NewzIntel.com

Category: Africa

  • PM Modi pays tribute to Namibia’s Founding Father Dr. Sam Nujoma at Heroes Acre Memorial

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday paid homage to Namibia’s Founding Father and first President, Dr. Sam Nujoma, at the Heroes Acre memorial during his state visit to the country.

    Remembering Dr. Nujoma as a visionary leader, the Prime Minister said he devoted his entire life to Namibia’s struggle for independence and laid a strong foundation for the nation as its first President. “His inspiring contribution to nation-building continues to motivate people across the world,” PM Modi noted.

    Dr. Nujoma shared a close bond with India. His presence during the establishment of Namibia’s first-ever diplomatic mission — the SWAPO office — in New Delhi in 1986 is fondly remembered as a symbol of enduring friendship between the two nations.

  • MIL-OSI Video: Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development,Hon. Mmamoloko Kubayi Tables the Budget Vote

    Source: Republic of South Africa (video statements)

    Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, Honourable Mmamoloko Kubayi Tables the Department’s Budget Vote Speech

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0ntOIeptyA

    MIL OSI Video –

  • PM Modi awarded Namibia’s highest civilian honour during state visit

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday was conferred with Namibia’s highest civilian honour, ‘The Order of the Most Ancient Welwitschia Mirabilis’, during his one-day state visit to the African nation.

    The award was presented by the President of Namibia, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, at a special ceremony, marking a new milestone in the ties between the two nations.

    Accepting the award, the PM dedicated it to the 1.4 billion people of India and to the historic and enduring partnership between India and Namibia. “I accept this honour with deep gratitude, and I dedicate it to the people of India and the timeless bond our two countries share,” the Prime Minister said, expressing his heartfelt thanks to Nandi-Ndaitwah and the people of Namibia.

    PM Modi is the first Indian leader to receive this honour.

    Established in 1995, the award recognises distinguished service and leadership. It is named after the Welwitschia Mirabilis, a unique desert plant found only in Namibia that symbolises resilience, longevity and the enduring spirit of its people.

    This is PM Modi’s 27th international honour, the fourth during his ongoing five-nation tour and the second in less than 24 hours.

  • MIL-OSI: MEXC Launchpad Debuts PUMP Token with Exclusive 40% Discount for New Users

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    VICTORIA, Seychelles, July 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Leading global cryptocurrency exchange MEXC is scheduled to officially launch a new round of Launchpad subscriptions on July 12, 2025, at 14:00 UTC, in collaboration with pump.fun, the world’s leading crypto launchpad. This event marks the debut of pump.fun’s utility token, PUMP, with a total of 1.3125 billion PUMP tokens available. To promote fair and easy access to early-stage Solana projects, MEXC is offering a limited-time 40% discount exclusively for new users.

    Dual-Pool Subscription Model with Incentive Programs

    MEXC Launchpad, known for its innovation, transparency, security, and efficiency, continues to spotlight high-potential projects for its global user base. The PUMP token launch introduces a dual-pool subscription model to accommodate users with varying needs:

    Exclusive Pool for New Users:

    • Subscription Price: 0.0024 USDT (40% off market rate)
    • Individual Limit: 5–75 USDT
    • Total Allocation: 312.5 million PUMP tokens

    Open Pool for All Users:

    • Subscription Price: 0.004 USDT
    • Individual Limit: 5–100,000 USDT
    • Total Allocation: 1 billion PUMP tokens

    To further incentivize participation, MEXC has launched a referral rewards program featuring a 10,000 USDT Futures bonus pool. Users can earn 20 USDT in Futures bonuses for each successful referral, with a cap of 20 referrals and a maximum bonus of 400 USDT per user.

    pump.fun Ecosystem Surges as Memecoin Trend Gains Global Momentum

    As the leading memecoin launch platform within the Solana ecosystem, pump.fun has demonstrated remarkable growth and user engagement since its inception. As of July 4, 2025, the platform has generated over $778 million in cumulative revenue, launched 11,801,786 tokens, and recorded a peak of 424,548 daily active wallet addresses, highlighting its robust ecosystem activity and strong user retention. With an accessible, no-barrier token creation and launch model, pump.fun is at the forefront of the global meme token movement. The launch of its governance token, PUMP, has further captured the attention of the broader crypto community.

    Strategic Partnership Unlocks Solana Ecosystem Opportunities

    Through a deep strategic collaboration, MEXC and pump.fun are bringing global investors a unique opportunity to participate in the Solana ecosystem’s ongoing innovation. As one of the exclusive launch platforms for the PUMP token, MEXC ensures fair and transparent access to high-potential projects through a rigorous selection process and deep market insight, enabling users to engage early in emerging trends.

    Event Details and Timeline

    • Full subscription model
    • Timeline:
      • Pre-Hype Period: July 9, 2025, 14:00 UTC – July 12, 2025, 14:00 UTC
      • Subscription Period: July 12, 2025, 14:00 UTC – July 15, 2025, 14:00 UTC (or until fully subscribed)
    • Token Distribution: PUMP tokens and any remaining funds will be distributed directly to participants’ Spot accounts within 48 hours of the subscription period’s conclusion.

    Cryptocurrency investments involve a high degree of risk and price volatility. Investors may experience significant losses, including the potential loss of principal. Participants are advised to carefully review the project details, assess associated risks, and make informed investment decisions. For full PUMP event details and participation guidelines, please visit MEXC.

    About MEXC

    Founded in 2018, MEXC is committed to being “Your Easiest Way to Crypto.” Serving over 40 million users across 170+ countries, MEXC is known for its broad selection of trending tokens, everyday airdrop opportunities, and low trading fees. Our user-friendly platform is designed to support both new traders and experienced investors, offering secure and efficient access to digital assets. MEXC prioritizes simplicity and innovation, making crypto trading more accessible and rewarding.

    MEXC Official Website | X  | Telegram | How to Sign Up on MEXC

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/68d8f983-df96-4254-bccb-33d31803c5d0

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Statement on the Loss of Lives, Inlcuding a Young Girl, During the Saba Saba (7 7) Protests in Kenya

    Source: APO


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    UNICEF expresses its condolences to the families who lost loved ones during the Saba Saba (7 7) protests in Kenya.

    We especially extend our heartfelt sympathies to the family of a young girl who was tragically killed by a stray bullet while sitting innocently in the sanctity of her own home.

    UNICEF is also deeply concerned by reports of children being arrested during the protests. Detention should be the last resort as outlined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Africa Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child. Minors who have been detained must have immediate access to appropriate legal assistance, family contact and should be separated from adults while in custody for the shortest time possible.

    Children must be protected from harm – ­­­̵­­at all times and under all circumstances. It is their fundamental right.

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of UNICEF Eastern and Southern Africa.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Youth Charter Responds to International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) $200M Community Investment Pledge with Global Community Campus Initiative

    Source: APO

    In the wake of the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) historic USD 200 million commitment to invest in communities following the Olympism365 Summit in Lausanne, the Youth Charter (www.YouthCharter.org) has issued a bold Call to Action and unveiled a global expansion plan for its proven Community Campus model. 

    The initiative aims to establish 10 Community Campuses by 2030 across high-need urban and rural communities worldwide, leveraging sport, arts, culture, and digital engagement to address youth disaffection, violence, inequality, and lack of opportunity. 

    “The IOC has recognised the power of sport as a global force for hope, humanity, and sustainable development,” said Professor Geoff Thompson MBE FRSA DL, Founder and Chair of the Youth Charter. “Our Community Campuses provide the infrastructure, programming, and purpose to turn that vision into real-world impact where it’s needed most.” 

    A Model of Measurable Impact 

    Over the past three decades, the Youth Charter has demonstrated that community-based sport development can improve educational attainment, reduce youth crime, and promote mental well-being. The Campus model provides: 

    • Safe, inclusive spaces for play, learning and support 
    • Youth-led programmes focused on leadership, volunteering, and enterprise 
    • Local delivery of Olympic values through “Mini-Olympics” and community festivals 
    • Alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and Olympism365 agenda 

    A Call for Global Partnership 

    The Youth Charter is now calling on: 

    • The IOC and Olympic Movement stakeholders 
    • UN agencies and global sport-for-development networks 
    • National governments and philanthropic partners to co-invest in the implementation and scaling of these campuses as part of a global legacy framework that brings the Olympism365 Summit commitments to life. 

    From Pledge to Practice 

    The Youth Charter’s proposal includes a Global Knowledge Exchange Platform and the publication of a new Legacy Report, highlighting 30+ years of data, case studies, and testimonials. This initiative builds toward the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games as a milestone of shared accountability and impact. 

    “Together, we can empower a new generation of young people to thrive through the Olympic spirit,” added Professor Thompson. “Now is the time to act with purpose, partnership, and passion.” 

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Youth Charter.

    Youth Charter @ Social Media: 
    LinkedIn: @ YouthCharter
    Facebook: @ YouthCharter
    Instagram: @ youthchartersdp
    YouTube: @ YouthCharter
    X: @ YOUTHCHARTER

    Youth Charter #Hashtags: 
    #InternationalOlympicCommittee 
    #Olympism 
    #Fight4theStreets 
    #YoungLivesLost 
    #Call2Action 
    #LegacyOpportunity4All 
    #SportDevelopmentPeace 
    #Empowerthenextgeneration 
    #CommonwealthSecretariat 
    #UNSustainableDevelopmentGoals 

    About Youth Charter:
    ​The Youth Charter is a UK registered charity and UN accredited non-governmental organisation. Launched in 1993 as part of the Manchester 2000 Olympic Bid and the 2002 Commonwealth Games, the Youth Charter has Campaigned and Promoted the role and value of sport, art, culture and digital technology in the lives of disaffected young people from disadvantaged communities nationally and internationally. The Youth Charter has a proven track record in the creation and delivery of social and human development programmes with the overall aim of providing young people with an opportunity to develop in life. 

    Specifically, The Youth Charter Tackles educational non-attainment, health inequality, anti-social behaviour and the negative effects of crime, drugs, gang related activity and racism by applying the ethics of sporting and artistic excellence. These can then be translated to provide social and economic benefits of citizenship, rights responsibilities, with improved education, health, social order, environment and college, university, employment and enterprise. 

    Media files

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    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: South Africa: Minister Dion George on 47th World Heritage Committee session

    Source: APO


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    The Minister, Dr Dion George, has wished the South African delegation negotiating for the proposed extension of iSimangaliso Wetland Park into Maputo National Park in Mozambique well, as they participate at the 47th Session of the World Heritage Committee in Paris, France.

    South Africa is among 195 other countries participating in the 47th Session currently taking place at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Headquarters until 16 July 2025. The delegation is led by the Director-General of the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Ms Nomfundo Tshabalala, who is supported by South Africa’s Permanent Representative to UNESCO, Dr Phil Mjwara, and the Chief Executive Officer of iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority, Mr Sibusiso Bukhosini.

    “In line with our strategy to elevate our iconic natural sites into world class destinations, the expansion of iSimangaliso into Maputo National Park would translate into ecological protection, job creation, and inclusive tourism, benefitting both South Africans and Mozambicans,” said Minister George.

    The proposed extension of iSimangaliso has been recommended for listing on the UNESCO World Heritage List by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Through the negotiations, team South Africa will propose strong recommendations for sustainable development and reporting, guided by environmental legislations, joint governance structures, as well as matters of a joint management framework for the proposed Transboundary World Heritage Site, should it be successfully listed.

    The World Heritage Committee is an intergovernmental structure that oversees the implementation of the 1972 World Heritage Convention. South Africa has been a member of this Convention since 1997.

    The two week-long Session will discuss, amongst others, statutory matters such as a report of the World Heritage Centre and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Advisory bodies; State of Conservation (SoC) reports of sites on the World Heritage List and World Heritage List in Danger; Nominations to the UNESCO World Heritage List; and World Heritage Fund requests.

    It is important to also note that ahead of the tabling of the proposed extension of iSimangaliso into Maputo National Park, the South African government undertook a stakeholder consultation process in the month of June 2025. This process was made possible through financial support received from Peace Parks Foundation.

    “The consultation process is an integral part of the process and subsequent tabling of the possible extension at the 47th session of the World Heritage Committee,” said Minister George.

    As per the timetable, the proposed extension of iSimangaliso Wetland Park into Mozambique will be discussed by the World Heritage Committee between the 11 – 13 July 2025.

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic Of South Africa: Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Africa: Countries unite to scale up South-South cooperation for agrifood systems transformation

    Source: APO


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    A regional event on strengthening South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC) in Africa opened today with a call for greater collaboration to unlock shared benefits. Organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and hosted by the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania, the two-day event has brought together government ministers, technical experts, private sector leaders and development partners to promote more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems in Africa through South-South and Triangular Cooperation.

    South-South Cooperation is the exchange of resources, technology, and knowledge between developing countries in the Global South, while Triangular Cooperation involves a third party, often a resource partner or multilateral organization, that facilitates or supports these exchanges. Together, SSTC provides an innovative model to accelerate progress on agrifood systems transformation. 

    A strategic moment for collaboration

    As FAO marks its 80th anniversary, the Regional Policy Dialogue on Strengthening South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC) for Agrifood System Transformation in Sub-Saharan Africa offers a timely opportunity to advance partnerships that deliver concrete results at scale.

    Speaking at the opening session, Stephen Justice Nindi, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture of the United Republic of Tanzania, highlighted the value of African-led solutions and inter-regional collaboration. “It is my great pleasure and honour to welcome all of you,” he said. “Accelerating sustainable food systems and agricultural transformation is a top priority for the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania.”

    FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Africa Abebe Haile-Gabriel highlighted FAO’s long role in South-South Cooperation. “This dialogue is especially meaningful as FAO marks its 80th anniversary this year. SSTC is an expression of the solidarity and shared responsibility that FAO was founded upon.” He then shared three priorities to guide SSTC work: “One, SSTC needs to be embedded directly into national plans, budgets, and policies to ensure it is a core strategy, not a side project. Two, we must look beyond traditional donors to the private sector, academia, and farmer organizations to bring new energy and resources. And three, we should rigorously measure our results to prove their value and secure future investment.”

    Director of FAO’s SSTC Division Anping Ye highlighted that FAO Member Nations hold the solutions to many of the challenges the world faces, and FAO’s role is to support countries to work together. “It is the goal and the responsibility of the FAO South-South and Triangular Cooperation team to provide qualified or high-quality services to our member countries,” he said.

    A powerful solution in uncertain times

    The dialogue focuses on six key priorities: strengthening institutional coordination to consolidate SSTC policy frameworks and mobilise resources; promoting scalable innovations in agriculture through cross-country collaboration; enhancing climate resilience and food systems through SSTC mechanisms; facilitating multi-regional partnerships across Africa, Asia and Latin America; aligning SSTC with national strategies and FAO’s Country Programming Frameworks; and formulating practical roadmaps to support the institutionalisation of SSTC and improved inter-ministerial collaboration.

    Day one features country case studies and panel discussions on institutionalising SSTC in national and regional frameworks, including models from Uganda, Sierra Leone and The Gambia. Financing strategies and partnership models are also under discussion, including the FAO-China South-South Cooperation Programme, which has directly benefited over 100,000 people so far.

    Day two will focus on aligning SSTC with national plans, technology transfer and action planning. Breakout groups will work on monitoring, evaluation, and roadmaps for scaling up SSTC efforts within country frameworks.

    Expected outcomes include concrete policy recommendations, strengthened country partnerships, and commitments to follow-up actions such as the creation of inter-ministerial platforms or joint initiatives.

    FAO’s strong track record in Africa

    Sub-Saharan Africa is the region where nearly 80 percent of FAO’s SSTC efforts have taken place. Through partnerships with countries including Brazil, China, Morocco, Venezuela and Viet Nam, FAO has helped transfer knowledge, tools and technologies tailored to African priorities.

    Examples include the deployment of over 290 Chinese experts and 200 scalable technologies in Africa through the FAO-China Trust Fund; technology and knowledge sharing from Viet Nam, supported by Spain, to boost Namibia’s aquaculture sector; Brazil’s successful school meals model adapted in countries such as Senegal and Ethiopia; Moroccan technical support that helped Guinea and Eswatini improve agricultural monitoring and investment planning; and Venezuela-funded rice systems development projects that improved rice production in 10 African countries including Guinea and Nigeria.

    These projects demonstrate how SSTC can drive productivity, support smallholder farmers, and strengthen national institutions. As the Dialogue continues, FAO and its partners remain committed to expanding SSTC as a key mechanism for achieving sustainable development and resilient agrifood systems in Africa.

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO): Regional Office for Africa.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: From Seoul to Seke – The Shared Struggles of a Generation

    Source: APO


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    Exploring how young people across continents face different barriers to the same fundamental choice

    By Young Hong, Deputy Regional Director, UNFPA East and Southern Africa

    I never imagined that one day I would be advocating for the right to have children, while listening to young people across continents tell me why they feel they cannot.

    From the misty foothills of Nepal, where I once worked with adolescent girls rebuilding their lives after child marriage, to the bustling cities of South Korea, where couples delay or forgo parenthood under the weight of economic  pressure, and now to the vibrant communities of East and Southern Africa, where young people are navigating early pregnancies they never planned, one truth permeates across these regions. The power to choose if, when, and how to start a family remains out of reach for far too many.

    In South Korea, many young people are delaying or abandoning the idea of having children not because they don’t want to, but because housing costs, job insecurity, and social pressures make parenthood feel unattainable. Meanwhile, in Malawi and across much of East and Southern Africa, young people are being pushed into parenthood far too soon, without the knowledge or support to make informed decisions.

    Two vastly different realities yet both point to the same crisis: a crisis not of fertility, but of choice. Across Asia, and especially in my home country, we’re witnessing what headlines call a birth rate crisis. But the real crisis is deeper and more human – it’s a crisis of opportunities, of choice, of agency. When systems fail to support young people whether by denying them access to contraception or the conditions to raise a family with dignity, the result is the same: lives shaped by limitations, not aspirations.

    When I recently moved to East and Southern Africa as UNFPA’s new Deputy Regional Director, I was struck by the contrast. Here, the challenge is not too few births, but too many too soon. There is a young woman named Amina in rural Tanzania, just 16, already a mother. Her pregnancy wasn’t planned, it was the result of a lack of information, contraception, limited access to quality education, or even immediate economic need, and a world where saying no wasn’t always an option.

    Two regions. Two stories. One truth. Around the world, too many young people are being denied the power to choose their own futures.

    World in a mirror

    According to UNFPA’s State of World Population 2025 report, 1 in 5 people under age 50 expect they will not have the number of children they want. In Asia, many delay or forgo parenthood due to crushing housing costs, rising education cost, limited child care support,  job insecurity, climate anxiety, and persistent  gender inequality. In Africa, particularly in our region, nearly 72 million youth are not in school, employment or training, and 1 in 3 say they or their partner have experienced unintended pregnancy. These are not opposing trends, but they are mirror images of the same systemic failure. 

    And yet, young people remain at the center of public debates. In East Asia, this generation is labeled selfish for choosing careers over children. In East and Southern Africa, girls continue to struggle to live with the life-time consequences of pregnancy they did not understand. In both cases, youth are blamed for demographic shifts they did not design, which they are burdened from fixing without the resources, knowledge, rights, or respect.

    Turning the world around

    We need to flip this reality. The solution to so-called population crises is not coercion or blame – it’s care. It’s trust. It’s an investment.

    UNFPA is doing just that. In Zambia, we’re supporting youth-led centers where young people access comprehensive sexuality education and speak openly about their dreams. In South Sudan, mobile clinics reach girls in conflict zones with reproductive health services. In Lesotho, young men are stepping up as champions for family planning. And later this year, UNFPA will launch a global Youth Reproductive Choices Survey to listen, not prescribe, what young people need to thrive.

    One young activist in Nairobi said, “We’re not afraid to have children. We’re afraid we won’t have a future to raise them properly.” That fear, whether whispered in a café in Seoul or shouted from a township in Johannesburg, must guide our response.

    That means policies grounded in fairness across generations. It means affordable housing, quality education,   and decent jobs for youth. It means dismantling online misogyny and supporting parental leave not just for mothers, but for fathers too.  It means ensuring that contraception is available without shame, and that fertility treatments are accessible without ruinous costs. It means the society believes in young people and respects their decisions.  

    As a Korean, as a UNFPA leader, and yes, as someone named Young, I believe in youth. Not just as an age, but as a force: dynamic, hopeful, and deserving of choice.

    This World Population Day, let’s stop framing young people as a demographic problem. Let’s see them as the designers of their own future that is fair, inclusive, and sustainable. Whether in Seoul or Seke, Lusaka or Busan, it’s time to trust them. To listen. To give them the power to plan their families and their lives on their own terms. 

    Because when we do, we don’t just solve population challenges. We build a better world.

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of UNFPA – East and Southern Africa.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Secretary-General’s message to the United Nations-Organization of Islamic Cooperation Conference on the Question of Jerusalem

    Source: United Nations secretary general

    I thank the United Nations Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation for co-organizing this conference.

    I salute Senegal for hosting — a powerful example of African solidarity with the Palestinian people.

    You come together at a time when Palestinian suffering has reached new heights and hopes for a just and lasting solution have reached new depths. 

    Following the terror attacks by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups on 7 October 2023 — which I have unequivocally condemned — the Israeli military operations have created a humanitarian crisis of horrific proportions, more dire today than at any point in this long and brutal crisis.

    It is time for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. The immediate and unconditional release of all hostages in a dignified manner. Full, safe and sustained humanitarian access.

    UNRWA’s mandated role in supporting Palestinian refugees must be respected.

    And obligations under international humanitarian law and Security Council resolutions must also be respected.

    Meanwhile, the situation in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, is in freefall.
    This year alone, over 150 Palestinians, including over 20 children, were killed in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, in Israeli security forces operations, attacks by settlers and other incidents.

    Armed Israeli settler violence has surged, with many Palestinians killed, including sometimes in the proximity — and with the support — of Israeli security forces.

    Since early 2025, tens of thousands of Palestinians have been forced to flee by Israeli security forces operations.

    Illegal settlement expansion, large-scale land seizures and demolitions of Palestinian-owned structures continue unabated.

    Israel’s policies in East Jerusalem, including restrictions on Palestinian access and worship, are deeply troubling.

    Jerusalem — Al-Quds — holds a unique place in the hearts of millions of Muslims, Jews and Christians around the world.

    What happens in Jerusalem — including continued provocations and incitements to violence — reverberates globally.

    The position of the United Nations is clear:

    The status of Jerusalem cannot be altered by unilateral actions, including settlement activities in occupied East Jerusalem.

    It can only be resolved through negotiations between the parties.

    Jerusalem’s demographic and historical character must be preserved.

    Respecting and upholding the status quo at the Holy Sites is essential.

    The International Court of Justice, in its Advisory Opinion of 19 July 2024, affirmed that Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem and Gaza, is unlawful.

    Israel has an obligation to bring an end to its presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory as rapidly as possible.
    The only realistic, just, and sustainable path is the two-State solution, with Israel and an independent, democratic, contiguous, viable and sovereign Palestinian State, with Gaza as an integral part — living side by side in peace within secure, recognized pre-1967 borders, and with Jerusalem as the capital of both States.

    The two-State solution remains the only framework rooted in international law, endorsed by numerous General Assembly resolutions, and supported by the international community.  

    This conference offers a timely platform to mobilize collective efforts towards this solution, and the just and lasting peace that Palestinians and Israelis deserve.  

    Now is the time to choose the path of peace.

    For Palestinians. For Israelis. For the people of the Middle East and the world. 

    ***
     

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI: BitMart Upgrades Slippage Protection Plan: Setting New Benchmarks for User Trust and Industry Responsibility

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Mahe, Seychelles, July 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — BitMart, a leading global digital asset trading platform, today announces the launch of Slippage Protection Plan Phase 2, a bold upgrade to its flagship trading assurance program. This initiative not only redefines how exchanges protect users against market volatility but also exemplifies BitMart’s enduring commitment to user trust, technological excellence, and industry advancement.

    Upgraded Protection: Raising the Bar for Reliability

    Slippage has always been a major hidden risk for traders in the cryptocurrency market, particularly in volatile or illiquid conditions. An effective slippage safeguard is essential to securing users’ assets and ensuring trading certainty.

    BitMart’s Slippage Protection Plan Phase 2 introduces a suite of enhancements designed to offer users unmatched peace of mind:

    • Stronger Coverage: Slippage threshold tightened to 0.02%, providing protection even in the most liquid markets.
    • Full Margin Compensation: Coverage now applies to the full position.
    • New User Advantage: During their first month, users enjoy 200% compensation for abnormal slippage (up to $2,000 per case)—an unprecedented gesture in the industry.
    • BMX Holder Privilege: Users holding ≥1,000 BMX benefit from 10% extra compensation and priority review, rewarding long-term supporters.
    • Broader Asset Scope: Protection extended to 8 major cryptocurrencies, including BTC, ETH, SOL, XRP, BNB, TRX, DOGE, and ADA.

    This upgrade underscores BitMart’s confidence in its deep liquidity and robust trading engine, and demonstrates its resolve to set new standards of reliability and accountability in the industry.

    A Holistic Vision: Beyond Protection

    Since its inception, BitMart has always centered its philosophy on “reconstructing the experience around user experience”, striving to deliver a safe, convenient, and professional digital asset trading services to users worldwide. Whether through continual product improvements or precise understanding of user needs, BitMart keeps user interests at the core, leveraging innovative technology to enhance efficiency and safeguard trading.

    The Slippage Protection Plan is no isolated move. Together with the previously launched Elite Trader Program (with up to 50% profit sharing) and the Global Community Partner Program, it forms a strategic triangle that fully upgrades the futures trading experience. These initiatives embody BitMart’s belief that protecting, enabling, and amplifying its users is essential not just to its own growth but to the health and maturity of the entire digital asset industry.

    About BitMart

    BitMart is a premier global digital asset trading platform with more than 10 million users worldwide. Consistently ranked among the top crypto exchanges on CoinGecko, BitMart offers over 1,700 trading pairs with competitive fees. Committed to continuous innovation and financial inclusivity, BitMart empowers users globally to trade seamlessly. Learn more about BitMart at Website, follow their X (Twitter), or join their Telegram for updates, news, and promotions. Download BitMart App to trade anytime, anywhere.

    Disclaimer:

    The information provided is for informational purposes only and should not be considered a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any financial assets. All information is provided in good faith. However, we make no representation or warranty of any kind, express or implied, regarding the accuracy, adequacy, validity, reliability, availability or completeness of such information.

    All crypto investments, including earnings, are highly speculative in nature and involve substantial risk of loss. Past, hypothetical, or simulated performance is not necessarily indicative of future results. The value of digital currencies can go up or down and there can be a substantial risk in buying, selling, holding, or trading digital currencies. You should carefully consider whether trading or holding digital currencies is suitable for you based on your personal investment objectives, financial circumstances, and risk tolerance. BitMart does not provide any investment, legal or tax advice.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Fortinet Report: OT Cybersecurity Risk Elevates within Executive Leadership Ranks

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SUNNYVALE, Calif., July 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Fortinet® (NASDAQ: FTNT), the global cybersecurity leader driving the convergence of networking and security, today announced the findings from its global 2025 State of Operational Technology and Cybersecurity Report. The results represent the current state of operational technology (OT) cybersecurity and highlight opportunities for continued improvement for organizations to secure an ever-expanding IT/OT threat landscape. In addition to trends and insights impacting OT organizations, the report offers best practices to help IT and OT security teams better secure their cyber-physical systems. 

    “The seventh installment of the Fortinet State of Operational Technology and Cybersecurity Report shows that organizations are taking OT security more seriously. We see this trend reflected in a notable increase in the assignment of responsibility for OT risk to the C-suite, alongside an uptick in organizations self-reporting increased rates of OT security maturity,” said Nirav Shah, Senior Vice President, Products and Solutions, at Fortinet. “Alongside these trends, we’re seeing a decrease in the impact of intrusions in organizations that prioritize OT security. Everyone from the C-suite on down needs to commit to protecting sensitive OT systems and allocating the necessary resources to secure their critical operations.”

    Key findings from the global survey include:

    • Responsibility for OT security continues to elevate within executive ranks: There has been a significant increase in the global trend of corporations planning to integrate cybersecurity under the CISO or other executives. As accountability continues to shift into executive leadership, OT security is elevated to a high-profile issue at the board level. The top internal leaders who influence OT cybersecurity decisions are now most likely to be the CISO or CSO by an increasingly wide margin. Now more than half (52%) of organizations report that the CISO/CSO is responsible for OT, up from 16% in 2022. For all C-suite roles, this has spiked to 95%. Additionally, the number of organizations intending to move OT cybersecurity under CISO in the next 12 months has increased from 60% to 80% in 2025.
    • OT cybersecurity maturity is affecting the impact of intrusions: Self-reported OT security maturity has made notable progress this year. At the basic Level 1, 26% of organizations report establishing visibility and implementing segmentation, up from 20% in the previous year. The largest number of organizations state their security maturity is at the Level 2 access and profiling phase. The report also found a correlation between maturity and attacks. Those organizations that report being more mature (higher of Levels 0–4) are seeing fewer attacks or indicate that they are better able to handle lower-sophistication tactics, such as phishing. It’s worth noting that some tactics, such as advanced persistent threats (APT) and OT malware, are difficult to detect, and less mature organizations may not have the security solutions in place to determine they exist. Overall, although nearly half of organizations experienced impacts, the impact of intrusions on organizations is declining, with a noteworthy reduction in operational outages that impacted revenue, which dropped from 52% to 42%.
    • Adopting cybersecurity best practices is having a positive impact: In addition to the Levels of maturity affecting the impact of intrusions, it appears that adopting best practices such as implementing basic cyber hygiene and better training and awareness are having a real impact, including a significant drop in business email compromise. Other best practices include incorporating threat intelligence, which spiked (49%) since 2024. Additionally, the report saw a significant decrease in the number of OT device vendors, which is a sign of maturity and operational efficiency. More organizations (78%) are now using only one to four OT vendors, which indicates that many of these organizations are consolidating vendors as part of their best practices. Cybersecurity vendor consolidation is also a sign of maturity and corresponds to Fortinet customer experiences with the Fortinet OT Security Platform. Unified networking and security at remote OT sites enhanced visibility and reduced cyber risks, leading to a 93% reduction in cyber incidents vs. a flat network. The simplified Fortinet solutions also led to a 7x improvement in performance through reductions in triage and setup.1

    Best Practices
    Fortinet’s global 2025 State of Operational Technology and Cybersecurity Report provides actionable insights for organizations to strengthen their security posture. Organizations can address OT security challenges by adopting the following best practices:

    • Establish visibility and compensating controls for OT assets: Organizations need the ability to see and understand everything that’s on their OT networks. Once visibility is established, organizations then need to protect critical devices and ones that may be vulnerable, which requires protective compensating controls that are designed for sensitive OT devices. Capabilities such as protocol-aware network policies, system-to-system interaction analysis, and endpoint monitoring can detect and prevent compromise of vulnerable assets.
    • Deploy segmentation: Reducing intrusions requires a hardened OT environment with strong network policy controls at all access points. This kind of defensible OT architecture starts with creating network zones or segments. Standards such as ISA/IEC 62443 specifically call for segmentation to enforce controls between OT and IT networks and between OT systems. Teams should also evaluate the overall complexity of managing a solution and consider the benefits of an integrated or platform-based approach with centralized management capabilities.
    • Integrate OT into security operations (SecOps) and incident response planning: Organizations should be maturing toward IT/OT SecOps. To get there, OT needs to be a specific consideration for SecOps and incident response plans, largely because of some of the distinctions between OT and IT environments, from unique device types to the broader consequences of an OT breach impacting critical operations. One key step in this direction is to have playbooks that include your organization’s OT environment. This kind of advanced preparation will foster better collaboration across IT, OT, and production teams to adequately assess cyber and production risks. It can also ensure that the CISO has proper awareness, prioritization, budget, and personnel allocations.
    • Consider a platform approach to your overall security architecture: To address rapidly evolving OT threats and an expanding attack surface, many organizations have assembled a broad array of security solutions from different vendors. This has yielded an overly complex security architecture that inhibits visibility while placing an increased burden on limited security team resources. A platform-based approach to security can help organizations consolidate vendors and simplify their architecture. A robust security platform with specific capabilities for both IT networks and OT environments can provide solution integration for improved security efficacy while enabling centralized management for enhanced efficiency. Integration can also provide a foundation for automated responses to threats.
    • Embrace OT-specific threat intelligence and security services: OT security depends on timely awareness and precise analytical insights about imminent risks. A platform-based security architecture should also apply AI-powered threat intelligence for near-real-time protection against the latest threats, attack variants, and exposures. Organizations should ensure their threat intelligence and content sources include robust, OT-specific information in their feeds and services.

    Report Overview

    • The Fortinet 2025 State of Operational Technology and Cybersecurity Report is based on data from a global survey of more than 550 OT professionals, conducted by a third-party research company.
    • Survey respondents were from different locations around the world, including Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Mainland China, Colombia, Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Norway, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand, United Kingdom, and the United States, among others.
    • Respondents represent a range of industries that are heavy users of OT, including: manufacturing, transportation/logistics, healthcare/pharma, oil, gas, and refining, energy/utilities, chemical/petrochemical, and water/wastewater.
    • Most of those surveyed, regardless of title, are deeply involved in cybersecurity purchasing decisions. Many respondents are responsible for operations technology at their organization and/or have reporting responsibility for manufacturing or plant operations.

    Additional Resources

    1 Fortinet, Fortinet OT Security Platform Customer Success Stories, November 5, 2024.

    About Fortinet
    Fortinet (Nasdaq: FTNT) is a driving force in the evolution of cybersecurity and the convergence of networking and security. Our mission is to secure people, devices, and data everywhere, and today we deliver cybersecurity everywhere our customers need it with the largest integrated portfolio of over 50 enterprise-grade products. Well over half a million customers trust Fortinet’s solutions, which are among the most deployed, most patented, and most validated in the industry. The Fortinet Training Institute, one of the largest and broadest training programs in the industry, is dedicated to making cybersecurity training and new career opportunities available to everyone. Collaboration with esteemed organizations from both the public and private sectors, including Computer Emergency Response Teams (“CERTS”), government entities, and academia, is a fundamental aspect of Fortinet’s commitment to enhance cyber resilience globally. FortiGuard Labs, Fortinet’s elite threat intelligence and research organization, develops and utilizes leading-edge machine learning and AI technologies to provide customers with timely and consistently top-rated protection and actionable threat intelligence. Learn more at https://www.fortinet.com, the Fortinet Blog, and FortiGuard Labs.

    Copyright © 2025 Fortinet, Inc. All rights reserved. The symbols ® and ™ denote respectively federally registered trademarks and common law trademarks of Fortinet, Inc., its subsidiaries and affiliates. Fortinet’s trademarks include, but are not limited to, the following: Fortinet, the Fortinet logo, FortiGate, FortiOS, FortiGuard, FortiCare, FortiAnalyzer, FortiManager, FortiASIC, FortiClient, FortiCloud, FortiMail, FortiSandbox, FortiADC, FortiAgent, FortiAI, FortiAIOps, FortiAgent, FortiAntenna, FortiAP, FortiAPCam, FortiAuthenticator, FortiCache, FortiCall, FortiCam, FortiCamera, FortiCarrier, FortiCASB, FortiCentral, FortiCNP, FortiConnect, FortiController, FortiConverter, FortiCSPM, FortiCWP, FortiDAST, FortiDB, FortiDDoS, FortiDeceptor, FortiDeploy, FortiDevSec, FortiDLP, FortiEdge, FortiEDR, FortiEndpoint FortiExplorer, FortiExtender, FortiFirewall, FortiFlex FortiFone, FortiGSLB, FortiGuest, FortiHypervisor, FortiInsight, FortiIsolator, FortiLAN, FortiLink, FortiMonitor, FortiNAC, FortiNDR, FortiPAM, FortiPenTest, FortiPhish, FortiPoint, FortiPolicy, FortiPortal, FortiPresence, FortiProxy, FortiRecon, FortiRecorder, FortiSASE, FortiScanner, FortiSDNConnector, FortiSEC, FortiSIEM, FortiSMS, FortiSOAR, FortiSRA, FortiStack, FortiSwitch, FortiTester, FortiToken, FortiTrust, FortiVoice, FortiWAN, FortiWeb, FortiWiFi, FortiWLC, FortiWLM, FortiXDR and Lacework FortiCNAPP. Other trademarks belong to their respective owners. Fortinet has not independently verified statements or certifications herein attributed to third parties and Fortinet does not independently endorse such statements. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, nothing herein constitutes a warranty, guarantee, contract, binding specification or other binding commitment by Fortinet or any indication of intent related to a binding commitment, and performance and other specification information herein may be unique to certain environments.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: School of Nursing Class of 2029 Student Profiles: Abigail Griffiths and Katherine Wojtas

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    As summer continues, so does orientation. With over 200 students entering the School of Nursing as the class of 2029, the program’s academic advisors make sure every student is equipped with the necessary tools to succeed.

    These students all have a different story to tell, but no matter their journey they all have one thing in common – a passion for nursing.

    Abigail Griffiths (Contributed Photo)

    Abigail (Abby) Griffiths

    From Northeast Ohio, Abigail Griffiths ’29 (NURS) wants nothing more than to be a pediatric oncology nurse. Her experience with friends and family having cancer is what motivates her to be that helping hand when times get tough.

    When Griffiths was younger, her grandmother passed away from cancer, leaving a lasting impact on Griffiths’ life. She also witnessed the effects cancer had on one of her friends from her high school tennis team. Griffiths saw the mental and physical struggles her teammate and grandmother were dealing with and knew how hard that battle had been.

    “To be able to be someone who can help people who are going through similar situations is really important to me,” said Griffiths. “So being able to hopefully make a difference in someone’s life or even being able to make someone smile when they are sick or having a rough time makes me happy and is something I strive to do.”

    The research opportunities that the School of Nursing offers, and UConn’s community and environment is what stood out to Griffiths when choosing where to continue her education.

    Griffiths referred to UConn as “one big family,” and while she’s excited to further her education in nursing, she is also ready to discover herself. During her time as a Husky, she plans on continuing her swimming career by joining UConn Club Swimming. She’s also looking forward to UConn basketball games and meeting new people within her School of Nursing class.

    As she gets ready to become a Husky this fall semester, she’s taking a special piece of advice from her swimming coach with her: “You are just as worthy and capable of everything in life just as much as everyone else – I deserve to be here and I am capable of doing very well in nursing school and even through hard times I can still do great things,” Griffiths said.

    Katherine Wojtas (Contributed Photo)

    Katherine (Katie) Wojtas

    Katherine Wojtas ’29 (NURS), from upstate New York, is no stranger when it comes to traveling. Wojtas has been to the Dominican Republic three times to assist in community development and sustainability projects and doesn’t plan on stopping there.

    While in the Dominican Republic she helped communities in the sugar cane fields. With her fellow students, she laid cement floors in houses, built a running water system, and built latrines. Wojtas plans to continue doing community service abroad as a Husky, where she can hopefully travel with the School of Nursing.

    “The opportunities for local and global service were one of the main reasons why I chose UConn,” she said. “I hope to travel to Ireland or Rwanda with the School of Nursing since it is a meaningful way to learn and make an impact at the same time!”

    Wojtas is entering her first year with experience in the healthcare field. During her senior year of high school, she participated in a medical career program at her local nursing home. She received hands-on experience in various healthcare roles and got to shadow nurses.

    “It helped me confirm my passion for nursing by allowing me to shadow professionals and learn basic clinical skills. It also opened my eyes to the impact nurses have on patient care,” she said.

    Her goal is to become a nurse practitioner and in the future work as a dermatologist or obstetrician-gynecologist (OBGYN). She’s excited to start clinicals and learn from the School of Nursing faculty.

    Apart from her own academics and studying abroad, Wojtas wants to join the Women’s Club Flag Football team and healthcare affiliated clubs to connect with others who have similar interests.

    “I hope to grow personally and professionally, maintain strong grades, and gain the confidence and skills necessary to become an RN,” said Wojtas.

    Check out our other class of 2029 student profiles:

    Shaunty Mae Vidad and Carlin Sabo

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: School of Nursing Class of 2029 Student Profiles: Abigail Griffiths and Katherine Wojtas

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    As summer continues, so does orientation. With over 200 students entering the School of Nursing as the class of 2029, the program’s academic advisors make sure every student is equipped with the necessary tools to succeed.

    These students all have a different story to tell, but no matter their journey they all have one thing in common – a passion for nursing.

    Abigail Griffiths (Contributed Photo)

    Abigail (Abby) Griffiths

    From Northeast Ohio, Abigail Griffiths ’29 (NURS) wants nothing more than to be a pediatric oncology nurse. Her experience with friends and family having cancer is what motivates her to be that helping hand when times get tough.

    When Griffiths was younger, her grandmother passed away from cancer, leaving a lasting impact on Griffiths’ life. She also witnessed the effects cancer had on one of her friends from her high school tennis team. Griffiths saw the mental and physical struggles her teammate and grandmother were dealing with and knew how hard that battle had been.

    “To be able to be someone who can help people who are going through similar situations is really important to me,” said Griffiths. “So being able to hopefully make a difference in someone’s life or even being able to make someone smile when they are sick or having a rough time makes me happy and is something I strive to do.”

    The research opportunities that the School of Nursing offers, and UConn’s community and environment is what stood out to Griffiths when choosing where to continue her education.

    Griffiths referred to UConn as “one big family,” and while she’s excited to further her education in nursing, she is also ready to discover herself. During her time as a Husky, she plans on continuing her swimming career by joining UConn Club Swimming. She’s also looking forward to UConn basketball games and meeting new people within her School of Nursing class.

    As she gets ready to become a Husky this fall semester, she’s taking a special piece of advice from her swimming coach with her: “You are just as worthy and capable of everything in life just as much as everyone else – I deserve to be here and I am capable of doing very well in nursing school and even through hard times I can still do great things,” Griffiths said.

    Katherine Wojtas (Contributed Photo)

    Katherine (Katie) Wojtas

    Katherine Wojtas ’29 (NURS), from upstate New York, is no stranger when it comes to traveling. Wojtas has been to the Dominican Republic three times to assist in community development and sustainability projects and doesn’t plan on stopping there.

    While in the Dominican Republic she helped communities in the sugar cane fields. With her fellow students, she laid cement floors in houses, built a running water system, and built latrines. Wojtas plans to continue doing community service abroad as a Husky, where she can hopefully travel with the School of Nursing.

    “The opportunities for local and global service were one of the main reasons why I chose UConn,” she said. “I hope to travel to Ireland or Rwanda with the School of Nursing since it is a meaningful way to learn and make an impact at the same time!”

    Wojtas is entering her first year with experience in the healthcare field. During her senior year of high school, she participated in a medical career program at her local nursing home. She received hands-on experience in various healthcare roles and got to shadow nurses.

    “It helped me confirm my passion for nursing by allowing me to shadow professionals and learn basic clinical skills. It also opened my eyes to the impact nurses have on patient care,” she said.

    Her goal is to become a nurse practitioner and in the future work as a dermatologist or obstetrician-gynecologist (OBGYN). She’s excited to start clinicals and learn from the School of Nursing faculty.

    Apart from her own academics and studying abroad, Wojtas wants to join the Women’s Club Flag Football team and healthcare affiliated clubs to connect with others who have similar interests.

    “I hope to grow personally and professionally, maintain strong grades, and gain the confidence and skills necessary to become an RN,” said Wojtas.

    Check out our other class of 2029 student profiles:

    Shaunty Mae Vidad and Carlin Sabo

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: FALQs: The 80th Anniversary of the Arab League

    Source: US Global Legal Monitor

    The following is a guest post by George Sadek, a senior foreign law specialist at the Law Library of Congress covering covering laws of Arabic-speaking countries and Islamic law. George has written numerous posts for In Custodia Legis, including the New Multinational Report on the Acquisition of Citizenship through International Adoption, FALQS: Qatar’s New Counterterrorism Law, and FALQ: Saudi Arabia Imposes Enhanced Penalties on Violators of Hajj Regulation. This post is part of our Frequently Asked Legal Questions series. 

    The Arab League, also known as the League of Arab States, was formed in Cairo on March 22, 1945, initially with seven members: Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Yemen. This year (2025), it celebrates its 80th anniversary. I thought this occasion would be a good opportunity to address the purpose of the Arab League, its members, its headquarters, Secretary General, and charter.

    Who are the members of the Arab League?

    The Arab league has 22 members. In addition to the founding members listed above, the members include Algeria, Bahrain, Comoros, Djibouti, Kuwait, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, the Palestinian Authority, Qatar, Somalia, Sudan, Tunisia, and United Arab Emirates.

    What is the purpose of the Arab League?

    The main purpose of the Arab League is to enhance cooperation among Arab countries. For instance, in April 1950, members of the Arab League signed a joined defense agreement among themselves. Additionally, in April 1983, members of the Arab League signed the Riyadh Arab Agreement for judicial cooperation.

    Article 3 of the charter of the Arab League provides that the league assists member states to cooperate in the following matters:

    1-Economic and financial affairs, including commercial relations, customs, currency and questions of agriculture and industry;

    2-Communications, railroads, roads, aviation, navigation, and telegraphs;

    3-Cultural affairs;

    4- Passports, visas, execution of judgments, and extradition of criminals;

    5-Social and health affairs.

    Who is the current secretary general of the Arab League?

    Ahmed Aboul Gheit is the current secretary general of the Arab League. He assumed this position in July 2016. He is the former minister of foreign affairs of the Arab Republic of Egypt from between 2004 and 2011.

    Where is the Arab League headquarters located?

    According to article 10 of the charter of the Arab League, the headquarters of the Arab League is in Cairo, Egypt. However, there has been a recent debate among Arab countries as to whether the headquarters should moved to Saudi Arabia or Qatar.

    Where can I find additional resources?

    For legal developments taking place in countries that are members of the Arab League, please consult the Law Library resource, the Global Legal Monitor.

    If you have a question regarding laws of Arab countries, you can also submit it using the  Ask a Librarian form on our website.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Ambassador Chen Mingjian Meets with the United Nations (UN) Resident Coordinator in Tanzania Susan Ngongi Namondo

    Source: APO

    On July 7, Chinese Ambassador to Tanzania H.E. Chen Mingjian met with UN Resident Coordinator in Tanzania Susan Ngongi Namondo at the Embassy. They exchanged views on furthering tripartite cooperation among China, Tanzania and UN.

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the United Republic of Tanzania.

    Media files

    .

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Ethiopia: Nejashi Tomb and Mosque Restored After Civil War Damage

    Source: APO

    Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) has successfully completed the restoration of the Nejashi Tomb and Mosque, located in the village of Nejashi in Ethiopia’s Tigray region, widely regarded as the first Muslim settlement in Africa.

    The project, carried out with TİKA’s support, enabled the restoration of this historically significant site, which had suffered considerable damage during the recent civil war.

    The Nejashi Tomb and Mosque, believed to be the first destination of Muslim migration and a symbol of the hospitality shown by the Abyssinian King Najashi, stands as one of TİKA’s most esteemed restoration efforts. Originally restored in 2019, the complex sustained damage during the civil conflict between 2020 and 2022.

    As part of the renewed renovation works led by TİKA, key structural components, including the tomb’s dome, the mosque’s minaret, as well as the walls and wooden elements of the multipurpose hall, were repaired. Additional restoration addressed deterioration caused by time and weather throughout the site.

    Thanks to this initiative, the Nejashi Tomb and Mosque, one of the most cherished examples of our shared historical and cultural heritage abroad, has been preserved for future generations. Through this project, TİKA has not only safeguarded an important symbol of Islamic history in Africa but also reinforced bonds of friendship and cultural solidarity.

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA).

    Media files

    .

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Teen pregnancy a threat to social and economic development

    Source: Government of South Africa

    Deputy Minister in the Presidency responsible for Women, Youth, and Persons with Disabilities Steve Letsike says the scourge of teenage pregnancy is not only a health concern but a threat to the nation’s social and moral fibre and future prosperity.

    “Teenage pregnancy is robbing too many of our girls of their childhood and their future, and it will take all of us working together to turn the tide,” Letsike said.

    Addressing a stakeholder engagement in Pretoria earlier today aimed at addressing the persistent ongoing scourge of teenage pregnancy in South Africa, Letsike said in 2024 alone, over 90 000 pregnancies were recorded among girls aged 10 to 19 and 2 328 of those pregnancies were in girls between 10 and 14 years old.   

    “To call this alarming would be an understatement. These are children, some barely in their teens, some not even teenagers, now forced into motherhood,” Letsike said.

    Letsike said a child as young as 10 becoming pregnant was not just a statistic but evidence of a profound societal failure and a horrific crime because a girl that young cannot legally give consent.

    “This crisis threatens the very foundation of our social and economic development as teenage pregnancy poses a serious threat to the health, rights, education and socio-economic well-being of girls.

    “When a young girl becomes a mother, her chances of finishing school plummet, her job prospects diminish and she often becomes trapped in a cycle of poverty.

    “In other words, today’s teen pregnancy is tomorrow’s poverty and inequality. We must recognise this as not only a public health issue but a social justice emergency,” the Deputy Minister said.

    Letsike said the high incidence of adolescent pregnancy in the country was interlinked with other scourges of HIV and other STI infection rates, child sexual abuse, statutory rape, gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF), poverty, educational exclusion, substance abuse and even toxic elements of popular culture.  

    “To craft effective solutions, we must honestly confront how and why so many young girls are getting pregnant,” Letsike said.

    Deputy Minister in the Presidency Nonceba Mhlauli said teenage pregnancy in South Africa has reached deeply concerning levels with more than 90 000 births recorded among girls aged 10 to 19.

    “These are not just numbers, they are a stark reflection of our socio-economic challenges and a call to action. Teenage pregnancy is more than a health crisis,” she said.

    Mhlauli said the response to teenage pregnancy must be urgent, coordinated and compassionate.

    “Government cannot do this work alone. We need the support of all pillars of society, parents, faith leaders, educators, civil society, the media and the private sector.

    “As the Presidency, we are committed to supporting this cause through improved coordination, targeted interventions and policy coherence because the future of our country depends on the safety, empowerment and well-being of our children,” she said.

    Chairperson of the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) Board Asanda Luwaca said “young girls are our sisters, our classmates, our cousins, our peers and children”.

    “It is an indictment of our inability, as a collective, to fully protect the bodies, rights and dreams of girls, especially those from poor, rural and marginalised communities, especially differently abled.

    “We know that teenage pregnancy is not a standalone issue. It is deeply interwoven with child sexual abuse, gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF), educational exclusion, toxic gender norms, substance abuse, and the predatory dynamics of poverty,” she said.

    Luwaca said teenage pregnancy was not just about health, but injustice.

    “It is about gender inequality, poverty, exploitation, broken family systems, absent accountability and a dangerous silence that protects perpetrators more than it protects girls.

    “And until we confront these intersecting issues head-on with honesty, bravery and unflinching determination, we will continue to fail the young women of this nation. South Africa has the policies. We have the frameworks. What we need now is unapologetic implementation across every level of society,” Luwaca said.

    The engagement with stakeholders is part of an initiative to establish a Roadmap to South Africa’s Teenage Pregnancy Prevention and Management Response. – SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: China, Egypt Should Deepen Strategic Coordination for Common Interests: Chinese Premier

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

    CAIRO, July 9 (Xinhua) — China and Egypt, as important members of the Global South, should further strengthen strategic coordination to safeguard common interests, Chinese Premier Li Qiang said on Wednesday upon his arrival in Cairo for an official visit to Egypt at the invitation of his Egyptian counterpart Mostafa Madbouly.

    Noting that China and Egypt are ancient civilizations, the Chinese premier said that since the establishment of diplomatic ties nearly 70 years ago, the two countries have remained close friends who support each other and strategic partners with a shared destiny.

    In recent years, under the strategic leadership of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, China-Egypt relations have flourished, their traditional friendship has become stronger over time, political mutual trust has deepened, practical cooperation has yielded fruitful results, and multilateral coordination has become increasingly close and effective, he said.

    According to Li Qiang, the two countries have created a model of solidarity, unity, self-reliance, mutual benefit and mutual support for major developing countries.

    He noted that last year, the two heads of state met twice and reached an important consensus on advancing the construction of a China-Egypt community with a shared future in the new era, which opened up new opportunities for bilateral relations.

    As global changes accelerate unseen in a century and various challenges emerge, China and Egypt, as key members of the Global South, should also jointly promote peace and prosperity, the Chinese premier said.

    Li Qiang noted that China is willing to work with Egypt to deepen cooperation in all fields under the strategic leadership of the two heads of state, continuously enrich the content of the China-Egypt comprehensive strategic partnership, give strong impetus to development and national revival, and actively promote regional and global peace and stability.

    The Egyptian prime minister and senior government officials met Li Qiang at the airport and held a welcoming ceremony in his honor. Before arriving in Egypt, the Chinese premier attended the 17th BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. –0–

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

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Newsom commits $101 million to jumpstart critical rebuilding efforts after LA Fires

    Source: US State of California 2

    Jul 8, 2025

    What you need to know: The $101 million being made available today will support the development of affordable multifamily rental housing in Los Angeles, prioritizing the needs of displaced residents in the fire-devastated regions.

    Los Angeles, California – Six months after the LA Fires, Governor Gavin Newsom and the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) announced the release of $101 million to help rapidly rebuild critically needed, affordable multifamily rental housing in the fire-devastated Los Angeles region. Thousands of families are still displaced by the wildfires that raged through the Greater Los Angeles Region in January 2025, placing an incredible strain on an already tight rental market.

    Tomiquia Moss, Secretary of the California Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency: “The State’s special Multifamily Finance Super NOFA will galvanize the collective public-private response to the wildfires in Los Angeles County, expediting and expanding opportunities to build affordable housing for low-income residents. By prioritizing affordable housing projects that are ready to go, these funds will accelerate household stability, climate and health outcomes in communities.”

    Today’s funding

    HCD’s Multifamily Finance Super NOFA (MFSN) allows affordable housing developers to apply to multiple funding programs through a single application. In February 2025, HCD released a MFSN Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) announcing $382 million available for development of affordable multifamily rental housing statewide. A separate $50 million Tribal MFSN was released in March 2025.

    The special MFSN NOFA announced today (MFSN-LA Disaster) provides an additional $101 million in funding to support recovery and rebuilding efforts from 2025 wildfires within Los Angeles County. This MFSN-LA Disaster NOFA has been designed to meet the immediate housing needs of disaster-impacted areas and residents in Los Angeles as quickly as possible by prioritizing projects that are: close to wildfire burn areas; ready to begin construction immediately upon award; and include a resident preference for households displaced by the Los Angeles County wildfires.

    HCD Director Gustavo Velasquez: “HCD has taken a program built on efficiency and further refined it specifically to help the Los Angeles region rebuild from unimaginable tragedy. Our team has gone above and beyond to ensure this program is designed to provide housing stability for fire-displaced families as quickly as possible.”

    This MFSN-LA Disaster NOFA provides a two-phase award process to accelerate the delivery of affordable housing. If funds remain after all applications for shovel-ready projects have been assessed, applications will continue to be accepted for all eligible projects until the funds are expended.

    Funding available through this MFSN-LA Disaster NOFA includes grants for the infrastructure needed to facilitate housing development with a focus on disaster resilience and mitigation, low-interest loans for the development of new multifamily units affordable to low-income and very low-income households, and operating subsidy reserves to support the long-term financial feasibility of the projects. All projects will be required to remain affordable for at least 55 years.

    Multifamily Finance Super NOFA (MFSN)

    This year marks the third round of MFSN, which provides applicants the opportunity to apply simultaneously for a combination of awards from the Multifamily Housing Program (MHP), Supportive Housing MHP, Infill Infrastructure Grant Program, Transit-Oriented Development Program, and Veterans Housing and Homelessness Prevention Program. This is the first MFSN round to offer capitalized operating subsidy reserve funding through MHP to support operations.   

    MFSN makes funds more accessible to developers (including emerging and community-based developers), enables the funding to further serve the lowest-income Californians, and increases the range of potential applicants and target populations to achieve better outcomes in health, climate, and household stability.

    Application materials for MFSN-LA Disaster will be available July 21, 2025. Applicants applying for the first phase of funding must upload all required application documents to the HCD website no later than August 21, 2025, at 4:00 p.m. PDT.

    For more information, including webinars and workshops, please visit HCD’s Multifamily Finance Super NOFA webpage.

    Historic fire recovery 

    Today’s announcement builds on Governor Newsom’s broader efforts to cut red tape and expedite the rebuilding of homes and businesses to support disaster survivors.

    Yesterday, the governor announced the substantial completion of the public debris removal program from more than 10,000 fire damaged parcels — marking the fastest major disaster cleanup in American history. The Governor also signed an executive order removing more barriers to rebuilding homes and schools. He also joined local officials to unveil a new blueprint for recovery, a step-by-step plan to accelerate rebuilding and provide support to impacted families and communities. The near-completion of the public debris removal program comes months ahead of schedule.

    Recent news

    Jul 8, 2025

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    Jul 7, 2025

    News Perris, California — On June 18, 2025, the First Partner visited the Inland Empire to meet with California communities impacted by the Trump Administration’s federal immigration raids. The First Partner visited TODEC, a local nonprofit organization that’s become…

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    News SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the deployment of skilled Urban Search and Rescue Team members to Texas to assist with ongoing response efforts related to severe flooding impacts. “California stands with all those who have lost loved ones,…

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure of South Africa, Mr Dean Macpherson briefs the Media

    Source: Republic of South Africa (video statements)

    The Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure of South Africa is Dean Macpherson briefs the Media ahead of the Departments Budget Vote

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ikuZU7gjIg

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Police Commissioner reiterates commitment to rule of law

    Source: Government of South Africa

    National Commissioner of the South African Police Service (SAPS), General Fannie Masemola, has welcomed President Cyril Ramaphosa’s commitment to addressing the serious allegations of corruption within SAPS.

    “Members of the media, we are ready to brief the President and wish to undoubtably reaffirm the operational independence of the South African Police Service, and the resolve to uphold the Constitution of the Republic and enforce the law, according to Section 205(3) of the South African Constitution, which outlines the core functions of the South African Police Service (SAPS),” said Masemola on Wednesday.

    READ | Ramaphosa commits to address KZN police corruption allegations

    Speaking at a firearm destruction ceremony in Gauteng’s Vanderbajlpark, the Commissioner said some of these functions include preventing, combating, and investigating crime; maintaining public order; protecting and securing inhabitants and their property, and upholding and enforcing the law.

    The Commissioner said additionally, Section 207(2) of the Constitution states that the National Commissioner of the police service must control and manage the police service in accordance with the national policing policy and the directions of the Cabinet member responsible for policing. 

    “Ladies and gentlemen, I stand before you today not to dwell on divisions, but to forge unity. I pledge to you, the people of South Africa, and to every dedicated member of this service, that we will strive for unity in the police service. Together, we will root out any force, internal or external, that seeks to fracture us or compromise our sacred duty.

    “The SAPS is not factional property. It is the guardian of every South African’s safety and security. Our focus, our unity, and our unwavering commitment must be singular: it is to serve and protect the citizens of this country. That is our covenant, and that is the resolve you see burning brightly here today as we conclude the firearm destruction,” said the Commissioner.

    Masemola said the destruction of the firearms was not merely a “symbolic act”. 

    “It is a strategic blow against the violence that threatens our nation’s soul.”

    In February, 16 049 firearms were destroyed.

    “… Including today’s operation, the total number of firearms and parts obliterated by SAPS over the past five years stands at 291 993. Each one represents a potential life saved, a family spared from grief, and a community fortified against chaos.”

    With the firearms that we are destroying today, Gauteng brought in the majority of firearms with 5 099, followed by the Western Cape with 2 333, KwaZulu-Natal with 1 574, while 1 432 firearms were from the Eastern Cape and 460 were from the Free State.

    Limpopo brought in 343 and Mpumalanga contributed 519. The North West contributed 417 and Northern Cape 322.

    From April 2019 to date, a total of 292 092 firearms have been destroyed through firearm destruction operations.

    “Firearms remain the most preferred weapon used in serious and violent crime ( murder and attempted murder) and that’s why it’s important to ensure we remove them permanently of our streets,” said the Commissioner. – SAnews.gov.za 

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI: Bitget Lists Tanssi (TANSSI) for Spot Trading with 8,878,000 in Token Rewards

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    VICTORIA, Seychelles, July 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bitget, the leading cryptocurrency exchange and Web3 company, has announced the listing of Tanssi (TANSSI) on its spot trading platform. Tanssi is a decentralized infrastructure protocol. Besides being available for spot trading, Bitget will also launch an exclusive PoolX  campaign and a CandyBomb campaign.

    Trading for the TANSSI/USDT pair will begin on July 9, 2025, at 11:00 (UTC), with withdrawals available starting July 10, 2025, at 12:00 (UTC). Eligible users can participate in a PoolX campaign to earn a share of 888,000 TANSSI by locking a minimum of 100 TANSSI, up to a maximum of 10,000,000 TANSSI. The campaign will run from July 9, 2025, 11:00 to July 19, 2025, 11:00 (UTC).

    In addition, Bitget will launch a CandyBomb event offering a total of 7,990,000 TANSSI in rewards. The trading pool is divided into two segments: new users can trade TANSSI and SOL for a chance to win from a 5,330,000 TANSSI pool, while the general TANSSI trading pool offers 2,660,000 TANSSI for all eligible participants. The CandyBomb campaign will run from 9 July 2025, 11:00 till 16 July 2025, 11:00 (UTC).

    Tanssi is transforming the way developers deploy appchains by offering a streamlined, infrastructure-free approach backed by Ethereum-level security. Designed for use cases such as real-world assets (RWAs), stablecoins, and coordination protocols, Tanssi automates the full stack, handling validator orchestration, decentralized sequencing, RPCs, indexers, and explorers right out of the box. Developers can launch quickly with a prebuilt EVM chain or tailor a substrate-based runtime, gaining deterministic performance, rapid finality, and complete control over governance, fees, and upgrade logic.

    This flexible architecture enables teams to deploy sovereign chains without shared bottlenecks or external dependencies, accelerating time to market while maintaining full autonomy. With Tanssi, launching an appchain becomes as seamless as deploying a smart contract, offering both speed and scalability for today’s most ambitious Web3 applications.

    Bitget continues to expand its offerings, positioning itself as a leading platform for cryptocurrency trading. The exchange has established a reputation for innovative solutions that empower users to explore crypto within a secure CeDeFi ecosystem. With an extensive selection of over 800 cryptocurrency pairs and a commitment to broadening its offerings to more than 900 trading pairs, Bitget connects users to various ecosystems, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, Base, and TON. The addition of Tanssi into Bitget’s portfolio marks a significant step toward expanding its ecosystem by embracing niche communities and fostering innovation in decentralized economies, further solidifying its role as a gateway to diverse Web3 projects and cultural movements.

    For more details on Tanssi, visit here.

    About Bitget

    Established in 2018, Bitget is the world’s leading cryptocurrency exchange and Web3 company. Serving over 120 million users in 150+ countries and regions, the Bitget exchange is committed to helping users trade smarter with its pioneering copy trading feature and other trading solutions, while offering real-time access to Bitcoin price, Ethereum price, and other cryptocurrency prices. Formerly known as BitKeep, Bitget Wallet is a world-class multi-chain crypto wallet that offers an array of comprehensive Web3 solutions and features including wallet functionality, token swap, NFT Marketplace, DApp browser, and more.

    Bitget is at the forefront of driving crypto adoption through strategic partnerships, such as its role as the Official Crypto Partner of the World’s Top Football League, LALIGA, in EASTERN, SEA and LATAM markets, as well as a global partner of Turkish National athletes Buse Tosun Çavuşoğlu (Wrestling world champion), Samet Gümüş (Boxing gold medalist) and İlkin Aydın (Volleyball national team), to inspire the global community to embrace the future of cryptocurrency.

    For more information, visit: Website | Twitter | Telegram | LinkedIn | Discord | Bitget Wallet

    For media inquiries, please contact: media@bitget.com

    Risk Warning: Digital asset prices are subject to fluctuation and may experience significant volatility. Investors are advised to only allocate funds they can afford to lose. The value of any investment may be impacted, and there is a possibility that financial objectives may not be met, nor the principal investment recovered. Independent financial advice should always be sought, and personal financial experience and standing carefully considered. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. Bitget accepts no liability for any potential losses incurred. Nothing contained herein should be construed as financial advice. For further information, please refer to our Terms of Use.

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f663baeb-175a-447f-aaf6-79b6eb4f8641

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Accountants play a critical role in building trust in AI

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TORONTO, July 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes more embedded in everyday life, concerns around privacy, bias and misuse are mounting—and Chartered Professional Accountants (CPAs) are uniquely positioned to help bridge the trust gap.

    A new joint publication from CPA Canada and the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) explores the pressing need for trusted oversight of AI and highlights how CPA-led assurance services can address key risks—an approach already being embraced by firms like PwC.

    “Confidence in AI isn’t just about easing public concern, it’s essential to reducing the risk of financial loss, regulatory penalties and reputational damage,” says Melissa Robertson, CPA Canada’s AI expert and co-author of the paper. “These risks are especially high in Canada, where AI literacy ranks among the lowest in the world.”

    One of the most effective ways to build trust is through independent assurance: a service that CPAs have long provided in other high-risk areas. Assurance can offer third-party validation that complex systems are designed and operating as intended. Now, this expertise is being extended to AI.

    “We have well-established processes, professional standards and tools to ensure quality,” Robertson adds. “As a regulated profession grounded in trust, CPAs bring the skills, oversight and objectivity that AI systems demand.”

    CPAs already apply assurance and compliance frameworks to help organizations assess essential technologies, including HR platforms, financial systems and cloud-based storage services. These evaluations draw on proven CPA auditing practices and trusted tools like the System and Organization Controls (SOC) suite of services, which address critical areas such as security, privacy and reliability, offering peace of mind to clients and regulators alike.

    “Most organizations already rely on SOC reports to validate their systems,” says Robertson. “Now we’re seeing growing demand from major players for the same level of assurance around AI. Today, many CPA firms are still exploring AI assurance as a service—tomorrow, they’ll be delivering it.”

    To request a copy of the research paper or arrange an interview with Melissa Robertson, principal of research and thought leadership at CPA Canada, please contact media@cpacanada.ca.

    About the paper

    Closing the AI trust gap: The role of the CPA in AI assurance is the third and final paper in CPA Canada and the AICPA’s artificial intelligence series. It outlines how CPAs can apply their assurance expertise—including established standards, oversight models and professional judgment—to help organizations build trust in AI systems. The paper is intended for business leaders, regulators and technology stakeholders seeking practical, independent approaches to AI oversight.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Secretary-General of ASEAN Attends the Signing Ceremony of the Instrument of Accession to the TAC by Algeria and Uruguay

    Source: ASEAN

    Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, today witnessed the signing of the Instrument of Accession to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC) by the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria and the Oriental Republic of Uruguay. The Instruments were signed by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Algeria and Uruguay, on the margins of the 58th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and Related Meetings in Kuala Lumpur today. The accession of Algeria and Uruguay brings the number of High Contracting Parties to the TAC to 57. The signing ceremony underscores the growing importance and interest that external partners place on ASEAN, as well as their commitment to uphold the principles and values enshrined in the TAC.

    The post Secretary-General of ASEAN Attends the Signing Ceremony of the Instrument of Accession to the TAC by Algeria and Uruguay appeared first on ASEAN Main Portal.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Public Works Media Briefing

    Source: Republic of South Africa (video statements)

    Public Works Media Briefing

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFEf0INDb1Q

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Progress Report on Process to Consider General Mkhwanazi’s Allegations

    Source: APO – Report:

    .

    The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Police, Mr Ian Cameron, has reiterated the importance and urgency of setting out steps for a parliamentary process to consider the explosive allegations made by the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.

    In line with this, the Chairperson wishes to share the following steps taken since the allegations were made.

    1. The Chairperson has received confirmation from the Speaker of the National Assembly that she is considering the request for guidance on how to process the matter.

    2. The committee has approached the Parliamentary Legal Unit for a legal opinion on possible ways to process the matter.

    3. The Chairperson has received a letter from a member of the committee, Ms Lisa‐Maré Schickerling, requesting a joint parliamentary process with the Portfolio Committee on Justice. Engagements with the Chairperson of the PC on Justice have commenced to consider the modalities of such a process.

    Mr Cameron has emphasised that the gravity of implications of this matter for the entire criminal justice system is the reason for such a comprehensive response to the allegations.

    “I must reiterate that accountability and transparency are critical in considering this matter. The credibility of the SAPS and the security of our country is dependent on how these allegations are handled,” Mr Cameron emphasised.

    – on behalf of Republic of South Africa: The Parliament.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Home Affairs to submit ‘Digital ID’ policy to Cabinet for approval

    Source: Government of South Africa

    Home Affairs to submit ‘Digital ID’ policy to Cabinet for approval

    Minister of Home Affairs Leon Schreiber says government is laying the foundation for an ambitious plan to create South Africa’s first ever Digital ID system.

    “Home Affairs will shortly submit a Digital ID policy to Cabinet for approval to conduct public hearings. Beyond the material benefits, such as clamping down on fraud and enhancing inclusion, the Digital ID system will also restore the integrity and pride of our cherished South African identity,” said the Minister.

    He was delivering the department’s Budget Vote in Parliament on Tuesday.

    Schreiber said the department plans to deliver digital versions of enabling documents that can be accessed online and on smart devices.

    “[The] Digital ID will also enable users to remotely authenticate themselves, laying the foundation for a digital revolution not only for government services, but also for critical private sector services like banking, finance and insurance.”

    The Minister said government was committed to the digital transformation of the department – called Home Affairs @ home.

    “We call this vision Home Affairs @ home… Our goal is nothing less than revolutionising the way citizens interact with their government by moving from manual to digital,” said the Minister.

    He said building a new reform model – based on decentralisation, modernisation, digital transformation and remote access – will “restore the hope that South Africa as a whole can work”.

    The constant investments being made in the reform of Home Affairs, the Border Management Authority and Government Printing Works, is starting to compound and grow.

    “During the past year, we have delivered nearly 3.6 million Smart IDs – almost half a million more than the previous annual record. We cleared a visa backlog of over 306 000 applications dating back over a decade.

    “We deported over 46 000 illegal immigrants, the highest number in five years and more than countries like France and Germany combined. We used drones and body cameras to increase the number of attempted illegal crossings that were detected and prevented by up to 215%.

    “We empowered naturalised citizens and permanent residents to obtain Smart IDs for the first time, expanding inclusion and making our country less reliant on the green ID book that is 500% more vulnerable to fraud than the Smart ID.

    “If this is just some of what Home Affairs could do in one year. Just imagine what we can do in five,” said Schreiber.

    Now that the department is enabling all qualifying categories of persons to obtain Smart IDs, “the next step will be to dramatically scale up access to this critical and more-secure enabling document”.

    In line with the Medium-Term Development Plan adopted by Cabinet, the department will do so by expanding the successful pilot project that currently delivers Smart ID and passport services in about 30 bank branches across the country.

    “We will use digital transformation to integrate the Home Affairs IT platform onto banks’ networks, thereby enabling many more bank branches to deliver this service around the country.

    “Our target for this financial year is to expand this service to at least 100 more branches.”

    This same technology reform will enable South Africans to order Smart IDs and passports through their banking app, just like they already when buying electricity or data.

    The department will further introduce the option of home delivery for Smart IDs and passports, using advanced facial recognition technology to secure the process.

    “Through scaling up the existing collaboration with banks, we will rapidly accelerate access to Smart IDs with the goal of ending the production of new Green ID books by the end of this year.

    “This will be a momentous step towards delivering dignity for all, while simultaneously clamping down on fraud,” said the Minister.

    He announced that, by the end of this month, Home Affairs will launch new facilities abroad to assist South Africans living and working overseas. These new facilities will ensure a five-week turnaround time for IDs and passports.

    “We are starting in Australia, New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates, followed by France, Germany and The Netherlands later this year, and North America in the new year.”

    He said the ultimate aim is to deliver “Home Affairs @ home”, which will enable every South African, no matter where they are in the world, to obtain services from their government online. – SAnews.gov.za

    Janine

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Is the Commission going to stop subsidising Algeria? – P-002740/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Priority question for written answer  P-002740/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Jean-Paul Garraud (PfE)

    On Monday 30 June 2025, Christophe Gleizes, a French sports journalist who has been detained in Algeria for more than a year, was sentenced to seven years in prison for ‘glorifying terrorism’ and ‘possessing publications for propaganda purposes harmful to national interests’.

    On Tuesday 1 July, Boualem Sansal, an 80-year-old Franco-Algerian writer who is suffering from prostate cancer, was sentenced on appeal to five years in prison, having already been unjustly detained in Algiers since 16 November 2024.

    Algeria benefits from the 2021-2027 EU-Algeria multiannual indicative programme (MIP), the aim of which is to strengthen the partnership between the two parties. Under the MIP, EUR 172 million was paid to Algeria between 2021 and 2024[1].

    • 1.Can the Commission confirm this amount, and can it tell us how much funding has been allocated for the period from 2025 to 2027?
    • 2.What does the Commission think of the arrests referred to above, and do they constitute a breach of the rule of law?
    • 3.If so, shouldn’t the Commission suspend payment of MIP funding until the Algerian regime brings in reforms and ceases its hostility towards France – a Member State of the European Union – and its nationals?

    Submitted: 4.7.2025

    • [1] https://enlargement.ec.europa.eu/document/download/18c0dcae-9074-40e0-a8ca765abb44b281_en#:~:text=1.3.&text=L%27objectif%20g%C3%A9n%C3%A9ral%20de%20ce,en%20faveur%20de%20la%20jeunesse.
    Last updated: 9 July 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Government to publish strategy for planned disaster risk management

    Source: Government of South Africa

    With the Southern African region experiencing a growing number of climate-related disasters, government says it will increase its focus on reducing the fiscal and human cost of disasters by planning for them instead of reacting to them.

    “When disasters strike, government is forced to reallocate funds from other priorities to respond, often at the cost of long-term development. This cycle of crisis and reallocation is unsustainable,” the Deputy Minister of Finance, Ashor Sarupen, said on Tuesday in Parliament. 

    Through the finalisation and publishing of a National Disaster Risk Financing Strategy in the 2025/26 financial year, government’s strategy will shift from reactive funding to proactive, planned disaster risk management.

    The strategy will:

    • Introduce disaster risk financing instruments, including climate insurance products, to improve response time and predictability of funding;
    • Embed disaster risk management in grant frameworks, particularly those for infrastructure and local government, and
    • Support line departments and municipalities in mainstreaming climate risk into their financial planning and investment decisions.

    “Climate change is not a future threat. It is a present reality, and our budget frameworks must reflect that,” Sarupen said while tabling the National Treasury’s Budget Vote.

    Spending for Growth

    As part of National Treasury’s broader macroeconomic framework reforms to drive structural economic transformation and attract investment, public infrastructure spending will exceed R1 trillion over three years. 

    “This represents the fastest-growing area of government expenditure and is aimed at easing supply-side economic constraints and improving social service access. 

    “The Budget Facility for Infrastructure (BFI) is being reconfigured to attract private sector participation through multiple appraisal windows, separated investment and financing decisions, and diversified financing instruments including guarantees, build-operate-transfer structures, and concessional loans,” the Deputy Minister said. 

    New public-private partnership (PPP) regulations, effective 1 June 2025, have reduced procedural complexity, with supporting frameworks for unsolicited proposals and fiscal commitments to be published soon, while municipal PPP regulations will be finalised before the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement.

    “A single National Treasury-overseen structure will be established this year to systematically crowd-in private sector finance and expertise, consolidating large-scale project preparation, providing PPP technical support, improving data management, and enhancing private sector engagement,” he said.

    Rebuilding local government finances

    In an effort to address service delivery breakdowns, fiscal mismanagement, and governance failures at municipalities, National Treasury is responding with targeted support and structural financial reforms.

    National Treasury’s approach focuses on the following key areas:

    • Adoption of Funded Budgets: Municipalities can no longer adopt unfunded budgets based on wishful projections. Treasury is enforcing the requirement for credible, funded budgets as the basis of municipal financial planning.
    • Revenue Value Chain Reforms: Treasury is supporting municipalities to improve billing systems, strengthen collection rates, and protect revenue integrity. Without this, no budget can be sustainable.
    • Capacity Building: Through direct technical support, Treasury is building the financial management skills of municipal officials, particularly CFOs and budget managers.
    • Financial Recovery Plans: For municipalities in financial distress, Municipal Financial Recovery Services (MFRS) provide tailored recovery plans. These are not generic interventions, they are grounded in the real financial position of each municipality.
    • mSCOA Implementation: The Municipal Standard Chart of Accounts (mSCOA) brings transparency and uniformity to local government finances. It allows us to compare apples with apples — across municipalities, across provinces, and across time.
    • Consequence Management: Treasury is working closely with the Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) and the Auditor-General South Africa (AGSA) to ensure that financial misconduct is addressed swiftly. Public money must be protected. Where there is wrongdoing, there must be consequences.

    Reforming the auditing profession

    After years of audit failures in both the public and private sectors, National Treasury is currently reviewing the Auditing Profession Act.

    The Act provides for the establishment of the Independent Regulatory Board for Auditors; the education, training and professional development of registered auditors; the accreditation of professional bodies; the registration of auditors, and the regulation of the conduct of registered auditors.

    “The proposed amendments are designed to strengthen the Independent Regulatory Board for Auditors (IRBA) and align our regulatory framework with international best practice. These reforms are not just technical changes; they are about fostering trust, integrity, and public confidence in the profession. The auditing profession plays a critical role in financial markets and public accountability,” the Deputy Minister said. – SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –