to drive this positive progress, which will benefit the music industry as a whole.

    Roberto Neri, CEO of Ivors Academy, said:

    We welcome and wish to thank Minister Bryant for the introduction of per diems for songwriters and his support in securing this agreement. There is no music industry without songwriters and these payments will ensure that songwriters are not out of pocket when turning up to work. We look forward to working together over the next 12 months to assess how this package benefits music makers and ensuring that all creators share in the success of streaming remuneration.

    The Government will support industry to deliver these measures in full, in order to improve conditions for UK music makers. The impact of the measures will be monitored and reviewed in a year’s time, working closely with members of the group to understand the extent to which they are improving creator earnings as intended. 

    The Government will then assess the need for further intervention, to ensure this package delivers on its objective to bring about real change for creators. 

    Labels estimate these changes will deliver tens of millions of pounds in new investment to support creators by 2030, which will help drive growth in the creative industries as part of the Government’s Plan for Change.

    The Government has also committed to continuing to look at the issue of streaming pay for session musicians and has convened a meeting in September with key organisations from the music industry to take this forward.

    Further quotes

    The Council Of Music Makers said: 

    We greatly appreciate the efforts of the Government in seeking to improve the streaming economy for music-makers. Minister Chris Bryant has dedicated a great deal of time and resources trying to agree creator-friendly terms with the BPI and major labels, in an attempt to address unfair remuneration. Over the next year, we will work in good faith to support music-makers to test these initiatives and whether they can deliver meaningful change. 

    We will work closely with the Government during the one year monitoring of these measures. In 2021 Parliament’s Culture, Media & Sport Select Committee raised several fundamental issues regarding the streaming business model, calling for ‘a complete reset’. The Council Of Music Makers remains committed to achieving this objective and reaching a fairer settlement for all music-makers and we will now collectively pursue additional legislative measures to achieve positive change for those that create the work our industry is built on.

    Sophie Jones, Chief Strategy Officer at the BPI, said: 

    After five years of detailed scrutiny and analysis, we are pleased to put in place these creator remuneration principles for UK labels in response to specific concerns identified in the UK’s streaming debate. Many more artists are succeeding in the era of streaming than before – and we are confident that these targeted measures will lead to positive and sustainable outcomes and support for legacy artists, songwriters and session musicians, ensuring that our members’ significant ongoing investment into the development of British talent and the growth of our world leading UK music industry will be to the benefit of all. This has been a collaborative process and we are grateful to our members and fellow trade organisations for their expertise and to Minister Chris Bryant and the DCMS officials for their stewardship of this process.

    Baron Brennan of Canton, former Chair of the DCMS Select Committee which launched the inquiry into the Economics of Music Streaming, said: 

    Protecting the dignity of British songwriters by putting money in their pockets for writing sessions is a real first, and greater transparency over artist renegotiation is most welcome. I commend Minister Bryant for all his efforts. Further progress is needed on streaming but I’m encouraged by the Minister’s commitment to pursue progress through further talks this autumn on session musician income from streaming.

    Updates to this page

    Published 22 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Multilateralism remains the best tool we have to meet the shared challenges of the 21st century: UK statement at the UN Security Council

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Speech

    Multilateralism remains the best tool we have to meet the shared challenges of the 21st century: UK statement at the UN Security Council

    Statement by Lord Collins of Highbury, Minister for Africa and the UN, at the UN Security Council debate on peace and security.

    Mr President, the United Kingdom thanks Pakistan for convening this timely debate at a time when multilateralism faces unprecedented strain.

    As the Secretary-General has said, the world is witnessing more conflict than at any time since the founding of the United Nations.

    From Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine to the protracted crisis in Gaza, the international community is being tested.

    Our response must strive for peace and be guided by the principles of the UN Charter.
    Multilateralism remains the best tool we have to meet the shared challenges of the 21st century.

    And this Council, as the UN organ with the primary responsibility for international peace and security, should play a central role.

    That includes through a collective commitment to the rule of law, including international humanitarian law, and to the peaceful settlement of disputes.

    These are not abstract ideals.

    They are principles by which we could collectively prevent and resolve conflict.

    That is why the United Kingdom has kept these principles at the heart of its foreign policy.
    But as we mark the UN’s 80th anniversary, we must seize this moment to revitalise the peace and security architecture, champion human rights, and strengthen the UN development system and humanitarian architecture to ensure all three pillars are collectively fit for purpose.

    We should make full use of the UN’s mediation and conflict prevention capabilities.
    In Sudan, we continue to urge the warring parties to engage meaningfully with existing diplomatic initiatives, including the United Nations’ mediation efforts to achieve a lasting national ceasefire and political solution.

    Here and elsewhere, we need the UN to help address the root causes of conflict.
    Peace operations should be more adaptable, politically attuned and better coordinated with other UN and regional actors, leveraging new technologies and local expertise.
    We must focus not only on brokering peace but on sustaining it.

    The UN’s efforts to verify the implementation of the Peace Agreement in Colombia is a good example of this work in the field.

    And here in New York, we can make better use of the UN Peacebuilding Architecture to support national efforts to sustain peace.

    Underscoring this, we must recall that crucially, sustainable peace can only be achieved through inclusive peace processes, with the full, equal, meaningful and safe participation of women.

    Mr President, the UN Charter is our shared foundation.

    In this moment of global uncertainty, we must recommit to multilateralism, not as a slogan, but as a strategy.

    The United Kingdom stands ready to work with all Member States to this end, including to uphold peace, security, and the rule of law.

    Thank you.

    Updates to this page

    Published 22 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: UN’s Guterres declares fossil fuel era fading; presses nations for new climate plans before COP30 summit

    Source: United Nations 2

    In a special address at UN Headquarters in New York, Mr. Guterres cited surging clean energy investment and plunging solar and wind costs that now outcompete fossil fuels.

    “The energy transition is unstoppable, but the transition is not yet fast enough or fair enough,” he said.

    The speech, A Moment of Opportunity: Supercharging the Clean Energy Age – a follow‑up to last year’s Moment of Truth – was delivered alongside a new UN technical report drawing on global energy and finance bodies.

    “Just follow the money,” Mr. Guterres said, noting that $2 trillion flowed into clean energy last year, $800 billion more than fossil fuels and up almost 70 per cent in a decade.

    Key points from the address

    • Point of no return – The world has irreversibly shifted towards renewables, with fossil fuels entering their decline
    • Clean energy surge – $2 trillion invested in clean energy last year, $800 billion more than fossil fuels
    • Cost revolution – Solar now 41 per cent cheaper and offshore wind 53 per cent cheaper than fossil fuel alternatives.
    • Global challenge – Calls on G20 nations to align new national climate plans with the 1.5°C target of the Paris Agreement
    • Energy security – Renewables ensure “real energy sovereignty”
    • Six opportunity areas – Climate plan ambition, modern grids, sustainable demand, just transition, trade reform, and finance for emerging markets.

    A shift in possibility

    He noted new data from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) showing solar, once four times costlier, is now 41 per cent cheaper than fossil fuels.

    Similarly, offshore wind is 53 per cent cheaper, with more than 90 per cent of new renewables worldwide beating the cheapest new fossil alternative.

    “This is not just a shift in power. It is a shift in possibility,” he said.

    Renewables nearly match fossil fuels in global installed power capacity, and “almost all the new power capacity built” last year came from renewables, he said, noting that every continent added more clean power than fossil fuels.

    Clean energy is unstoppable

    Mr. Guterres underscored that a clean energy future “is no longer a promise, it is a fact”. No government, no industry and no special interest can stop it.

    “Of course, the fossil fuel lobby will try, and we know the lengths to which they will go. But, I have never been more confident that they will fail because we have passed the point of no return.”

    He urged countries to lock ambition into the next round of national climate plans, or NDCs, due within months. Mr. Guterres called on the G20 countries, which are responsible for 80 per cent of emissions, to submit new plans aligned with the 1.5°C limit and present them at a high‑level event in September.

    Targets, he added, must “double energy efficiency and triple renewables capacity by 2030” while accelerating “the transition away from fossil fuels”.

    Real energy sovereignty

    The Secretary-General also highlighted the geopolitical risks of fossil fuel dependence.

    “The greatest threat to energy security today is fossil fuels,” he said, citing price shocks after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

    “There are no price spikes for sunlight, no embargoes on wind. Renewables mean real energy security, real energy sovereignty and real freedom from fossil-fuel volatility.”

    Six opportunity areas

    Mr. Guterres mapped six “opportunity areas” to speed the transition: ambitious NDCs, modern grids and storage, meeting soaring demand sustainably, a just transition for workers and communities, trade reforms to broaden clean‑tech supply chains, and mobilising finance to emerging markets.

    Financing, however, is the choke point. Africa, home to 60 per cent of the world’s best solar resources, received just 2 per cent of global clean energy investment last year, he said.

    Only one in five clean energy dollars over the past decade went to emerging and developing economies outside China. Flows must rise more than five-fold by 2030 to keep the 1.5-degree limit alive and deliver universal access.

    Mr. Guterres urged reform of global finance, stronger multilateral development banks and debt relief, including debt‑for‑climate swaps.

    “The fossil fuel age is flailing and failing. We are in the dawn of a new energy era,” he said in closing.

    “That world is within reach, but it won’t happen on its own. Not fast enough. Not fair enough. It is up to us. This is our moment of opportunity.”

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: SECURITY COUNCIL LIVE: High-level debate on peaceful settlements of dispute

    Source: United Nations 2

    The UN Security Council meets today for a high-level open debate on Promoting International Peace and Security through Multilateralism and Peaceful Settlement of Disputes, chaired by Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar. UN Secretary-General António Guterres is expected to brief as over 80 Member States join discussions on strengthening diplomacy and mechanisms for conflict prevention. UN News, in coordination with UN Meetings Coverage, brings you live updates. UN News App users can follow here.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: CBSA seizes 187.5 kg of cocaine at the Ambassador Bridge leading to criminal charges by the RCMP

    Source: Government of Canada News (2)

    July 22, 2025    Windsor, Ontario    Canada Border Services Agency 

    On May 23, 2025, Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) border services officers at the Ambassador Bridge port of entry intercepted 187.5 kg of suspected cocaine concealed in the trailer of a commercial truck coming into Canada from the United States. 

    During a secondary examination of the trailer, CBSA officers discovered 2 suitcases and 5 garbage bags containing 161 bricks of suspected cocaine. The approximate value of the cocaine is $23.4 million.  

    CBSA officers seized the drugs and arrested the driver, Kambiz Karandish, 55, of Richmond Hill, Ontario, and transferred him and the suspected cocaine to the custody of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). Karandish has been charged by the RCMP with Importation of Cocaine, and Possession of Cocaine for the Purpose of Trafficking under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.

    The CBSA and the RCMP are committed to protecting our communities from harmful contraband and organized crime. 

    The investigation is ongoing. 

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Saskatchewan, Ontario and Alberta to Advance Pipelines, Critical Minerals and Energy Export Infrastructure

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Released on July 22, 2025

    Provinces sign agreement to secure markets, support investment and strengthen supply chains.

    Today, Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe, Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to coordinate the safe transportation and export of Western Canadian oil, natural gas and critical minerals to refineries, seaports and storage facilities across Canada and beyond.  

    “We are sending a clear signal that Canada’s energy future will be built by Canadians, for Canadians,” Moe said. “This agreement commits our provinces to work together to unlock new markets, shore up our supply chains from mine to port and advocate for the federal reforms our industry needs. By advancing pipelines, rail connections and critical-mineral processing capacity, we are safeguarding thousands of jobs, strengthening our energy security and fostering sustainable growth.”

    The MOU establishes a collaborative framework to explore multiple pipeline and rail corridors, and expansion of processing hubs for critical minerals. All of this will create new and critical avenues to reach domestic and international markets.

    “As the world grapples with President Trump’s unfair tariffs, it is more important than ever to build a resilient and self-reliant economy here at home,” Ford said. “This agreement sends a clear message: Ontario, Alberta and Saskatchewan are ready to get shovels in the ground and move forward on projects that will secure our long-term prosperity.”  

    The agreement will help strengthen interprovincial trade by linking Saskatchewan, Ontario and Alberta through shared infrastructure development and coordinated market strategies.  

    “We are taking action to grow our economy, build real infrastructure and get major projects moving,” Smith said. “Alberta is proud to lead the way in uniting with provinces that share a vision for responsible development, economic freedom and common sense. We are standing up for our oil and gas sector and making sure our world-class resources reach the markets that need them. Together, Alberta, Ontario and Saskatchewan are showing what is possible when provinces step up. This agreement is about building a stronger, more connected Canada, one project at a time.”

    The Government of Saskatchewan is proud to be a leader and advocate for free and fair trade. Last week, Saskatchewan called on all provinces and territories to join Canada’s largest barrier-free interprovincial market, the New West Partnership Trade Agreement. This economic region of over 11 million Canadians has a combined GDP exceeding $818 billion.

    The province also continues to take part in the Committee on Internal Trade (CIT), which includes enhancing the Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA), reducing regulatory and administrative burdens to interprovincial trade, and facilitating labour mobility.

    On July 8, CIT announced significant progress, including:

    • Reducing party-specific exceptions under the CFTA by a further 30 per cent.
    • Concluding negotiations of the financial services chapter.
    • Advancing mutual recognition through a pilot project in the trucking sector and negotiating towards a mutual recognition agreement on the sale of goods.  
    • Cross-Canada commitment to a 30-day service standard for processing labour mobility applications.
    • A Memorandum of Understanding on direct-to-consumer alcohol sales, co-led by Saskatchewan and Ontario, involving ten jurisdictions across Canada to support consumers being able to order their favourite Canadian wine, spirit, beer or other alcoholic beverage, directly from the producer, for personal consumption.

    -30-

    For more information, contact:

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Hongkong Post cyberattack probed

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    Hongkong Post said today that Police have initiated investigation into an incident involving an unauthorised party cyberattacking the EC-Ship system with countless attempts at midnight on July 20 and the following day to access and retrieve information through the system’s address book function.

    Hongkong Post has notified all affected account holders by email, reminding them to remain vigilant and immediately inform people in their address books of the incident.

    The services concerned have resumed normal and account holders can continue to use the services, it added.

    For enquiries, call 2921 2222.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: TCU/IAM K-9 Classic Motorcycle Ride Raises More Than $122,000 for Guide Dogs

    Source: US GOIAM Union

    TCU/IAM recently hosted a three-day charity motorcycle ride event from their Rockville, Md., national office for the very first time. The event included motorcycle rides through Pennsylvania and a visit to Washington D.C.’s monuments. The ride raised funds for the IAM’s favorite charity, Guide Dogs of America and Tender Loving Canines (GDA | TLC).

    Watch the video here.

    More than 100 participants expressed enthusiasm for the IAM’s favorite charity of choice, highlighting the importance of supporting individuals through GDA | TLC’s work. 

    TCU/IAM National President Artie Maratea was very pleased to announce that approximately $122,000 had already been raised when the event began. He emphasized the community spirit, good food, and a charity banquet with prizes, all dedicated to benefiting GDA | TLC.

    The post TCU/IAM K-9 Classic Motorcycle Ride Raises More Than $122,000 for Guide Dogs appeared first on IAM Union.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Stronger security for ATO online services (myGov and ATO app)

    Source: New places to play in Gungahlin

    3 steps to secure

    We encourage you to be proactive and secure your ATO online services access (through myGov) to protect against fraud. Read the following steps to check you have the strongest security possible for your circumstances.

    Step 1: make your myID as strong as possible

    We recommend using myID, the Australian Government’s Digital ID app, as your sign in option to access ATO online services (through myGov).

    myID requires you to verify your ID in the app making it harder for fraudsters to impersonate you.

    Download the myID app from the App Store or Google Play. Set up your myID to a Strong or Standard identity strengthExternal Link. For the highest security, set up your myID to Strong if you can.

     

    Step 2: use your myID to access or link to ATO online services

    Using your myID to link to or access ATO online services through myGov:

    • helps protect you from fraudsters trying to impersonate you or access your account
    • gives you a flexible sign in option – your myID isn’t locked to a specific mobile number or device, and can be set up again using only an internet connection if you get a new phone
    • sets your ‘online access strength’ – this means you must always use your myID to access ATO online services through myGov because it’s the most secure access method.

    If you’re already linked to ATO online services, use your myID to sign in to myGovExternal Link and access ATO online services to secure your account.

    If you don’t have a myGov account or aren’t linked to ATO online services, find out how to get started. To secure your access, use your myID to create or sign in to your myGov account and then link to the ATO.

    Step 3: get the ATO app and allow push notifications

    The ATO app is a simple and easy way you can access and manage your tax and super on the go. The ATO app is free to download and use.

    The ATO app’s year-round security benefits include:

    • real time security messages alerting you when key changes are made to your ATO account
    • the ability to lock your account to help keep you safe.

    Even if you don’t use the app to manage your tax, it provides an additional level of security.

    Download the ATO app from the App Store or Google Play. Once installed, make sure to enable push notifications so you’re instantly alerted to changes in your account.

     

    More information

    For more information about protecting your identity, see How to stay scam safe.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI: Andean Silver to Present at the Metals & Mining Virtual Investor Conference July 23

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    PERTH, Western Australia, July 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Andean Silver (ASX: ASL), based in Chile, focused on the Cerro Bayo Project, today announced that Tim Laneyrie, CEO, will present live at the Metals & Mining Virtual Investor Conference hosted by VirtualInvestorConferences.com, on July 23, 2025

    DATE: July 23
    TIME: 9:30 AM ET
    LINK: REGISTER HERE

    This will be a live, interactive online event where investors are invited to ask the company questions in real-time. If attendees are not able to join the event live on the day of the conference, an archived webcast will also be made available after the event.

    It is recommended that online investors pre-register and run the online system check to expedite participation and receive event updates.  

    Learn more about the event at www.virtualinvestorconferences.com.

    Recent Company Highlights

    • Andean raised A$30m in strongly supported raise (18/07/25)
    • Andean begins trading on the OTCQX (ADSLF) (21/7/25)
    • Drilling doubles the vertical extent of the Coyita orebody (24/6/25)
    • Exploration continues to grow project pipeline (28/5/25)

    About Andean Silver

    Andean Silver Limited (ASX:ASL) is an Australian mineral exploration and development company focused on advancing its 100% owned Cerro Bayo Silver-Gold Project in the Aysen region of Southern Chile. The Cerro Bayo Silver-Gold Project currently hosts an Indicated and Inferred Mineral Resources of 9.8Mt at a grade of 353g/t for 111Moz of contained AgEq. Andean intends to rapidly advance the project and grow the existing silver-gold Resources to demonstrate a globally significant silver-gold asset. For further information regarding Andean Silver Limited, please visit the ASX platform (ASX:ASL) or the Company’s website at www.andeansilver.com

    About Virtual Investor Conferences®
    Virtual Investor Conferences (VIC) is the leading proprietary investor conference series that provides an interactive forum for publicly traded companies to seamlessly present directly to investors.

    Providing a real-time investor engagement solution, VIC is specifically designed to offer companies more efficient investor access.  Replicating the components of an on-site investor conference, VIC offers companies enhanced capabilities to connect with investors, schedule targeted one-on-one meetings and enhance their presentations with dynamic video content. Accelerating the next level of investor engagement, Virtual Investor Conferences delivers leading investor communications to a global network of retail and institutional investors.

    CONTACTS:
    Andean Silver
    Tim Laneyrie
    CEO
    (+61) 411 223 724
    tlaneyrie@andeansilver.com

    Virtual Investor Conferences
    John M. Viglotti
    SVP Corporate Services, Investor Access
    OTC Markets Group
    (212) 220-2221
    johnv@otcmarkets.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Andean Silver to Present at the Metals & Mining Virtual Investor Conference July 23

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    PERTH, Western Australia, July 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Andean Silver (ASX: ASL), based in Chile, focused on the Cerro Bayo Project, today announced that Tim Laneyrie, CEO, will present live at the Metals & Mining Virtual Investor Conference hosted by VirtualInvestorConferences.com, on July 23, 2025

    DATE: July 23
    TIME: 9:30 AM ET
    LINK: REGISTER HERE

    This will be a live, interactive online event where investors are invited to ask the company questions in real-time. If attendees are not able to join the event live on the day of the conference, an archived webcast will also be made available after the event.

    It is recommended that online investors pre-register and run the online system check to expedite participation and receive event updates.  

    Learn more about the event at www.virtualinvestorconferences.com.

    Recent Company Highlights

    • Andean raised A$30m in strongly supported raise (18/07/25)
    • Andean begins trading on the OTCQX (ADSLF) (21/7/25)
    • Drilling doubles the vertical extent of the Coyita orebody (24/6/25)
    • Exploration continues to grow project pipeline (28/5/25)

    About Andean Silver

    Andean Silver Limited (ASX:ASL) is an Australian mineral exploration and development company focused on advancing its 100% owned Cerro Bayo Silver-Gold Project in the Aysen region of Southern Chile. The Cerro Bayo Silver-Gold Project currently hosts an Indicated and Inferred Mineral Resources of 9.8Mt at a grade of 353g/t for 111Moz of contained AgEq. Andean intends to rapidly advance the project and grow the existing silver-gold Resources to demonstrate a globally significant silver-gold asset. For further information regarding Andean Silver Limited, please visit the ASX platform (ASX:ASL) or the Company’s website at www.andeansilver.com

    About Virtual Investor Conferences®
    Virtual Investor Conferences (VIC) is the leading proprietary investor conference series that provides an interactive forum for publicly traded companies to seamlessly present directly to investors.

    Providing a real-time investor engagement solution, VIC is specifically designed to offer companies more efficient investor access.  Replicating the components of an on-site investor conference, VIC offers companies enhanced capabilities to connect with investors, schedule targeted one-on-one meetings and enhance their presentations with dynamic video content. Accelerating the next level of investor engagement, Virtual Investor Conferences delivers leading investor communications to a global network of retail and institutional investors.

    CONTACTS:
    Andean Silver
    Tim Laneyrie
    CEO
    (+61) 411 223 724
    tlaneyrie@andeansilver.com

    Virtual Investor Conferences
    John M. Viglotti
    SVP Corporate Services, Investor Access
    OTC Markets Group
    (212) 220-2221
    johnv@otcmarkets.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Fisheries Subsidies: Argentina’s acceptance

    Source: World Trade Organization – WTO (video statements)

    Argentina deposited its instrument of acceptance of the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies on 22 July. Ambassador Gustavo Lunazzi presented Argentina’s instrument of acceptance to Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. Just five more acceptances are needed for the Agreement to enter into force.

    Download this video from the WTO website:
    https://www.wto.org/english/res_e/webcas_e/webcas_e.htm

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52yloDuboOU

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Eurojust helps catch alleged author of threatening emails to schools in Czechia, Slovakia and Latvia

    Source: European Union 2

    Eurojust has assisted the authorities in the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Latvia with the apprehension of the alleged perpetrator who was responsible for sending thousands of emails in September last year threatening schools with explosions. The mass threats, which were also sent to other educational institutions and leisure centres, caused major public concern and led to the suspension of classes at the beginning of the school year.

    Eurojust supported the national authorities involved by setting up a joint investigation team (JIT) dedicated to the case, as well as providing additional cross-border judicial support.

    The alleged perpetrator also used the social network Telegram to spread his threats. He was apprehended in the Ukrainian city of Dnipro last week but was released pending potential further steps to be taken by the authorities.

    © Dnipropetrovsk Regional Prosecutor’s Office

    Given the mass scale of the threats at the same time across three countries, the police authorities involved coordinated their investigations, assisted by the setting up of the JIT. The joint investigative efforts, using the cybercrime expertise of the police, led to the identification of an alleged perpetrator, operating from the Ukrainian city of Dnipro.

    With the participation of Czech and Slovak police officers, a joint action took place in Dnipro last week, during which the alleged perpetrator was apprehended and one individual was questioned. Furthermore, two locations were searched, which led to the seizure of computer equipment.

    Thanks to the good and close cooperation of all the authorities concerned, the operation was successfully carried out under extremely difficult circumstances, very close to the frontline of the war in Ukraine, with Ukrainian, Czech and Slovak officers exposed to heavy risks.

    Eurojust offered support not only through the establishment of the JIT but also by organising a coordination meeting to prepare for the joint action day in Ukraine. The operation was carried out at the request of and by the following authorities:

    • Czech Republic: High Public Prosecutor’s Office in Prague; National Counterterrorism, Extremism and Cybercrime Agency (NCTEKK)
    • Latvia: Rīga Pārdaugava Prosecution Office; 1st Unit of Cybercrime Enforcement Department of the Central Criminal Police Department of the State Police
    • Slovakia: General Prosecutor´s Office of the Slovak Republic; Police Department West, Anti-Crime Unit, Bureau for Combating Organized Crime of the Presidium of the Police Corps (Police ACU); Counter Terrorism Centre, Presidium of the Police Corps
    • Ukraine: Dnipropetrovsk regional Prosecutor’s Office; Main Department of National Police in Dnipropetrovsk region; Division for Combating Cybercrime in Dnipropetrovsk region of the Cyber Police Department of National Police of Ukraine

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: World Brain Day: EU projects helping to protect brain health

    Source: European Union 2

    On World Brain Day, we highlight the need for targeted interventions to promote and protect brain health at every stage of life. Around 165 million Europeans live with brain disorders. Discover what EU-funded projects are doing to understand, prevent and address neurological disorders.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Galileo launches first worldwide authentication service

    Source: European Union 2

    EUSPA today announced the forthcoming official launch of the Galileo Open Service – Navigation Message Authentication (OSNMA), a new authentication mechanism that lets OS users verify the authenticity of the data used for the GNSS positioning and timing on 24 July.

    Coming at a time when attacks on GNSS signals, such as spoofing, are on the rise, OSNMA provides a critical layer of protection. Spoofing involves the transmission of counterfeit satellite signals that deceive GNSS receivers, potentially resulting in false and unreliable positioning. These events can affect critical applications in transportation, finance, telecommunications, information technology, energy, utilities, manufacturing, health services, emergency services and law enforcement, in which GNSS, and in particular Galileo, is used. In sectors such as aviation or maritime, this can lead to serious safety risks.

    The Galileo OSNMA mitigates these threats by allowing users to confirm that the data they receive is genuinely from Galileo and has not been tampered with. It works by embedding cryptographic data, or a digital signature, into the navigation message (I/NAV) broadcast on the E1-B signal.
    Because the OSNMA is transmitted in the Galileo Open Service signal, which is already used in most devices, receivers only need to implement the protocol and download the certified public keys from the European GNSS Service Centre (GSC) website. OSNMA service relies as well on the implementation of dedicated logic on the receiver side to guarantee the end-to-end authentication process. The service does not require the storage and management of secret keys on the user side, which facilitates the adoption in different communities. Importantly, the OSNMA mechanism does not alter Galileo’s existing signal structure, ensuring that Open Service navigation performance remains unaffected.

    While OSNMA does not prevent spoofing or jamming, it makes spoofing significantly harder by authenticating the data and making the Galileo signal unpredictable and harder to replicate. It also enhances the system’s resilience, giving users an important tool in detecting and responding to threats.

    “Stakeholders have clearly articulated a need for more robust GNSS services. The Galileo OSNMA delivers this robustness and, in doing so, provides enhanced security in positioning and timing solutions.“ Rodrigo DA COSTA, EUSPA Executive Director

    “The OSNMA Initial Service declaration has been authorised by the EU Space SAB following independent security checks and cooperation with the Programme to define risk mitigation measures. The cooperation between the SAB, the Commission and EUSPA was instrumental to getting through this very important milestone.” Philippe BERTRAND, EU Space Security Accreditation Chair

    The launch of Galileo OSNMA marks another milestone in the EU’s commitment to secure and reliable space-based services.

    The OSNMA declaration of service follows an extensive testing phase in which GNSS manufacturers, integrators, and application developers assessed the service across diverse scenarios using the Signal in Space (SiS). With this launch, Galileo becomes the first GNSS in the world to offer authentication globally as part of its Open Service — a major step in reinforcing Europe’s leadership in secure satellite navigation.

    The OSNMA is provided by EUSPA, the operational service provider for Galileo.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Schools in Westminster to receive up to £8K to boost pupils’ health and wellbeing | Westminster City Council

    Source: City of Westminster

    Twenty-five schools in Westminster have received up to £8,000 in grant funding to improve pupils’ health and wellbeing.

    The school health and wellbeing survey, a Westminster City Council initiative administered by the Schools Health Education Unit (SHEU), was implemented in 25 schools across the city in 2024. The survey, covering topics such as emotional health and wellbeing, safety, food and diet and physical activity, collected responses from 1,357 pupils.

    The survey results have helped the council understand what children need to improve their health and wellbeing and it has given schools a valuable insight into their pupils’ lives. 

    Following the survey, each school has received their confidential report and a grant to act on the findings relevant to their pupils – £5,000 for primaries and £8,000 for secondaries and special schools.

    Gabby Woolf, Vice Principal of King Solomon Academy, said:

    “King Solomon Academy is very grateful to have received a grant from Westminster after participating in the school health and wellbeing survey, which is especially crucial in these times of scarcity. Our findings have shown supporting pupils’ emotional health and wellbeing is important for their health and education. The grant has allowed us to better fund our therapeutic counselling provision, which is run by Place 2 Be and has been a huge support for pupils’ emotional wellbeing and mental health.”

    Cllr Nafsika Butler-Thalassis, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, Public Health and Voluntary Sector, said:

    “The voices of children and young people are crucial for designing comprehensive health and wellbeing programmes that answer to their needs. This survey and funding will give schools the knowledge and resources needed to act on the issues that matter most to their pupils, whether that is online safety, mental wellbeing or physical health. It reflects our continued commitment to building a healthier and fairer community for our children in Westminster.”

    The council currently leads on a range of health and wellbeing services and initiatives for children and young people:

    • The School Health Service has been enhanced with a wider emotional and mental health offer. It has been delivering asthma training (as part of the Asthma Friendly School initiative) and developing school partnership agreements.
    • The funding for the Mental Health Youth Worker service has been extended for two years to support the emotional wellbeing and mental health of children and young people attending Youth Hubs in Westminster.
    • The Edward Wilson Primary School Superzone has been created to help school children play safely, breathe clean air, be active, enjoy a healthy diet and thrive.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: A new chapter for young adults with learning disabilities in Portsmouth

    Source: City of Portsmouth

    Portsmouth City Council secured funding to purchase a vacant building and transform it into a home for seven young people with complex support needs, some of whom have been living out of area for their education.

    The project was born from a shared ambition: to bring these young people back to Portsmouth for their move into adulthood, closer to their families and communities, and to provide them with a safe, supportive environment where they can live independently.

    The home features six ensuite rooms with communal living spaces and one self-contained flat. The new tenants will benefit from 24-hour support provided by a registered care provider, with the council acting as landlord.

    The young adults will also have access to a wide range of local health and social care services, including day opportunities and sporting activities tailored to adults with learning disabilities.

    Their new home was opened with a celebration to mark the occasion, thanking the many teams and individuals who have made this vision a reality and, importantly, to give the new tenants and their families the chance to look around their new home ahead of their move.

    Michelle (pictured with the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress), is the Mum of one of the new tenants, and is delighted with her son’s new home. She said:

    “For me, this is going to have a positive impact in terms of feeling there is a future for my son – and we haven’t had to make a choice under pressure or take something we weren’t 100% comfortable with. I love the setting – it doesn’t feel like a residential care facility; it feels like a student house. I love the fact that he’s going to be with people of similar age and needs. He has a lot of energy, so he’ll adore the garden, looking out onto trees – it’ll be amazing for him.”

    Cllr Steve Pitt, Leader of the Council with responsibility for Culture, Regeneration & Economic Development said:

    “This project shows the dedication and commitment of multiple teams across the council – showcasing “one council” working.

    From identifying the building and overseeing its refurbishment, to coordinating care and support services, every step has been guided by a shared vision and provides a place for these young adults to live independently.”

    From left to right: Leila Ferguson (Portsmouth Lady Mayoress), Michelle (Mum of new tenant) and Cllr Gerald Vernon-Jackson (Portsmouth Lord Mayor) at an open morning for the new accommodation.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Modernised aid budget will focus on impact, value for money and transparency

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 3

    Press release

    Modernised aid budget will focus on impact, value for money and transparency

    New aid funding figures published today show how the international aid budget will deliver value for money for the British taxpayer – and maximum impact for the most vulnerable overseas.

    • New figures released today (Tuesday, 22 July) set out how the government will spend the aid budget in 2025/2026, prioritising areas where Britain can make the biggest difference. 

    • The new approach means the UK will prioritise spending through the most impactful multilateral organisations like the World Bank and Gavi, the vaccine alliance, while working to drive reform of these institutions. 

    • Development Minister Baroness Chapman today confirms UK support for the World Bank’s International Development Association – with the fund expected to benefit 1.9 billion people in next three years.

    New aid funding figures published today (Tuesday, 22 July 2025) show how the international aid budget will deliver value for money for the British taxpayer – and maximum impact for the most vulnerable overseas. The cut in the aid budget to 0.3% of Gross National Income from 2027 means every penny must count if the UK is to make progress on its biggest development priorities: to tackle humanitarian, health and climate crises.

    Today’s aid figures, published in the FCDO’s annual report and the first to be released since the cut was announced in February, give an indication of the new approach the Development Minister Baroness Chapman will take. They follow a comprehensive line-by-line strategic review of aid conducted by the Minister, which focused on prioritisation, efficiency, protecting planned humanitarian support and live contracts while ensuring responsible exit from programming where necessary. 

    The pivot will see global organisations with a proven track record of impact, like the World Bank and Gavi, prioritised to deliver better results for the UK taxpayer and the world’s poorest people.  

    The UK will also continue to play a key humanitarian role supporting those in crisis, including in Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan, and will hold a reserve fund to respond to future crises at pace.

    However, underperforming multilateral organisations will face funding cuts in future, and as the UK moves to spend less on aid, bilateral support to some countries is also dropping.  

    While bilateral support for some countries will drop, the UK will instead increasingly share expertise, like that of our world leading scientists and financial sector. It will focus on tackling the climate crisis, health threats and humanitarian emergencies, creating stability and growth to help deliver the Plan for Change at home. The National Security Strategy published earlier this year said British interests are best served through effective multilateral cooperation.

    As part of its growing support for impactful multilateral organisations, the UK today confirmed it will honour a pledge to the International Development Association (IDA) – the World Bank’s fund for the poorest countries – having agreed a new way to make payments that reduces costs to UK taxpayers and provides the same value to the Bank. IDA is expected to benefit 1.9 billion people in the next three years.

    Minister for Development Baroness Chapman said: 

    We are modernising our approach to international development. Every pound must work harder for UK taxpayers and the people we help around the world and these figures show how we are starting to do just that through having a clear focus and priorities. 

    The UK is moving towards a new relationship with developing countries, becoming partners and investors, rather than acting as a traditional aid donor. We want to work with countries and share our expertise – from world leading science to the City of London – to help them become no longer dependent on aid, and organisations like the World Bank and Gavi are central to how we can work with others to solve some of the biggest challenges of our time: humanitarian disasters, pandemics and the climate crisis.

    The UK’s support for the multilateral system will come with a renewed push for its reform to maximise efficiency and impact for people on the ground.  It follows UK funding announced for another multilateral organisation Gavi, the vaccine alliance, last month, which will help save up to 8 million lives. 

    The World Bank support was originally announced last November, but all UK aid funding was subsequently reviewed following the 0.3% announcement in February this year. Every £1 the UK invests in the World Bank’s IDA fund, enables £4 of finance for developing countries. The IDA fund is expected to benefit 1.9 billion people in next three years.

    The World Bank President Ajay Banga today welcomed the UK’s funding commitment. He said:

    We are grateful to the United Kingdom for honouring its pledge to IDA. In a time of tight budgets and growing global risks, this is not just generosity – it’s strategy. Every taxpayer pound is multiplied many times over through the Bank’s ability to mobilise capital and partner with the private sector.

    These resources help create jobs in developing countries – jobs that build self-reliant economies, reduce the drivers of instability, crime, and migration, and grow the middle class. In turn, they create future consumers of UK products and investment opportunities that strengthen the UK economy over the long term.

    The UK’s new approach aligns with recent calls from Global South leaders for a move away from traditional aid to a focus on investment and partnerships, including from the African Development Bank, and the former Kenyan President. 

    Alongside the figures released today, the government has also published an Equality Impact Assessment which found plans to reduce the aid budget will “protect against disproportionate impacts on equalities” overall.

    The government will publish indicative multi-year allocations for 2026-2029 in the autumn, providing an even clearer picture of the UK’s future direction in international development. 

    Background:

    1. The full ODA spending allocations were published in the FCDO’s Annual Report and Accounts on GOV.UK on Tuesday, July 22, 2025. See here for further details: FCDO Annual Report and Accounts 2024 to 2025- GOV.UK
    2. The Equality Impact Assessment was published alongside the Annual Report and Accounts: FCDO Official Development Assistance programme allocations 2025 to 2026: equality impact assessment – GOV.UK
    3. The UK announced last November it would pledge £1.98 billion to the World Bank’s IDA21 – from July 2025 to June 2028. All UK aid funding was subsequently reviewed following the decision to reduce the aid budget in February. We have now agreed to accelerate our payments to the Bank, reducing their need to borrow from markets. This means that while the UK will provide the Bank with around 10% less cash in total, the Bank will regard our contribution as equivalent to our original pledge. A number of other donors accelerate their payments to provide early support to the Bank and to increase the value of their funding in the same way. 
    4. The Foreign Secretary announced new humanitarian support for Gaza on Monday, July 21, 20225. See here for further details: UK pledges lifesaving aid for Gaza – GOV.UK

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    Published 22 July 2025

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  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: UK Carrier Strike Group contributes to Exercise Talisman Sabre

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 3

    News story

    UK Carrier Strike Group contributes to Exercise Talisman Sabre

    The UK Carrier Strike Group has led a major British contribution to the large multinational exercise in Australia.

    Crown copyright

    More than 3,000 British forces are taking part in the largest military exercise Australia has ever hosted, as the UK’s Carrier Strike Group (CSG25) demonstrates Britain’s unwavering commitment to Indo-Pacific security. 

    The Carrier Strike Group is in Australia as part of Operation Highmast, the major global deployment that demonstrates Britain’s strategic commitment to the Indo-Pacific. 

    From British Gurkhas to US Marines to Australian Defence Force amphibious specialists, Exercise Talisman Sabre 25 serves as one of the deployment’s key moments, bringing together multinational forces to strengthen and test how nations can work together to safeguard global trade routes and maintain regional stability. 

    Spanning across a vast area in Western Australia, the Northern Territory, Queensland, and New South Wales, the Australian-US led biennial exercise is bigger than ever, involving over 35,000 military personnel from 19 nations – making Talisman Sabre the largest exercise of the CSG’s deployment and one of the largest military exercises in the world this year. For the first time, offshore activities will also be conducted in Papua New Guinea.    

    Defence Secretary John Healey said:  

    The historic bonds between Britain and Australia run deep, and through AUKUS and exercises like Talisman Sabre we are strengthening these ties for the challenges of tomorrow.  

    Our commitment to the Indo-Pacific is unwavering, as this huge military exercise demonstrates. The unprecedented scale showcases the growing importance of cooperation in addressing shared challenges. We will continue to work alongside our closest allies to maintain the security and stability that underpins global prosperity. 

    Commodore James Blackmore said:  

    This is a real demonstration of the UK and our partners’ warfighting capabilities.   

    As the first UK-led multinational Carrier Strike Group to Talisman Sabre this is a powerful demonstration of our commitment to the Indo-Pacific region.  

    Exercise Talisman Sabre is also an opportunity for the UK to develop new levels of integration between systems and capabilities with the US, Australia, and other partners, enhancing our interoperability even further and to unprecedented levels.

     All three branches of the UK Armed Forces are engaged, with the Royal Marines playing a central role throughout the exercise alongside a Ranger Battalion from the Army and RAF Voyager aircraft. 

    The exercise strengthens operational cooperation with international partners, ensuring our collective ability to maintain the rules-based international order that underpins global trade and security.  

    The Royal Navy, alongside its AUKUS partners, is testing cutting-edge sub-sea and seabed warfare capabilities, showcasing interoperability across our navies. Additionally, for the first time, AUKUS nations will demonstrate the ability to remotely control Extra Large Uncrewed Underwater Vehicles (XL-UUVs) from a remote operating centre. 

    Through DSTL via the Resilience Autonomy and AI Technology collaboration, nations tested autonomy-enabled systems able to find and strike an advancing adversary. This experimentation provided a realistic combat environment for AUKUS to operate as an AI-enabled, integrated force, exploiting cutting-edge technology to ensure strategic advantage against a range of simulated adversaries. 
     
    The CSG25 deployment reinforces the government’s Plan for Change by strengthening international partnerships that underpin economic growth and national security, keeping Britain secure at home and strong abroad. Operation Highmast occurs against the backdrop of the government’s landmark commitment to increasing defence spending to 2.6% of GDP. 

    This historic investment underpins the government’s mission-led approach to securing Britain’s future, providing the economic stability necessary for growth whilst ensuring the UK maintains cutting-edge capabilities such as the Carrier Strike Group to meet emerging global threats.

    Updates to this page

    Published 22 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –