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Category: Agriculture

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Trade critical to ocean sustainability — DG Okonjo-Iweala at UN Ocean Conference

    Source: WTO

    Headline: Trade critical to ocean sustainability — DG Okonjo-Iweala at UN Ocean Conference

    DG Okonjo-Iweala highlighted that trade and the WTO can play a key role in harnessing the opportunities from the blue economy and in protecting the oceans’ resources. Underscoring the blue economy’s estimated annual value of over USD 2.6 trillion, she stressed: “The ocean is vital for our food, livelihoods and the health of our planet. More than 3 billion people either directly or indirectly rely on the oceans for their livelihoods.” She also emphasized the importance of the oceans in helping many WTO members meet their development objectives, including coastal and small island developing states (SIDS).
    Noting that marine and coastal ecosystems are threatened by climate change, biodiversity loss and marine pollution, including plastics pollution, she said that conserving and sustainably managing ocean resources is absolutely critical. “Business as usual is not an option” she said, stressing that a coherent approach that connects trade, finance and investment can help unlock inclusive, sustainable growth from the ocean economy.
    DG Okonjo-Iweala said the WTO can support decarbonization efforts by reducing trade barriers and facilitating the cross-border diffusion of environmentally friendly goods, services and technology for maritime shipping and for harnessing renewable energy from the oceans. The WTO also provides a forum for members to share experiences on the trade impact of environmental measures, she noted.
    Highlighting the important role the UN Ocean Conference (UNOC) plays in reinforcing international co-operation for the good of the world’s oceans and those who depend on its resources, DG Okonjo-Iweala stressed the importance of eliminating harmful fisheries subsidies to preserve ocean resources. WTO members have taken a first important step by adopting the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies in June 2022, she said, noting that only 10 more ratifications are needed for its entry into force – so far 101 members have already ratified.
    DG Okonjo-Iweala was speaking at the opening high-level panel dedicated to conserving, sustainably managing and restoring marine and coastal ecosystems, including deep-sea ecosystems. Her address can be viewed here.
    DG Okonjo-Iweala also joined a high-level occasion hosted by France’s President Emmanuel Macron for heads of state and other dignitaries to celebrate World Ocean Day on 8 June.
    On 13 June, the WTO Secretariat will organize a side-event titled “Sustainable fisheries: The role of trade from oceans to plate”, co-organized with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), United Nations on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and UNOC co-hosts France and Costa Rica. The event will be opened by WTO Deputy Director-General Angela Ellard, Costa Rica’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Arnold André Tinoco, and France’s Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Agnès Pannier-Runacher. The discussion will feature experts from international organizations, the private sector, civil society and academia.
    DDG Angela Ellard will deliver a keynote address on 13 June at a session entitled “The WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies and its Benefits: Perspectives from Science, Economics and Small-Scale Fishers” hosted by the Stop Funding Overfishing Coalition.
    The WTO Secretariat will also participate at panels and side-events during the UN Ocean Conference, and at special events such as the Blue Economy and Finance Forum.
    The WTO Fish Fund opened a Call for Proposals on 6 June, inviting developing and least-developed country (LDC) members that have ratified the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies to submit requests for project grants aimed at helping them implement the Agreement. More information can be found here.
    Information on UNOC is available here.

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    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kaptur Urges Northwest Ohio Small Businesses and Nonprofits to Apply for SBA Drought Relief Loans Deadline

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09)

    Washington, DC – Today, Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09) is urging small businesses and private nonprofit organizations across Northwest Ohio to act swiftly as the July 7 deadline approaches to apply for US Small Business Administration (SBA) Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) related to last fall’s drought conditions across Northwest Ohio, and the Buckeye State.

    Businesses in Erie, Hancock, Henry, Lucas, Ottawa, Putnam, Sandusky, Seneca, and Wood counties have until July 7, 2025, to apply for low-interest federal disaster loans to help offset economic losses caused by the prolonged drought conditions that began on September 10, 2024.

    “These loans have proven a lifeline for small businesses and nonprofits in our region feeling the financial aftershocks of last year’s protracted drought,” said Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09). “Northwest Ohio’s resilience depends on making sure local enterprises and community institutions have the resources they need to weather economic hardship. I strongly encourage all eligible organizations to apply for this federal farm assistance before the deadline passes.”

    The SBA’s EIDL program provides working capital to help businesses meet financial obligations and operating expenses that could have been met had the disaster not occurred. Loan funds can be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable, and other bills. Importantly, businesses do not need to have sustained physical damage to be eligible for this support.
    While agricultural producers, farmers, and ranchers are generally not eligible, small aquaculture businesses may qualify for assistance. Visit the SBA website for full details and application materials.

    # # #

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Nimanode Launches $NMA Token Presale to Power AI Agent Ecosystem on XRP Ledger

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    LEEDS, United Kingdom, June 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Nimanode, a pioneering no-code AI agent platform built on the XRP Ledger (XRPL), has officially launched its $NMA token presale, offering early participants the opportunity to engage with a next-generation on-chain automation ecosystem. The presale has already filled over 12% of its softcap, reflecting growing interest in AI-powered blockchain infrastructure.

    With anticipation of a major breakout post-launch, early participants are moving quickly to secure $NMA tokens at presale pricing.

    Join $NMA Presale

    Presale Demand Up as Investors Target $NMA for 10X Growth

    With a total of 90 million $NMA representing 45% of $NMA allocated for the presale, this marks a unique and promising chance to claim early access into one of XRP Ledger’s most innovative projects, spearheading the AI ecosystem on the blockchain.

    As the market is currently clouded by volatility and corrections, Nimanode’s presale is emerging as a rare bright spot. Sparking strong FOMO across the XRP community and beyond as investors position themselves early in what many believe could be the next 100X breakout on XRPL.

    Market Analysts already predict strong upside upon exchange listing of $NMA as demand for agent-based infrastructure gains traction.

    This is a chance to invest in $NMA before its Listing at 25% higher than Presale value, however whales position for more as they eye a 10X surge on Launch.

    Join $NMA Presale

    New Kind of On-Chain Intelligence

    Nimanode agents aren’t just simple bots.These agents think, analyze, and execute on-chain tasks ranging from:

    Smart Contract Generation: AI that turns plain-English prompts into executable XRPL Hook contracts.

    DeFi Yield Optimization: Self-directed agents that shift capital between pools to maximize APY.

    Risk Monitoring: Agents that scan wallets and contracts to flag malicious activity in real-time.

    Web3 Customer Support: Deployable support agents that run 24/7 across DAO forums, dApps, and more.

    RWA Compliance: Regulatory agents that keep tokenized assets aligned with local frameworks.
    And all of it can be created from a zero-code interface, allowing creators, DAOs, or institutions to launch an entire automated ecosystem in minutes.

    How to Join The Nimanode Presale

    Joining in the NimaNode Presale is quite straightforward for seasoned investors and newbies alike.

    Purchase XRP: Acquire XRP from reputable exchanges like Binance, Coinbase, or Bybit.

    Setup an XRP-Compatible Wallet: Send your XRP to an XRP compatible Wallet (e.g. Xaman).

    Participate in the Presale: Visit the NimaNode Presale Page (https://nimanode.com/presale), send your XRP to the provided presale address, and secure your $NMA tokens.

    There is a Limited Time Period of 30 Days for the Presale and it’s pricing is going at 1 XRP = 450 $NMA

    The last cycle gave us DeFi protocols and NFTs. This cycle is shaping up to be about autonomous infrastructure and Nimanode is at the heart of it.

    Don’t Miss Out – Secure your $NMA Tokens

    Connect with Nimanode

    Website: https://nimanode.com

    Twitter/X: https://x.com/nimanodeai

    Telegram: https://t.me/nimanodeAI

    Documentation: https://docs.nimanode.com

    Contact:
    Nick Lambert
    contact@nimanode.com

    Disclaimer: This is a paid post and is provided by Nimanode. The statements, views, and opinions expressed in this content are solely those of the content provider and do not necessarily reflect the views of this media platform or its publisher. We do not endorse, verify, or guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information presented. We do not guarantee any claims, statements, or promises made in this article. This content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial, investment, or trading advice.Investing in crypto and mining-related opportunities involves significant risks, including the potential loss of capital. It is possible to lose all your capital. These products may not be suitable for everyone, and you should ensure that you understand the risks involved. Seek independent advice if necessary. Speculate only with funds that you can afford to lose. Readers are strongly encouraged to conduct their own research and consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions. However, due to the inherently speculative nature of the blockchain sector—including cryptocurrency, NFTs, and mining—complete accuracy cannot always be guaranteed. Neither the media platform nor the publisher shall be held responsible for any fraudulent activities, misrepresentations, or financial losses arising from the content of this press release. In the event of any legal claims or charges against this article, we accept no liability or responsibility.Globenewswire does not endorse any content on this page.

    Legal Disclaimer: This media platform provides the content of this article on an “as-is” basis, without any warranties or representations of any kind, express or implied. We assume no responsibility for any inaccuracies, errors, or omissions. We do not assume any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information presented herein. Any concerns, complaints, or copyright issues related to this article should be directed to the content provider mentioned above.

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8a7a5bf9-217b-4a2e-a549-9e4ba44e7dfa

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: New Zealand Veterinary Association Award Evening

    Source: New Zealand Government

    Good evening,
    It’s a real privilege to be here with you tonight, among people who play such a vital role in the wellbeing of our animals, our communities, and our economy.

    Veterinarians are essential to New Zealand. Upholding our global reputation for world-leading animal welfare standards, something we are known for and proud of.
    Let’s not forget, we are a country with one of the highest rates of companion animal ownership in the world, and large parts of our economy rely on production animals.

    Our food and fibre sector is the backbone of this country, making up 10% of our GDP and supporting around 360,000 jobs. In the year to April 2025, dairy exports brought in $26.8 billion, and meat exports $9.7 billion. None of this would be possible without the work of our veterinarians.

    You are essential to the success of our animal-based industries. You’re not just treating animals; you’re enabling our trade, our economy, and our reputation.

    You make market access possible, protect the health and welfare status of our animals, and serve as trusted advisors on farms—the first line of defence in our surveillance programmes. Those of you working at MPI ensure our compliance with international standards, manage disease control and quarantine, and give markets confidence in our systems.

    Take our biosecurity system, one of the best in the world. This system, which helps us detect threats like Mycoplasma bovis early, relies on your vigilance, expertise, and commitment. Without vets, we don’t maintain those crucial disease-free statuses, and without those, we don’t trade. It’s that simple.

    Looking ahead, climate change and sustainability are rising priorities, not just here but for our trading partners too. Veterinarians, with your deep understanding of the interconnectedness of animals, humans, and the environment, are uniquely placed to be a part of this conversation, and I believe your insights are key.

    As a government, we absolutely recognise your value. That’s why, back in 2009, we established the Veterinary Bonding Scheme. Since then, it has helped 483 graduate vets into rural practice, where they are most needed. Each year, over 30 new graduates join the scheme, and in 2024, we saw the highest intake yet: 35.

    We’re continuing to listen to the profession to hear what you need. Just this April, I announced a change to the regulations allowing trained non-veterinarians, under a vet’s authorisation, to perform subgingival dental procedures on cats and dogs.

    As a farmer, I know how stretched vets are, and I also know how skilled our veterinary nurses are. This change gives them the legal protection to put those skills to use, meaning better dental care for our pets, allowing vets to focus on more complex cases, and overall, providing better service for pet owners.
    I want to sincerely thank the New Zealand Veterinary Association, particularly the Companion Animal Veterinarians Branch, for your work with MPI to develop this regulation. Your advocacy and collaboration, alongside other industry voices, have made a real difference.
    Thank you for everything you do to keep our animals well, safeguard our biosecurity, and protect our food safety systems.
    And finally, a massive congratulations to the eight award winners we’re celebrating tonight. Your excellence lifts the whole profession. And as I know a few of you I am looking forward to congratulating you in person.
     

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: AFCD investigates Mainland fisherman deckhands and local coxswain suspected of using snake cages for fishing (with photo)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         A joint operation was conducted by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) together with the Hong Kong Police Force and Zhuhai Municipal Marine Comprehensive Law Enforcement Team in the southern waters of Hong Kong yesterday (June 9).

         During the operation, the AFCD personnel intercepted a local fishing vessel suspected of engaging in fishing using snake cages (a type of cage trap banned in Hong Kong waters) in waters off Cheung Chau at around 9.30pm for investigation. Some fishing gear (including snake cages and winches) on board was seized by the AFCD.

         The AFCD is investigating a local coxswain and six Mainland fisherman deckhands on board suspected of engaging in fishing using snake cages, in violation of the Fisheries Protection Ordinance (Cap. 171).

         Only a vessel registered under the Ordinance can be used for fishing in Hong Kong waters and only the fishing methods listed on its Certificate of Registration of Local Fishing Vessel can be employed for fishing by the vessel. The conditions of the Certificate of Registration of Local Fishing Vessel regarding cage traps also stipulate that any collapsible cage traps should not be connected in any way to another; or should not exceed five metres in any of its extended dimensions. Hence, it is unlawful to fish using snake cages. Offenders are liable to a maximum fine of $100,000 and six months’ imprisonment upon conviction.

         A spokesman for the AFCD stressed, “The Government is committed to combatting illegal fishing activities in Hong Kong waters. The AFCD will continue to step up patrols and take stringent enforcement action.”

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hoeven Advances Ranching, Grasslands Priorities with USDA Under Secretary Nominee

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for North Dakota John Hoeven
    06.06.25
    Senator Urges Nominee to Ensure USFS Works with North Dakota Ranchers on Grazing Access, Wildfire Management & Pest Control
    WASHINGTON – At a hearing of the Senate Agriculture Committee this week, Senator John Hoeven advanced key priorities for North Dakota ranchers with Michael Boren, the nominee to serve as the Under Secretary of Agriculture for Natural Resources and Environment. In this role, Boren will oversee the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), which includes the national grasslands in North Dakota. Accordingly, Hoeven urged Boren to work with him on:
    Ensuring access to USFS lands for multiple use, including grazing and energy production.
    Hoeven stressed to Boren that section line rights-of-way are critical for enabling ranchers to access their cattle in the Little Missouri National Grasslands.

    Coordinating with local ranchers and rural fire departments on wildfire management, including protecting against impacts from controlled burns on federal lands.
    Better management of pests on USFS lands, such as prairie dogs and noxious weeds.
    Hoeven and Boren discussed the need for adequate buffers on federal lands to help prevent damage to private and state-held lands.
    Hoeven previously worked with USFS Deputy Chief Chris French on efforts to address noxious weeds on the Dakota Prairie Grasslands and urged Boren to maintain these efforts.

    “North Dakota is home to the largest national grasslands in the country, with the USFS managing more than a million acres of land in our state. That creates real challenges that require the federal government to work cooperatively with our local stakeholders, including our ag and energy producers,” said Hoeven. “In both the committee hearing and my meeting with Michael Boren, we drove home the importance of ensuring access to the grasslands for our grazers. Fair grazing agreements are essential, as is access through section lines to ensure ranchers can actually get to their cattle. At the same time, we’ve seen poor land management on federal acreage impacting private and state lands through the spread of noxious weeds, uncontrolled prairie dog colonies and wildfires. I appreciate Mr. Boren’s commitment to work with us on these critical issues.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Goldman, Bonamici Introduce Legislation to Safeguard Summer EBT Benefits for Children

    Source: US Congressman Dan Goldman (NY-10)

    MEALS Act Would Reimburse Stolen Summer EBT Benefits 

    At Least $40 Million in Food Assistance Benefits Have Been Stolen from New Yorkers in Recent Years, 20% of Nationwide Claims 

     

     New York Currently Forbidden from Refunding Stolen Summer EBT Benefits Using Federal Funds 

     

    Nearly 2 Million New York Children Depend on Summer EBT Benefits for Nutritious Meals During Summer Months 

     

    Read the MEALS Act Here 

    Washington, D.C. – Congressman Dan Goldman (NY-10) and Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01) introduced the Mitigating Electronic Access Losses for Students (MEALS Act), which would ensure working families who rely on Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) benefits to make ends meet can be reimbursed if their benefits are stolen via EBT card skimming and fraud.  

    “It is unconscionable that any child should go hungry in the wealthiest nation on earth,” Congressman Dan Goldman said. ”As lawmakers, we have a moral and legislative duty to ensure that every child has access to nutritious food year-round, especially during the summer months, when free or reduced-price school meals are unavailable. The Summer EBT program is a proven tool for combating food insecurity, yet far too often, these essential benefits are stolen through no fault of the families who rely on them. This is unacceptable. We must create a clear and efficient process to replace skimmed Summer EBT benefits quickly and in their entirety so that no child suffers due to theft or bureaucratic failure.” 

    Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici said, “Students should not have to go hungry if their families fall prey to scammers who install illegal skimming devices at the places where they buy groceries. The MEALS Act is commonsense legislation that will prevent the theft of S-EBT benefits and restore those that are stolen. This legislation will help keep hungry kids fed when school is out during the summer.” 

    The Summer EBT program provides eligible families with funds to purchase groceries when school is out of session. For many children, summer can be a particularly challenging time because they lose access to school meals, which are often a critical source of daily nutrition. Through Summer EBT, eligible families can receive $120 per child, which can be used at participating grocery stores to buy nutritious food, helping bridge the gap during these months. Over 2 million children are eligible for Summer EBT benefits in New York State. These benefits are often stolen via skimming, cloning, or similar fraud.  

    Congressman Goldman previously urged USDA to investigate the Summer EBT theft in NY-10, highlighting seventeen instances of Summer EBT theft in Brooklyn’s Sunset Park community alone, totaling over $1600 worth of stolen benefits. He also requested the federal reimbursement for victims of Summer EBT fraud, however, USDA ultimately issued guidance prohibiting states from replacing stolen Summer EBT benefits using federal funds. 

    Last summer, Rep. Goldman joined Governor Hochul in announcing the rollout of the Summer EBT program in New York and continues to champion food assistance relief for New Yorkers. As Congressman Goldman pushes to reauthorize federal reimbursement of SNAP refunds, this bill would provide critical relief for families during the hungry summer months. 

    Specifically, the MEALS Act would: 

    1. Require the Secretary of Agriculture to 

      1. Issue guidance to State agencies and covered Indian Tribal organizations (ITOs) in detecting and preventing theft of summer EBT benefits, and issue a rule for participating State agencies and ITOs to take appropriate security measures and implement procedures for the replacement of summer EBT benefits; 

      2. Coordinate with the Office of Family Assistance at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Attorney General to determine how summer EBT benefits are being stolen and establish measures to prevent summer EBT benefits from being stolen and establish standard reporting methods; 

      3. Submit a report to Congress that includes the prevalence of summer EBT theft and measures establishes by the Secretary and AG; 

      4. Replace stolen summer EBT benefits, and State agencies and covered ITOs to submit claims for replacement benefits that include a signed statement by the affected household, data reports on benefit theft, and planned use of benefit theft prevention measures; 

    2. Require GAO to submit a report to Congress that examines the risks related to summer EBT benefit payment system security and policy recommendations to improving the summer EBT payment system. 

    Protecting food assistance benefits, including SNAP, from skimming and theft has been a focal point of Congressman Goldman’s time in office. 

    In March, Congressman Goldman hosted a press conference to demand a comprehensive change to state and federal law to address the urgent issue of stolen EBT benefits.
    In the Fall of 2024, Congressman Goldman led an effort to extend critical protections to victims of food stamp theft that are set to expire at the end of September without further action. The lawmakers sent a letter to Congressional leadership urging them to include a provision in a forthcoming stop-gap funding bill that would allow victims to continue to be reimbursed from federal funds. 
    In Summer of 2023, Congressman Goldman introduced the ‘SNAP Theft Protection Act,’ which aimed to update SNAP to allow states to use existing SNAP funding to refund stolen benefits to victims of SNAP-related scams.  

    ### 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: IAM Union Applauds House Freshmen for Supporting Fair Trade Policies

    Source: US GOIAM Union

    IAM Union International President Brian Bryant recently expressed his appreciation to a coalition of House Freshmen for signing a letter supporting fair trade practices, including a renegotiation of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) and the reauthorization of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) program.

    “On behalf of the 600,000 active and retired members of this very diverse union, I want to thank these House Freshmen who understand the importance of fair trade policy,” said IAM Union International President Brian Bryant. “U.S. trade policy has led many news headlines in recent months, and this letter underscores the importance of renegotiating the USMCA to protect domestic manufacturing in areas like aerospace, reauthorizing the U.S. Labor Department’s TAA program, and enacting strategic tariffs that punish bad actors and protect U.S. jobs.”

    Rep. Josh Riley (NY-19) and Rep. Lateefah Simon (CA-12) led 18 of their colleagues in a letter to President Trump and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer calling for a trade policy that strengthens America’s middle class, rebuilds the U.S. industrial base, and safeguards family farms and small businesses.

    “For too long, bad trade deals have been written in Wall Street boardrooms and rubber-stamped in political backrooms—while towns from Endicott to Ellenville got sold out,” said Rep. Josh Riley. “I came to Congress to give blue-collar towns a real voice in trade talks. I’ll work with anyone from any party who wants to rethink trade in a way that supports American farmers, builds American factories for American workers, and strengthens national security.”

    “I’m proud to represent the Port of Oakland, the largest refrigerated cargo export port in the United States,” said Rep. Lateefah Simon. “Tariffs are not inherently bad, but President Trump’s chaotic, self-imposed tariff war has been a disaster for the U.S. economy. That’s why I am leading my freshman colleagues to call on the president to fix U.S. trade policy to support workers, small businesses, and the environment.”

    The members outlined four key areas of proposed collaboration:

    1. Improving the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA):

    • Include stronger labor and environmental standards.
    • Close China’s USMCA backdoor into U.S. markets.
    • Fix digital trade provisions.

    2. Investing in American Manufacturing:

    3. Reauthorizing Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA):

    • Support and improve TAA for communities impacted by past trade policies.

    4. Pairing Strategic Tariffs with Pro-Worker Laws:

    • Implement tariffs with anti-price gouging and pro-labor reforms.

    Read the full text of the letter here. 

    The IAM continues advocating for trade agreements prioritizing U.S. labor standards, environmental protections, and domestic production.

    The post IAM Union Applauds House Freshmen for Supporting Fair Trade Policies appeared first on IAM Union.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SBA Relief Still Available to North Carolina Small Businesses and Private Nonprofits Affected by Drought and Extreme Heat

    Source: United States Small Business Administration

     ATLANTA – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is reminding small businesses and private nonprofit (PNP) organizations in North Carolina of the July 7 deadline to apply for low interest federal disaster loans to offset economic losses caused by drought and extreme heat occurring on May 7- Aug. 8, 2024.

    The disaster declaration covers the North Carolina counties of Camden, Currituck, Dare, Gates, Pasquotank, Perquimans as well as Chesapeake, Suffolk, and Virginia Beach in Virginia.

    Under this declaration SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program is available to small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, nurseries and PNPs with financial losses directly related to the disaster. The SBA is unable to provide disaster loans to agricultural producers, farmers, or ranchers, except for small aquaculture enterprises.

    EIDLs are available for working capital needs caused by the disaster and are available even if the small business or PNP did not suffer any physical damage. The loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable, and other bills not paid due to the disaster.

    “Through a declaration by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, SBA provides critical financial assistance to help communities recover,” said Chris Stallings, associate administrator of the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at the SBA. “We’re pleased to offer loans to small businesses and private nonprofits impacted by these disasters.”  

    The loan amount can be up to $2 million with interest rates as low as 4% for small businesses and 3.25% for PNPs, with terms up to 30 years. Interest does not accrue, and payments are not due until 12 months from the date of the first loan disbursement. The SBA sets loan amounts and terms based on each applicant’s financial condition.

    To apply online visit sba.gov/disaster. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.

    The deadline to return economic injury applications is July 7, 2025.

    ###

    About the U.S. Small Business Administration

    The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow or expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SBA Relief Still Available to Ohio Small Businesses and Private Nonprofits Affected by Drought

    Source: United States Small Business Administration

    ATLANTA – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is reminding small businesses and private nonprofit (PNP) organizations in Ohio of the July 7 deadline to apply for low interest federal disaster loans to offset economic losses caused by drought occurring on Sept. 10, 2024.

    The disaster declaration covers the Ohio counties of Erie, Hancock, Henry, Lucas, Ottawa, Putnam, Sandusky, Seneca and Wood.

    Under this declaration SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program is available to small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, nurseries and PNPs with financial losses directly related to the disaster. The SBA is unable to provide disaster loans to agricultural producers, farmers, or ranchers, except for small aquaculture enterprises.

    EIDLs are available for working capital needs caused by the disaster and are available even if the small business or PNP did not suffer any physical damage. The loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable, and other bills not paid due to the disaster.

    “Through a declaration by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, SBA provides critical financial assistance to help communities recover,” said Chris Stallings, associate administrator of the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at the SBA. “We’re pleased to offer loans to small businesses and private nonprofits impacted by these disasters.”  

    The loan amount can be up to $2 million with interest rates as low as 4% for small businesses and 3.25% for PNPs, with terms up to 30 years. Interest does not accrue, and payments are not due until 12 months from the date of the first loan disbursement. The SBA sets loan amounts and terms based on each applicant’s financial condition.

    To apply online visit sba.gov/disaster. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.

    The deadline to return economic injury applications is July 7, 2025.

    ###

    About the U.S. Small Business Administration

    The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow or expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Dr. Cato T. Laurencin Represents U.S. at U.S.-Africa Frontiers of Science, Engineering, and Medicine Symposium

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    More than 100 scientists, engineers, and medical professionals from 16 African countries and the United States discussed advances across a broad range of multi-disciplinary topics, including Biotechnology, New Solutions for Decarbonization, Advances in Space Research, Smart and Connected Cities, and Precision Agriculture. UConn’s Dr. Cato T. Laurencin has served as a distinguished member of the Oversight Committee for the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine since its inception.

    Sponsored by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, the U.S.-Africa program brings together outstanding young scientists, engineers, and medical professionals from the U.S. and the member countries of the African Union to discuss exciting advances and opportunities in their fields. The goal of the meetings is to enhance the scientific exchange and dialogue among young researchers in African countries and the U.S., including the African science diaspora, and through this interaction, facilitate research collaboration within and beyond the region.

    Laurencin, an internationally recognized scientist, engineer, and surgeon, is actively involved in Africa through his work with the African Academy of Sciences (AAS) and other African scientific organizations. He has been a fellow of the AAS since 2012. Laurencin also participated in the first U.S.-Africa Frontiers of Science, Engineering, and Medicine symposium, contributing to discussions on research collaboration and scientific exchange between African countries. He also spoke at the 2024 Galien Forum in Dakar, Senegal, on the role of women in STEM in addressing environmental crises in Africa.

    Laurencin is a fellow of the Senegalese Academy of Arts and Sciences, and a fellow of the Benin National Academy of Science and Arts. He received the 2019 UNESCO-Equatorial Guinea International Prize for Research in the Life Sciences at the African Union Heads of State Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Laurencin received the 2019 UNESCO-Equatorial Guinea International Prize for Research in the Life Sciences, becoming the first American to earn this prestigious award. The ceremony took place during the Africa Union Heads of States Summit located in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

    At UConn Laurencin is the University Professor and Albert and Wilda Van Dusen Distinguished Endowed Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at UConn School of Medicine, professor of Chemical Engineering, professor of Materials Science and Engineering, and professor of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Connecticut. He is the chief executive officer of The Cato T. Laurencin Institute for Regenerative Engineering, a cross-university institute created and named for him at the University of Connecticut. A shoulder and knee surgeon, he is a pioneer of the field of Regenerative Engineering. In receiving the Spingarn Medal, the NAACP named him the world’s foremost engineer-physician-scientist. He is the first surgeon elected to the National Academy of Medicine, the National Academy of Engineering, the National Academy of Sciences and National Academy of Inventors.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • India leads global push for Ocean Conservation at UNOC3, unveils Deep-Sea Mission and plastic clean-up initiatives

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    India made a compelling case for urgent global action to protect ocean health at the Third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3) in Nice, with Union Minister of Earth Sciences Dr. Jitendra Singh unveiling ambitious strides in deep-sea exploration, marine plastic clean-up, and sustainable fisheries. Representing India at the conference, co-hosted by France and Costa Rica, Dr. Singh called for a legally binding Global Plastics Treaty, swift ratification of the BBNJ Agreement, and introduced the ‘SAHAV’ digital ocean data portal, reinforcing India’s leadership in global marine governance.

    Speaking under the conference theme “Accelerating Action and Mobilizing All Actors to Conserve and Sustainably Use the Ocean,” Dr. Singh emphasized India’s commitment to Sustainable Development Goal 14: Life Below Water. He outlined India’s multi-pronged strategy to combat ocean degradation through science, innovation, and inclusive partnerships. A centerpiece of India’s efforts is the Deep Ocean Mission’s ‘Samudrayaan’ project, set to deploy the nation’s first manned submersible by 2026 to explore ocean depths up to 6,000 meters, marking a significant leap in scientific capability.

    Dr. Singh highlighted India’s progress in tackling marine pollution through the ‘Swachh Sagar, Surakshit Sagar’ campaign, which has cleaned over 1,000 km of coastline and removed more than 50,000 tonnes of plastic waste since 2022. A draft marine litter policy is in place, and India is actively supporting negotiations for a Global Plastics Treaty to establish a legally binding international framework. Additionally, India has expanded its Marine Protected Areas to cover 6.6% of its Exclusive Economic Zone, contributing to global biodiversity goals.

    The minister showcased India’s Blue Economy initiatives, driven by the Sagarmala Programme and the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY). Over 600 port-led infrastructure projects worth $80 billion have been operationalized, while $2.5 billion in investments have modernized the fisheries sector, resulting in a 10% rise in fish production and the creation of over 1,000 fish farmer producer organizations since 2022. India has also restored over 10,000 hectares of mangroves and implemented shoreline management plans using nature-based solutions, integrating ocean-based climate actions into its Nationally Determined Contributions under the Paris Agreement.

    India’s leadership in global ocean governance was further demonstrated through its co-leadership in ‘Blue Talks’ with France and Costa Rica and its participation in high-level events, such as the India-Norway side session on Marine Spatial Planning. The launch of the ‘SAHAV’ portal at UNOC3 enhances India’s commitment to transparent, science-based ocean management.

    Urging the adoption of a robust ‘Nice Ocean Action Plan,’ Dr. Singh called for global investment in innovation, ratification of the BBNJ Agreement, and finalization of the plastics treaty. “The ocean is our shared heritage and responsibility,” he declared, affirming India’s readiness to collaborate with governments, private sectors, civil society, and indigenous communities for a sustainable ocean future. India’s proactive stance at UNOC3 signals its transformation from a coastal nation to a global leader in shaping ocean policy.

  • MIL-OSI: LambdaTest Unveils AI-Native Test Case Generator to Revolutionize Software Quality Assurance

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    San Francisco, CA, June 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — LambdaTest, a unified agentic AI and cloud engineering platform, has launched its AI Test Case Generator, a groundbreaking tool designed to streamline the test case creation process for quality assurance (QA) teams. With this new feature, teams can quickly convert a wide range of input formats, including text, PDFs, audio, video, images, Jira tickets, and more, into structured, contextual software test cases. This innovation significantly reduces the time and effort required to manually create test cases, while also improving test coverage and quality.

    The AI Test Case Generator works by analyzing the provided input, whether it’s a requirement document, a Jira issue, an image, or even audio and video files. It automatically generates detailed test cases that encompass essential components, including titles, descriptions, preconditions, priorities, tags, test steps, and expected outcomes. The AI-native system organises related test cases into logical scenarios, making it easier for teams to manage and navigate large sets of requirements. Once generated, the test cases can be customized and edited to better align with specific testing needs and strategies.

    LambdaTest’s new feature also integrates seamlessly with the company’s AI-Native Test Manager platform. Once the test cases are generated and refined, they can be saved directly to the Test Case Repository, enabling easy access and sharing among team members. This efficient process allows for faster test planning, execution, and collaboration across teams.

    “The AI Test Case Generator is a game changer for QA teams”, says Asad Khan, CEO and Co-Founder at LambdaTest.“By automating the test case creation process, we not only save valuable time but also ensure more comprehensive test coverage. This innovation is a step forward in empowering teams to focus on more strategic aspects of Quality Assurance.”

    To learn more about Test Case Generator, please visit https://www.lambdatest.com/support/docs/generate-test-cases-with-ai/

    About LambdaTest

    LambdaTest is an AI-native, omnichannel software quality platform that empowers businesses to accelerate time to market through intelligent, cloud-based test authoring, orchestration, and execution. With over 15,000 customers and 2.3 million+ users across 130+ countries, LambdaTest is the trusted choice for modern software testing.

    • Browser & App Testing Cloud: Enables manual and automated testing of web and mobile apps across 10,000+ browsers, real devices, and OS environments, ensuring cross-platform consistency.
    • HyperExecute: An AI-native test execution and orchestration cloud that runs tests up to 70% faster than traditional grids, offering smart test distribution, automatic retries, real-time logs, and seamless CI/CD integration.
    • KaneAI: The world’s first GenAI-native testing agent, leveraging LLMs for effortless test creation, intelligent automation, and self-evolving test execution. It integrates directly with Jira, Slack, GitHub, and other DevOps tools.

    For more information, please visit https://lambdatest.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Chicken Road Game Online In India – Download, Play & Win Real Money

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Gurugram, Haryana, June 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —

    Chicken Road is a fun arcade-style casino game made by InOut Games in 2024. In this exciting adventure, you help a brave little chicken walk across dangerous paths to grab a golden egg. But be careful there are hidden dangers along the way! 

    >>> Play Chicken Road Game Online >>>

    With a high return-to-player (RTP) rate of 98% and bets starting at just INR 90, Chicken Road is perfect for both new and experienced players.

    This page will tell you everything you need to know about the Chicken Road game online, along with smart tips to help you win more. Ready to play? Let’s go!

    >>> Play Chicken Road Game Online >>>

    What Is Chicken Road?

    Chicken Road is a simple yet thrilling game where you guide a chicken across a line of manholes. Some manholes are safe, while others hide dangerous fires. If the chicken steps on a safe manhole, your prize gets bigger. But if it hits a fire trap, the game ends and you lose your bet.

    >>> Play Chicken Road Game Online >>>

    You get to decide when to stop and cash out your winnings. That’s what makes the game fun—you’re in control! The farther your chicken walks, the higher your reward. But the risk also grows with each step.

    How to Play Chicken Road Game In India

    In India, the game is easy to learn and quick to play. Here’s how it works:

    1. Click the green “Go” button to start.
    2. Your chicken walks forward. If the first step is safe, you earn a multiplier.
    3. Each safe step earns you more money.
    4. If your chicken lands on a fire trap, you lose your bet, and the game ends.
    5. You can press the yellow “Cash Out” button at any time to take your winnings.

    You can keep going to try for bigger rewards, but remember, one wrong step and it’s game over.

    Why Chicken Road Game Is So Popular In India

    1. Easy Controls

    The game screen is easy to understand. You don’t need to read long rules or guides to start playing. Everything is simple and clear.

    2. Choose Your Difficulty

    You can pick from four levels depending on how risky you want to play:

    • Easy: 24 steps. Best for beginners who want small, steady wins.
    • Medium: 22 steps. A balanced level with good rewards and some risk.
    • Hard: 20 steps. For more experienced players who want higher multipliers.
    • Hardcore: 15 steps. Very risky but comes with the biggest prizes.

    You can change the level anytime between rounds.

    3. High RTP and Risk Options

    Chicken Road has an overall RTP of 98%, which means it’s designed to be fair to players. But your chance of winning on each step depends on the difficulty:

    • In Easy mode, each step has about a 96% chance of success.
    • In Hardcore mode, the risk is much higher. The RTP here can drop to 60%, but the rewards are also much bigger.

    Choose the level that fits your playing style.

    4. Bet Your Way

    Chicken Road works for all kinds of players. You may wager anything from INR 90 to INR 19,000 in a single round of play. It’s your choice to play with safety in mind or take more risky moves. A few players, in the beginning, make low bets and then increase their wagers as they get used to playing. Others wait for a winning streak before raising their bet.

    The Cash Out Feature

    One of the best parts of Chicken Road is the Cash Out option. At any point in the game, you can click this button and take home your winnings. You don’t have to finish the full path. This gives you control over how much risk you want to take.

    Try the Chicken Road Game Demo

    If you are new to Chicken Road, don’t worry. You can try the demo version of the game first. It works just like the real version but uses fake money. This is a great way to learn without taking any risks.

    Why Try the Demo?

    • No money needed
    • Learn the game rules
    • See how betting works
    • Practice using the Cash Out feature
    • Get familiar with the game layout

    The demo includes all the same features as the full game, so you get the full experience before betting real money.

    How to Sign Up to Play Chicken Road Game

    To play Chicken Road Game for real money, you need to register at an online casino that offers the game. Here’s how to do it:

    1. Choose a trusted online casino.
    2. Visit their website and click the “Register” button.
    3. Fill in your details, like your name, email, phone number, and address.
    4. Enter the verification code sent to your phone or email.
    5. Once you’re done, your account will be ready. You can now deposit money and start playing.

    Can I Play Chicken Road on My Phone?

    Yes! Let’s see how to get started:

    1. Pick a casino that offers the Chicken Road game.
    2. Go to their website on your phone.
    3. Find the Apps section and choose your device type.
    4. Download and install the casino app.
    5. Log in and start playing Chicken Road anytime, anywhere.

    How to Start Betting on Chicken Road

    Want to place your first real-money bet? Here’s a simple guide:

    1. Log in to your casino account (or create one if you haven’t yet).
    2. Click the “Deposit” button and add funds to your account.
    3. Open the Chicken Road game from the casino menu.
    4. Enter the amount you want to bet.
    5. Click the “Start” button to begin the game.
    6. Watch your chicken walk the path. Decide when to Cash Out based on your winnings.

    Your final prize depends on how far the chicken goes and the multiplier at the time you cash out.

    Best Strategies for Chicken Road

    You place a bet, help the chicken move forward, and decide when to cash out. But if you want to win more often, you need a plan.

    Many players use smart strategies to improve their chances. Below, you will find the most popular ones that can help you stay in the game longer and possibly earn bigger rewards.

    1. Safe Multiplier Strategy

    If you like playing it safe, this strategy is for you. It’s simple—cash out early, usually when the multiplier hits between 1.5x and 3x. Your wins won’t be huge, but you will win more often. Over time, these small wins can really add up, and you will lose less.

    2. Martingale Strategy

    This one is for players who don’t mind taking a little more risk. If you lose a round, you double your next bet. The idea is that when you finally win, you will cover all your past losses and still make a profit. But be careful—this strategy needs a good-sized balance and a bit of patience.

    3. Balanced Risk Strategy

    With this method, you adjust your bet size based on the difficulty level you choose. If you are playing on a harder level, place lower bets because the risk is higher. On easier levels, you can bet more since the chances of winning are better. This keeps your gameplay steady and balanced.

    4. The Lagom Approach – Balanced Play Style

    Inspired by the Swedish word “lagom,” which means “not too much, not too little,” this betting style helps you stay in control.

    Here’s how the Lagom Strategy works:

    • Start with a ₹500 bet.
    • If you win, lower your next bet to ₹300. This locks in some profit.
    • If you lose, raise your next bet slightly to ₹700 to try and recover.
    • Keep your bets in a safe range so you don’t risk too much.

    This approach keeps the game exciting but helps avoid the stress of big losses. It’s a great choice for players who want to stay consistent and in control.

    Download the Chicken Road Game App (APK)

    Want to play Chicken Road on your phone? It’s easy. It’s made to be quick, easy to use, and free from lag on every smartphone and tablet.

    Since the APK file is only 26.2 MB, your device will download it fast, and you won’t experience any further slowdown. You can enjoy Vampire Diaries: Struggle for Blood on your mobile browser, but its app has better controls and speed.

    How to Download the APK

    • Go to the official website or a trusted casino partner.
    • Tap on the download link for the Chicken Road APK.
    • Open the file and install it on your Android phone.
    • Once installed, just log in or sign up, and you’re ready to play.

    The game runs smoothly on Android and works great even on older phones. For iPhone users, many casinos also offer mobile apps that include Chicken Road.

    Chicken Road RTP and Winning Chances

    InOut Games is open about how Chicken Road works. The game is based on Provably Fair technology, meaning the results are created using a secure random system that players can trust.

    The RTP (Return to Player) for Chicken Road is 98%, which means most of the money bet by players is returned in winnings over time. Only a small 2% margin is used to support game development.

    Let’s break it down simply:

    • If you go for a 1.68x multiplier, your chance of winning is about 58%.
    • Going for a 2.80x multiplier gives you about a 35% chance.
    • A big win like 9.08x has around a 10% chance.
    • Going for something huge like 34.67x gives you a 2.8% chance.
    • The x1000 jackpot? Your chance is close to 0.1%—super rare, but possible.

    These numbers show that InOut Games keeps things fair, with only a small difference between the theoretical and actual win rates. Also, keep in mind that each round is random. Just because you won or lost before doesn’t affect what happens next.

    Is Chicken Road Real or Fake?

    Chicken Road is 100% real and fair. It’s created by a trusted company called InOut Games, and the game uses Provably Fair technology. This means that the game results are made using a secure system called cryptography. You can even check the fairness of every round.

    If you play Chicken Road at a licensed online casino, you’re in good hands. These casinos follow international gaming rules, so your gameplay is safe and your money is protected.

    Who Made Chicken Road?

    InOut Games is the company behind Chicken Road. They are known for making cool, easy-to-play mini-games that keep players coming back. Their games have:

    • High return-to-player (RTP) percentages
    • Simple and fun mechanics
    • Great design for both mobile and desktop

    Chicken Road is one of their most loved games. It’s fun, fast, and lets you use real strategies to win.

    Conclusion

    Chicken Road is a fast-paced, exciting game where your choices matter. Whether you’re someone who likes safe bets or wants to go all in for big wins, the game gives you options.

    You can play it your way:

    • Try safe steps and cash out early
    • Use smart betting strategies to stay ahead
    • Switch between easy and hard levels depending on your mood

    And with a high RTP and fun gameplay, you are always just one step away from a big win.

    Ready to take your chicken on a winning run? Start playing Chicken Road today and enjoy the thrill of every step!

    FAQs

    1. Can I play Chicken Road for free?

    Yes, many online casinos offer a demo version. You can play it without spending real money and learn how the game works.

    2. Where can I play Chicken Road?

    You can find Chicken Road on trusted online casinos that offer games from InOut Games.

    3. How does the game work?

    You place a bet and help the chicken move forward. Each step earns you more money, but you must choose the right time to cash out—before stepping into a trap.

    4. Are there any bonuses for Chicken Road?

    Yes. Many casinos offer free bets, deposit bonuses, cashback, and special promos for new and regular players.

    5. Is Chicken Road legal in India?

    Yes, as long as you’re playing on a licensed and legal online casino, Chicken Road is safe and legal in India.

    Media Details

    • Company Name – Chicken Road
    • Address – 673, JMD Building, Gurugram, Haryana
    • Company Website: https://chicken-roadd.com/
    • Email: sumit@chicken-roadd.com
    • Phone: +91-2049157035
    • Contact Person Name: Sumit

    Disclaimer
    This information is for general and entertainment purposes only—not legal, financial, or gambling advice. Always verify details and follow your local laws. Gambling carries risks; wager responsibly and only what you can afford to lose, and seek help if you feel out of control. Some links may be affiliate links at no extra cost to you, and wild may be unavailable or restricted in certain regions.

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why the salmon on your plate contains less omega-3 than it used to – and how the industry can address that

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Richard Newton, Lecturer in Aquaculture, University of Stirling

    Maria_Usp/Shutterstock

    Farmed Atlantic salmon has become one of the most highly traded food commodities in the world, enjoyed for its versatility as much as for its health benefits. It has long been known that eating oily fish such as salmon is the best way to consume long-chain omega-3 fatty acids. These are essential for brain development, mental health and cognition.

    In salmon, omega-3 fatty acids must come from the fish’s diet. For farmed fish, this means fishmeal and fish oil – so–called “marine ingredients” made from ground-up wild fish such as anchovy and fish by-products.

    But the global supply of omega-3s is severely limited, whether from farmed or wild seafood. Many of the key fisheries supplying marine ingredients reached full exploitation in the mid-1990s. Since the growth of salmon aquaculture, increasing volumes of the limited marine ingredients supply have been taken up by fish farming.

    This has raised concerns over sustainability and inflated the cost of these ingredients. The result has been a steady decline in the proportion of fish oil in farmed salmon diets, which has been replaced by plant oils. But these oils do not contain long-chain omega-3s.

    In turn, the amount of omega-3s in a portion of salmon halved between 2006 and 2015. However, the salmon industry increasingly uses omega-3 as a key selling point for its product – two portions of farmed Scottish salmon per week would meet the recommended intake for an adult at current levels.

    If the salmon industry is to continue to grow and maintain the omega-3 targets, it must be more efficient. And the seafood industry as a whole must do more to prevent omega-3 losses through its value chains. Part of the efficiency journey has been to produce more fish oil.

    This can be done by harnessing the value of fishery and aquaculture byproducts such as trimmings, skins and heads, so that more omega-3s are kept in the food (and feed) system.

    There is a growing incentive to use the whole fish – consequently there has been good progress in improving the use of byproducts. It is now estimated that around half of global fish oil supply is sourced from fishery, and particularly aquaculture, processing sources. However, there is still a lot of waste and logistical difficulties in storing and transporting seafood byproducts.

    Much of the industry incentive to use byproducts has been economic, as the global shortage of fish oil pushed prices above US$8,000 (£5,900) per tonne in 2024. Evidence from the past 20 years suggests that overall use of wild fish in the European salmon industry has dropped (replaced by plant ingredients), while production has grown several-fold.

    Despite improvements and reductions in the use of marine ingredients, the industry still comes under huge pressure from NGOs and conservation groups. They are concerned about the use of fish as feed, which may damage public perceptions of the aquaculture industry.

    To assess the use of fish as feed in aquaculture, the “fish in fish out” (Fifo) ratio was conceived, which measures the ratio of fish biomass included in fish feeds to the biomass of fish ultimately produced for consumption. The goal is for more fish to be produced for human consumption than is used as feed, and this would result in a Fifo of less than 1.

    New measure for nutrients

    Certification bodies such as the Aquaculture Stewardship Council and Best Aquaculture Practices have adopted different forms of the Fifo metric. However, until now, Fifo has not addressed one of the fundamental reasons for including marine ingredients in aquafeeds – providing omega-3s to consumers. It has neither considered the omega-3 content within feed fish, nor in the final product.

    Similarly, studies examining nutrient retention in salmon have only looked at that from feed to the farmed fish. The omega-3 lost in the process of turning the fish raw material in feed is not currently measured. By introducing our new measure, the nutrient Fifo (nFifo), nutrients can be followed from wild fish capture, its separation into meal and oil, and through to the final product sold to consumers.

    Certification bodies like the Aquaculture Stewardship Council could adopt the new metric for nutrition.
    T. Schneider/Shutterstock

    The method used in nFifo favours the use of byproduct resources over virgin raw materials, so that diets containing byproducts receive a lower nFifo. In theory, this should promote circular economy initiatives.

    This is crucial in the marine ingredients industry. Seafood is highly perishable and the byproducts especially so. But they are also some of the richest sources of omega-3s, such as from herring or mackerel.

    However, the cost of retaining, stabilising, storing and transporting byproducts is often prohibitive. This is especially true on board fishing boats, where space is at a premium and byproducts are often dumped at sea.

    Introducing metrics that prevent bioresources being wasted is essential for sustainable food production. Current salmon feed contains around 20% to 25% marine ingredients, but only around 5% is from byproducts. This results in a nFIFO of 2.17.

    Incorporating only marine ingredients sourced from byproducts reduces that nFifo to below 0.5. Crucially, this still provides the same level of omega-3s to the consumer.

    If the seafood industry is serious about sustainable production, it needs to become much more efficient with resources. The nFifo metric links the use of wild fish to omega-3s consumed in farmed salmon for the first time – but it could also be applied to other species and nutrients.

    The methodology is similar to that used for environmental impact indicators for climate change, land or water use. It makes it possible to assess the trade-offs of including and substituting marine ingredients in fish diets at different points of production.

    For example, while marine ingredients may raise concerns around their impact on fisheries, they have comparatively low carbon footprints and almost no land or water footprints compared to plant ingredients. This could potentially lead to more balanced and sustainable approaches to seafood production.

    It is hoped that the nFifo metric and an accessible tool for calculating it (there is one provided on the Blue Food Performance website) will be adopted by certifiers. It could also lead to more complex sustainability indicators becoming mainstream, letting consumers make informed choices about the nutritional and environmental credentials of the products they buy.

    Richard Newton is the Chair of the Climate Action Committe for Best Aquaculture Practice and the Stakeholder Advisory Group for Seafood Watch. He has previously received funding in 2019 and 2013 from the International Fishmeal Fishoil Organisation to map supplies of underutilised by-product resources.

    Dave Little has received funding from various organisations supporting sustainable aquaculture development and has been affiliated to various organisations working to to improve farmed seafood assurance

    – ref. Why the salmon on your plate contains less omega-3 than it used to – and how the industry can address that – https://theconversation.com/why-the-salmon-on-your-plate-contains-less-omega-3-than-it-used-to-and-how-the-industry-can-address-that-258228

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Partnering to Provide Dental Care to Special Needs Patients

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    When the need for high-quality dental care for patients with special health care needs meets a learning opportunity for dental residents, a thriving community partnership is born.

    The partnership between the School of Dental Medicine and the Hospital for Special Care (HFSC) epitomizes the benefits of a fruitful community partnership—UConn dental residents get exposure to caring for patients with special health care needs, while hospital patients get access to high-quality dental care.

    Located in New Britain, the Hospital for Special Care is the fourth largest, free-standing long-term acute care hospital in the United States and one of only two in the nation serving both adults and children.

    Identifying a need for onsite dental care for their medically complex patients, the HFSC contacted the School of Dental Medicine in 2022 to re-establish regular and on-going onsite dental care after discontinuing their clinic. Previously, the hospital and dental school had an arrangement that included a pediatric dentistry faculty member from UConn providing on-site dental care for half day per week.

    Nearly two years later, the partnership is thriving. The new arrangement allows HFSC patients to receive timely, and more efficient dental care. It is also more cost-effective, as it has largely eliminated the need for costly medical transportation between New Britain and UConn Health in Farmington for patients in need of dental care.

    Dr. Sadaf Salehi and Dr. Basma Essawy in the onsite dental suite at the Hospital for Special Care.

    “The ability to provide on-site dental care is more patient-friendly, less costly, and more responsive to the needs of a very medically complex patient population,” said Dr. Steven Lepowsky, dean of the School of Dental Medicine.

    “The UConn dental team is truly dedicated to the patients of Hospital for Special Care,” said Jennifer Farley, Chief Quality Officer and Vice President of Organizational Excellence at the Hospital for Special Care. “Since the beginning, the dentists have been aligned with the mission of Hospital for Special Care and are engaged in fulfilling the needs of our patients. We love providing a place for the dental students to develop skills in dentistry for special needs populations. This relationship has been mutually beneficial, and we couldn’t have asked for a better partner.”

    Twice a month, a second-year Advanced Education in General Dentistry (AEGD) resident, accompanied by Dr. Basma Essawy, clinical assistant professor of general dentistry, staff the dental suite at the Hospital for Special Care.

    On a typical day, Essawy and the resident treat patients in the dental suite. At the end of the day, they go bedside to evaluate patients and create a plan of action to care for patients in need of dental care the next time they staff the suite.

    These patients have a large range of medically complex conditions, ranging from traumatic brain injuries, to autism, to heart disease.

    “I feel really grateful at the end of the day to be able to care for special needs patients,” said Essawy.

    Sometimes, situations are emergent. When dental emergencies occur, the presence of the UConn dental on HFSC’s campus is convenient.

    Artwork from a grateful patient on display in the dental suite.

    “One day, we had an emergency towards the end of the day. They called us we were immediately able to go upstairs and handle that situation,” Essawy recalled. “The patient’s mom was there, and you could see how relieved she was that her son was helped immediately.”

    More complex cases, including ones that require oral surgery and sedation, get a referral to the UConn Health Farmington campus.

    To date, there have been over 200 patient encounters since the start of the program.

    For the UConn residents, the learning experience is invaluable. Dr. Natalie Pesun, a second-year AEGD resident, describes her days at the Hospital For Special Care as a “one day long intensive” for caring for patients with special health care needs.

    “There are so many more considerations for special needs patients,” said Pesun. “They are often on more medications, their mouth can’t open as wide, they may have involuntary movements, or it can be harder to explain the treatment. Also, dealing with paperwork side of things, including communicating with conservators and power of attorneys.”

    Pesun continues, “I had done a few hospital rotations in dental school, but this is nothing like it. The need for dental care for special needs patients is huge, and if I hadn’t gone through the AEGD residency program at UConn, I don’t know if I’d be comfortable seeing special needs patients. The  Hospital for Special Care rotation compliments my residency really well.”

    With the partnership being relatively new, Essawy largely credits the success of the program to the teamwork between the Hospital for Special Care and UConn. The HSFC staff, Essawy notes, helps iron out all the challenges to make sure everything is working smoothly. The UConn team gets everything that they need—from an updated dental suite that mimics the one in Farmington, to advice from the Chief Medical Officer to patient coordinators and occupational therapists helping with patient oral desensitization prior to treatment. The support from the hospital staff is crucial.

    “As we grow, we will face challenges, but for now we have a great team that allow us to overcome challenges in a short amount of time,” said Essawy. “Everyone is working to make this program successful.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Polis to Lead Colorado Delegation to the 2025 Biennial of the Americas Summit in Vancouver & Lead National Governors Association Education Convening

    Source: US State of Colorado

    Delegation will Represent Colorado at the Americas Summit Agriculture, Workforce, and Clean Tech Innovation, Convene Governors and Education Leaders

    DENVER – To encourage and spur more international cooperation, boost our state’s thriving economy, and discuss best practices in agriculture, workforce, and clean tech innovation, Governor Polis and the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) are attending the Americas Summit in Vancouver, Canada. As Chair of the National Governors Association (NGA), Governor Polis will also convene governors and education leaders for the latest in a series of bipartisan events in support of the NGA Chair’s Initiative, Let’s Get Ready: Educating All Americans for Success. 

    “Colorado is a global economic leader, and our strong international relationships with partners like Canada create good-paying jobs for Coloradans, strengthen international markets for made and grown in Colorado products, and boost investment in our state. While Washington pushes our allies away, Colorado will continue to bolster international trade and cooperation that benefits Coloradans, businesses, and our whole economy. The Biennial of the Americas Summit plays an invaluable role in building and strengthening Colorado’s ties with countries throughout the Western Hemisphere, and this Summit is an opportunity for us to show our allies that Colorado is stepping up as a steady partner,” said Colorado Governor Jared Polis. 

    The Americas Summit brings together influential leaders from across the Americas to explore critical topics such as sustainability, technological advancement, economic growth and cultural exchange. 

    “Canada is a top partner for Colorado in both trade and tourism, accounting for 16% of our state’s exports and bringing more than 176,000 visitors. Now more than ever, we must strengthen this important international relationship to help both of our regions thrive and support the Colorado businesses that depend on these international connections,” said OEDIT’s Executive Director, Eve Lieberman. 

    In addition to attending the Americas Summit, Gov. Polis and OEDIT’s Global Business Development division are hosting additional events to showcase Colorado’s leadership in the advanced industries, the state’s commitment to strong international partnerships, and highlight Colorado’s business strengths: 

    • A roundtable hosted in partnership with the Colorado-headquartered National Science Foundation (NSF) ASCEND Engine to convene stakeholders in the clean energy/climate tech sector and adjacent technology areas that support decarbonization efforts and community resiliency.
    • A convening of Canadian business leaders and Colorado stakeholders to highlight the state’s business advantages, including a nation-leading workforce, central location for global market access and a stable and collaborative ecosystem.
    • A roundtable with leaders of British Columbia to explore the impacts of recent trade policy changes between the U.S. and Canada, and explore opportunities for cross-border collaboration at the state and provincial levels. 

    “International missions ensure that Colorado remains at the forefront with our global partners. The relationships made and strengthened at the Americas Summit enhance our state’s reputation as a global leader in innovation and the advanced industries while identifying new opportunities for cross-border collaboration at the state and provincial levels,” said Michelle Hadwiger, Director of Global Business Development for OEDIT. 

    OEDIT staff includes representation from the Colorado Tourism Office, the Colorado Creative Industries Office, and the Outdoor Recreation Industry Office. Leadership from the Colorado Department of Agriculture and the Department of Labor and Employment will also be in attendance at the summit. 

    While in Vancouver, Governor Polis will also lead a convening of the National Governors Association to discuss how states can ensure students are prepared with the skills needed to succeed and highlight his chairman’s initiative, “Let’s Get Ready! Educating All Americans For Success”. 

    “Funding education that gives students the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in the classroom and grow in the workforce is the largest and most important investment Colorado makes each year. This convening provides the opportunity for state and education leaders to share innovative solutions to strengthen student success and achievement,” said Colorado Governor Jared Polis. 

    The NGA convening includes a visit to Language Nest, for kids ages 0 to three, and Capilano Little Ones Elementary School, where students learn primarily in Squamish, immersing young students in the language and culture at a young age. During the convening, Governor Polis will also moderate panels with Dr. Oon Seng Tan, the Director of the Singapore Center for Character and Citizenship Education, Dr. Timothy Knowels, the President of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, and Dr. Vicki Phillips the CEO of the National Center on Education and the Economy. 

    About OEDIT’s Global Business Development Division 

    Global Business Development (GBD) is a division of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade. GBD supports Colorado businesses and communities by using a data-driven approach to recruit, support, and retain businesses that contribute to a robust and diversified economy. We align our portfolio of programs, services, and incentives with industries that benefit Colorado companies and elevate the state’s national and international competitiveness. GBD also hosts foreign delegations and participates in trade and investment missions around the world to strengthen global awareness of Colorado. With a highly educated and motivated workforce, a thriving innovation economy, and nation-leading entrepreneurial spirit, Colorado is a top market for business development. 

    About Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade 

    The Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) works to empower all to thrive in Colorado’s economy. Under the leadership of the Governor and in collaboration with economic development partners across the state, we foster a thriving business environment through funding and financial programs, training, consulting and informational resources across industries and regions. We promote economic growth and long-term job creation by recruiting, retaining, and expanding Colorado businesses and providing programs that support entrepreneurs and businesses of all sizes at every stage of growth. Our goal is to protect what makes our state a great place to live, work, start a business, raise a family, visit and retire—and make it accessible to everyone. Learn more about OEDIT. 

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: King, Murkowski Introduce Bill to Strengthen Maine’s Coastal Workforce, Fisheries and Infrastructure

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maine Angus King
    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Angus King (I-ME) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) introduced legislation that would lay the groundwork to boost the workforce, energy and shoreside infrastructure, food security, and economies of coastal communities in Maine and across the country. The Working Waterfronts Act, which is also co-sponsored by Senator Susan Collins (R-ME), is comprised of more than a dozen provisions, would support efforts to mitigate the impacts of climate change and strengthen federal conservation research projects. Included in the legislation is Senator King’s Fishing Industry Credit Enhancement Act which would allow businesses that provide direct assistance to fishing operations — like gear producers or cold storage — to access loans from the Farm Credit System (FCS) that are already offered to service providers for farmers, ranchers and loggers. 
    “Maine’s coastal communities are changing. From a warming climate to an evolving economy, the Gulf of Maine faces both historic opportunities and challenges that will define our state’s success for generations,” said Senator King. “The Working Waterfronts Act would provide Maine’s working waterfronts up and down the coast with the necessary financial, energy and infrastructure resources to adapt to the rapidly shifting dynamics of natural disasters affecting economic and tourism operations. It would also help support the necessary workforce to sustain our coastal businesses. Thanks to my colleagues for working with me to ensure our waterfronts have the necessary tools and resources to thrive for years to come.”
    “One of my priorities this Congress was reintroducing the Working Waterfronts Act, a comprehensive and collective effort to harness the potential of the blue economy for Alaska’s coastal communities,” said Senator Murkowski. “With 66,000 miles of coastline, it is vital Alaska strengthens our shoreside infrastructure and supports workforce development to ensure the sustainability and growth of our fisheries, tourism, and mariculture sectors. This legislation will provide essential resources for alternative energy initiatives, improve community processing facilities, and promote safety and wellness in the maritime workforce. Together, we can build a resilient future for our coastal communities while addressing climate change and preserving our precious marine ecosystems.”
    “The men and women who make their living in Maine’s blue economy face growing challenges, including rising costs, workforce shortages, and changing ocean conditions,” said Senator Collins. “This bipartisan legislation would help address these issues by improving shoreside infrastructure, supporting the next generation of maritime workers, and investing in ocean ecosystem maintenance to ensure that Maine’s coastal communities remain strong for years to come.”
    Bill Highlights:
    Investing in Energy and Shoreside Infrastructure
    Tax Credits for Marine Energy Projects supports projects that produce electricity from waves, tides, and ocean currents.
    Fishing Vessel Alternative Fuels Pilot Program provides resources to help transition fishing vessels from diesel to alternative fuel sources such as electric or hybrid, and funds research and development of alternative fuel technologies for fishing vessels.
    Rural Coastal Community Processing and Cold Storage Grant increases support for community infrastructure such as cold storage, cooperative processing facilities, and mariculture/seaweed processing facilities by establishing a competitive grant program through the Department of Commerce for rural and small-scale projects.
    Working Waterfronts Development Act establishes a grant program for infrastructure improvements for facilities benefitting commercial and recreational fishermen, mariculturists, and the boatbuilding industry.
    Boosting Maritime Workforce Development and Blue Economy
    Fishing Industry Credit Enhancement Act strengthens financial support for fishery operations by expanding Farm Credit eligibility to fishing industry support businesses.
    Maritime Workforce Grant Program establishes a Maritime Workforce Grant Program, directing the Maritime Administrator to award competitive grants supporting entities engaged in recruiting, educating, or training the maritime workforce.
    Fishing Industry Safety, Health, and Wellness Improvement (FISH Wellness) Act expands the Coast Guard and CDC’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Fishing Safety Research and Training (FRST) Grant Program to include projects supporting behavioral health in addition to the projects currently supported dedicated to occupational safety research and training.
    Ocean Regional Opportunity and Innovation Act establishes at least one ocean innovation cluster in each of the five domestic NOAA Fisheries regions, as well as the Great Lakes and Gulf of Mexico regions. The ocean cluster model fosters collaboration between different sectors – including public, private, and academic – within a geographic region to promote economic growth and sustainability in the Blue Economy.
    Supporting Sustainable and Resilient Ecosystems
    Coastal Communities Ocean Acidification Act enhances collaboration on ocean acidification research and monitoring through ongoing mechanisms for stakeholder engagement on necessary research and monitoring. This provision would also establish two Advisory Board seats for representatives from Indian Tribes, Native Hawaiian organizations, Tribal organizations, and Tribal consortia affected by ocean acidification and coastal acidification.
    Vegetated Coastal Ecosystem Inventory establishes an interagency working group for the creation and maintenance of a comprehensive national map and inventory detailing vegetated coastal and Great Lakes ecosystems. This inventory encompasses habitat types, species, ecosystem conditions, ownership, protected status, size, salinity and tidal boundaries, carbon sequestration potential, and impacts of climate change.
    Marine Invasive Species Research and Monitoring provides resources and tools to mitigate the impact of invasive species and help limit their spread by authorizing research and monitoring grants for local, Tribal, and regional marine invasive prevention work. This includes training, outreach, and equipment for early detection and response to invasions.
    Senator King is a longtime supporter of working waterfronts and small businesses. He previously introduced the bipartisan Providing Resources for Emergency Preparedness and Resilient Enterprises (PREPARE) Act to reauthorize the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Pre-Disaster Mitigation Pilot Program, which would give small businesses the opportunity to take out low-interest loans for the purpose of proactively implementing mitigation measures that protect their property from future disaster-related damage. He also led a bipartisan bill to provide working waterfronts with a 30 percent tax credit on up to $1 million in mitigation expenses, adjusted for inflation annually. In 2024, he was named a Hero of Main Street for his support of small businesses across Maine.
    Senator Collins has consistently fought to strengthen Maine’s working waterfronts. Earlier this year, she successfully pushed the Department of Commerce to restore full funding for Maine Sea Grant, ensuring continued support for coastal research and marine industries in Maine. She secured $15 million in federal funding in the 2024 funding package to help coastal communities recover from storm damage and to launch a new grant program at the Economic Development Administration for working waterfronts. She previously introduced the bipartisan Working Waterfront Preservation Act to create a $20 million annual grant program to support working waterfronts nationwide.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: American National Insurance Company Introduces Smart Start Accumulator Series

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    HOUSTON, June 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — American National Insurance Company announces the launch of its innovative Smart Start Accumulator Series, a series of single premium fixed indexed annuities designed to provide clients with the opportunity for significant growth by maximizing accumulation potential from day one.

    The series, which includes Smart Start Accumulator and Smart Start Accumulator Plus, leverages Nobel Prize-winning research to offer easy-to-understand portfolio allocation options based on their individual risk tolerance and retirement goals1. A conservative, moderate, and aggressive portfolio option is available along with a custom allocation option. This helps policyholders confidently navigate their financial future with a strategy that meets their individual needs.

    One of the key features of the Smart Start Accumulator Series is the Best Entry Window, which sets all the selected index starting values at their lowest point in the initial 90-day period, which can help clients maximize their first-year growth potential. Additionally, the Smart Start Accumulator Plus offers premium enhancement options that can provide an immediate boost to the annuity’s value. Clients choose the enhancement level that best suits their savings goals and financial strategy.

    “We are proud to bring practical financial solutions that help our clients build a secure future with confidence,” said Chad Ferrell, Senior Vice President and Chief of Annuity Distribution at American National. “By integrating strategic indexing options and enhancement features, this series empowers individuals to make smart investment choices that align with their long-term financial goals while minimizing exposure to unnecessary risks.”

    The series also includes various strategies for interest crediting based on market index performance, including the S&P 500® Value Cap2, S&P 500® Dynamic Intraday TCA Index2, S&P MARC 5% Excess Return Index2, Invesco QQQ Portfolio Plus Index3, and Morningstar® Global Wide Moat VC 7 Index4.

    For more information, please visit AmericanNational.com.

    ABOUT AMERICAN NATIONAL

    Founded in 1905 and based in Galveston, Texas, American National Insurance Company (American National) is dedicated to being a source of certainty for millions of Americans through a comprehensive range of wealth protection, retirement, and insurance products and services. American National combines our expertise and resources to cater to the diverse needs of our clients, guiding them towards financial security and peace of mind. For more information, visit our website at AmericanNational.com.

    Annuities, life insurance and other products and services are written through multiple companies. Property and casualty insurance is written through American National Property And Casualty Company, Springfield, Missouri, and affiliates. In New York, business is written through Farm Family Casualty Insurance Company, United Farm Family Insurance Company, and American National Life Insurance Company of New York, Glenmont, New York. Not all products and services are available in all states. Not all companies are licensed in all states. Each company has financial responsibility only for the products and services it issues.

    ______________________________

    1 Markowitz, H.M. (1959). Portfolio Selection: Efficient Diversification of Investments. New York: John Wiley & Sons. (reprinted by Yale University Press, 1970, ISBN 978-0-300-01372-6; 2nd ed. Basil Blackwell, 1991, ISBN 978-1-55786-108-5). “Nobel Prize”. Encyclopedia Britannica. 2007. Archived from the original on 29 April 2015.

    2 The S&P MARC 5% Index, S&P 500®Index, and S&P 500®  Dynamic Intraday TCA Index are products of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC or its affiliates (“SPDJI”) and have been licensed for use by American National Insurance Company. S&P®, S&P 500®, US 500, The 500, iBoxx®, iTraxx® and CDX® are trademarks of S&P Global, Inc. or its affiliates (“S&P”); Dow Jones® is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC (“Dow Jones”) and these trademarks have been licensed for use by SPDJI and sublicensed for certain purposes by American National Insurance Company. American National Insurance Company’s products are not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by SPDJI, Dow Jones, S&P, their respective affiliates, and none of such parties make any representation regarding the advisability of investing in such product(s) nor do they have any liability for any errors, omissions, or interruptions of the S&P MARC 5% Index, S&P 500®Index, and S&P 500®  Dynamic Intraday TCA Index.

    3 Invesco Indexing LLC (“Licensor”) has licensed the Index to American National Insurance Company to be used as a component of certain fixed index annuity products (the “Products”). The Index may be calculated by a third party or contain third-party data, each third-party provider and Licensor are collectively “Licensor Parties”. The Products are not sponsored, operated, endorsed, sold, or promoted by Licensor Parties. The Index, the proprietary data therein, and related trademarks, are intellectual property licensed from Licensor, and may not be copied, used, or distributed without Licensor’s prior written approval. The Products have not been passed on as to their legality or suitability, and are not regulated, issued, endorsed, sold, guaranteed, or promoted by Licensor Parties. Licensor Parties make no express or implied warranties, and hereby expressly disclaims all warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose with respect to the Index or any data included therein. Without limiting any of the foregoing, in no event shall Licensor Parties have any liability for any special, punitive, indirect, or consequential damages (including lost profits), even if notified of the possibility of such damages.

    4 The Morningstar Indexes are the exclusive property of Morningstar, Inc. Morningstar, Inc., its affiliates and subsidiaries, its direct and indirect information providers and any other third party involved in, or related to, compiling, computing or creating any Morningstar Index (collectively, “Morningstar Parties”) do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness and/or timeliness of the Morningstar Indexes or any data included therein and shall have no liability for any errors, omissions, or interruptions therein. None of the Morningstar Parties make any representation or warranty, express or implied, as to the results to be obtained from the use of the Morningstar Indexes or any data included therein.

    Form Series: FIA25; ICC25 (Forms may vary by state). When a person buys this annuity, the person is not buying an ownership interest in any stock or index. Not FDIC/NCUA insured / Not a deposit / Not insured by any federal government agency / No bank/CU guarantee / May lose value.

    Contact: Scott Campbell
    SVP, Corporate Communications
    Scott.Campbell@AmericanNational.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: What keeps girls from school in Malawi? We asked them and it’s not just pregnancy

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Rachel Silver, Assistant Professor, York University, Canada

    Coverage of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns on girls in Malawi emphasised the risks they faced as a result of not attending school. In particular, concerns about pregnancy garnered significant media attention.

    The United Nations Children’s Fund, for example, published an article in March 2021 entitled “Schoolgirl shakes off COVID-19 regret: Lucy’s return to school”. Under a glossy photograph of a smiling girl, readers learn about 16-year-old Lucy, one of 13,000 Malawian students who became pregnant during COVID-19 school closures. The story went on to detail the dire consequences of sexual activity to Lucy’s well-being, and the redemptive power of an eventual return to school.

    The Unicef piece echoed thousands of similar publications circulated after March 2020 that analysed COVID-19’s unique risk for girls in the global south and lamented lost returns to girls’ education.

    In response to COVID-19 surges, Malawian schools closed for over seven months, during which the percentage of pregnancies to young women aged 10-19 did increase from 29% to 35% of total pregnancies.

    Yet, our research has demonstrated that international development organisations and media outlets focused mostly on narrow, sexualised framings of risk to African girls and women rather than on the many intersecting and ongoing barriers to their well-being and school retention. These challenges both predate and extend beyond COVID-19.

    As scholars of international development education who have conducted research in Malawi for over a decade, we decided to join Malawian educational activist and collaborator Stella Makhuva to research how girls themselves narrated their experiences of the COVID-19 years. What did they consider a risk to their schooling?

    Together, we designed a longitudinal study from 2020 to 2023 that included multiple rounds of interviews and participatory journalling methods with 22 upper primary and secondary school girls in southern Malawi.

    We found that for girls in our study, COVID-19 was less a rupture – an unusual event that threatened their education in unprecedented ways – than an added variable in the already complex calculations girls and their families made about whether and how to remain in school.

    We argue that it was not pregnancy itself, but escalating resource constraints, that kept girls from school. And that interventions must do something about the real problem: inequitable systems.

    The stories told by the girls illustrate this. (All the names are pseudonyms.)

    Their stories

    When Faith joined our study in 2020, she was attending a peri-urban primary school near her home. She lived in a mud and grass-thatched house with her parents, both subsistence farmers who supported Faith’s and her siblings’ education. During school closures, she studied with friends to keep up with academic content when she was not helping with her parents’ farm.

    Yet school costs threatened Faith’s return to school upon reopening. Despite primary school being officially “free” by government mandate, students at her school were required to contribute 800 Malawi kwacha (close to US$1 at the time) per term to a school fund for infrastructure projects and upkeep. Not paying into the fund resulted in exclusion from classes.

    Read more: Does free schooling give girls a better chance in life? Burundi study shows the poorest benefited most

    When Faith eventually passed the Primary School Leaving Certificate Exam and enrolled in secondary school, the costs to schooling rose from 5,000 kwacha (about US$6.50 in early 2021) to 20,000 kwacha (about US$19 in late 2022). Faith worried about whether her parents, whose maize and tomato yields suffered from poor rains, would be able to pay.

    On top of this, Faith paid other costs, from exam fees and bicycle rental fees to supplemental lessons in which she learned material never covered during school hours. She said she and her family often sacrificed eating sufficiently to save money.

    Still, Faith was repeatedly pushed out of school until her fee balance was met. Before, during, and after COVID-19 school closures, girls like her were pushed out of school for a lack of regular fee payments.

    Faith’s school-going was also threatened by warming temperatures and new rain patterns that left her family with diminished food and income. Added to this were volatility in government agricultural subsidies to small farmers, inflated school fees, and the increasing privatisation of public education in Malawi.

    Read more: Malawi faces a food crisis: why plans to avert hunger aren’t realistic and what can be done

    Like Faith, all of the girls in our study worked to supplement their schooling with part time lessons, holiday classes, or by repeating grades given educational quality concerns. Based in under-resourced schools with low exam pass rates, girls knew that they were provided an incomplete education.

    According to Brightness,

    We do not learn fully what we are supposed to cover, and some teachers tend to be absent during their lessons. This makes us lag behind … As a result during exams they ask some questions which some of us … did not learn.

    Empirical evidence has shown how teacher engagement has long been influenced by the region’s high disease burden, especially due to HIV/Aids. This has left teachers both ill and caring for ill relatives.

    While teacher disengagement, therefore, reflected factors such as competing care responsibilities, professional dissatisfaction and stress, girls were deeply frustrated by what felt like abandonment.

    Rethinking pregnancy and parenting

    Mainstream discourses that missed key barriers to girls’ school retention and performance, such as privatisation and food insecurity, misrepresented student pregnancy as an emergent “crisis”.

    Prior to the pandemic, sexuality and school-going already overlapped for many girls in Malawi, where adolescent pregnancy rates were threefold the global average. Still, girls in our study countered the idea that schooling and sex were incompatible. They also challenged the idea that school was inherently safe and that it was pregnancy that kept them from school.

    Read more: Education and gender equality: focus on girls isn’t fair and isn’t enough — global study

    Many of the girls’ stories emphasised continuity with what came before the pandemic.

    We have found this in past research. Schooling and sexuality are not necessarily opposed; but parents and teachers try to protect girls from sexuality; and parenting and non-parenting girls alike face significant resource-related barriers to schooling.

    Conclusion

    If girls’ choices, particularly around sexuality, do not represent the greatest or only source of risk for girls’ schooling, interventions must respond to this reality. They should support well-being and address the broader conditions in which girls live and learn. The problem is inequity, not pregnant girls.

    – What keeps girls from school in Malawi? We asked them and it’s not just pregnancy
    – https://theconversation.com/what-keeps-girls-from-school-in-malawi-we-asked-them-and-its-not-just-pregnancy-258401

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Global: What keeps girls from school in Malawi? We asked them and it’s not just pregnancy

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Rachel Silver, Assistant Professor, York University, Canada

    Coverage of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns on girls in Malawi emphasised the risks they faced as a result of not attending school. In particular, concerns about pregnancy garnered significant media attention.

    The United Nations Children’s Fund, for example, published an article in March 2021 entitled “Schoolgirl shakes off COVID-19 regret: Lucy’s return to school”. Under a glossy photograph of a smiling girl, readers learn about 16-year-old Lucy, one of 13,000 Malawian students who became pregnant during COVID-19 school closures. The story went on to detail the dire consequences of sexual activity to Lucy’s well-being, and the redemptive power of an eventual return to school.

    The Unicef piece echoed thousands of similar publications circulated after March 2020 that analysed COVID-19’s unique risk for girls in the global south and lamented lost returns to girls’ education.

    In response to COVID-19 surges, Malawian schools closed for over seven months, during which the percentage of pregnancies to young women aged 10-19 did increase from 29% to 35% of total pregnancies.

    Yet, our research has demonstrated that international development organisations and media outlets focused mostly on narrow, sexualised framings of risk to African girls and women rather than on the many intersecting and ongoing barriers to their well-being and school retention. These challenges both predate and extend beyond COVID-19.

    As scholars of international development education who have conducted research in Malawi for over a decade, we decided to join Malawian educational activist and collaborator Stella Makhuva to research how girls themselves narrated their experiences of the COVID-19 years. What did they consider a risk to their schooling?

    Together, we designed a longitudinal study from 2020 to 2023 that included multiple rounds of interviews and participatory journalling methods with 22 upper primary and secondary school girls in southern Malawi.

    We found that for girls in our study, COVID-19 was less a rupture – an unusual event that threatened their education in unprecedented ways – than an added variable in the already complex calculations girls and their families made about whether and how to remain in school.

    We argue that it was not pregnancy itself, but escalating resource constraints, that kept girls from school. And that interventions must do something about the real problem: inequitable systems.

    The stories told by the girls illustrate this. (All the names are pseudonyms.)

    Their stories

    When Faith joined our study in 2020, she was attending a peri-urban
    primary school near her home. She lived in a mud and grass-thatched house with her parents, both subsistence farmers who supported Faith’s and her siblings’ education. During school closures, she studied with friends to keep up with academic content when she was not helping with her parents’ farm.

    Yet school costs threatened Faith’s return to school upon reopening. Despite primary school being officially “free” by government mandate, students at her school were required to contribute 800 Malawi kwacha (close to US$1 at the time) per term to a school fund for infrastructure projects and upkeep. Not paying into the fund resulted in exclusion from classes.



    Read more:
    Does free schooling give girls a better chance in life? Burundi study shows the poorest benefited most

    When Faith eventually passed the Primary School Leaving Certificate Exam and enrolled in secondary school, the costs to schooling rose from 5,000 kwacha (about US$6.50 in early 2021) to 20,000 kwacha (about US$19 in late 2022). Faith worried about whether her parents, whose maize and tomato yields suffered from poor rains, would be able to pay.

    On top of this, Faith paid other costs, from exam fees and bicycle rental fees to supplemental lessons in which she learned material never covered during school hours. She said she and her family often sacrificed eating sufficiently to save money.

    Still, Faith was repeatedly pushed out of school until her fee balance was met. Before, during, and after COVID-19 school closures, girls like her were pushed out of school for a lack of regular fee payments.

    Faith’s school-going was also threatened by warming temperatures and new rain patterns that left her family with diminished food and income. Added to this were volatility in government agricultural subsidies to small farmers, inflated school fees, and the increasing privatisation of public education in Malawi.



    Read more:
    Malawi faces a food crisis: why plans to avert hunger aren’t realistic and what can be done

    Like Faith, all of the girls in our study worked to supplement their schooling with part time lessons, holiday classes, or by repeating grades given educational quality concerns. Based in under-resourced schools with low exam pass rates, girls knew that they were provided an incomplete education.

    According to Brightness,

    We do not learn fully what we are supposed to cover, and some teachers tend to be absent during their lessons. This makes us lag behind … As a result during exams they ask some questions which some of us … did not learn.

    Empirical evidence has shown how teacher engagement has long been influenced by the region’s high disease burden, especially due to HIV/Aids. This has left teachers both ill and caring for ill relatives.

    While teacher disengagement, therefore, reflected factors such as competing care responsibilities, professional dissatisfaction and stress, girls were deeply frustrated by what felt like abandonment.

    Rethinking pregnancy and parenting

    Mainstream discourses that missed key barriers to girls’ school retention and performance, such as privatisation and food insecurity, misrepresented student pregnancy as an emergent “crisis”.

    Prior to the pandemic, sexuality and school-going already overlapped for many girls in Malawi, where adolescent pregnancy rates were threefold the global average. Still, girls in our study countered the idea that schooling and sex were incompatible. They also challenged the idea that school was inherently safe and that it was pregnancy that kept them from school.



    Read more:
    Education and gender equality: focus on girls isn’t fair and isn’t enough — global study

    Many of the girls’ stories emphasised continuity with what came before the pandemic.

    We have found this in past research. Schooling and sexuality are not necessarily opposed; but parents and teachers try to protect girls from sexuality; and parenting and non-parenting girls alike face significant resource-related barriers to schooling.

    Conclusion

    If girls’ choices, particularly around sexuality, do not represent the greatest or only source of risk for girls’ schooling, interventions must respond to this reality. They should support well-being and address the broader conditions in which girls live and learn. The problem is inequity, not pregnant girls.

    Rachel Silver has received funding from the National Academy of Education/Spencer Foundation and the Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

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

    – ref. What keeps girls from school in Malawi? We asked them and it’s not just pregnancy – https://theconversation.com/what-keeps-girls-from-school-in-malawi-we-asked-them-and-its-not-just-pregnancy-258401

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Blowing Away the Lava Ridge Wind Project—for Good

    Source: US State of Idaho

    For years, Idahoans yelled loud and clear: the Lava Ridge Wind Project is not welcome in our state. Affected local residents, farmers, tribes, conservationists, and the Japanese-American community all stood united in opposition to this plan. However, despite numerous legitimate concerns and near-unanimous opposition to the project, the Biden administration’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM) refused to listen.
    That was until January 20th, 2025, when President Trump was sworn in as the 47th President of the United States. With many thanks to Senator Risch for working with President Trump, the President stepped in and signed a Day One executive order to stop this project. President Trump’s efforts proved that he heard Idahoans’ concerns and was ready to act. 
    Not only did President Trump show Idahoans that our voices matter, but this action also sent a clear message – Idahoans expect more out of the use of our public lands. 
    The agency did not genuinely engage with stakeholders to address concerns about the Minidoka National Historic Site, grazing, wildfire response, and more. For four years, the Biden administration demonstrated that it would rather prioritize renewable wind power over multiple-use mandates directed by Congress. 
    As Idahoans, we depend on the concept of multiple use on public lands, and it is deeply rooted in our way of life. Long-standing uses like ranching, grazing, and recreation have coexisted for years on these lands, yet the Lava Ridge Project threatened to upend these uses.
    Despite ignoring the voices of Idahoans and attempting to downplay the severity of the issues raised, the BLM adamantly rammed forward with this project—something I have not seen in all my time serving in Congress.
    The level of disregard for Congress and the law was especially concerning. As Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies, I used every tool at my disposal to slow down or halt this out-of-touch project.
    Let me be clear: I opposed this project on day one. I questioned BLM Director Tracy Stone-Manning and Interior Secretary Deb Haaland directly in congressional hearings, and included language in the Fiscal Year 2025 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies appropriations bill, which passed the House, that blocked the final Environmental Impact Statement for the Lava Ridge Wind Project from moving forward. I also introduced legislation with my Idaho delegation colleagues that would prevent the Secretary of the Interior from approving a wind or solar project on public lands if the Legislature in the respective state has passed a resolution of disapproval.
    I even authored language—passed by Congress and signed into law by President Biden—directing the Department of the Interior to reengage and incorporate feedback from the stakeholders on alternative plans before moving forward with Lava Ridge. 
    Despite these efforts, the significant adverse impacts, and widespread opposition across the state, the BLM continued to push this project forward blindly. This was extremely discouraging. It was disappointing for residents in the Magic Valley, the Japanese-American community, due to the harmful impacts of the Minidoka National Historical Site, and for those of us in Congress who felt the Biden administration was bulldozing their authority over us.
    The administration change on January 20th was transformative in many ways. President Trump gave Idahoans hope again–and he backed it up with action. Idahoans owe a great deal of thanks to President Trump and to leaders like Senator Risch, who kept this issue at the forefront with the administration.
    President Trump listened. Lava Ridge is stopped. But even with this win, the fight is not over, and we must stay vigilant. We must ensure that no future project—regardless of a new name or administration—gets as close to implementation as the Lava Ridge Wind Project did.
    Throughout my time in Congress, I have worked to ensure our land management agencies are good neighbors, and it is abundantly clear that BLM needs to reconsider its approach moving forward.  That’s why I will use my role in Congress to keep working with federal, state, and local leaders to ensure these voices are heard.
    Like many, I cherish our public lands. As a lifelong Idahoan, I understand the importance of ensuring that future generations can enjoy the same benefits that we have today. I will always work to preserve access to our public lands and defend our way of life. I am especially grateful to now have an administration that stands with us and has our backs. 
    Thank you to President Trump and to all the Idahoans who made their voices heard. Common sense prevailed.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: PERRY COUNTY – Shapiro Administration Continues to Stand Up for Pennsylvania Families and Farmers Against Harmful Proposed Federal SNAP Funding Cuts

    Source: US State of Pennsylvania

    June 10, 2025 – Elliottsburg, PA

    ADVISORY – PERRY COUNTY – Shapiro Administration Continues to Stand Up for Pennsylvania Families and Farmers Against Harmful Proposed Federal SNAP Funding Cuts

    Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding will join agriculture business leaders and farmers at People’s Provisions to bring attention to the potentially disastrous consequences that proposed federal funding reductions for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will have on Pennsylvania farmers, grocery businesses, and families. SNAP benefits bring in approximately $365 million each month to Pennsylvania’s economy, and any potential SNAP changes or cuts would lead to fewer resources for those who need the most help and economic losses for our food banks and retail grocers.

    The Shapiro Administration is committed to fighting hunger in Pennsylvania while supporting our farmers and the agriculture industry in the noble work they do to feed people. Governor Josh Shapiro’s 2025-26 budget proposes increased investments to help end hunger and support farms across Pennsylvania.

    WHO:
    Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding
    People’s Provisions Owner and Grower Lindsay Hutchinson
    Chicano Sol Farm Co-Owner Jarrah Cernas

    WHEN:
    Tuesday, June 10 at 1 p.m.

    WHERE:
    People’s Provisions, 2226 Shermans Valley Road, Elliottsburg, PA 17024

    RSVP:
    Press attending should RSVP with news outlet and photographer and reporter names to aginfo@pa.gov.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: MCQ Markets Launches McQueen Garage Inc For Rapid Collector Car Trades Powered by the Dogecoin Blockchain

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    MIAMI, June 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — MCQ Markets, an emerging leader in the automotive alternative asset investment space, is proud to announce the official launch of its new entity, McQueen Garage. A dynamic new division designed to operate as a high-velocity auto trading platform providing investors exposure to high-performing, investment-grade luxury and exotic vehicles using the Dogecoin Blockchain.

    In its first major milestone, McQueen Garage successfully completed the sale of a 2021 Maybach S580, generating an 8.8% return in just five days. The Black/Silver Metallic S580, with just 12,904 kilometers on the dash, showcases how expertly selected collector vehicles can rival traditional asset classes in returns, especially during periods of economic uncertainty.

    McQueen Garage was developed in response to growing investor demand for short-hold, high-return automotive trades. Like its parent platform, MCQ Markets, the division focuses on liquidity-driven strategies that leverage the performance of collector cars, an asset class that has outpaced more conventional markets. According to Knight Frank, the collector car index has surged 185% over the past decade, exceeding returns from the S&P 500, fine art, wine, watches, and even real estate.

    Backed by a team with a verified 60.13% ROI on past automotive trades, McQueen Garage operates on a wholesale model, sourcing and selling vehicles within days rather than months or years. The company is targeting $40 million in total trades over the next 12 months.

    As MCQ Markets as a whole moves toward digital asset integration, McQueen Garage is accepting Dogecoin as a form of payment. This aligns with MCQ Markets’ broader vision to tokenize iconic cars. Plans are underway to launch a tokenized auto fund in Q1 2026, which will bring liquidity and accessibility to the world of car collecting through blockchain technology.

    “With McQueen Garage, we’re unlocking a new era of speed, liquidity, and return potential in car trading,” said Curt Hopkins, CEO of MCQ Markets. “Backed by the Dogecoin Blockchain, what we’re creating is more than a garage, it’s a gateway to the future of automotive investing.”

    Through its main platform, MCQMarkets.com, the company continues to offer fractional ownership in rare, investment-grade vehicles such as their sold-out Lamborghini Countach and the newly listed 2012 Lexus LFA, which is one of only 500 units ever produced. Originally priced at $375K, a recent LFA sale reached $951K, a staggering 154.57% value increase.

    MCQ Markets is empowering a new generation of investors to diversify through luxury vehicles and invest alongside renowned racing legends Romain Grosjean and Patricio O’Ward.

    To explore live offerings and learn more about MCQ Garage and MCQ Markets, visit www.MCQMarkets.com.

    About MCQ Markets
    MCQ Markets is redefining luxury asset ownership by making exotic automobiles attainable through its innovative fractional ownership model. The platform serves both passionate enthusiasts and seasoned investors, democratizing luxury ownership and allowing more individuals to invest in assets that were previously out of reach. For more information, please visit: https://on.mcqmarkets.com/pr

    Investments contain a high degree of risk. You should carefully review the MCQ Markets offering circular before deciding to invest, a copy of which is available on the Securities and Exchange Commission’s website, linked here: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/2025795/000149315224023512/partiiandiii.htm. The mentioned individual, Lindsay Brewer, is a paid ambassador of MCQ Markets, receiving equity-based compensation.

    Contact Information:

    MCQ Markets Media Contact

    Angela Gorman
    Email: angela@amwpr.com press@mcqmarkets.com

    The MIL Network –

  • India’s ‘Thumbs Up’ for the Jan Man Survey on 11 Years of Modi Government

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    The Narendra Modi Government has completed eleven years in the Centre. As has been the trend in the past, the government is now going to the people to request an honest assessment of their work. The mobile app of Prime Minister Narendra Modi hosts a Jan Man Survey, which has witnessed over 500,000 participants in the 26 hours since it was published.

    Aimed at collecting public feedback on the Modi government’s performance as it completes one year of its third term, the survey reflects strong citizen engagement through its user-friendly interface on the NaMo App.

    Covering key areas like governance, economic reforms, infrastructure, and social welfare schemes, it seeks to understand public priorities and opinions on government initiatives. BJP leaders hailed the overwhelming participation as a testament to the trust in PM Narendra Modi’s leadership, emphasizing the survey’s role in fostering participatory and responsive governance.

    The NaMo App, a flagship platform for the party, facilitates this outreach with features like updates on schemes, PM Modi’s speeches, and interactive campaigns. A majority of the participants are from Uttar Pradesh (over 140,000), followed by Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu (over 60,000 responses). More than 40,000 responses were received from Gujarat. The questions encompass the achievements of the Modi Government, and also how they impact the lives of 140 Crore citizens.

    Over the past decade, India’s counter-terrorism approach has shifted from strategic restraint to proactive retaliation, emphasizing zero tolerance for terrorism.

    Key developments include the 2019 amendment to the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, empowering the National Investigation Agency to designate individuals as terrorists, and high-profile operations like Balakot and Operation Sindoor, targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan. Enhanced intelligence coordination, deradicalization efforts, and international cooperation, particularly with the U.S., have bolstered India’s multi-pronged strategy against diverse terror threats.

    Clearly, the citizens feel far more safer today than before. India’s response to terrorism has been complemented by stellar diplomacy, and the responses and sentiment of the diaspora are a testament to this achievement of the government.

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s welfare policies have significantly transformed rural India, uplifting millions through targeted schemes. The Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) has provided over 4 crore pucca houses, ensuring dignified living for rural families, particularly empowering women as homeowners.

    The Ujjwala Yojana has delivered clean cooking fuel to 10 crore households, reducing health risks from smoke and enhancing women’s safety and convenience.

    The Jal Jeevan Mission has brought piped water to millions, improving health and reducing the burden on women fetching water. Financial inclusion via the Jan Dhan Yojana has integrated over 53 crore people into the banking system, enabling access to credit and insurance. The PM-KISAN scheme, disbursing ₹3.68 lakh crore to 11 crore farmers, has bolstered agricultural livelihoods.

    The Swachh Bharat Mission has made villages open defecation-free, improving sanitation and dignity, especially for girls. Ayushman Bharat has offered free healthcare to millions, easing financial burdens. These initiatives, coupled with rural electrification and road connectivity, have reduced poverty, with over 250 million lifted out of it, fostering vibrant, self-reliant villages and aligning with Modi’s vision of inclusive growth.

    Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, India’s digital infrastructure has undergone a transformative overhaul, positioning the country as a global digital powerhouse.

    The Digital India initiative, launched in 2015, has driven unprecedented connectivity and digital inclusion. The BharatNet project has connected over 2.5 lakh gram panchayats with high-speed broadband, bridging the rural-urban digital divide.

    The expansion of 4G and ongoing 5G rollout by 2025 has made India’s telecom network one of the world’s largest, with over 1.2 billion mobile subscribers.

    The Unified Payments Interface (UPI), handling over 50% of global digital transactions by volume, has revolutionized payments, empowering small businesses and rural economies. Aadhaar, linking 1.3 billion citizens, has streamlined welfare delivery, ensuring transparency and reducing leakages.

    Initiatives like DigiLocker and e-Governance platforms have digitized services, enhancing accessibility for millions. The National Digital Health Mission is creating a robust digital healthcare ecosystem. Investments in data centers and cybersecurity, alongside policies promoting digital literacy, have empowered citizens, with 80% internet penetration by 2025.

    These efforts have spurred innovation, created millions of jobs, and attracted global tech investments, aligning with Modi’s vision of a self-reliant, digitally empowered India driving inclusive growth and global competitiveness.

    The Jan Man Survey intends to capture the sentiment across the nation when it comes to this overall transformation of the country. As the government completes eleven years, people will have a lot to talk about, a lot to look back at, and a lot to look forward to. For the Modi Government, the task is cut out. Ushering in changes and reforms that take India towards the goal of a ten trillion-dollar economy.

    (Tushar Gupta is a Delhi-based journalist and a political commentator)

  • MIL-OSI Global: There are clear laws on enforcing blockades – Israel’s interception of the Madleen raises serious questions

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Shannon Bosch, Associate Professor (Law), Edith Cowan University

    On June 9, the Madleen, a UK-flagged civilian ship carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza, was stopped by Israeli forces in international waters, about 200 kilometres off the coast.

    The Freedom Flotilla Coalition had organised the voyage, setting sail from Sicily on June 1. The vessel’s 12 passengers included climate activist Greta Thunberg, European Parliament member Rima Hassan, two French journalists and several other activists from around the world.

    The Israeli military boarded the ship and diverted it to the Israeli port of Ashdod. The aid it carried — baby formula, food, medical supplies, water desalination kits — was confiscated. All passengers were detained and now face deportation.

    This interception has sparked international condemnation. Importantly, it also raises questions about whether Israel’s actions comply with international law.

    Legal conditions for naval blockades

    Naval blockades are not automatically illegal. Under the San Remo Manual on International Law Applicable to Armed Conflicts at Sea (1994), a blockade may be used in wartime, but only if five legal conditions are met:

    • it must be formally declared and publicly notified
    • it must be effectively enforced in practice
    • it must be applied impartially to all ships
    • it must not block access to neutral ports or coastlines
    • it must not stop the delivery of humanitarian aid to civilians.

    If even one of these conditions is not met, the blockade may be considered illegal under customary international humanitarian law.

    The fifth condition is especially important here. According to a comprehensive study of international humanitarian law conducted by the International Committee of the Red Cross, the parties to a conflict must allow the rapid and unimpeded delivery of humanitarian relief to civilians in need.

    A blockade that prevents this could be in breach of international law.

    Israel and Egypt have imposed a blockade of varying degrees on Gaza since 2007 when Hamas came to power. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz claims the purpose of the blockade is to “prevent the transfer of weapons to Hamas”. Critics say it amounts to collective punishment.

    The Madleen was operating in compliance with three binding International Court of Justice orders (from January 2024, March 2024 and May 2024) requiring unimpeded humanitarian access to Gaza.

    Freedom of navigation

    International law also strongly protects the freedom of navigation, particularly in international waters beyond any state’s territorial limits.

    There are only a few exceptions when a country can lawfully stop a foreign ship in international waters – if it is involved in piracy, slave trading, unauthorised broadcasting, or the vessel itself is stateless. A country can also stop a ship if it is enforcing a lawful blockade or acting in self-defence under Article 51 of the UN Charter.

    So, if Israel’s actions do not fully meet the international legal requirements for enforcing a blockade during wartime, it would not have the right to intercept the Madleen in international waters.

    Protections for humanitarian workers

    More broadly speaking, international humanitarian law, including the Fourth Geneva Convention, protects civilians during conflict. This protection extends to people delivering humanitarian aid, so long as they do not directly take part in hostilities.

    To be considered directly participating in hostilities, a person must:

    • intend to cause military harm
    • have a direct causal link to that harm, and
    • be acting in connection with one side of the conflict.

    Bringing aid to civilians, even if politically controversial, does not meet this legal threshold. As a result, the Madleen’s passengers remain protected civilians and should not be treated as combatants or detained arbitrarily.

    International law also sets out how civilians detained in conflict situations must be treated. Under the Fourth Geneva Convention, detainees must be given access to medical care, lawyers and consular representatives. They must also not be punished without fair legal processes.

    Reports that Madleen passengers have been detained and are facing deportation raise concerns about whether these standards are being upheld.

    In response to the ship’s interception, the Hind Rajab Foundation, a nonprofit advocacy group, has filed a complaint with the UK Metropolitan Police War Crimes Unit. The complaint alleges a number of breaches of international humanitarian law, including forcible detention, obstruction of humanitarian relief, and degrading treatment.

    Previous flotilla intercepted

    This is not the first time Israel has stopped an aid ship and faced accusations of violating the law of the sea and humanitarian law.

    In 2010, the Israeli military raided a flotilla of six ships organised by international activists aiming to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza and challenge the blockade.

    Violence broke out on the largest vessel, the Mavi Marmara, resulting in the deaths of nine Turkish nationals and injuries to dozens of others. The incident drew international condemnation. Israel agreed to ease its blockade after the incident.

    A fact-finding mission established by the UN Human Rights Council found that Israel violated a number of international laws and that its blockade was “inflicting disproportionate damage upon the civilian population”.

    This is not just a political or moral issue – it’s a legal one. International law lays out clear rules for when and how a country can enforce blockades, intercept vessels and treat civilians.

    Based on these rules, serious legal questions remain about Israel’s handling of the Madleen and its passengers.

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

    – ref. There are clear laws on enforcing blockades – Israel’s interception of the Madleen raises serious questions – https://theconversation.com/there-are-clear-laws-on-enforcing-blockades-israels-interception-of-the-madleen-raises-serious-questions-258562

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Director General Briefs Board on Iran Developments, Syria, Ukraine and More

    Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

    The IAEA’s Annual Report and the Technical Cooperation Report for 2024 were presented to the Board, showcasing the Agency’s work in science, international cooperation and innovation. 

    In his address, Mr Grossi highlighted the IAEA’s flagship initiatives: Rays of Hope: Cancer Care for All, Atoms4Food and NUTEC Plastics.

    The 2025 Rays of Hope Forum will be held in Ethiopia at the end of June and provides an opportunity to take stock of what has been achieved over the past three years, as well as to foster collaboration and further mobilize resources. Rays of Hope aims to expand access to affordable cancer care where it is needed most; supporting countries in providing life-saving radiotherapy and building the capacities of radiation medicine professionals. More than 90 countries have requested support under the initiative.

    The IAEA will continue to work with partners on Atoms4Food, its joint initiative with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization to fight world hunger, Mr Grossi said. Part of the initiative, the Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture supports the use of nuclear technologies to boost global food security and sustainable agricultural development.

    Speaking about NUTEC Plastics, the IAEA initiative to combat plastic pollution, Mr Grossi said: “At this week’s UN Ocean Conference, we are showing what we are doing in very concrete terms to fight plastic pollution through new technology.”

    The IAEA is harnessing the power of nuclear technologies involving radiation to improve recycling and create bio-based plastics, which offer a sustainable alternative to conventional petroleum-based plastic products.

     With support from the NUTEC Plastics initiative, 104 Member States now use nuclear technologies to monitor microplastics, while 52 are collaborating with the IAEA on upcycling efforts.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: NANO Nuclear Appoints Former U.S. Secretary of Energy and 47th Governor of Texas Rick Perry as Chairman of its Executive Advisory Board

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    New York, N.Y., June 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — NANO Nuclear Energy Inc. (NASDAQ: NNE) (“NANO Nuclear” or “the Company”), a leading advanced nuclear energy and technology company focused on developing clean energy solutions, today announced that it has appointed Rick Perry, former Governor of Texas and the United States Secretary of Energy from 2017 to 2019, as the Chairman of its Executive Advisory Board.

    NANO Nuclear has assembled a distinguished Executive Advisory Board comprised of high-level military, scientific and governmental experts, including former generals, members of Congress, and other U.S. and international figures. These leaders provide deep industry knowledge and important contacts to NANO Nuclear’s senior management. While each member of the Board covers a particular expertise mandate, Gov. Perry will serve as Chair of the Executive Advisory Board and lead its overall efforts to assist NANO Nuclear.

    “The United States has a distinguished legacy of nuclear‑energy innovation, and I’m confident NANO Nuclear will play an essential role in the next chapter,” said Rick Perry, Chairman of NANO Nuclear’s Executive Advisory Board. “As Secretary of Energy, I advocated for nuclear power because it offers an amazing prospect for a stable, safe, and efficient source of clean power. NANO Nuclear in particular is driving advancements in nuclear energy technology with its cutting edge microreactor designs and overall commercial strategy. I’m honored to join and lead NANO’s Executive Advisory Board, and I look forward to contributing my experience as this exciting company advances its vision to become a vertically integrated leader in the nuclear power sector.”

    “It is an incredible honor to welcome Governor Perry as Chairman of our Executive Advisory Board,” said Jay Yu, Founder and Chairman of NANO Nuclear. “He is a thoughtful and experienced leader, with an in-depth knowledge of U.S. energy infrastructure and a great understanding of America’s energy needs. His leadership will help guide our efforts to put the U.S. at the forefront of nuclear technology and drive the next wave of innovation, which is sorely needed as the energy demands continue to rise in support of cutting-edge artificial intelligence, datacenters and other energy intensive advancements. I am confident that his expertise will be instrumental in the near- and long-term success of our mission.”

    “Governor Perry’s record of public service and advocacy for nuclear energy align perfectly with our mission,” said James Walker, Chief Executive Officer of NANO Nuclear. “The relationships he built during his decades in public service, including his tenure as U.S. Secretary of Energy, will be invaluable as we make progress towards the demonstration, construction, and licensing phases of our reactor programs and other nuclear technology. His acceptance of this position affirms the progress we’ve made and reinforces our position at the forefront of advanced reactor technology.”

    John Vonglis, NANO Nuclear’s Executive Director of Global Government Affairs, who served as the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and acting Director of ARPA-E under Gov. Perry when he was Secretary of Energy, added “I know first-hand the importance Secretary Perry places on endeavors focused on retaining America’s primacy in all sectors, but especially energy. His extensive wealth of experience will most certainly help propel NANO Nuclear to the next level, and I welcome the opportunity to again serve with this great leader.”

    Rick Perry has led a life of public service, starting in the United States Air Force and continuing over two decades in elected office. He served as the 14th Secretary of Energy from 2017 to 2019 in the first Trump administration. As Secretary of Energy, Perry worked to advance energy policies to promote American energy independence, notably backing nuclear power.

    Figure 1 – NANO Nuclear Appoints Former Secretary of Energy Rick Perry as Chairman of its Executive Advisory Board.

    Prior to his service as Secretary of Energy, Perry served as the 47th governor of the State of Texas. His political career began in 1985 as a representative for a rural West Texas district in the state House of Representatives, and beginning in 1990, he served two terms as Texas Commissioner of Agriculture. Perry twice sought the Republican nomination for president, running in 2012 and again in 2016.

    He attended Texas A&M University and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in animal science in 1972. Between 1972 and 1977, Perry served in the United States Air Force, flying C‑130 tactical airlift aircraft in the U.S., Europe, and the Middle East; by the time of his discharge, he had attained the rank of captain.

    About NANO Nuclear Energy, Inc.

    NANO Nuclear Energy Inc. (NASDAQ: NNE) is an advanced technology-driven nuclear energy company seeking to become a commercially focused, diversified, and vertically integrated company across five business lines: (i) cutting edge portable and other microreactor technologies, (ii) nuclear fuel fabrication, (iii) nuclear fuel transportation, (iv) nuclear applications for space and (v) nuclear industry consulting services. NANO Nuclear believes it is the first portable nuclear microreactor company to be listed publicly in the U.S.

    Led by a world-class nuclear engineering team, NANO Nuclear’s reactor products in development include patented KRONOS MMR™ Energy System, a stationary high-temperature gas-cooled reactor that is in construction permit pre-application engagement U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) in collaboration with University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (U. of I.), “ZEUS”, a solid core battery reactor, and “ODIN”, a low-pressure coolant reactor, and the space focused, portable LOKI MMR™, each representing advanced developments in clean energy solutions that are portable, on-demand capable, advanced nuclear microreactors.

    Advanced Fuel Transportation Inc. (AFT), a NANO Nuclear subsidiary, is led by former executives from the largest transportation company in the world aiming to build a North American transportation company that will provide commercial quantities of HALEU fuel to small modular reactors, microreactor companies, national laboratories, military, and DOE programs. Through NANO Nuclear, AFT is the exclusive licensee of a patented high-capacity HALEU fuel transportation basket developed by three major U.S. national nuclear laboratories and funded by the Department of Energy. Assuming development and commercialization, AFT is expected to form part of the only vertically integrated nuclear fuel business of its kind in North America.

    HALEU Energy Fuel Inc. (HEF), a NANO Nuclear subsidiary, is focusing on the future development of a domestic source for a High-Assay, Low-Enriched Uranium (HALEU) fuel fabrication pipeline for NANO Nuclear’s own microreactors as well as the broader advanced nuclear reactor industry.

    NANO Nuclear Space Inc. (NNS), a NANO Nuclear subsidiary, is exploring the potential commercial applications of NANO Nuclear’s developing micronuclear reactor technology in space. NNS is focusing on applications such as the LOKI MMR™ system and other power systems for extraterrestrial projects and human sustaining environments, and potentially propulsion technology for long haul space missions. NNS’ initial focus will be on cis-lunar applications, referring to uses in the space region extending from Earth to the area surrounding the Moon’s surface.

    For more corporate information please visit: https://NanoNuclearEnergy.com/

    For further NANO Nuclear information, please contact:

    Email: IR@NANONuclearEnergy.com
    Business Tel: (212) 634-9206

    PLEASE FOLLOW OUR SOCIAL MEDIA PAGES HERE:

    NANO Nuclear Energy LINKEDIN
    NANO Nuclear Energy YOUTUBE
    NANO Nuclear Energy X PLATFORM

    Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements

    This news release and statements of NANO Nuclear’s management in connection with this news release contain or may contain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In this context, forward-looking statements mean statements related to future events, which may impact our expected future business and financial performance, and often contain words such as “expects”, “anticipates”, “intends”, “plans”, “believes”, “potential”, “will”, “should”, “could”, “would” or “may” and other words of similar meaning. In this press release, forward-looking statements relate to the anticipated benefits to NANO Nuclear of Gov. Perry joining as Chairman of the Company’s Executive Advisory Board. These and other forward-looking statements are based on information available to us as of the date of this news release and represent management’s current views and assumptions. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, events or results and involve significant known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may be beyond our control. For NANO Nuclear, particular risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in our forward-looking statements include but are not limited to the following: (i) risks related to our U.S. Department of Energy (“DOE”) or related state or non-U.S. nuclear fuel licensing submissions, (ii) risks related the development of new or advanced technology and the acquisition of complimentary technology or businesses, including difficulties with design and testing, cost overruns, regulatory delays, integration issues and the development of competitive technology, (iii) our ability to obtain contracts and funding to be able to continue operations, (iv) risks related to uncertainty regarding our ability to technologically develop and commercially deploy a competitive advanced nuclear reactor or other technology in the timelines we anticipate, if ever, (v) risks related to the impact of U.S. and non-U.S. government regulation, policies and licensing requirements, including by the DOE and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, including those associated with the enacted ADVANCE Act and the May 23, 2025 presidential executive orders seeking to support nuclear energy, and (vi) similar risks and uncertainties associated with the operating an early stage business a highly regulated and rapidly evolving industry. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which apply only as of the date of this news release. These factors may not constitute all factors that could cause actual results to differ from those discussed in any forward-looking statement, and NANO Nuclear therefore encourages investors to review other factors that may affect future results in its filings with the SEC, which are available for review at www.sec.gov and at https://ir.nanonuclearenergy.com/financial-information/sec-filings. Accordingly, forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as a predictor of actual results. We do not undertake to update our forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that may arise after the date of this news release, except as required by law.

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Debt Pressure Building Up for Canadian Businesses

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    – Delinquencies climb, credit demand dips, and regional cracks deepen –

    Equifax® Canada Market Pulse — Q1 2025 Quarterly Business Credit Trends and Insights Report

    TORONTO, June 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — After a cautiously optimistic end to 2024, Canadian businesses seem to have entered 2025 with trepidation. According to the Equifax® Canada Q1 2025 Business Credit Trends and Insights Report, delinquencies are rising for businesses across the country and credit demand is slowing, while key sectors are showing early signs of distress — especially those tied closely to consumer trends, with delinquency rates not seen since 2009.

    The Canadian Small Business Health Index1, a benchmark of business credit health and business sentiment, dropped to 99.3 in Q1 2025, a 1.5 per cent decline from the previous quarter. While still slightly above its year-ago level, the dip signals a loss of momentum following gains made late last year.

    Alongside rising delinquencies, Equifax data shows a noticeable slowdown in credit demand, as fewer businesses applied for new credit in Q1 2025, a decline of six per cent when compared to the same time period in 2024. Lower new originations and growing balances could signal growing caution among small business owners, many of whom could be choosing to manage existing debt rather than take on new risk, even with interest rates easing and inflation stabilizing.

    “The Canadian Small Business Health Index shows that business sentiment is down three per cent in Q1 2025 compared to the previous quarter,” noted Jeff Brown, Head of Commercial Solutions at Equifax Canada. “The early months of 2025 are revealing the pressures the business landscape could be facing. Many businesses are caught in a squeeze from both slowing household consumption on one hand and growing business debt stress on the other.”

    Credit Warning Signs Widen
    In Q1 2025, over 309,000 businesses — 11.3 per cent of credit active businesses — missed at least one credit payment. This marks a 14.6 per cent year-over-year increase in business delinquencies and highlights the growing financial strain across sectors.

    _______________________________

    1 The Canadian Small Business Health Index provides a holistic view of Canadian business conditions by combining data collected by Equifax Canada, Business Development Bank of Canada, Statistics Canada and the Bank of Canada.

    Accommodation & Food Services and Retail Sector Missing Payments
    The impact is particularly acute in Accommodation & Food Services, where missed payments jumped to 16.9 per cent, and in Retail Trade, where the rate hit 13.2 per cent. Both sectors are likely suffering from weak consumer spending, rising operating costs, and growing household debt levels. Average monthly consumer credit card spend2 per cardholder fell by 107 dollars during Q1, dropping to the lowest level since March 2022.

    “This seems to be a classic ripple effect,” said Brown. “Equifax data suggests when households pull back, restaurants, retailers and local service providers feel it first — and hardest. This can then travel up the supply chain, where everyone from manufacturers to transport companies feel its effects.”

    Businesses Prioritize Suppliers Over Lenders
    Delinquency trends suggest a shift in how businesses are managing limited cash flow. The 60+ day delinquency rate for financial trade (loans, lines of credit) rose from 3.0 per cent to 3.4 per cent, a 15.5 per cent increase year-over-year. In contrast, industrial trade delinquencies (typically money owed to suppliers) rose more modestly, from 5.5 per cent to 5.7 per cent.

    “Businesses are paying suppliers, but with little to spare, they may be missing banking obligation payments. This may signal that businesses are strategically recalibrating, with many businesses prioritizing supplier relationships to keep operations moving,” added Brown.

    Regional Flashpoints in PEI, Quebec, Ontario and British Colombia
    While delinquencies are rising nationwide, some provinces and industries are flashing red:

    • Ontario and British Columbia led the country in financial trade arrears, up 18.8 per cent and 19.9 per cent year-over-year, respectively.

    • Quebec and Prince Edward Island posted unusually sharp increases in industrial trade delinquencies, up 26.6 per cent and 15.9 per cent year-over-year, respectively, signaling localized stress in supplier-based credit relationships.


    Certain sectors are showing strain

    Sectors showing double-digit increases in year-over-year missed payments include Agriculture (+19.5 per cent), Transportation & Warehousing (+19.3 per cent), Real Estate (+17.0 per cent), Finance & Insurance (+16.4 per cent), and Manufacturing (+10.2 per cent).


    “Businesses across the country and across a variety of industries are showing increased vulnerabilities as broader economic uncertainty continues,” noted Brown. “Businesses will continue to need resilience and careful planning to navigate this economic environment.”

    _______________________________

    2 Average monthly consumer credit card spend comparisons have been adjusted for inflation.

    Province Analysis – 60+ days Delinquency Rates (Account Level)

    Province Delinquency Rate :
    Financial Trades
    (Q1 2025)    		 Delinquency Rate
    Change: Financial
    Trades
    (Q1 2025 vs. Q1
    2024)    		 Delinquency Rate:
    Industrial Trades
    (Q1 2025)    		 Delinquency Rate Change:
    Industrial Trades
    (Q1 2025 vs. Q1 2024)
    Ontario 3.71% 18.85% 5.63% 4.97%
    Quebec 3.49% 13.31% 4.59% 26.55%
    Nova Scotia 2.47% 1.06% 6.19% 8.05%
    New Brunswick 2.82% 5.17% 4.73% -6.22%
    PEI 2.37% 0.34% 4.45% 15.90%
    Newfoundland 2.71% -1.15% 4.90% -12.19%
    Eastern Region 3.58% 16.67% 5.21% 12.51%
    Alberta 3.49% 8.90% 7.07% -13.30%
    Manitoba 3.10% 16.43% 4.54% -1.60%
    Saskatchewan 2.79% -0.11% 6.47% 3.36%
    British Columbia 2.94% 19.93% 6.56% -10.66%
    Western Region 3.17% 13.00% 6.50% -9.74%
    Canada 3.44% 15.50% 5.69% 3.52%
             

    * Based on Equifax data for Q1 2025

    About Equifax
    At Equifax (NYSE: EFX), we believe knowledge drives progress. As a global data, analytics, and technology company, we play an essential role in the global economy by helping financial institutions, companies, employers, and government agencies make critical decisions with greater confidence. Our unique blend of differentiated data, analytics, and cloud technology drives insights to power decisions to move people forward. Headquartered in Atlanta and supported by nearly 15,000 employees worldwide, Equifax operates or has investments in 24 countries in North America, Central and South America, Europe, and the Asia Pacific region. For more information, visit Equifax.ca.

    Contact:

    Andrew Findlater
    SELECT Public Relations
    afindlater@selectpr.ca
    (647) 444-1197

    Angie Andich
    Equifax Canada Media Relations
    MediaRelationsCanada@equifax.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Israel/OPT: West Bank military operation part of ‘ruthless apartheid system’ – new briefing

    Source: Amnesty International –

    Israel’s military operation over the past four months has led to the largest displacement of Palestinians in the West Bank

    The Israeli military has declared Jenin, Nur Shams, and Tulkarem refugee camps closed military zones, blocking residents from reaching their homes or what remains of them

    ‘If they let us return, even those whose homes haven’t been entirely destroyed will need months to rehabilitate these homes, due to the heavy destruction and damage to the structures’ – Nihad Shaweesh

    ‘These actions are part of a wider pattern of unlawful Israeli policies and practices to dispossess, dominate and oppress Palestinians in the West Bank under Israel’s ruthless system of apartheid’ – Erika Guevara Rosas

    The Israeli military has displaced tens of thousands of Palestinians by destroying homes and essential civilian infrastructure in Jenin and Tulkarem refugee camps rendering them uninhabitable, as part of its ongoing brutal military operation in the occupied West Bank, said Amnesty International. 

    On 5 June, Palestinians mark Naksa Day, commemorating the forced displacement of approximately 300,000 Palestinians during the June 1967 war, when Israel occupied the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip. Fifty-eight years on, Israel’s military operation over the past four months has led to the largest displacement of Palestinians in the West Bank since then.

    The Israeli army has deployed tanks, carried out air strikes, destroyed buildings, dug up roads and infrastructure, and imposed extensive restrictions on freedom of movement through checkpoints and roadblocks. According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, between 21 January and 4 June, the Israeli forces have killed at least 80 Palestinians, including 14 children, in the northern West Bank, including Nablus.

    Erika Guevara Rosas, Amnesty International’s Senior Director for Research, Advocacy, Policy and Campaigns, said:

    “Israel’s deadly military operation in the occupied West Bank, unfolding in the horrific shadow of its ongoing genocide in the occupied Gaza Strip, has had catastrophic consequences for tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians who are facing a rapidly escalating crisis with no foreseeable prospects of return. Unlawful transfer of protected persons is a grave breach of the Fourth Geneva Convention and a war crime.

    “Israel must immediately halt illegal practices leading to the forced displacement of Palestinians, including attacks on residential areas, destruction of property and infrastructure, pervasive access and movement restrictions imposed on Palestinians.

    “These actions are part of a wider pattern of unlawful Israeli policies and practices to dispossess, dominate and oppress Palestinians in the West Bank under Israel’s ruthless system of apartheid.

    “The international community’s persistent failure to hold Israel accountable for its violations against Palestinians, in particular for its cruel system of apartheid and unlawful occupation has emboldened Israel and fueled further egregious violations of Palestinians’ rights.”

    40,000 residents have been displaced

    Members of popular committees of Jenin, Nur Shams and Tulkarem refugee camps told Amnesty an estimated 40,000 residents have been displaced, half of whom are from Jenin refugee camp. 

    Video footage verified by Amnesty provides evidence of wide-scale home demolitions and damage to civilian property and infrastructure in the camps. Arrests have also soared, with the Palestinian Commission of Detainees reporting approximately 1,000 Palestinians arrested in Jenin (700) and Tulkarem (300) since the operation began.

    The Israeli military has declared Jenin, Nur Shams and Tulkarem refugee camps closed military areas, with forces stationed there, actively preventing residents from accessing their homes or what’s left of them. Witnesses said that Israeli forces shoot at civilians who attempt to go back even just to check on their properties or collect belongings.

    In a stark example, on 21 May, a diplomatic delegation of representatives from over 20 countries, including the UK, France, Canada, China and Russia, came under fire from Israeli soldiers while visiting Jenin refugee camp.

    ‘Most destructive’ operation in decades

    Israel’s military operation started in Jenin Refugee Camp on 21 January, and expanded to Tulkarem refugee camps on 27 January, and subsequently to Tammoun town and Al-Far’ah refugee camp. While Israeli forces withdrew from Al-Far’ah on 12 February, they continue to be stationed in Jenin and Tulkarem.

    In an alarming development on 23 February Israeli tanks were deployed to Jenin for the first time in more than 20 years. On the same day Israel’s Defense Minister instructed the army to “prepare for a long stay in the camps that were cleared” and to prevent residents from returning. Israeli media, citing military sources, have reported that the operation is expected to last for months with hundreds of soldiers remaining in the camps for “monitoring”. 

    On 22 March 2025, UNRWA had already described the operation as “by far the longest and most destructive operation in the occupied West Bank since the second intifada in the 2000’s.”

    Home demolitions and destruction of infrastructure

    The Israeli military has relentlessly destroyed hundreds of homes in these camps and adjacent neighborhoods during military operations or with demolition orders. The Palestinian Center for Human Rights reports that in the Jenin refugee camp alone, the Israeli army fully destroyed hundreds of homes and damaged many more rendering them uninhabitable. In March, Israel announced plans to demolish 66 homes in Jenin camp. More recently, on 1 May, the Israeli army issued further demolition orders for 106 homes in Tulkarem refugee camps – 48 in Nur Shams and 58 in Tulkarem camp.

    Amnesty’s Crisis Evidence Lab verified 25 videos shared on social media by residents or soldiers showing destruction of civilian property by Israeli forces in Jenin, Tulkarm, and Nur Shams refugee camps between 31 January and 1 June 2025. The footage shows numerous structures demolished with manually laid explosives, roads, buildings and cars destroyed with bulldozers and the aftermath of the destruction with civilian property reduced entirely to rubble. In many cases, Israeli forces appear to have conducted clearing operations, removing buildings to widen or create new roads.

    Amnesty also analysed 32 additional videos and photographs provided directly by Palestinians residents, which document damage to homes and personal property. The images show destroyed interiors, including shattered windows, broken furniture, damaged doors, ransacked closets, scattered personal belongings, and leftover food strewn across rooms.

    Nihad Shaweesh of the Nur Shams popular committee, said:

    “The level of destruction in the camps is so massive that it will take months before they are inhabitable again. If they let us return, even those whose homes haven’t been entirely destroyed will need months to rehabilitate these homes, due to the heavy destruction and damage to the structures.”

    A mother of six from Jenin Refugee Camp, whose name has been withheld for security reasons, described how she received photos on her phone showing her home being completely destroyed. She said:

    “I opened the photos and immediately recognised my children’s bed sheets. I couldn’t believe that was my house in the photos. They demolished the house and wrecked our SUV. Our car was nothing but a mass of metal. I was in shock. I couldn’t speak and only kept crying.”

    A resident of Nur Shams, Ibraheem Khalifa, described how his family was forcibly displaced on 9 February and the subsequent demolition of their apartment building:

    “We arrived … to witness the demolitions of our neighbours’ homes and to be present with them [in solidarity]. However, while sitting there, we realised that the [military] bulldozer started to demolish our homes as well. These are apartments we built with our own hands. There, we grew up and made memories. In this house, we got married, held celebrations, went through sorrows – everything. This house witnessed it all. Now, our homes and all of our belongings in them are gone.”

    As part of the operation Israeli forces have also systematically destroyed critical infrastructure, including roads, water, electricity, and communications networks. The Palestinian Red Crescent Society confirmed the widespread destruction of roads and streets within the refugee camps.

    Militarisation of camps and restrictions on freedom of movement

    Access to the refugee camps for residents and freedom of movement have also been severely curtailed with Israeli forces blocking entrances and main roads with metal gates or checkpoints and using military bulldozers to create dirt barriers and barbed-wire fences.

    One resident of Nur Shams, Fatima Ali, described how on 9 February, Israeli forces took over her home and converted it to a military outpost. She said they raided her home, forcing her brother’s family to leave while she, being ill and unable to walk due to destroyed streets, was confined to one room as her house was turned into a temporary military outpost:

    “You can see all directions from my house, I have a balcony and a door to the West and another to the North, so they [soldiers] came and occupied it. At first, they kept me inside, locked in one room. When they arrested someone, they brought him to my house. They told me to leave hours later, and I needed the emergency services to help me leave the camp because all the streets were dug up and destroyed.”

    The military operation has also infringed on other social and economic rights including the right to education with many children missing weeks of school. In Tulkarem, more than 691 businesses have been destroyed, damaged and remain shut down.

    Qais Awad of the Tulkarem Chamber of Commerce, said:

    “Tulkarem became a ghost town. Businesses in the city close at 6pm because there are no visitors or customers coming from outside. Tulkarem farmers cannot reach their agricultural lands and workers cannot leave due to the closure of checkpoints. The economic situation in the city is catastrophic.”

    MIL OSI NGO –