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  • MIL-OSI Africa: Kenya’s brutal police have been exposed again – why the system fails people

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Douglas Lucas Kivoi, Principal Policy Analyst, Governance Department, The Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis (KIPPRA)

    The recent killing in Kenya of a young man in police detention highlights a string of systemic failures to hold the country’s security officers accountable for their actions. Despite public outrage and protests, Kenyan police officers continue to use inhumane, brutal and sometimes fatal methods with little consequence. Douglas Lucas Kivoi, who has studied policing and police reform in Kenya, unpacks the situation.

    Why is the Kenyan police service given to brutality?

    First, Kenya’s police institution was established as a colonial instrument of oppression. Police reforms since independence in 1963 have had little impact in changing this. Instead, successive governments have used the police to suppress dissent. This has cemented a culture of violence and police impunity. This was seen during former president Daniel arap Moi’s repressive regime, the post-2007 election violence and recent crackdowns on public protests protected under the constitution.

    The reaction to mass mobilisation in June 2024 was violent. This was because the state sees public demonstrations as a threat to its authority.

    Second, police brutality thrives in environments where wrongdoing goes unpunished. Kenya’s police force lacks good internal control mechanisms. A culture of silence and solidarity – the “blue code” – deters whistleblowing. Advancements and rewards are sometimes determined by political allegiances rather than professionalism.

    Read more: Kenyan police use excessive force because they’re serving political elites, not the public – policy analyst

    Third, many police officers work in toxic conditions marked by poor pay, limited resources and long shifts. These contribute to feelings of frustration and aggression. The situation is worsened by institutionalised corruption where police officers extort money from citizens and demand bribes. This has contributed to diminished ethical standards.

    What’s in place to punish police excesses?

    Kenya has several formal avenues for holding police accountable. But all are deeply flawed.

    Independent Policing Oversight Authority: This was established in 2011 in light of the post-election violence of 2007-08. Its job was to independently investigate police misconduct. However, underfunding and understaffing has led to delayed investigations.

    There has also been a lack of cooperation from the police. They often fail to provide evidence or deliberately provide misleading information to impede investigations.

    The authority also has limited enforcement power. It has recommended thousands of prosecutions of rogue officers. However, it has seen low conviction rates given the slow processes at the judiciary and Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.

    Internal Affairs Unit: This is a critical oversight body. It’s mandated to provide accountability and professional discipline within the police service. It’s tasked with investigating public complaints and complaints from within the police service against police officers.

    The unit can recommend to the National Police Service Commission disciplinary action – such as prosecution or dismissal – against officers it finds guilty. It also monitors police officers to ensure that ethical conduct and professional standards are maintained.

    However, the unit faces perceptions of a lack of independence and as an internal cover-up tool. In many instances, cases of police misconduct are simply punished by a transfer to another station.

    Judiciary and Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions: Cases take years to move through the judicial system. Convictions are rare. The public prosecutions office has faced accusations of bias, which it exhibits through its reluctance to prosecute high-profile police killings.

    The time it takes to conclude police misconduct cases allows impunity to thrive. Deliberately poor investigations carried out by the police (who are also suspects) have led to collapsed cases.

    National Police Service Commission: This was established by the 2010 Kenyan constitution. The commission recruits and appoints police officers (except the inspector-general of police, who is appointed by the president with parliamentary approval). It also promotes, transfers and disciplines police officers.

    However, the commission has faced claims of being unduly influenced by the inspector-general’s office in recruitment and promotions. This undermines its independence.

    Read more: How Nairobi police failures let people get away with murder

    Civil society and the media: Organisations like Amnesty International Kenya and the Kenya Human Rights Commission document police abuses. But their reports rarely, if ever, lead to any real action being taken. The media’s attention and reporting of cases may exert temporary pressure but this doesn’t seem to have any long-term impact.

    Why haven’t these mechanisms worked?

    Firstly, there’s an institutional resistance to reform. Powerful factions in the police and government benefit from the current system. Whenever there is an attempt at enforcing accountability, these senior officials take advantage of bureaucratic delays, and harass investigators and whistleblowers.

    In extreme cases, they enforce the disappearance of witnesses.

    Secondly, a lack of political will creates a favourable environment to circumvent constitutional frameworks. This ultimately weakens any chances of accountability. At best, police in Kenya are used to defend political interests and suppress dissent.

    This emboldens powerful political players who want the police to be controllable. This dissuades them from instituting actual reforms and establishing a humane policing service.

    What will change things?

    Until those in leadership positions genuinely prioritise independent institutions and justice over transient political gains, significant police reform is unlikely to be realised.

    Elements of such reform would include steps to:

    Strengthen police oversight and guarantee independence

    The Independent Policing Oversight Authority Act needs to be amended to enhance autonomy. The current system is easy for the president to manipulate because he gets to appoint the authority’s commissioners.

    There’s also a need to provide the authority with equipment. This includes ballistics analysis, digital forensics and crime scene reconstruction capabilities to combat police cover-ups.

    The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions must also be required to respond to the authority’s recommendations within 30 days. Currently, cases can take years to complete. There have been instances when rogue police have used this window to eliminate witnesses or tamper with evidence.

    Overhaul police training and culture

    There must be a move away from paramilitary-style drills and procedures in training. Instead, officers need to practise de-escalation, communication and problem-solving tactics with the public. What exists within Kenya now is a paramilitary service not a police service.

    Additionally, the police service commission needs to reward professionalism and not cronyism.

    Judicial and prosecutorial reforms

    Ending police impunity in Kenya requires a multi-pronged approach. This involves judicial independence, vigorous prosecution, meaningful oversight, legislative changes and public engagement.

    But this requires meaningful political will.

    Political accountability

    Continued police impunity has eroded public confidence in Kenya’s policing and justice systems. The policing oversight authority needs sufficient funding – free of political interference – to investigate and prosecute police misconduct. Senior officers should be held accountable for not disciplining rogue officers under their charge. The presidency and interior ministry must have a zero-tolerance policy toward police brutality.

    If Kenya doesn’t grapple with police impunity, then the anniversary of the June 2024 protests will be just another date in history when the state brutally attacked, maimed and killed its own citizenry. And still managed to silence them.

    – Kenya’s brutal police have been exposed again – why the system fails people
    – https://theconversation.com/kenyas-brutal-police-have-been-exposed-again-why-the-system-fails-people-258843

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Youth entrepreneurship key to SA’s sustainable economic growth, says Mashatile

    Source: South Africa News Agency

    Youth entrepreneurship key to SA’s sustainable economic growth, says Mashatile

    Equipping young people with the skills necessary to become entrepreneurs is essential for the success of society and for overturning the post-apartheid laws that prevented the majority from engaging in the economy. 

    This is according to Deputy President Paul Mashatile, who was speaking during the Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator event in Braamfontein, Johannesburg, on Friday.

    Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator is a not-for-profit social enterprise that works with partners to find solutions for the challenge of youth unemployment.

    Deputy President Mashatile cited the latest Quarterly Labour Force Survey, which indicated that the youth unemployment rate has now reached 56.3% in the first quarter of 2025. 

    This figure represents 9.2 million youths, who are not engaged in education, employment, or training.

    “Most of you gathered here today know all too well what it means to be without work, locked out of the economy and unable to earn an income. It is disheartening; it is discouraging, and it takes resilience and an enduring sense of hope to overcome.

    “Most importantly, it requires support from family, government, the private sector and other stakeholders,” he told attendees. 

    To address the nation’s youth economic crisis, Mashatile believes that initiatives to support young entrepreneurs are critical.

    “As government, we are fully aware that this is not just a labour market issue but a social and moral emergency.

    “I am encouraged by many of you in the audience today who remain hopeful about yours and the country’s future.”

    The country’s second-in-command said he was encouraged by the several interventions currently underway in partnership with stakeholders from across society.

    He also touched on the R100 billion — through the Transformation Fund — to support black-owned businesses and historically disadvantaged groups. 

    “These funds will act as a catalyst to attract other funds and make more funding available to support micro, small and medium enterprises.”

    The other key initiatives include the Spaza Shop Support Fund, which has allocated R500 million to revitalise township and rural economies. 

    In addition, the SAYouth.mobi platform has processed 17.9 million online applications, and the Basic Education Employment Initiative has provided first jobs for 205 000 young people.

    READ | Presidential Youth Initiative continues to empower SA’s most excluded youth

    Government also offers various programmes to support young entrepreneurs, including financial assistance, business development services, and skills training.

    Other initiatives include the National Youth Development Agency’s grant programme and the Youth Challenge Fund. 

    “To ensure increased access to funding, we have the Innovation Fund, which has already supported over 96 start-ups since 2020,” said the Deputy President. 

    He announced that these strategies focus on expanding digital infrastructure, developing digital skills, and fostering digital innovation.

    Deputy President Mashatile stressed that these were not handouts, but strategic investments in youth potential. 

    Meanwhile, he said new legislation, such as the Public Procurement Act and National Small Enterprise Amendment Bill, aims to create an enabling environment for young entrepreneurs by simplifying regulations and improving market access.

    In addition, he stated that government was working with the private sector and civil society to scale up enterprise support, open procurement pathways, and remove red tape.

    “As we look ahead, let us imagine a world in which every young person can make their ambitions a reality, where entrepreneurship is more than a slogan but a way of life.”

    Mashatile also took the time to wish everyone a wonderful National Youth Day celebration on Monday, 16 June. The national celebration will be held in Potchefstroom, North West. – SAnews.gov.za
     

    Gabisile

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Three police officers successfully convicted of corruption

    Source: South Africa News Agency

    Three police officers successfully convicted of corruption

    The Serious Corruption Investigation component of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation has this week secured a conviction in a high-profile corruption matter involving three police officials attached to the Provincial Taxi Violence Unit in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal.

    The police officials are Madoda Mduduzi Mhlongo (56), Siyabonga Herbert Mabhida (51) and Prince Ntsikelelo Shezi (50).

    “It was reported that on 13 March 2019, the complainant [in the matter] was approached by the three police officials, who alleged that they were under pressure from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to arrest two suspects due to the alleged murders of key witnesses in a case they were investigating,” the South African Police Service (SAPS) said in a statement. 

    “The officials solicited a gratification of R200 000 from the complainant, in lieu of preventing the arrests. The trio warned that failure to pay would result in the suspects being arrested that same night. 

    “Later that evening, the police officials arrived at one of the suspects’ premises, reinforcing the threat,” the police said.

    The matter was reported to the Serious Corruption Investigation component based at the head office. A police operation was authorised in terms of section 252A of the Criminal Procedure Act, 1977 (Act No. 51 of 1977). On 29 March 2019, the three implicated police officials, who were all Warrant Officers, were arrested after receiving the R200 000.

    The trio appeared in the Durban Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on 1 April 2019 and were each released on R10 000 bail. Their trial commenced on 1 March 2021 and ran over an extended period until they were found guilty of corruption.

    The trio was remanded in custody as the matter was postponed to 19 June 2025 in the same court for their sentencing. – SAnews.gov.za

    Edwin

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Second Central Asian regional simulation-based training strengthens joint response to human trafficking

    Source: Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe – OSCE

    Headline: Second Central Asian regional simulation-based training strengthens joint response to human trafficking

    Labour inspectors inspect a construction site as part of the simulation. (OSCE) Photo details

    Over 130 practitioners from Central Asia and Türkiye gathered this week at Lake Issyk-Kul, Kyrgyzstan, for a five-day regional simulation-based training exercise on combating trafficking in human beings.
    The training was opened by Nurlanbek Azygaliev, Vice Speaker of the Parliament of the Kyrgyz Republic, who emphasized during his opening remarks that, “platforms created by the OSCE, especially simulation trainings, have become not just a place for training, but a real tool for establishing partnership, trust and interaction.”
    Throughout the week, participants from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Türkiye, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan took part in an immersive “learning-by-doing” training that reflected real-world human trafficking scenarios. Set in a complex, multi-country fictional environment, the simulation focused on trafficking for sexual and labour exploitation, as well as forced criminality.  Participants worked through realistic cases involving the recruitment, transport, and exploitation of vulnerable individuals including children, persons with disabilities, and undocumented migrants. They were tasked with carrying out joint multi-agency and cross-sectorial investigations, applying standard operating procedures to identify presumed victims, and delivering victim-centered assistance and protection, especially for those facing multiple, overlapping risks.
    “With our simulations, we aim to break down silos and foster a spirit of cooperation in your joint efforts to combat human trafficking. True progress can only be achieved when law enforcement, civil society, prosecutors, asylum authorities, labour inspectors, and social workers work hand in hand” said Kari Johnstone, OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings during the closing ceremony today.
    The exercise was organized by the OSCE Programme Offices in Bishkek and the Office of the OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, in close co-operation with the Migration and Human Trafficking Council under the Speaker of the Parliament of the Kyrgyz Republic, the Ministry of Interior of the Kyrgyz Republic, and the Ministry of Labour, Social Care and Migration of the Kyrgyz Republic as well as OSCE Field Operations in Central Asia. 
    The event was made possible thanks to support from the governments of Germany, Ireland, Italy, France, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, and Switzerland, as well as the United States Mission to the OSCE. The training also benefited from the expertise and financial support of the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) and the Prague Process Secretariat.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: OSCE Secretary General concludes visit to Norway, participates in international seminar on 50th anniversary of Helsinki Final Act hosted by Storting

    Source: Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe – OSCE

    Headline: OSCE Secretary General concludes visit to Norway, participates in international seminar on 50th anniversary of Helsinki Final Act hosted by Storting

    OSCE Secretary General concludes visit to Norway, participates in international seminar on 50th anniversary of Helsinki Final Act hosted by Storting | OSCE

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    Home Newsroom News and press releases OSCE Secretary General concludes visit to Norway, participates in international seminar on 50th anniversary of Helsinki Final Act hosted by Storting

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Second Mattei Plan steering committee meeting

    Source: Government of Italy (English)

    The second meeting of the Mattei Plan steering committee was held at Palazzo Chigi today, chaired by the Vice-President of the Council of Ministers and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Antonio Tajani.

    The meeting was attended by all Ministries concerned and the Conference of Regions and Autonomous Provinces as well as by representatives from the various State bodies and companies, publicly-owned enterprises, universities and research institutions, third sector organisations and private companies involved in cooperation and development activities.

    The meeting recalled President of the Council of Ministers Giorgia Meloni’s recent trips to Egypt (17 March) and Tunisia (17 April), which allowed for important agreements to be signed in a number of the Plan’s action areas: agriculture, water, education and training. The meeting also reviewed the trips to eastern Africa that have been undertaken by Task Force members, development cooperation officials and the ‘Sistema Italia’, as well as the future trips scheduled to take place in the coming weeks.

    Lastly, the meeting examined a consolidated version of the Mattei Plan summary document, in light of the observations made by steering committee members and ahead of finalising the document before its subsequent submission to Parliament for the parliamentary committees in charge to provide their opinion.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Expert Panel Expects Moderating Home Price Growth through 2026

    Source: Fannie Mae

    WASHINGTON, DC – Following national home price growth of 5.3% in 2024, a panel of more than 100 housing experts forecasts home price growth to average 2.9% in 2025 and 2.8% in 2026, according to the Q2 2025 Fannie Mae (FNMA/OTCQB) Home Price Expectations Survey (HPES), produced in partnership with Pulsenomics, LLC. The panel’s latest estimates of national home price growth represent revisions from last quarter’s expectations of 3.4% for 2025 and 3.3% for 2026, as measured by the Fannie Mae Home Price Index (FNM-HPI). As part of this quarter’s survey, panelists were also asked whether they expect home price growth in the 20 largest metro-area housing markets will underperform or overperform the national average in the next 12 months, as well as the probability that national year-over-year home price growth will turn negative at any point through the end of 2026.

    The full HPES data sets and special topic research can be found here .

    Opinions, analyses, estimates, forecasts, beliefs, and other views of Fannie Mae’s Economic and Strategic Research (ESR) Group, Pulsenomics, LLC, and the surveyed experts included in these materials should not be construed as indicating Fannie Mae’s business prospects or expected results, are based on a number of assumptions, and are subject to change without notice. How this information affects Fannie Mae will depend on many factors. Although the ESR Group bases its opinions, analyses, estimates, forecasts, beliefs, and other views on information it considers reliable, it does not guarantee that the information provided in these materials is accurate, current, or suitable for any particular purpose. Changes in the assumptions or the information underlying these views could produce materially different results. The analyses, opinions, estimates, forecasts, beliefs, and other views published by the ESR Group represent the views of that group as of the date indicated and do not necessarily represent the views of Fannie Mae or its management.

    About Fannie Mae’s Home Price Expectations Survey
    Fannie Mae’s Home Price Expectations Survey (HPES), produced in partnership with Pulsenomics, LLC, polls more than 100 experts across the housing and mortgage industry and academia for forecasts of national home price percentage changes in each of the coming five calendar years, with the Fannie Mae Home Price Index as the benchmark. On a quarterly basis, Fannie Mae plans to publish the latest panelist-level expectations. The Q2 2025 HPES had 107 respondents and was conducted by Pulsenomics, LLC, between May 8, 2025, and May 20, 2025.

    About the ESR Group
    Fannie Mae’s Economic and Strategic Research Group, led by Chief Economist Mark Palim, studies current data, analyzes historical and emerging trends, and conducts surveys of consumer and mortgage lenders to inform forecasts and analyses on the economy, housing, and mortgage markets.

    About Pulsenomics
    Pulsenomics® is an independent research and index product development firm that leverages expertise in data analytics, opinion research, financial markets, and economics to deliver insight and market intelligence to institutional clients, partners, and the public at large. To learn more, visit pulsenomics.com .

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Plymouth to be national centre for marine autonomy

    Source: City of Plymouth

    Plymouth is to be the national centre for marine autonomy, the Defence Minister has announced in a keynote address at a major networking event in the city today.

    The city is already making waves in this area of marine technology, but the announcement made by the Right Honourable Maria Eagle, Minister of State (Defence Procurement and Industry) will catapult the city and its expertise into the spotlight.

    The timing of the news could not have been better – it came as the Plymouth City Council in partnership with the South West Regional Defence and Security Cluster, hosted an event in Devonport involving key figures from the world of marine and defence connecting with local companies to explore opportunities for future projects and investment.

    Council Leader Tudor Evans OBE said: “This is superb news. We knew Plymouth was creating something special in the blue/green skills sector, but it is always great to see others endorse what you believe.

    “We have some extraordinary businesses and organisations here in Plymouth who are at the cutting edge of this incredibly exciting sector. The world is waking up to all the possibilities marine autonomy offers and we are very keen indeed to help connect Plymouth businesses to the right people and the right organisations.

    “Investing in Plymouth’s businesses for testing and developing marine autonomy will enable UK PLC to build sovereign capabilities and secure a significant share in this growing market, particularly in the fields of defence, renewables, and oil and gas.”

    MP for Plymouth Sutton and Devonport Luke Pollard told the delegates that the nature of defence is changing. He said: “We have a strategic defence review that sets out that we will have fighting structure which includes marine autonomy.

    “Defence is an engine for growth. This an opportunity to develop, scale up and test marine autonomy. This sector is incredible, innovative and the work we are doing in the city is cutting edge.

    “There is a place for investment and that’s Plymouth.”

    Professor Richard Davies, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Plymouth, said: “This acknowledges the key role Plymouth is already playing in the development and delivery of marine autonomy.

    “But being recognised as the national centre of excellence represents a once in a lifetime opportunity that will open new doors for the University and our partners.

    “Working across existing and new collaborations, we can now push forward with ambitious plans to grow a sector that is critical to our nation’s defence and security, and has the potential to benefit the environment, business, health and much more besides. Together, we have the skills and expertise to deliver on those ambitions, fostering new opportunities that benefit the city, region and country in the long-term.”

    Plymouth and its surrounding area has a rich ecosystem of private sector businesses and world-renowned research capabilities across marine autonomy.

    It is a global centre of excellence for marine science and technology, with one of the largest clusters of expertise in the world and over 7,100 skilled people in marine manufacturing. Blue tech/marine sector accounts for 21 per cent of the national employment in this field and 11.3 per cent of the city’s total employment.

    Global research partners include Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Marine Biological Association, the University of Plymouth and marine autonomy companies already based in Plymouth include Thales, M Subs, Oshen, Zero USV, Sonardyne and Fugro.

    In 2020 M Subs successfully sailed the first autonomous vessel across the Atlantic.

    The Mayflower Autonomous Ship (MAS400) was the world’s first full-sized, fully autonomous, unmanned ship to cross the ocean. The revolutionary vessel set sail from Plymouth and arrived at Plymouth, Massachusetts via a pit stop in Halifax in Nova Scotia.

    The industry predicts a global marine autonomy market worth £103 billion by 2030, with the UK adopting a 10 per cent market share.

    Key speakers at the event included Sir Chris Gardner KBE Chief Executive Officer of the Submarine Delivery Agency and the Royal Navy’s Vice Admiral Andrew Burns.

    There were also representatives from Thales, Atlas Electronics as well as a themed discussion on advanced marine technology and how Plymouth will drive innovation in dual-use technology for UK Security by representatives from the University of Plymouth and PML.

    Over 170 people attended the event today Friday 13 June at the Market Hall in Devonport, UK.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Further thunderstorm warnings for Plymouth

    Source: City of Plymouth

    The Met Office has issued further yellow warnings for heavy rain and thunderstorms covering Plymouth (and much of the country) today and tomorrow, following yesterday’s torrential downpours.

    It warns that spray and sudden flooding could again lead to difficult driving conditions and some road closures, as well as the possibility of public transport disruption and power cuts.

    Our highways team have a regular gully inspection and maintenance programme and pay particular attention to known flooding hotspots, especially when heavy rain is forecast.

    However, exceptional levels of rainfall will always create an extra challenge, with South West Water’s combined sewer systems often becoming quickly overwhelmed and flash flooding much more likely.

    Yesterday teams worked hard to clear flooding in around 30 locations across the city, as well as deal with around a dozen blown manhole covers. In some cases this also involved closing roads and redirecting traffic.

    Crews are on standby again today and tomorrow to deal with any further issues that may arise and clear sites as quickly as possible, prioritising key routes and areas that affect homes and businesses. They also carry out checks to ensure there are no underlying drainage issues.

    See the Met Office website for advice on travelling in storms, rain and wind, as well as staying safe in a thunderstorm.

    For the latest updates please check the Met Office website and social media feeds for the latest updates. To report an immediate danger to us please call 01752 668000.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: ‘Can you see me?’ Health and Care Jersey’s Community Learning Disability Service are partnering with local organisations for Learning Disability Awareness Week13 June 2025 To celebrate Learning Disability Awareness Week, Monday 16 June to Friday 20 June, Health and Care Jersey’s Adult Learning Disability Service are partnering with Mencap, Haute Vallée School and other… Read more

    Source: Channel Islands – Jersey

    13 June 2025

    To celebrate Learning Disability Awareness Week, Monday 16 June to Friday 20 June, Health and Care Jersey’s Adult Learning Disability Service are partnering with Mencap, Haute Vallée School and other organisations to highlight the support available for adults with a Learning Disability. 

    There are approximately 280 Islanders with a learning disability known to the Adult Learning Disability Service with the level of support dependent on their individual needs. With the right support, tailored education plans, assistive technology and understanding environments, people with learning disabilities can lead rewarding, fulfilling and independent lives in areas such as: 

    • Household tasks 
    • Managing time and organisation 
    • Social skills and communication 
    • Making decisions 
    • Understanding information 
    • Independent living 
    • Managing finances. 

    To help increase awareness of the services available in Jersey, the Learning Disability Service will be hosting a number of sessions within the week as follows: 

    • Monday 16 June – offering a drop-in session at the Enid Quenault Health and Wellbeing reception for the public to find out more about the Learning Disability Service and what support is available on-Island. 
    • Wednesday 18 June – adults with a Learning Disability join pupils at Haute Valleé School to participate in a joint art class. 
    • Thursday 19 June – partnering with Jersey Mencap at the Radisson Blu Waterfront Hotel to meet with parents of adults with a Learning Disability for a workshop focusing on the new Sexuality and Relationships Policy and Guidelines. Information will be provided on services that support parents to better understand relationships and sexuality. 
    • Friday 20 June, from noon – celebratory picnic at Howard Davis Park. There will be music, and an opportunity for Islanders to come together to celebrate Learning Disability Awareness Week with a Zumba session led by Jersey Mencap. 

    Also, the Learning Disability Physiotherapist Team along with AquaSplash, provide small group exercise sessions for individuals with learning disabilities. Each session promotes exercise adapted to meet individual goals with the aim to improve physical mobility, boost confidence, improve wellbeing and promote social inclusion through the therapeutic benefits of aquatic exercise. 

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Pupils learn about consequences of knife crime

    Source: Scotland – City of Perth

    Perth became the first city in Scotland to host the Knife Angel at the end of 2024 and since then Perth and Kinross Council has been working with partner agencies including the Scottish Prison Service, charity Aid and Abet and Police Scotland to raise awareness of the issues around knife crime.

    On Wednesday 11 June, Perth Grammar School became the latest venue to host a workshop following successful events in Bertha Park High School and St John’s Academy in May.

    As well as presentations from Perth and Kinross Council’s Community Justice Team and Aid and Abet, staff and prisoners from HMP Perth and HMYOI Polmont have also participated by sharing videos and recordings for use in the sessions, detailing their own personal experiences of knife crime and its consequences.

    Councillor Tom McEwan, convener of Perth and Kinross Council’s Housing and Social Wellbeing Committee, said: “Although there has been an overall reduction in knife crime over the past 15 years, recent tragedies have shown this is not a problem that has gone away.

    “It is important that young people realise that there are very real consequences for using a knife, or other blade.

    “The simple truth is that every injury, every death is one too many.”

    Perth and Kinross Learning and Families convener Councillor John Rebbeck said: “Knife crime can take lives and destroy families – both of the victim and the perpetrator who is likely to end up behind bars for several years.

    “Hearing these stories first-hand leaves a powerful impression and I thank everyone who has worked hard to run these workshops. I’m sure our children and young people will take a great deal from these workshops.”

    Bailie Chris Ahern, chair of the Perth and Kinross community justice and safety partnership added: “These are really powerful events and show children and young people the damage knives can cause to victims and the people who use them.

    “Young people are disproportionately affected by knife crime so it is important we all work together to reduce knife crime as much as we can.”

    Tom Martin, Head of Offender Outcomes at HMP Perth said: “We are committed to doing all we can to support people, reduce the risk of crime, and help build safer communities.

    “We were delighted to work with partners in Perth and Kinross Council and Police Scotland on this important initiative, and particularly pleased that some those in our care had an opportunity to share their stories, so young people can learn from their experiences.”

    Police Scotland Sergeant Allan Neary, of Partnerships, Interventions and Preventions, said: “Recently, we supported in various engagements around knife crime awareness, along with our partners at Perth and Kinross Council, Scottish Prison Service and Aid and Abet.

    “Working closely together ensures that we get the message across about the dangers of carrying knives and the impact this has. We know the effect that violent crime has on individuals, families, and local communities, and we remain commitment to keeping our communities safe.”

    The Knife Angel, also known as the National Monument Against Violence & Aggression, was on display on King Edward Street throughout December.

    Created by the British Ironwork Centre, the statue is made up of 100,000 seized weapons.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Ratho nursery pupils enjoy Julia Donaldson adventure

    Source: Scotland – City of Edinburgh

    Ratho primary and nursery pupils were treated to a special reading from Charlie Cook’s Favourite Book written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated Axel Scheffler at Ratho Library on Wednesday (11 June).

    The children were also each gifted a copy of the classic story, which has inspired a special artwork inside the new Ratho Library. This was unveiled when the library opened its doors in March.

    A quote from the book was chosen by the local community in 2023, when a public vote was held to select words for the artwork from a range of beloved children’s books. The winning quote is now displayed above the children’s library section, alongside illustrations of Rowena frog and other characters from the book.

    Each child who attends the early years centre adjacent to the new library was given a copy of Charlie Cook’s Favourite Book by publishers Macmillan Children’s Books to celebrate its opening.

    Culture and Communities Convener Councillor Margaret Graham said:

    It’s wonderful to see some of our youngest library-goers enjoying the new space at Ratho, and even better, their very own copies of Charlie Cook’s Favourite Book!

    I recently visited the library and was really impressed with all that’s on offer, including this striking artwork, which clearly has the community at its heart. Their involvement, along with our dedicated team at the library and Macmillan Children’s Books, has helped to create a design which will inspire young minds for years to come.

    Thanks to Julia Donaldson, Axel Scheffler and Macmillan for their support throughout this process, including the gift of these books to our local nursery pupils, which I know will be well-loved.

    Julia Donaldson said:

    I have long campaigned on the valuable role that public libraries play in communities and in developing a love of books, and I am very pleased that there is now this new library in Ratho. I want to thank everyone who voted to see ‘Charlie Cook’s Favourite Book’ featured on the walls in the children’s area and I hope this joyful space introduces a new generation of readers to stories they will treasure for life.

    Axel Scheffler said:

    It is an honour to know that ‘Charlie Cook’s Favourite Book’ was chosen by the local community in Ratho to feature in their new library. I would like to thank them all and also the librarian team who have worked so hard to make this happen. I am so pleased that Rowena frog and Charlie will welcome young readers into the children’s area and I hope they will inspire families to discover great new books together.

    On Wednesday, pupil librarians from Ratho Primary School helped publishers Macmillan Children’s Books to gift a copy of the book to a small group of nursery children to then take back to share with the other children at the nursery.

    Ratho Library offers a broad range of services to customers, including access to a wide variety of digital and printed books, free public access to computers, free public Wi-Fi, collection of NHS hearing Aid batteries, support with National Entitlement Cards alongside an exciting programme of events and activities for children and adults.

    The library will host Tech Donation Boxes later in the year where everyday tech devices can be upcycled.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Pumping station ready to pour pints for beer lovers

    Source: City of Leicester

    REAL ale, vegan beers and a range of ciders will all be flowing at the Leicester CAMRA Beer Festival this month.

    Taking place in a marquee in the grounds of the Abbey Pumping Station, the three-day festival will be serving up more than 50 beers from independent brewers from Thursday 26 June.

    Some indoor seating will be provided, with additional picnic tables and gazebos outside, but festival goers can make sure they sit with their friends by bringing their own picnic blankets and camping chairs.

    Tickets – which must be booked online – are available for afternoon sessions or evening sessions each day.

    Prices start at £7 for the Thursday afternoon session and the Saturday evening session, rising to £9.50 on Friday night and Saturday afternoon. Generous discounts are available for CAMRA members and all tickets include a commemorative glass.

    Doors open for the afternoon sessions at 12 noon on Thursday 26 and Friday 27 June, and at 11am on Saturday 28 June, with the evening sessions starting at 5.30pm on 26-27 June and at 6pm on 28 June.

    Festival goers are advised that the Leicester CAMRA Beer Festival is a cashless event and all payments on site must be made by card.

    To book tickets, please visit leicestermuseums.org and follow the link to the CAMRA booking site.

    The Abbey Pumping Station is on Corporation Road, Leicester, LE4 5PX and shares a car park with the neighbouring National Space Centre. Parking is free after 6pm. The pumping station is also served by good walking, cycling and bus routes. 

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Beijing and Moscow intend to deepen intercity cooperation in various areas

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

    BEIJING, June 13 (Xinhua) — A conference entitled “Cities of the Future. Synergy of the Moscow-Beijing Strategic Partnership” was held in Beijing on Friday, which is part of the ongoing “Moscow Seasons in Beijing” festival.

    The two capitals are celebrating the 30th anniversary of their sister city relations this year. “Two dynamically developing megacities with enormous potential and investment opportunities have much to learn from each other, be it the organization of transport logistics infrastructure, the introduction of digital services, the holding of large-scale cultural and sports events or the introduction of advanced environmental standards,” said Andrey Povalyaev, Minister Counselor of the Russian Embassy in China, delivering a welcoming speech at the opening of the event.

    “Currently, 383 partnership pairs have been formed between our countries, including 135 between the subjects of the Russian Federation and the regions of the PRC, as well as 248 pairs at the municipal level,” he emphasized, adding that “by their example, the capitals of the two countries set the bar for interaction and serve as a model for other regions of Russia and China.”

    At the plenary session, government officials from Beijing and Moscow, as well as representatives of business circles, industry organizations and research institutions from both countries, discussed topics such as the implementation of the intercity cooperation program for the coming years, and exchanged best practices and achievements in bilateral cooperation in the development of mutual tourist flows, trade, investment, industry, digital services and technology.

    The conference also featured a ceremony between Chinese and Russian companies and organizations to hand over signed memorandums of understanding or cooperation, as well as agreements of intent or cooperation. These documents relate to cooperation in developing mutual tourist flows, trade, and museum affairs.

    In addition, the conference included business sessions where issues related to the entry of Russian enterprises into the Chinese market, challenges and opportunities for Moscow innovative companies in China, as well as the development of investment and industrial cooperation between the capitals of the two countries were discussed.

    Along with this, a meeting of the working group on transport between Moscow and Beijing, a round table on holding bilateral international museum projects between the two cities, as well as a presentation of Moscow’s tourism potential and B2B negotiations with the participation of business representatives from the two countries were held.

    Let us recall that the Moscow Seasons in Beijing festival, organized by the Moscow government with the support of the Beijing People’s Government, is one of the largest events within the framework of the China-Russia Cross Years of Culture 2024-2025. It takes place from Thursday to Sunday on the Wangfujing pedestrian street in the very center of the capital of the PRC. -0-

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Larsen Releases Statement on Israel Striking Iran

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Rick Larsen (2nd Congressional District Washington)

    Larsen Releases Statement on Israel Striking Iran

    Washington, D.C., June 13, 2025

    Today, Representative Rick Larsen released the following statement:

    “The recent targeted Israeli attack on Iran was not indiscriminate or random. Israel has a right to self-defense and, with Trump administration’s faltering efforts at negotiations with Iran, the country determined it needed to act to protect its people. The United States should stand with Israel at this time.

    “Iran understands that Israel can demonstrate its will to defend itself. I now call on both countries to take steps to de-escalate and for the United States and Iran to continue negotiations on the Iranian nuclear program, preferably involving the international community which previously resulted in strict limitations on the Iranians.”

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Brian Daly Named Director of Division of Investment Management

    Source: Securities and Exchange Commission

    The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced that investment management industry leader Brian T. Daly will become the new Director of the Division of Investment Management, effective July 8.

    Mr. Daly brings decades of experience serving in prominent roles at global law firms and investment management firms while advising fund managers and sponsors on regulatory compliance.

    For the past four years, he has been a partner in the investment management practice at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP in New York, where he has guided investment advisers and other clients on their legal and compliance programs, policies, and procedures as well as counseling on fund and management company formation, operational and trading issues, contentious matters, and management company transactions.

    “Brian has deep familiarity with all levels of the investment management industry, and I look forward to working with him as we address smart, effective oversight of the industry and its relationships with investors,” said SEC Chairman Paul S. Atkins. “I am looking forward to working with Brian on common-sense regulation that does not impose unnecessary burdens and genuinely embraces the public comment process.”

    Mr. Daly said, “I’ve long respected and appreciated the SEC’s commitment to regulatory oversight while advising clients on compliance and providing public comment from the investment management point of view during agency rulemaking. I am optimistic about this new day at the SEC and eager to get to work with Chairman Atkins and my new colleagues to ensure regulatory compliance by investment advisers and fund managers while tailoring rulemakings within our statutory authority.”

    Prior to Akin, Mr. Daly spent nearly a decade as a partner in the investment management group of Schulte Roth & Zabel LLP, advising investment advisers and fund managers on legal, compliance, and operational issues and matters. He was also a founding equity partner of Kepos Capital, a quantitative investment management company, while he served as chief legal and compliance officer. Among other prior positions, Mr. Daly served in general counsel and chief compliance officer positions at Millennium Partners, a Carlyle Group liquid markets fund manager, and Raptor Capital Management. He also taught legal ethics at Yale Law School and served on the board of directors of the Managed Funds Association.

    Mr. Daly earned his J.D., with distinction, from Stanford Law School, where he was an associate editor on the Stanford Law Review and the editor-in-chief of the Stanford Journal of International Law. He received his B.A., magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa, from Catholic University and his M.A. from the East-West Center at the University of Hawaii.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General James Announces Election Protection Hotline Ahead of June Primary Election

    Source: US State of New York

    EW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James today announced that the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) will make its Election Protection Hotline available for the June 24, 2025 primary election and during the early voting period, which runs from Saturday, June 14 through Sunday, June 22. The hotline will be available to troubleshoot and resolve a range of issues encountered by voters, including issues voting by absentee ballot, early mail ballot, or in-person at their polling place. A guide addressing frequently asked questions is also currently available to assist voters with, among other things, the absentee and early mail ballot process and voter registration issues.

    “New Yorkers deserve to feel safe about casting their ballots when they head to the polls for this month’s primary,” said Attorney General James. “Free and fair elections are foundational to our democracy. Whether you choose to vote absentee, during early voting, or on election day, my office’s Election Protection Hotline is here to help voters every step of the way.”

    New Yorkers are protected from voter intimidation, deception, suppression, and obstruction under state and federal law. Attorney General James urges voters experiencing election-related problems while voting to call the OAG hotline at (866) 390-2992 or submit a complaint online to request assistance. The telephone hotline will be open between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. during early voting (Saturday, June 14 through Sunday, June 22), and between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, June 24. The hotline will also be available on the day before and after Election Day, Monday, June 23 and Wednesday, June 25, between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. Written requests for assistance may be submitted at any time through the online complaint form. Hotline calls and written requests for assistance are processed by OAG attorneys and staff.

    The OAG has operated its Election Protection Hotline since November 2012. During previous elections, OAG fielded hundreds — and sometimes thousands — of complaints from voters across the state and worked with local election officials and others to address issues. The OAG has also taken legal action to protect against voter registration purges and to ensure that voters have adequate and equitable access to vote early as required by law.

    All registered voters have the right to accessible elections. On Election Day, polls are required to be continuously open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., and if voters are in line before closing, they must be allowed to vote. In addition, all registered voters have the right to vote free from coercion or intimidation, whether by election officials or any other person.

    The OAG will receive and respond to election complaints relating to any of the statutes that OAG enforces, including the New York Voting Rights Act, which upholds fair, open, and accessible elections.

    The OAG Election Protection Hotline is being coordinated by the Voting Rights Section, headed by Section Chief Lindsay McKenzie, with Assistant Attorneys General Bethany Perskie, Edward Fenster, Derek Borchardt, Rebecca Culley, Martin Ascher, Roni Druks, and Jerry Vattamala, Senior Voting Rights Analysts Turquoise Baker and Jake Moore, Voting Rights Analysts Chris Chin and Chris Leaverton, and Administrative Assistant 1 Lyric Landon. The Voting Rights Section is part of the Civil Rights Bureau, overseen by Bureau Chief Sandra Park and Deputy Bureau Chief Travis England. The Civil Rights Bureau is a part of the Division for Social Justice, which is led by Chief Deputy Attorney General Meghan Faux and overseen by First Deputy Attorney General Jennifer Levy. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Belmont Stakes Racing Festival Returning to Saratoga

    Source: US State of New York

    overnor Kathy Hochul and the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) today announced that the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival will return to historic Saratoga Race Course in June 2026 for a third and final year to allow for the on-time and uninterrupted construction of a new Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

    “New York is home to world class sports and entertainment and this final chapter of the Belmont Stakes at Saratoga Race Course honors our rich racing heritage while paving the way for a bold, new future at Belmont Park,” Governor Hochul said. “Bringing the race back to Saratoga next year will once again expand the audience for this storied leg of the Triple Crown and ensure fans continue to enjoy the full experience.”

    The announcement follows the recently concluded 2025 Belmont Stakes Racing Festival which was highlighted by Sovereignty’s victory in Saturday’s 157th running of the Grade 1, $2 million Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets.

    The reimagined Belmont Park remains on schedule to open to the public in September 2026. While NYRA had previously left open the possibility of hosting a Belmont Stakes in a partially completed facility with a limited number of fans, the decision to return to Saratoga Race Course for the 2026 Belmont Stakes Racing Festival will allow the event to be unhindered by various restrictions made necessary by ongoing construction.

    New York Racing Association President and CEO Dave O’Rourke said, “Saratoga has served our fans and stakeholders extremely well as the temporary home of the Belmont Stakes during the construction of a new Belmont Park on Long Island. As we prepare for the opening of the new Belmont Park in the fall of 2026, NYRA is pleased to bring the Belmont Stakes to Saratoga for a third and final time next June. Belmont Park will always be the home of the Belmont Stakes and we look forward to its return to the newly reimagined Belmont in 2027.”

    Empire State Development President, CEO and Commissioner Hope Knight said, “Bringing the Belmont Stakes Festival to Saratoga Race Course the past two years has introduced new audiences and new visitors to Saratoga Springs and its surrounding communities, which supports our local small businesses and the Upstate tourism economy. By granting Saratoga a third opportunity to host the third leg of racing’s Triple Crown, even more fans will be inspired by this unique circumstance and plan a trip to experience the excitement, the history and the pageantry firsthand.”

    State Senator Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr. said, “The decision to once again bring the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival to Saratoga in 2026 demonstrates a strong commitment to both preserving tradition and ensuring the successful modernization of Belmont Park. This transition period has enabled top-notch racing to continue while providing an economic boom for Saratoga and enhancing the experience for horse racing fans. I look forward to the grand reopening of a state-of-the-art Belmond Park in 2027 and the continued economic and social impact these premier racing events bring to our state.”

    Assemblymember Carrie Woerner said, “Saratoga Springs and Saratoga Race Course hosted two successful Belmont Stakes Racing Festivals and we are thrilled to be hosting the exciting third leg of the Triple Crown again. Once the reimagined Belmont Park opens, New York will be home to the most state-of-the-art and the most historical Thoroughbred racetracks in the country. I am already looking forward to next year and the bright future of this heritage sport in our state.”

    Chairman of the Saratoga County Board of Supervisors and Town of Clifton Park Supervisor Phil Barrett said, “Saratoga County has proudly partnered with many organizations to support events coinciding with the Belmont Stakes. We have been proud to host the Belmont and the event has drawn people to our county, providing the opportunity to showcase our recreational, cultural, and historical attractions. We will begin planning for 2026 with NYRA and partner organizations to deliver the best possible experience!”

    City of Saratoga Springs Mayor John Safford said, “It has been an honor and a privilege for Saratoga Springs to host The Belmont over the past two years. The exceptional collaboration between NYRA, the Chamber, Discover Saratoga, and other dedicated community partners has created a memorable experience for all who visited our city. We are excited to continue these strong partnerships and welcome an additional year of the Belmont in Saratoga for 2026.”

    Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce President Todd Shimkus said, “It’s been an honor for the local and regional community to help serve as stewards for the Belmont Stakes during the construction of the new Belmont Park, and we are excited to do so for one final year. The Chamber and our partners are already working on plans for a third Belmont on Broadway kick-off concert in 2026 to support the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival.”

    Saratoga Economic Development Corporation President Greg Connors said, “In Saratoga County, we couldn’t be more grateful and appreciative to both the Governor and NYRA for bringing back to Saratoga in 2026 the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival. The substantial economic impact on not only Saratoga but the Capital Region is significant. Historically, the traditional Saratoga meet contributes an estimated $9M dollars per day to the local economy. And, with our partners in government, business and community development sectors, we have worked as a team, for the last 2 years, to showcase our community to the world and the world class thoroughbred racing industry, that Saratoga County and the City of Saratoga Springs is capable and ready to handle such a historic horse racing event of national and international interest. For one last time in 2026, Saratoga County is excited to welcome the world back to the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at the Saratoga Race Course.”

    Discover Saratoga President Darryl Leggieri said, “We are absolutely thrilled to welcome the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival back to Saratoga in 2026 for the third consecutive year. Hosting this iconic event is not only a tremendous honor—it’s a testament to Saratoga County’s ability to safely and successfully accommodate major events on a national scale. The Belmont Stakes brings a remarkable boost to our local economy and provides incredible exposure for our community, our small businesses, and the world-class hospitality that defines Saratoga. We’re grateful to Governor Hochul and the New York Racing Association for their continued confidence in Saratoga as a premier destination for racing and tourism.”

    The 2026 Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets will be held Saturday, June 6. The race will once again be contested at 1.25 miles in 2026, rather than the traditional 1.5 miles due to the configuration of Saratoga’s main track.

    In the coming weeks, Saratoga Race Course will serve as the home to a special July 4th Racing Festival which is traditionally held at Belmont Park. The four-day event will take place Thursday, July 3 to Sunday, July 6 and will serve as a prelude to the traditional 40-day Saratoga summer meet which gets underway on Thursday, July 10 and will continue through Labor Day, Monday, September 1. New York State and the NYRA are currently redeveloping Belmont Park, with a $455 million capital construction project transforming the facility into a world-class racing and entertainment destination.

    Last month, Governor Hochul announced Belmont Park will host the Breeders’ Cup in 2027 for the first time in twenty years. It will be the fifth time New York will host the Breeders’ Cup after hosting in 1990, 1995, 2001, and 2005. The Breeders’ Cup at Belmont Park will be held Oct. 29-30, 2027. All race dates are pending approval by the New York State Gaming Commission. For more information, visit belmontstakes.com.

    About the New York Racing Association, Inc.

    NYRA is a not-for-profit corporation franchised by New York State to conduct thoroughbred racing at Aqueduct Racetrack, Belmont Park and Saratoga Race Course. NYRA tracks are the cornerstone of New York State’s horse racing economy, which is responsible for 19,000 jobs and more than $3 billion in annual statewide economic impact.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Vehicle stop by Met officers leads to 24 years jail time for criminal duo

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    Removing dangerous weapons from the streets of London is a priority for the Met. By relentlessly targeting criminals involved in the supply of drugs and weapons, we can continue to reduce violent crime.

    Chloe Scott, 27 (10.10.97), of Whitehead Close, N18, and Miles Addy, 28 (14.04.96), of King Alfred Avenue, SE6, were both sentenced to 12 years’ imprisonment at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Friday, 13 June.

    An investigation started in December 2022 when a 15-year-old boy was found with drugs after being stopped by British Transport Police officers at Tower Hill Underground Station.

    After accessing a mobile phone being carried by the child officers established that Scott was instructing the boy to sell and transport drugs on her behalf.

    Further enquiries were carried out and armed Met officers stopped Scott’s car in Seven Sisters Road, Islington on 3 June 2023. They found around half a kilo of cocaine and five large hunting knives.

    As the investigation progressed, Met detectives discovered Scott, who was a registered children’s social worker, had been in regular contact with Miles Addy, a convicted criminal who was serving a prison sentence for a firearms offence.

    Between them the pair were running a large-scale drug supply network, selling cocaine in London and across other parts of the south-east.

    Videos found on Scott’s phone also revealed they were also involved in selling weapons, including firearms and knives. Addy was found to be directing Scott to addresses to deliver firearms and drugs to their customers.

    Through matching the serial numbers of the firearms in the videos to the police database, detectives discovered one of the weapons was a firearm with links to a murder investigation. Another firearm which could be linked back to Scott and Addy was recovered during a warrant on 20 November 2023. Joy Hyde-Coleman, 29, (07.12.94) from Blondin Street, Bow, who was found to be in possession of the firearm was subsequently sentenced to five years’ imprisonment in August 2024.

    Both offenders were charged in August 2024 and officers worked with authorities to suspend Scott from her role as a social worker. Scott pleaded guilty on the first day of her trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court on 13 January 2025. Addy pleaded at an earlier hearing on 2 November 2024.


    Detective Inspector Damian Hill, from the Met’s Specialist Crime team that led the investigation, said:

    “As police officers we all too often see the devastating consequences of drugs and weapons on the streets of London. These dangerous offenders helped fuel violent crime and we won’t stand for it.

    “The overwhelming evidence we gathered, supported by British Transport Police and HM Prison and Probation Service left them with little choice but to admit to their offending and they will both now face lengthy prison sentences.

    “Across the Met we remain committed to tackling violence and our hard work is paying off. Homicide and knife crime is down – and seen here we are also dismantling serious and organised crime groups.”

    Scott previously pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs, two counts of selling or transferring a firearm, one count of conspiracy to possess firearms, one count of conspiracy to possess ammunition, one count of causing unnecessary suffering to a dog and one count of possession of hunting knives. The plea was entered on what would have been the first day of the trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court.

    Addy pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs, one count of conspiracy to possess firearms, and a further count of conspiracy to possess ammunition at an earlier hearing at the same court and was recalled to prison.

    Scott was additionally disqualified for ownership of animals for 12 years for the cruelty to animal offence.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Around the Air Force: Risk and Readiness, Project Magellan, Pilot Training Overhaul

    Source: United States Air Force

    In this week’s look Around the Air Force, the Air Force Safety Center announces Phase II of the Chief of Staff’s Integrating Risk and Readiness campaign, Project Magellan earns international recognition by winning the 2025 Founder’s Award, and AETC aims to train 1,500 pilots per year.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Nigeria: Ogoni Nine pardon ‘falls far short’ of real justice

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

    Download logo

    Responding to the announcement on Wednesday that the Nigerian government has pardoned the Ogoni Nine, Isa Sanusi, Amnesty International Nigeria’s Director, said: 

    “This is welcome news but it falls far short of the justice the Ogoni Nine need and deserve – the Nigerian government must recognise formally that they are innocent of any crime and fully exonerate them. 

    “The Ogoni Nine, led by Ken Saro-Wiwa Nigeria’s leading author and campaigner, were brutally executed by a regime that wanted to hide the crimes of Shell and other oil companies that were destroying – and continue to destroy – the lives and livelihoods of tens of thousands of people across the Niger Delta as a result of their devastating oil spills and leaks.  

    “The execution of these activists nearly 30 years ago has given the Nigerian government and oil companies, including Shell, licence to crackdown on protests and intimidate people in the Niger Delta who have been demanding justice and an end to their toxic pollution. 

    “Full justice for the Ogoni Nine is only a first step – much more needs to be done to get justice for communities in the Niger Delta, including holding Shell and other oil companies to account for the damage they have done and continue to do. They must pay the Niger Delta’s communities full compensation for the devastation their oil spills and leaks have caused and clean up their toxic mess before they leave the region.” 

    Background 

    The Ogoni Nine 

    Ken Saro-Wiwa, environmental activist and writer, Barinem Kiobel, John Kpuinen, Baribor Bera, Felix Nuate, Paul Levula, Saturday Dobee, Nordu Eawo and Daniel Gbokoo, were executed after a blatantly unfair trial on 10 November 1995. Officially accused of involvement in murder, the men had in fact been put on trial because they had challenged the devastating impact of oil production by Shell, in the Ogoniland region of the Niger Delta. 

    Shell have been accused of complicity in the unlawful arrest, detention and execution of nine men. 

    Niger Delta devastation 

    For 60 years Shell and other oil companies have been responsible for oil spills and leaks due to poorly maintained pipelines, wells and inadequate clean-up attempts that have ravaged the health and livelihoods of many of the 30 million people living in the Niger Delta – most of whom live in poverty. People can’t fish anymore because their water sources, including their wells for drinking water, are poisoned and the land is contaminated which has killed plant life, meaning communities can no longer farm. 

    The Ogale and Bille communities as well as the Bodo community are taking Shell to the UK’s Royal Courts of Justice demanding the oil giant cleans up the oil spills that have wrecked their livelihoods, health and caused widespread devastation to the local environment.

    – on behalf of Amnesty International.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Principal Secretary (PS) Oluga Chairs Meeting on Urology Centre Project

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

    Download logo

     The Principal Secretary for Medical Services Dr. Ouma Oluga on Friday June 13, 2025 chaired a consultative meeting with the African Development Bank and the National Treasury to review progress on the implementation of the East Africa Centre of Excellence in Urology and Nephrology project.

    The meeting brought together key stakeholders, including Ms. Nadege Balima from the African Development Bank, Mr. Samuel Nyoike from the National Treasury, and Dr. Ajuck Hossin from the Ministry of Health.

    – on behalf of Ministry of Health, Kenya.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Southern Baptists’ call for the US Supreme Court to overturn its same-sex marriage decision is part of a long history of opposing women’s and LGBTQ+ people’s rights

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Susan M. Shaw, Professor of Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, Oregon State University

    A worship session at the 2025 Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting on June 10, 2025, in Dallas. AP Photo/Richard W. Rodriguez

    The Southern Baptist Convention has lost 3.6 million members over the past two decades and faces an ongoing sexual abuse crisis. At its June 2025 annual meeting, however, neither of those issues took up as much time as controversial social issues, including the denomination’s stance on same-sex marriage.

    The group called for the overturning of Obergefell v. Hodges – the Supreme Court decision that legalized same-sex marriage – and the creation of laws that “affirm marriage between one man and one woman.”

    Messengers – Southern Baptists’ word for delegates from local churches – also asked for laws that would “reflect the moral order revealed in Scripture and nature.”

    They also decried declining fertility rates, commercial surrogacy, Planned Parenthood, “willful childlessness,” the normalization of “transgender ideology,” and gender-affirming medical care.

    This detailed list targeting women’s and LGBTQ+ rights was justified by an appeal to a God-ordained created order, as defined by Southern Baptists’ interpretation of the Bible.

    In this created order, sex and gender are synonymous and are irrevocably defined by biology. The heterosexual nuclear family is the foundational institution of this order, with the father dominant over his wife and children – and children are a necessity if husbands and wives are to be faithful to God’s design for the family.

    The resolution, On Restoring Moral Clarity through God’s Design for Gender, Marriage, and the Family, passed easily in a denomination that was taken over from more moderate Southern Baptists by fundamentalists in the early 1990s, largely in response to women’s progress in society and in the denomination.

    Southern Baptists were always conservative on issues of gender and sexuality. As I was entering a Southern Baptist seminary in the early 1980s, the denomination seemed poised to embrace social progress. I watched the takeover firsthand as a student and then as a professor of women and gender studies who studies Southern Baptists. This new resolution is the latest in a long history of Southern Baptist opposition to the progress of women and LGBTQ+ people.

    Opposing LGBTQ+ rights

    Throughout the late 1960s and early 1970s, many Southern Baptists began to embrace the women’s movement. Women started to attend Southern Baptist seminaries in record numbers, many claiming a call to serve as pastors. While Southern Baptist acceptance of LGBTQ+ people lagged far behind its nascent embrace of women’s rights, progress did seem possible.

    Then in 1979, a group of Southern Baptist fundamentalists organized to wrest control of the denomination from the moderates who had led it for decades.

    Any hope for progress on changes regarding LGBTQ+ rights in the denomination quickly died. Across the next two decades, advances made by women, such as being ordained and serving as senior pastors, eroded and disappeared.

    The SBC had passed anti-gay resolutions in the 1970s defining homosexuality as “deviant” and a “sin.” But under the new fundamentalist rule, the SBC became even more vehemently anti-gay and anti-trans.

    In 1988, the SBC called homosexuality a “perversion of divine standards,” “a violation of nature and natural affections,” “not a normal lifestyle,” and “an abomination in the eyes of God.”

    In 1991, they decried government funding for the National Lesbian and Gay Health Conference as a violation of “the proper role and responsibility of government” because of its encouragement of “sexual immorality.”

    Predictably, across the years, the convention spoke out against every effort to advance LGBTQ+ rights. This included supporting the Boy Scouts’ ban of gay scouts, opposing military service by LGBTQ+ people, boycotting Disney for its support of LGBTQ+ people, calling on businesses to deny LGBTQ+ people domestic partner benefits and employment nondiscrimination to protect LGBTQ+ people, and supporting the Defense of Marriage Act that limited marriage to a woman and a man.

    Targeting same-sex marriage

    The gender and sexuality topic, however, that has received the most attention from the convention has been marriage equality. Since 1980, the SBC has passed 22 resolutions that touch on same-sex marriage.

    The SBC passed its first resolution against same-sex marriage in 1996 after the Hawaii Supreme Court indicated the possibility it could rule in favor of same-sex marriage. The court never decided the issue because Hawaii’s Legislature passed a bill defining marriage as between a man and a woman.

    In 1998, the convention amended its faith statement, the Baptist Faith and Message, to define marriage as “the uniting of one man and one woman in covenant commitment.”

    The denomination passed its next resolution in 2003 in response to the Vermont General Assembly’s establishment of civil unions. The resolution opposed any efforts to validate same-sex marriages or partnerships, whether legislative, judicial or religious.

    In 2004, after the Massachusetts Supreme Court allowed same-sex marriages in that state, the convention called for a constitutional amendment to define marriage as between a man and a woman. It reiterated this call in 2006.

    When the California Supreme Court struck down the state’s ban on same-sex marriage, the SBC passed another resolution in 2008 warning of the dire consequences of allowing lesbians and gay men to marry, as people from other states would marry in California and return home to challenge their states’ marriage bans.

    In 2011, the convention offered its support for the Defense of Marriage Act, followed in 2012 by a denunciation of the use of civil rights language to argue for marriage equality.

    Delegates at a Southern Baptist Convention meeting in 2012 in New Orleans.
    AP Photo/Gerald Herbert

    The resolution argues that homosexuality “does not qualify as a class meriting special protections, like race and gender.”

    When Obergefell was before the Supreme Court, the SBC called on the court to deny marriage equality. After Obergefell was decided in favor of same-sex marriage, the convention asked for Congress to pass the First Amendment Defense Act, which would have prohibited the federal government from discriminating against people based on their opposition to same-sex marriage. That same resolution also offers its support to state attorneys general challenging transgender rights.

    Opposing transgender people

    Messengers of the Southern Baptist Convention listen to remarks by its president, Clint Pressley, during the 2025 SBC annual meeting in Dallas.
    AP Photo/Richard W. Rodriguez

    This was not the first time the SBC had spoken about transgender issues. As early as 2007, the denomination expressed its opposition to allowing transgender people to constitute a protected class in hate crimes legislation.

    In 2014, the convention stated its belief that gender is fixed and binary and subsequently that trans people should not be allowed gender-affirming care and that government officials should not validate transgender identity.

    In 2016, the denomination opposed access for transgender people to bathrooms matching their gender identities. In 2021, the convention invoked women’s rights – in a denomination famous for its resistance to women’s equality – as a reason to undermine trans rights.

    In its resolution opposing the proposed Equality Act, which would have added sexual orientation and gender identity as protected classifications, the SBC argued, “The Equality Act would undermine decades of hard-fought civil rights protections for women and girls by threatening competition in sports and disregarding the privacy concerns women rightly have about sharing sleeping quarters and intimate facilities with members of the opposite sex.”

    This most recent resolution from June 2025 returns to the themes of fixed and binary gender, a divinely sanctioned hierarchical ordering of gender, and marriage as an institution limited to one woman and one man. While claiming these beliefs are “universal truths,” the resolution argues that Obergefell is a “legal fiction” because it denies the biological reality of male and female.

    Going further, this resolution claims that U.S. law on gender and sexuality should be based on the Bible. The duty of lawmakers, it states, is to “pass laws that reflect the truth of creation and natural law – about marriage, sex, human life, and family – and to oppose any law that denies or undermines what God has made plain through nature and Scripture.”

    By taking no action on sexual abuse while focusing its efforts on issues of gender and sexuality, the convention affirmed its decades-long conservative trajectory. It also underlined its willingness to encourage lawmakers to impose these standards on the rest of the nation.

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

    – ref. Southern Baptists’ call for the US Supreme Court to overturn its same-sex marriage decision is part of a long history of opposing women’s and LGBTQ+ people’s rights – https://theconversation.com/southern-baptists-call-for-the-us-supreme-court-to-overturn-its-same-sex-marriage-decision-is-part-of-a-long-history-of-opposing-womens-and-lgbtq-peoples-rights-258883

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Protecting the vulnerable, or automating harm? AI’s double-edged role in spotting abuse

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Aislinn Conrad, Associate Professor of Social Work, University of Iowa

    AI can help maximize resources in strapped systems trying to protect vulnerable people – but it can also risk replicating harm or privacy violations. Courtney Hale/E+ via Getty Images

    Artificial intelligence is rapidly being adopted to help prevent abuse and protect vulnerable people – including children in foster care, adults in nursing homes and students in schools. These tools promise to detect danger in real time and alert authorities before serious harm occurs.

    Developers are using natural language processing, for example — a form of AI that interprets written or spoken language – to try to detect patterns of threats, manipulation and control in text messages. This information could help detect domestic abuse and potentially assist courts or law enforcement in early intervention. Some child welfare agencies use predictive modeling, another common AI technique, to calculate which families or individuals are most “at risk” for abuse.

    When thoughtfully implemented, AI tools have the potential to enhance safety and efficiency. For instance, predictive models have assisted social workers to prioritize high-risk cases and intervene earlier.

    But as a social worker with 15 years of experience researching family violence – and five years on the front lines as a foster-care case manager, child abuse investigator and early childhood coordinator – I’ve seen how well-intentioned systems often fail the very people they are meant to protect.

    Now, I am helping to develop iCare, an AI-powered surveillance camera that analyzes limb movements – not faces or voices – to detect physical violence. I’m grappling with a critical question: Can AI truly help safeguard vulnerable people, or is it just automating the same systems that have long caused them harm?

    New tech, old injustice

    Many AI tools are trained to “learn” by analyzing historical data. But history is full of inequality, bias and flawed assumptions. So are people, who design, test and fund AI.

    That means AI algorithms can wind up replicating systemic forms of discrimination, like racism or classism. A 2022 study in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, found that a predictive risk model to score families’ risk levels – scores given to hotline staff to help them screen calls – would have flagged Black children for investigation 20% more often than white children, if used without human oversight. When social workers were included in decision-making, that disparity dropped to 9%.

    Language-based AI can also reinforce bias. For instance, one study showed that natural language processing systems misclassified African American Vernacular English as “aggressive” at a significantly higher rate than Standard American English — up to 62% more often, in certain contexts.

    Meanwhile, a 2023 study found that AI models often struggle with context clues, meaning sarcastic or joking messages can be misclassified as serious threats or signs of distress.

    Language-processing AI isn’t always great at judging what counts as a threat or concern.
    NickyLloyd/E+ via Getty Images

    These flaws can replicate larger problems in protective systems. People of color have long been over-surveilled in child welfare systems — sometimes due to cultural misunderstandings, sometimes due to prejudice. Studies have shown that Black and Indigenous families face disproportionately higher rates of reporting, investigation and family separation compared with white families, even after accounting for income and other socioeconomic factors.

    Many of these disparities stem from structural racism embedded in decades of discriminatory policy decisions, as well as implicit biases and discretionary decision-making by overburdened caseworkers.

    Surveillance over support

    Even when AI systems do reduce harm toward vulnerable groups, they often do so at a disturbing cost.

    In hospitals and elder-care facilities, for example, AI-enabled cameras have been used to detect physical aggression between staff, visitors and residents. While commercial vendors promote these tools as safety innovations, their use raises serious ethical concerns about the balance between protection and privacy.

    In a 2022 pilot program in Australia, AI camera systems deployed in two care homes generated more than 12,000 false alerts over 12 months – overwhelming staff and missing at least one real incident. The program’s accuracy did “not achieve a level that would be considered acceptable to staff and management,” according to the independent report.

    Surveillance cameras in care homes can help detect abuse, but they raise serious questions about privacy.
    kazuma seki/iStock via Getty Images Plus

    Children are affected, too. In U.S. schools, AI surveillance like Gaggle, GoGuardian and Securly are marketed as tools to keep students safe. Such programs can be installed on students’ devices to monitor online activity and flag anything concerning.

    But they’ve also been shown to flag harmless behaviors – like writing short stories with mild violence, or researching topics related to mental health. As an Associated Press investigation revealed, these systems have also outed LGBTQ+ students to parents or school administrators by monitoring searches or conversations about gender and sexuality.

    Other systems use classroom cameras and microphones to detect “aggression.” But they frequently misidentify normal behavior like laughing, coughing or roughhousing — sometimes prompting intervention or discipline.

    These are not isolated technical glitches; they reflect deep flaws in how AI is trained and deployed. AI systems learn from past data that has been selected and labeled by humans — data that often reflects social inequalities and biases. As sociologist Virginia Eubanks wrote in “Automating Inequality,” AI systems risk scaling up these long-standing harms.

    Care, not punishment

    I believe AI can still be a force for good, but only if its developers prioritize the dignity of the people these tools are meant to protect. I’ve developed a framework of four key principles for what I call “trauma-responsive AI.”

    1. Survivor control: People should have a say in how, when and if they’re monitored. Providing users with greater control over their data can enhance trust in AI systems and increase their engagement with support services, such as creating personalized plans to stay safe or access help.

    2. Human oversight: Studies show that combining social workers’ expertise with AI support improves fairness and reduces child maltreatment – as in Allegheny County, where caseworkers used algorithmic risk scores as one factor, alongside their professional judgment, to decide which child abuse reports to investigate.

    3. Bias auditing: Governments and developers are increasingly encouraged to test AI systems for racial and economic bias. Open-source tools like IBM’s AI Fairness 360, Google’s What-If Tool, and Fairlearn assist in detecting and reducing such biases in machine learning models.

    4. Privacy by design: Technology should be built to protect people’s dignity. Open-source tools like Amnesia, Google’s differential privacy library and Microsoft’s SmartNoise help anonymize sensitive data by removing or obscuring identifiable information. Additionally, AI-powered techniques, such as facial blurring, can anonymize people’s identities in video or photo data.

    Honoring these principles means building systems that respond with care, not punishment.

    Some promising models are already emerging. The Coalition Against Stalkerware and its partners advocate to include survivors in all stages of tech development – from needs assessments to user testing and ethical oversight.

    Legislation is important, too. On May 5, 2025, for example, Montana’s governor signed a law restricting state and local government from using AI to make automated decisions about individuals without meaningful human oversight. It requires transparency about how AI is used in government systems and prohibits discriminatory profiling.

    As I tell my students, innovative interventions should disrupt cycles of harm, not perpetuate them. AI will never replace the human capacity for context and compassion. But with the right values at the center, it might help us deliver more of it.

    Aislinn Conrad is developing iCare, an AI-powered, real-time violence detection system.

    – ref. Protecting the vulnerable, or automating harm? AI’s double-edged role in spotting abuse – https://theconversation.com/protecting-the-vulnerable-or-automating-harm-ais-double-edged-role-in-spotting-abuse-256403

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Ambassador of Belarus S.Terentyev meets with the First Deputy Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade of Egypt

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

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    On June 12, 2025 the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Belarus to the Arab Republic of Egypt, Sergei Terentyev, met with the First Deputy Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade of Egypt – Head of the Egyptian Commercial Service, Abdelaziz Al-Sherif.

    The sides discussed the preparation of the 8th meeting of the Belarusian-Egyptian Joint Trade Commission in Minsk, and the Roadmap for the development of trade and economic cooperation between the Republic of Belarus and the Arab Republic of Egypt.

    A special attention was paid to the issues of industrial cooperation in accordance with the agreements reached by the Heads of Governments of Belarus and Egypt in April 2024, including the resumption of work on assembly plants for Belarusian agricultural machinery in Egypt.

    – on behalf of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Colorado’s fentanyl criminalization bill won’t solve the opioid epidemic, say the people most affected

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Katherine LeMasters, Assistant Professor of Medicine, University of Colorado Boulder

    The people most impacted by Colorado’s fentanyl criminalization bill have divergent views on the role of the legal system in curbing the opioid epidemic. Erik McGregor/GettyImages

    Colorado passed the Fentanyl Accountability and Prevention Bill in May 2022. The legislation made the possession of small amounts of fentanyl a felony, rather than a misdemeanor.

    Felonies are more likely than misdemeanors to result in a prison sentence.

    Time in prison is associated with an increased risk of fatal overdose in the year after release. People with felonies on their record often struggle to find a job or rent an apartment.

    In 2023, lawmakers in 46 states passed legislation similar to Colorado’s. They introduced more than 600 bills related to fentanyl criminalization and enacted over 100 other laws to attempt to curb the opioid epidemic.

    Possession of small amounts of ketamine, GHB and other criminalized drugs is also a felony in Colorado.

    I’m an assistant professor of medicine, social epidemiologist and community researcher who studies mass incarceration as a public health threat. I am a member of the Right Response Coalition, which advocates for community rather than criminal-legal responses to behavioral health needs in Colorado. Recently, my work has focused on how increasing criminal penalties for fentanyl possession in Colorado affects the individuals and communities most impacted by such laws.

    Our team conducted 31 interviews with Colorado policymakers, peer support specialists, law enforcement, community behavioral health providers and people providing behavioral health in prisons and jails to explore a variety of perspectives on Colorado’s Fentanyl Accountability and Prevention Bill and the role of the criminal-legal system in addressing substance use and overdose.

    Most of our interviewees agreed that criminalization alone wouldn’t solve the opioid epidemic.

    “You can’t incarcerate yourself to sobriety,” said a rural law enforcement officer. “You can’t incarcerate yourself out of the drug problem in America.”

    Criminalization of drug use

    Incarceration and substance use are deeply intertwined. The U.S. houses one-quarter of the world’s incarcerated population – largely due to policies created during the “war on Drugs” of the 1980s. The war on drugs included mandatory minimum sentencing for drug-related charges and “three strikes” laws that lengthened sentences after multiple charges.

    Today, one-fifth of the U.S. incarcerated population has a drug-related charge.

    People recently released from incarceration are more likely to overdose than the general public because their tolerance is greatly reduced following forced abstinence and there are not enough community-based treatment options.
    Erik McGregor/GettyImages

    Incarceration is often seen as a deterrent, but research shows it is not actually associated with reduced drug use. Instead, people recently released from incarceration are more likely to die of a fatal overdose and face a high likelihood of reincarceration.

    Perspectives of front-line workers

    All 31 of the participants in our study supported policies to prevent fentanyl overdoses. However, most thought that use of police and incarceration as avenues to do so was misguided.

    We spoke to some individuals who felt the bill was appropriate, but most felt that increased criminalization perpetuates stigma against people who use drugs. They also saw the law as ignoring the root causes of the opioid epidemic, which include a lack of voluntary community-based treatment options. They also said the law creates stressful law enforcement encounters that can perpetuate drug use as a coping mechanism.

    “It just seems like there’s no getting away from [the police], they’re everywhere,” said an urban peer support specialist. “I got arrested by the same cops, I don’t know how many times. And then it makes you want to try to be avoidant or run because they’re not going to help you.”

    Participants worried that the policy has an inadvertent chilling effect, deterring individuals from calling 911 when an overdose occurs.

    “Most people with substance abuse are not trying to report anything or get help for fear of going to jail,” one rural provider said. “It’s so stigmatized that everyone’s just scared to do that.”

    Study participants worried that the Colorado fentanyl criminalization bill will deter people from reporting an overdose for fear of being arrested.
    Spencer Platt/GettyImages

    Participants largely thought that counties were using incarceration as a default treatment setting and that it wasn’t an ideal solution.

    “[I] don’t want to see [people] incarcerated, but I don’t want ‘em to die either,” said an urban peer support specialist.

    The people we interviewed pointed to a lack of community-based care options that could come before people are incarcerated. Those options include substance use treatment centers, mental health services and community health centers.

    Substance use treatment

    Colorado’s fentanyl bill did more than just increase penalties. It also provided additional funding for a state naloxone program and required that all jails provide medications for opioid use disorder.

    Along with increasing penalties, Colorado’s bill increased access to naloxone, an opioid-reversal drug.
    Hyoung Chang/GettyImages

    These medications include methadone, buprenorphine and extended-release naltrexone. All are part of an established public health strategy shown to reduce overdose deaths and opioid use. They’re also shown to increase engagement with non-jail-based treatment and reduce reincarceration.

    However, jail capacity and the lack of treatment options based in one’s community play a large role in which medications are offered and to whom. For example, only 11 out of Colorado’s 46 counties with a county jail have an opioid treatment program in the community that can dispense methadone. Therefore, some facilities do not offer all medications, or only offer medications to individuals with an active prescription or to certain populations such as pregnant people.

    Investing in community solutions

    Based on our study’s findings, my study co-authors and I believe increased criminal penalties should not be the solution for linking individuals to treatment. Instead, there should be more investment in long-term community solutions.

    One such solution is Denver’s Substance Use Navigation Program. The program sends behavioral health specialists to emergency calls to prevent legal involvement when someone is experiencing distress related to mental health, poverty, homelessness or substance use. In many cases, those individuals are then routed to services rather than jails.

    Our findings also lead us to believe there is a need for more participatory policymaking processes when it comes to fentanyl legislation, and that policymakers should more closely work with the people who will be most impacted by new legislation. Most of our participants agree.

    “[I] don’t think that [the] state realized how difficult it is,” said a rural provider about giving medication-assisted treatment in jail, an increasing need as more people are arrested for fentanyl possession. “They probably should come here and visit us.”

    Katherine LeMasters received funding from the Colorado Department of Human Services, Behavioral Health Administration. Katherine LeMasters is part of the Right Response Coalition.

    – ref. Colorado’s fentanyl criminalization bill won’t solve the opioid epidemic, say the people most affected – https://theconversation.com/colorados-fentanyl-criminalization-bill-wont-solve-the-opioid-epidemic-say-the-people-most-affected-256661

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Data on sexual orientation and gender is critical to public health – without it, health crises continue unnoticed

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By John R. Blosnich, Associate Professor of Social Work, University of Southern California

    As part of the Trump administration’s efforts aimed at stopping diversity, equity and inclusion, the government has been restricting how it monitors public health. Along with cuts to federally funded research, the administration has targeted public health efforts to gather information about sexual orientation and gender identity.

    In the early days of the second Trump administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention took down data and documents that included sexual orientation and gender identity from its webpages. For example, data codebooks for the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System were replaced with versions that deleted gender identity variables. The Trump administration also ordered the CDC to delete gender identity from the National Violent Death Reporting System, the world’s largest database for informing prevention of homicide and suicide deaths.

    For many people, sexual orientation and gender identity may seem private and personal. So why is personal information necessary for public health?

    Decades of research have shown that health problems affect some groups more than others. As someone who has studied differences in health outcomes for over 15 years, I know that one of the largest health disparities for LGBTQ+ people is suicide risk. Without data on sexual orientation and gender identity, public health cannot do the work to sound the alarm on and address issues that affect not just specific communities, but society as a whole.

    Clinicians are concerned about the purging of health data that is essential to patient care.

    Alarms and benchmarks

    Health is determined by the interplay of several factors, including a person’s genetics, environment and personal life. Of these types of health information, data on personal lives can be the most difficult to collect because researchers must rely on people to voluntarily share this information with them. But details about people’s everyday lives are critical to understanding their health.

    Consider veteran status. Without information that identifies which Americans are military veterans, the U.S. would never have known that the rate of suicide deaths among veterans is several times higher than that of the general population. Identifying this problem encouraged efforts to reduce suicide among veterans and military service personnel.

    Studying the rates of different conditions occurring in different groups of people is a vital role of public health monitoring. First, rates can set off alarm bells. When people are counted, it becomes easier to pick up a problem that needs to be addressed.

    Second, rates can be a benchmark. Once the extent of a health problem is known, researchers can develop and test interventions. They can then determine if rates of that health problem decreased, stayed the same or increased after the intervention.

    My team reviewed available research on how sexual orientation and gender identity are related to differences in mortality. The results were grim.

    Of the 49 studies we analyzed, the vast majority documented greater rates of death from all causes for LGBTQ+ people compared with people who aren’t LGBTQ+. Results were worse for suicide: Nearly all studies reported that suicide deaths were more frequent among LGBTQ+ people. A great deal of other research supports this finding.

    Without data on sexual orientation and gender identity, these issues are erased.

    Lost data costs everyone

    Higher death rates among LGBTQ+ people affect everyone, not just people in the LGBTQ+ community. And when suicide is a major driver of these death rates, the costs increase.

    There are societal costs. Deaths from suicide result in lost productivity and medical services that cost the U.S. an estimated $484 billion per year. There are also human costs. Research suggests that for every suicide death, about 135 people are directly affected by the loss, experiencing grief, sadness and anger.

    President Donald Trump’s targeting of research on sexual orientation and gender identity comes at a time when more Americans than ever – an estimated 24.4 million adults – identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. That’s more than the entire population of Florida.

    LGBTQ+ people live in every state in the country, where they work as teachers, executives, janitors, nurses, mechanics, artists and every other profession or role that help sustain American communities. LGBTQ+ people are someone’s family members, and they are raising families of their own. LGBTQ+ people also pay taxes to the government, which are partly spent on monitoring the nation’s health.

    Stopping data collection of sexual orientation and gender identity does not protect women, or anyone else, as the Trump administration claims. Rather, it serves to weaken American public health. I believe counting all Americans is the path to a stronger, healthier nation because public health can then do its duty of detecting when a community needs help.

    John R. Blosnich receives funding from the National Institutes of Health. He is affiliated with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), however all time and effort into writing this piece was done outside of his work with the VA. The opinions expressed are those of Dr. Blosnich and do not necessarily represent those of his institution, funders, or any affiliations.

    – ref. Data on sexual orientation and gender is critical to public health – without it, health crises continue unnoticed – https://theconversation.com/data-on-sexual-orientation-and-gender-is-critical-to-public-health-without-it-health-crises-continue-unnoticed-255380

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: African Union Commission (AUC) Chairperson received H.E. Kahinda Otafiire, President of the Global Pan-African Movement & Minister of Internal Affairs of Uganda

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

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    This afternoon, H.E. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, Chairperson of the AU Commission, received H.E. Kahinda Otafiire, President of the Global Pan-African Movement & Minister of Internal Affairs of Uganda.

    Discussions focused on the enduring mandate of the Pan-African Movement & preparations for its forthcoming Congress. They both underscored the Movement’s historic role in nurturing African identity, unity, & laying the OAU.

    The Chairperson reaffirmed the AU Commission’s support for the upcoming Congress and welcomed efforts to revitalise Pan-African ideals in today’s global context.

    They also exchanged views on regional peace & security, highlighting the importance of coordinated action among AU Member States in advancing preventive diplomacy, mediation, & peace operations. The Chairperson acknowledged Uganda’s vital role in promoting stability & regional cooperation.

    – on behalf of African Union (AU).

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Coca-Cola Announces Coca-Cola Fest Luanda: A Celebration of Music, Food and Culture

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

    Coca-Cola (www.Coca-ColaCompany.com) is proud to present Coca-Cola Fest Luanda, a flagship brand experience hosted by Coca-Cola in Angola. This vibrant celebration of music, food, and culture will take place on Saturday, June 21, 2025, starting at 4:00 PM, at the iconic Luanda Bay Waterfront, in front of the Fortaleza Shopping Center.

    Coca-Cola Fest Luanda is designed to reinforce Coca-Cola’s enduring presence in Angola while celebrating the dynamic spirit of Angolan youth and culture.

    Coca-Cola Fest Luanda will offer attendees a multi-sensory journey, featuring:

    • Live performances by some of Angola’s most exciting music talents, alongside a host of international DJs.
    • Diverse culinary offerings from local restaurants and food entrepreneurs, reflecting Angola’s rich culinary heritage and international fusion.
    • Interactive brand experiences and activations designed to create joyful, shareable moments for friends and families.

    “Coca-Cola Fest Luanda is more than a celebration, it’s a tribute to unity, diversity, and the cultural energy of Angola,” said Racheal Kanoti, General Manager, Coca-Cola Angola. “We’re bringing together people, flavors, and rhythms that define this incredible country. It’s a moment to enjoy the magic of food, music, and human connection with the unmistakable taste of an ice-cold Coca-Cola.” She added.

    In keeping with Coca-Cola’s aim to help reduce packaging waste, the company is partnering with Angolan recycling organization, Glopol, to support the collection of beverage packaging during the event.

    Coca-Cola Fest Luanda will offer a day filled with flavor, music, and inspiration. Whether with friends or family, attendees will have the perfect opportunity to celebrate, connect, and refresh together. The festival will feature an exciting lineup of fun-filled games and interactive activities designed to bring people closer and highlight the vibrant spirit of the community. Participants will enjoy engaging challenges, lively competitions, and memorable moments that will capture the energy and joy of this unique event.

    – on behalf of Coca-Cola.

    For further information, please contact:
    Paula Lima
    plima@coca-cola.com

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    Instagram: https://apo-opa.co/4mZvgxN
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    About The Coca-Cola Company:
    The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is a total beverage company with products sold in more than 200 countries and territories. Our company’s purpose is to refresh the world and make a difference. We sell multiple billion-dollar brands across several beverage categories worldwide. Our portfolio of sparkling soft drink brands includes Coca-Cola, Sprite and Fanta. Our water, sports, coffee and tea brands include Dasani, smartwater, vitaminwater, Topo Chico, BODYARMOR, Powerade, Costa, Georgia, Fuze Tea, Gold Peak and Ayataka. Our juice, value-added dairy and plant-based beverage brands include Minute Maid, Simply, innocent, Del Valle, fairlife and AdeS. We’re constantly transforming our portfolio, from reducing sugar in our drinks to bringing innovative new products to market. We seek to positively impact people’s lives, communities and the planet through water replenishment, packaging recycling, sustainable sourcing practices and carbon emissions reductions across our value chain. Together with our bottling partners, we employ more than 700,000 people, helping bring economic opportunity to local communities worldwide. Learn more at www.Coca-ColaCompany.com.

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  • MIL-OSI Africa: Orange Becomes the Strategic Partner of the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) Group for digital initiatives

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

    • The Orange group and the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) Group announce the signing of a framework agreement at VivaTech 2025 making Orange the reference partner in digital matters.
    • This unprecedented agreement with a telecom operator aims to strengthen cooperation between the two groups to improve access to digital services, support innovation and accelerate environmental transition in their common areas of intervention.

    Christel Heydemann, CEO of Orange (www.Orange.com), Rémy Rioux, CEO of AFD Group, and Françoise Lombard, CEO of Proparco, signed an innovative partnership agreement to jointly accelerate digital inclusion and sustainable digital development. The three-year agreement provides a structured framework for cooperation on expertise and the emergence of joint projects internationally. It covers 17 countries in the Africa-Middle East region where Orange is present, as well as Moldova and French overseas departments. Priority themes include:

    • Digital inclusion of populations through the deployment of strategic infrastructure (ex. backbone equipment of very high-speed networks and submarine cables);
    • Financial and energy inclusion, and access to e-services (agriculture, health, education), especially in rural areas;
    • Reduction of the environmental footprint of digital technology;
    • Training and professional integration through digital tools;
    • Support for innovation and entrepreneurship;
    • Forward-looking discussions on ethical data use, security and artificial intelligence for development.

    As a multi-service operator and key partner in the digital transformation of the Africa-Middle East region, Orange has already opened 16 Orange Digital Centers and 32 Orange Digital Center Clubs in partnership with universities. These are free and accessible to all, and are designed to promote digital inclusion among youth and foster entrepreneurship.

    AFD Group supports public authorities, businesses, civil society and innovative ecosystems in their transition toward a more open, accessible and responsible digital world. It works alongside its partners to leverage digital solutions to achieve their Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

    On the basis of this experience, Orange and AFD Group have worked together for over 20 years on various projects, such as supporting the deployment of fixed and mobile telecom networks for Orange subsidiaries in Jordan and Senegal, training youth in digital tools through Orange Foundations in Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Madagascar and Tunisia, and supporting coding training programs at Orange Digital Centers in Jordan.

    This new partnership will strengthen the synergies and increase the dissemination of best practices and innovations in the digital sector. It reflects a renewed ambition aimed at striving towards digital equality and SDG achievement through innovative solutions and collaborative initiatives.

    On signing the agreement, Christel Heydemann, CEO of Orange, stated:“This strategic partnership with AFD Group marks an important milestone in our collaboration. I look forward to continuing this dynamic of international cooperation for a more inclusive and sustainable digital future, reinforcing Orange’s commitment to expanding access to digital technology everywhere we operate. “

    Rémy Rioux, CEO of AFD Group, said: “AFD Group believes that digital technology is a powerful lever for transforming a diverse range of sectors, including public services, education, health and entrepreneurship. This first strategic partnership with Orange exemplifies this shared ambition to support the emergence of sovereign digital services at a local level by investing in solutions that are innovative, open and responsible.”

    Françoise Lombard, CEO of Proparco, added: “Proparco, AFD Group’s subsidiary dedicated to the private sector, is fully committed to strengthening its partnership with Orange, both strategically and operationally. By combining our networks, expertise and resources, we are working with determination to improve digital access for all in France and emerging countries.”

    – on behalf of Orange Middle East and Africa.

    Press contacts:
    Flaminia le Maignan: flaminia.lemaignan@orange.com
    Service presse AFD: _afdpresse@afd.fr

    Follow us on:
    X: @ orangegrouppr (https://apo-opa.co/4jKVTnh)

    About Orange:
    Orange is one of the world’s leading telecommunications operators with revenues of 40.3 billion euros in 2024 and 125,800 employees worldwide at 31 March 2025, including 69,700 employees in France. The Group has a total customer base of 294 million customers worldwide at 31 March 2025, including 256 million mobile customers and 22 million fixed broadband customers. These figures account for the deconsolidation of certain activities in Spain following the creation of MASORANGE. The Group is present in 26 countries (including non-consolidated countries).

    Orange is also a leading provider of global IT and telecommunication services to multinational companies under the brand Orange Business. In February 2023, the Group presented its strategic plan “Lead the Future”, built on a new business model and guided by responsibility and efficiency. “Lead the Future” capitalizes on network excellence to reinforce Orange’s leadership in service quality.

    Orange is listed on Euronext Paris (symbol ORA).

    For more information on the internet and on your mobile: www.Orange.com, www.Orange-Business.com and the Orange News app. 

    Orange and any other Orange product or service names included in this material are trademarks of Orange or Orange Brand Services Limited.

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