Category: AM-NC

MIL-OSI USA: Jayapal Statement on Trump Abuse of Power in Los Angeles

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (7th District of Washington)

WASHINGTON — U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Immigration, Security, Integrity, and Enforcement, released the following statement regarding the Trump Administration’s escalations of violence and abuse of power in Los Angeles, California.

“On Friday and Saturday, the Trump Administration conducted a series of increasingly militarized immigration actions, utilizing law enforcement from numerous agencies and calling out the National Guard without a request or support from the Governor. They arrested David Huerta, the President of SEIU California, who was peacefully protesting the raids, as well as rounding up over 120 immigrants at least, according to initial reports. ICE also denied entry to Members of Congress — who have the legal authority and responsibility to conduct unannounced oversight visits — at both the LA detention center, where people were being held, as well as the Adelanto Detention Center, where detained people were reportedly transferred.

“The people of Los Angeles were non-violently protesting the injustices they have seen with Trump’s mass deportation agenda, the Administration’s sweeping up people of various legal statuses, and denying access to counsel to those detained. These peaceful protestors were exercising their constitutional rights to use their voices to speak out against this injustice and were met instead with tear gas and rubber bullets from an Administration that refuses to allow free speech or dissent in this country.

“Trump is weaponizing the military against U.S. citizens and immigrants alike with no regard for the rule of law in this country — even threatening force on nonviolent protesters. This isn’t just an attack on immigrants, it is an attack on our foundational freedoms. Detained people must be provided with access to counsel, and the militarized raids by the federal government must stop immediately.

“I urge every person using their right to protest to continue to do so peacefully, even as the Trump Administration escalates violence.”

Issues: Civil Rights, Public Safety & Criminal Justice

MIL OSI USA News –

June 10, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: ICE HSI Buffalo arrests convicted sex offender illegally present in US

Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

BUFFALO, N.Y. — On June 4, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations Buffalo arrested a twice-convicted Chinese national, also a registered sex offender, for being illegally present in the United States despite having a final order of removal.

Personnel with ICE HSI and U.S. Border Patrol arrested Ho Kai Tam, also known as Raymond Tam, in Williamsville, New York. While in the U.S. illegally, Tam, a 42-year-old citizen of Hong Kong, was arrested in January 2003 and ultimately convicted of mail fraud for an offense that occurred in Buffalo, New York. Later, he was arrested in February 2010 and ultimately convicted of sexual misconduct for an offense that occurred in Tonawonda, New York.

Tam entered the U.S. as a lawful permanent resident on or about July 2, 1996. An immigration judge issued a final removal order for Tam on July 11, 2005.

Following his recent arrest, Tam was transported to the Batavia Federal Detention Facility. He will remain in ICE custody.

MIL OSI USA News –

June 10, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Ritchie County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun Crime

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Charles Dana Johnson II, 36, of Cairo, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on November 17, 2024, a law enforcement officer conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Johnson in Parkersburg. Johnson admitted that he possessed a loaded SCCY model DVG-1 9mm pistol and a loaded Walther model P22 .22-caliber pistol that the officer found in Johnson’s waistband during the traffic stop.

Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Johnson knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony convictions for possession with intent to deliver heroin on October 2, 2016, and first-degree robbery on January 12, 2012, both in Wood County Circuit Court.

Johnson is scheduled to be sentenced on October 2, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.

Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Wood County Sheriff’s Office.

United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Lesley C. Shamblin is prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

This case is also part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-27.

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MIL Security OSI –

June 10, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Beating at Ogden Market in March 2021 Leads to Murder Conviction

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

WASHINGTON – Alvin Alexis Cruz Garcia, 27, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty on June 6, 2025, by a Superior Court jury for the beating death of Ramon Gomez Yanez at the Ogden Market in Northwest, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

Cruz Garcia was found guilty of one count of second-degree murder while armed following a 4-day trial. Superior Court Judge Todd Edelman scheduled sentencing for August 1, 2025.

According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 8:28 p.m. on March 23, 2021, 38-year-old Ramon Gomez Yanez, parked his car and made his usual stop at the local food market, Ogden Market, located at 1500 Ogden Street NW. When Mr. Gomez came back outside, the defendant was standing on the sidewalk and urinating much too close to the back of Mr. Gomez’s car. The Ogden Market surveillance video, with no audio available, showed some exchange of words and then showed the defendant punch Mr. Gomez down to the ground. While Mr. Gomez was down on the sidewalk, the defendant kicked and punched Mr. Gomez multiple times in the head area, and then just walked away. Mr. Gomez died at the scene from his head and neck injuries.

Although there were no witnesses to the homicide and no witnesses to identify the defendant from the Ogden Market video, MPD and Metro Transit Police tracked the defendant through a series of CCTVs along the 14^th Street corridor and through the metro transit system. These efforts ultimately led MPD to a witness that could identify the defendant in a metro rail car video and to other corroborating identification evidence to build the case.

This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department with valuable assistance from the Metro Transit Police Department.

It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jin Park and Katrenia Shelly.

MIL Security OSI –

June 10, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Becenti Man Charged for Fatal Vehicle Incident

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

ALBUQUERQUE – A Becenti man is facing federal charges after allegedly causing a fatal crash.

According to court documents, on July 3, 2024, Joey Martin, 55, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, killed John Doe by operating a vehicle without due caution.

Martin is charged with involuntary manslaughter and will remain in third party custody pending trial, which has not yet been scheduled. If convicted of the current charges, Martin faces up to eight years in prison.

U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Philip Russell, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The Navajo Nation Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brittany DuChaussee and Michael Pahl are prosecuting the case.

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

MIL Security OSI –

June 10, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Colchester, Vermont Man Sentenced to 49 Months for Bank Robbery

Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on May 30, 2025, Samuel Blatt, 33, of Colchester, Vermont, was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge Christina Reiss to a term of 49 additional months’ imprisonment to be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release. Blatt has been detained in the custody of the State of Vermont since his arrest on March 15, 2024. Judge Reiss also ordered that Blatt pay $14,100 in restitution. Blatt previously pleaded guilty to the March 5, 2024, robbery of the Union Bank in Johnson, Vermont.

According to court records, between February 28, 2024, and March 14, 2024, Blatt committed the robberies of four banks in Vermont, and attempted the robbery of a fifth bank. On February 28, 2024, Blatt entered the M&T Bank in Essex, Vermont and handed the teller a note demanding money, stating that he wanted $100 bills with “No dye packs,” “No bait money,” and “Fast.” Blatt obtained approximately $1000 from M&T Bank. On March 5, 2024, Blatt entered the Union Bank in Johnson, Vermont and handed the teller a note which stated, “Give me all $100’s, $50’s, $20 bills fast, no dye packs.” During the robbery, Blatt stated to bank employees in effect, “This is not a joke, you know what to do, give me all your money.” Blatt obtained approximately $5,300 from Union Bank. On March 13, 2024, Blatt entered a Community Bank in Burlington, Vermont, stated that he was robbing the bank and handed a bank employee a note that stated, “Give me all $100-, $50-, and $20-bills, no dye packs. Fast.” Community Bank employees did not comply with Blatt’s demands, and he left the bank. On March 13, 2024, Blatt entered the TD Bank in Winooski, Vermont, and displayed a note to the teller that stated in effect that he wanted $20’s, $50’s and $100’s but no dye packs. Blatt obtained approximately $600 from TD Bank. On March 14, 2024, Blatt entered the North Country Federal Credit Union in Alburgh, Vermont. Blatt asked a teller, “Can I cash a check if I don’t have an account here?” When the teller told Blatt no, he handed the teller a note and asked “What about this one?” The note stated, “Give me all the 100’s, 30’s and 20’s you have!!!” Blatt obtained approximately $7200 from NCFCU.

Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the collaborative investigatory efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Essex Police Department, the Lamoille County Sheriff’s Department, the Winooski Police Department, the Burlington Police Department, the Grand Isle County Sheriff’s Department, the Williston Police Department, and Homeland Security Investigations.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Colin Owyang and Jason Turner. Blatt was represented by Assistant Federal Defender Sara Puls.

MIL Security OSI –

June 10, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Duckworth, Colleagues Demand Answers on Cost and Justification for Un-American Transgender Military Ban That Will Harm National Security
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth

June 05, 2025

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—today led 22 of her fellow Senate Democratic colleagues in urging Defense Secretary Hegseth to reverse course and not implement the Trump Administration’s un-American transgender military service ban that will unfairly attack honorable servicemembers for who they are, compromise good order and discipline and jeopardize our national security. In the Senators’ letter, the group demands answers from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth—including what specific data is being used to back up their claim that transgender servicemembers are not in the “interests of national security” and how much it will cost taxpayers to train the replacements of perfectly capable transgender servicemembers that they are forcing out of our military. After Senator Duckworth led over a dozen of her colleagues in April pushing back against the ban, Secretary Hegseth’s response to their letter did not answer many of the questions that were asked about the short- and long-term impacts of the ban on servicemembers, readiness and national security as well as taxpayer cost and more.

“Transgender servicemembers are not political props; they are patriotic Americans serving honorably,” wrote the Senators. “Banning them from service will compromise good order and discipline, take deployable servicemembers out of the fight and create national security risks felt for years to come. Your recent implementation guidance makes matters worse.”

Additionally, the lawmakers admonished the Trump Administration’s latest guidance for implementing the ban, which requires military commanders to report servicemembers in their unit who they think display any signs of gender dysphoria.

“By stating that unit commanders ‘will direct’ reviews of the medical records of servicemembers under their command, despite the fact that they are not equipped to do so, you are requiring them to perform a duty—for purely political reasons—that is far outside the scope of their normal operational and warfighting-centric responsibilities,” continued the Senators. “This burden is corrosive to unit cohesion, trust and the wellbeing of the servicemember and the commanders, who are being failed by their chain of command. This is not leadership.”

In conclusion, the lawmakers’ wrote: “Your policy will harm our armed services’ operational readiness and lethality, not only endangering Americans, but costing billions of dollars in taxpayer money in service of a political stunt meant to attack a small, extraordinarily brave group of people. Servicemembers’ privacy is being invaded, their livelihoods are being threatened and they are being used as a political tool to appeal to a minority of Americans.”

“Mr. Secretary, do not implement this ban.”

In addition to Duckworth, the letter is co-signed by U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Chris Coons (D-DE), John Fetterman (D-PA), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Gary Peters (D-MI), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Tina Smith (D-MN), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Ron Wyden (D-OR).

The letter is endorsed by SPARTA, Modern Military Association of America, Minority Veterans of America and Out in National Security.

The full text of the letter is available on Senator Duckworth’s website and below:

Secretary Hegseth:

We write to express our ongoing opposition to the U.S. Department of Defense’s (DoD) destructive and foolhardy ban on transgender servicemembers, as outlined in the May 15, 2025, memorandum entitled “Prioritizing Military Excellence and Readiness: Implementation Guidance.” We have already written to condemn the ban itself. Transgender servicemembers are not political props; they are patriotic Americans serving honorably. Banning them from service will compromise good order and discipline, take deployable servicemembers out of the fight and create national security risks felt for years to come. Your recent implementation guidance makes matters worse.

The May 15th memorandum compromises commanders by making them informers on their own troops in areas outside of their expertise. Per that guidance, commanders of servicemembers who, in their judgment, display “gender dysphoria, a history of gender dysphoria, or symptoms consistent with gender dysphoria will direct individualized medical record reviews of such Service members.” Generally, commanders are not trained in medicine, psychology or mental health and are therefore not qualified to assess the members of their units for symptoms of mental health diagnoses. By stating that unit commanders “will direct” reviews of the medical records of servicemembers under their command, despite the fact that they are not equipped to do so, you are requiring them to perform a duty—for purely political reasons—that is far outside the scope of their normal operational and warfighting-centric responsibilities. This burden is corrosive to unit cohesion, trust and the wellbeing of the servicemember and the commanders, who are being failed by their chain of command. This is not leadership.

Additionally, the Department’s discharge guidance punishes those who have volunteered to serve. The guidance, which mandates separating transgender officers using the JDK separation code “on the basis that their continued service is not clearly consistent with the interests of national security,” is unjustifiable. There is ample evidence that these servicemembers, many of whom are decorated with years of honorable service and all or nearly all of whom are otherwise deployable, are assets to their units and to the force. Your DoD has failed to produce any meaningful evidence to suggest otherwise, much less to prove that transgender servicemembers threaten national security. Using this discharge code is not only cruel; it’s stupid. Beyond insulting brave individuals who have sacrificed to serve their country, this further ensures that the DoD or other security agencies will not be able to hire these individuals in a civilian capacity, robbing the national security establishment that protects everyday Americans of any opportunity to benefit from the skills and expertise these unreasonably separated servicemembers have gained at great expense to the taxpayer.

Beyond those process failures, your last response declined to answer several critical questions, answers to which are vital for Congress’ ability to oversee your Department. Ongoing litigation is no excuse; the taxpayers have a right to know your reasons and evidence. Please explain:
1. What is the anticipated cost of implementing this policy, including all costs for separation, legal defense, investments made in these brave servicemembers that will no longer be recouped and the cost to train their replacements? How much more expensive is it than retaining these servicemembers?
2. What specific information, data or evidence, if any, serve as the basis for the statement that allowing transgender troops to serve is “not clearly consistent with the interests of national security”?
3. What consultations, studies and/or assessments were conducted (internally or externally) to evaluate the impact of this policy prior to implementation?
We trust that you will either include copies of all such reports, briefs or findings with your response, or specify that no such evidence exists.

Your policy will harm our armed services’ operational readiness and lethality, not only endangering Americans, but costing billions of dollars in taxpayer money in service of a political stunt meant to attack a small, extraordinarily brave group of people. Servicemembers’ privacy is being invaded, their livelihoods are being threatened and they are being used as a political tool to appeal to a minority of Americans.

Mr. Secretary, do not implement this ban.

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MIL OSI USA News –
June 10, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: expert reaction to science and tech R&D package announced ahead of the full Spending Review

Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

June 8, 2025

Scientists comment on the £86bn R&D package unveiled by the Chancellor ahead of the Spending Review.

Sharon Todd Chief Executive at historic science charity SCI, said:

“We very much welcome the government’s commitment to putting science at the heart of the forthcoming industrial strategy. At £86bn, this is real money targeted at the right scientific and technological advances, such as new drug treatments and AI.

“However, what is critical is that a significant proportion of funds are dispensed to actively support the scale up of new technologies to full scale manufacture in the UK. Our research has shown significant ‘innovation leakage’ and the investment we make in science needs to feed back into the economy.”

Professor Dame Ottoline Leyser, UKRI Chief Executive, said:

“This multi-year settlement confirms the government’s continued commitment to the critical role of research and innovation in delivering a high-productivity, high-growth economy, improving public services and creating high-quality jobs across the UK.

“The new Local Innovation Partnerships Fund is a welcome boost for this endeavour, ensuring that local communities across the UK can contribute to and benefit from a thriving research and innovation ecosystem.”

John-Arne Røttingen, chief executive of Wellcome, the UK’s biggest non-governmental research funder, said:

‘The government rightly acknowledges that investing in science and technology is a key way to boost the economy.

‘But while it’s positive under the financial circumstances, a flat real-terms science budget, along with continuing barriers such as high visa costs for talented scientists and the university funding crisis, won’t be enough for the UK make the advances it needs to secure its reputation for science in an increasingly competitive world.

‘The UK should be aiming to lead the G7 in research intensity, to bring about economic growth and the advances in health, science and technology that benefit us all. We look forward to seeing the full details at the spending review.’

Dr Tim Bradshaw, Chief Executive of the Russell Group of research-intensive universities commented:

“Today’s announcement of £86 billion for research and innovation is a welcome vote of confidence in the UK’s R&D sector, and the role it plays in driving economic growth right across the country.

“We know government faces difficult decisions on spending with tight fiscal constraints. We’re therefore pleased to see investment in the critical contributions that science and innovation can make to the lives of people throughout the UK – from breakthrough medicines and next-generation batteries, to AI technologies and advanced manufacturing. We await the full details of the settlement, but it’s encouraging to see recognition of the existing R&D strengths in different parts of the UK, with plans to go further to transform regional prosperity.

“Our universities are already delivering in the high-growth sectors that will drive the Industrial Strategy, boost productivity and improve public services. We will continue using our research, innovation and skills as engines for growth, ensuring this new investment pays dividends for the national economy and for local communities for decades to come”.

Adrian Smith, President the Royal Society, said:

“We have to be cautious as there is very little detail in the announcement but it does look like the core science budget could increase by 10% over the next four years. In difficult financial circumstances, that would be a vote of confidence in research and innovation and in the people and ideas that will increase productivity, drive growth and improve lives across the UK.

“Such an uplift would protect science from real terms cuts in the coming years and hopefully lay the ground for real terms increases once the country’s finances improve.

“This looks to be a positive outcome, but we must await the full details in the Chancellor’s speech on Wednesday.”

Nicola Perrin, Chief Executive of the Association of Medical Research Charities, said:

“Given the tough financial climate and many competing priorities, it’s fantastic to see the Government backing research and innovation. This is a smart investment – it will not only drive economic growth and productivity, but will also benefit patients across the country and unlock new ways to prevent, diagnose and treat disease. We look forward to seeing more detail and, most importantly, how this funding will secure the fundamental building blocks that underpin UK R&D.”

Professor Andrew Morris, President of the Academy of Medical Sciences, said:

“This is exactly the kind of long-term thinking our healthcare sector and economy need. The investment signals the UK’s commitment to remaining a global leader in medical research and innovation. By backing science, the Government is investing in a healthier, more prosperous future that will bring economic growth and benefit generations to come.”

Tony McBride, Director of Policy and Public Affairs at the Institute of Physics, said:

“It’s good to see the government recognise the power of science and innovation to transform lives and grow prosperity in every part of the UK.

“But to fully harness the transformational potential of research and innovation – wherever it takes place – we need a decade-long strategic plan for science. This must include a plan for the skilled workforce we need to deliver this vision, starting with teachers and addressing every educational stage, to underpin the industrial strategy.

“We hope that the Chancellor’s statement on Wednesday will set out such a vision.”

Dr Alicia Greated, Executive Director, Campaign for Science and Engineering (CaSE), said:

“It is pleasing to see the Government continue to recognise UK R&D as a driving force behind economic growth. Based on OBR forecasts for inflation, the spending plans announced today would appear to be broadly flat in real terms. While not the ambitious settlement we called for, in these difficult fiscal circumstances it is positive that the R&D budget has been protected. However, the detail is important, and we will need to wait for the full spending review announcement on Wednesday before we can offer a considered analysis.”

Embargoed press release from DSIT entitled ‘Transformative £86bn boost to science and tech to turbocharge economy, with regions backed to take cutting-edge research into own hands’, was under embargo until 00:01 UK time on Sunday 8 June 2025

Declared interests

The nature of this story means everyone quoted above could be perceived to have a stake in it. As such, our policy is not to ask for interests to be declared – instead, they are implicit in each person’s affiliation.

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

June 10, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Plymouth Cabinet reaffirms bold action to end violence against women and girls
Source: City of Plymouth

Plymouth City Council and its partners are doubling down on their mission to end violence against women and girls (VAWG), as Cabinet Members today reflected on progress and reaffirm their commitment to lasting change.

Councillor Sally Haydon, Cabinet Member for Community Safety, delivered a powerful update on the strides made since the launch of the Plymouth VAWG Commission in 2022. From strategic leadership to grassroots empowerment, the city is taking bold, coordinated action.

She said: “We’re not just talking about change—we’re making it happen. Ending violence against women and girls is not optional. It’s urgent, it’s necessary, and it’s everyone’s responsibility. I’m proud of how far we’ve come, but we’re not stopping here. Together, we’re calling time on VAWG in Plymouth.”

Key milestones include:
- Strategic Leadership: A dedicated VAWG Strategic Lead was appointed in 2023, followed by the launch of the city’s first VAWG Strategy (2024–2026), setting a clear roadmap for action.
- Training and Awareness: Citywide training programmes are equipping professionals with the tools to identify and respond to all forms of VAWG.
- Safety Initiatives: From the Safe Bus at Derry’s Cross to the fifth consecutive Purple Flag accreditation, Plymouth is making its night-time economy safer. Initiatives like Ask for Angela and Best Bar None are empowering staff and patrons alike.
- Male Allyship: The MAN Culture network is engaging men in meaningful conversations and cultural change through workshops with various organisations, conferences, podcasts, and monthly meetups.
- Community Empowerment: The VAWG Community Fund, launched in partnership with Devon Community Foundation and the Sedel-Collings Foundation, is backing nine grassroots projects—from anti-spiking campaigns to confidence-building workshops for young girls.
Councillor Haydon added: “We’re building a city where women and girls feel safe, supported, and heard. This is about culture change, and we’re in it for the long haul.

“Every initiative, every training session, every conversation we have is a step towards a safer Plymouth. We know there’s no quick fix—but we also know that silence and inaction are not options.

“I’m incredibly proud of the progress we’ve made. From grassroots projects to citywide strategies, we’re seeing real momentum. But we’re not complacent.

“We owe it to every woman and girl in this city to keep going—to keep challenging harmful behaviours, to keep creating safe spaces, and to keep pushing for change.

“Together, we are calling time on violence against women and girls—and we won’t stop until it ends.”
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
June 10, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Keep Manadon Moving: Tackling delays
Source: City of Plymouth

Delays at Manadon. We all know about them, we’ve all felt it.

Some days it can be absolutely fine; others it’s bit of a gamble. It’s not reliable.

And that’s just now. In the next few years, as the city grows with ambitious new housing targets, the growth of the hospital and the expansion of the dockyard, it’s going to get worse.

That’s why we’re bringing forward potential changes to the roundabout, to improve things not just now but in the future.

The graphic below has been developed from queue length data and shows how traffic queues will look in years to come in scenarios where we continue with the scheme and if we do nothing.

“The data is clear,” explains Councillor John Stephens, Cabinet Member for Transport. “Doing nothing, sitting on our hands, is simply not a viable option. Manadon needs investment so that we can provide the infrastructure we need for the expected growth of this city.

“I’d ask everyone who travels through Manadon to get involved in this engagement exercise. Give us your feedback and let us know what you think of the proposals.”

Manadon is at the heart of Plymouth’s transport network and is a key part of the journey to and from some of the busiest places in the city.

You’ve got an appointment at Derriford at 10am, but you’re still stuck queuing on the A38 at 9.40am. You thought you’d left enough time. It was fine when you came through Manadon last week but it’s just not moving today. You hope you don’t miss it.

University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust (UHP), who runs Derriford Hospital, the largest specialist teaching hospital in the south west peninsula and the region’s major trauma centre, continues to redevelop their facilities.

Stuart Windsor, Future Hospital Director, said: “Our Future Hospital Programme is transforming how care is delivered to improve lives across Plymouth, Devon and Cornwall through investing in our healthcare estate.

“This includes a new purpose-built Emergency Care Building at our Derriford site, which will double the space to care for the increasing numbers of patients with urgent and emergency conditions.

“Works that improve accessibility to Derriford Hospital will be hugely beneficial for our patients and colleagues, and are an important part of enabling our organisation to delivering its long-term goals.”

Argyle have got a crunch late-season game to secure promotion and by some miracle, you’ve bagged yourself a ticket. You left the house in good time – enough time for a pasty before the game. But you didn’t account for Manadon. There’s been a shunt somewhere else in the city, and everyone is using Manadon instead. It’s 2.40pm. You’ve still got to find somewhere to park once you get to Home Park. It’s not the start to the afternoon you had planned.

Meanwhile, every other week for most of the year at least 16,000 people descend on Home Park to cheer on Plymouth Argyle. Many of that crowd make their way through Manadon.

Christian Kent, Head of Venue, Hospitality & Events at Plymouth Argyle, said: “Supporters will be aware that Plymouth Argyle have worked hard on making Home Park more accessible over the past two seasons with additional transport and parking.

“The Manadon project ethos and aims are a step in the right direction in ensuring attending matches and events at Home Park is as efficient as possible.

“We’d very much encourage our fans to engage with the scheme, so the needs of our fanbase are considered.”

You can view the plans for improvements at Manadon and fill in the online survey at https://keepmanadonmoving.commonplace.is

Manadon Key Facts
- 60,000+ journeys pass through the interchange every day.
- Journeys through Manadon junction regularly take significantly longer than necessary due to congestion.
- The existing layout was designed for much lower traffic volumes and cannot cope with future demand.
- By 2040, queues are expected to back onto the A38 daily, creating major safety risks
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
June 10, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Sunderland shows support for Carers Week

Source: City of Sunderland

Sunderland is proud to support Carers Week 2025 as part of its commitment to recognising, valuing and supporting unpaid carers across the city.

This annual national campaign, running until Sunday 15 June, shines a spotlight on the individuals who carers. Sunderland City Council is marking the week with action, awareness, and celebration.

This year’s Carers Week theme, “Caring About Equality,” calls for greater recognition of carers’ rights and equal access to the support they deserve.

As a visible sign of this commitment, some of Sunderland’s most iconic landmarks will be lit up blue on Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 June. Penshaw Monument, Northern Spire Bridge, Hylton Castle, and Fulwell Mill will be lit up to honour the invaluable contribution of unpaid carers throughout the city.

Carers Week also marks one year since the launch of Sunderland’s Carers Strategy. A five-year plan developed with and for carers, in partnership with the North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board, Sunderland Carers Centre, and Together for Children. Since its launch, the strategy has driven real improvements in how carers are identified, supported, and listened to.

Sunderland’s unpaid adult carers can now easily carry out a self-assessment to access valuable information and support tailored to their needs.

Any adult in Sunderland aged 18 or over who looks after someone with day-to-day tasks is entitled to a carer’s assessment. The new self-assessment tool is designed for adults who care for someone and have not yet had a formal carer’s assessment.

The tool simplifies the process for carers to share their situation and receive the help and support they need. It offers a clear and straightforward way to identify what assistance may be available, ensuring that carers have access to the resources they deserve.

Councillor Kelly Chequer, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Health, Wellbeing and Safer Communities at Sunderland City Council, said: “We would like to recognise the tremendous contributions unpaid carers make to Sunderland. We understand that alongside providing care, many carers face challenges of their own—whether it’s in terms of health, well-being, finances, or employment.

“This new self-assessment tool is one way we are addressing those concerns and ensuring that carers receive the support they need to live healthy and fulfilling lives. In line with this year’s theme of ‘Caring for Equality,’ we are committed to creating an equitable environment where all carers can thrive.”

For more information on the self-assessment tool and to learn more about the support available, visit: Carer’s self-assessment – Sunderland City Council

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

June 10, 2025
MIL-OSI Canada: Canadian launches mission to combat illegal fishing and protect marine ecosystems in the Indo-Pacific

Source: Government of Canada News (2)

June 9, 2025

Ottawa, ON – Globally, illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing is a major contributor to declining fish stocks and the destruction of marine habitats. IUU fishing also undermines the livelihoods of legitimate fish harvesters and impacts food security in vulnerable coastal communities, affecting millions of people.

Today, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) launched its third annual high seas patrol to deter IUU fishing in the high seas of the North Pacific, including near the Aleutian Island chain, focusing on migratory routes for key species like Pacific salmon.

The mission, known as Operation North Pacific Guard (Op. NPG), is led by DFO fishery officers and supported by the Canadian Coast Guard and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to protect fish stocks under Canada’s Pacific Salmon Strategy Initiative and Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy. As a Pacific nation, Canada is committed to deepening its engagement and its role across the Indo-Pacific region as an active and reliable partner.

Fishery officers and support personnel will patrol over 15,000 km while onboard the Canadian Coast Guard vessel, the CCGS Sir Wilfrid Laurier, a high endurance, multi-purpose vessel that is also a light icebreaker, and is biofuel capable. The expert crew will conduct high seas boardings and inspection operations under international law to ensure compliance with regulations and to detect IUU fishing.

During this mission, Canada’s CCGS Sir Wilfrid Laurier will make a special port visit during Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan, where members of the public can visit the vessel and learn about Canada’s role in fighting IUU.

In addition to monitoring and enforcement by sea, Canada is conducting daily aerial surveillance this summer out of Hokkaido, Japan. Air patrols conducted by DFO fishery officers will monitor fishing vessels and support partner countries to ensure compliance with international law. Canada’s air surveillance program has previously identified significant conservation concerns related to shark finning and illegal marine mammal harvest, including the harpooning of dolphins, and pollution events that threaten the marine environment. Continued monitoring for these activities will allow Canada to hold non-compliant vessels accountable.

As a Pacific nation, Canada recognizes that the Indo-Pacific region will play a significant and profound role in Canada’s future. Every issue that matters to Canadians—national security, economic prosperity, respect for international law and human rights, democratic values, public health, protecting our environment—will be shaped by the relationships that Canada, along with its partners, have with countries throughout the Indo-Pacific.

MIL OSI Canada News –

June 10, 2025
MIL-OSI Australia: Crackdown on illegal activity in national parks and State forests
Source: Tasmania Police

Issued: 9 Jun 2025

Fines have been issued and people received warnings during a crackdown on vehicle offences and other compliance issues in the region’s national parks and State forests.

In response to local community concerns around illegal motorbike usage, from the noise nuisance to environmental damage, rangers conducted targeted compliance operations.

Senior Ranger Greg reiterates that people should not think they can break laws including the road rules just because they have entered a State forest or national park.

The public are advised that they are responsible for their conduct.

“We will take appropriate compliance and enforcement action to any illegal and unsafe activities within Queensland’s protected areas,” Ranger Greg said.

“If you wouldn’t do it in the middle of Stanthorpe or the local botanic gardens don’t do it in a national park or State forest.

“Our number one priority is the safety of visitors and staff working on our protected areas, and to ensure all visitors can enjoy these natural spaces safely.

“Illegal riding of motorbikes not only endangers riders but also threatens the safety of visitors, our staff, wildlife, and the environment.

Rangers engaged with a number of people in Broadwater State Forest, Main Range National Park, Durikai State Forest and Girraween National Park in relation to unlawful camping, fossicking and other illegal conduct.

A 56-year-old Stanthorpe man was fined $1288 after he and his teenage son were found riding motorbikes in an area closed to all motorised vehicles. Concerningly, the teenager was riding an unregistered motorbike and due to his age didn’t hold a driver’s licence.

The operation also resulted in fines being issued for camping and fossicking offences, including:
- 1x $322 fine issued at Main Range National Park after a group of 4 were found camping, despite only purchasing a single person camping permit.
- 1x $483 fine issued for a person fossicking at without a valid fossicking licence.
Rangers are reminding all visitors that a fossicking licence for an individual currently costs $9.33 per month, and a camping permit currently costs just $7.25 per person per night with children under the age of five staying for free.

“We encourage the community to report any illegal activity to the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service or local police.”

Unlawful activity and antisocial behaviour in national parks and State forests can be reported anonymously by calling 1300 130 372.

MIL OSI News –
June 10, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Criminal Illegal Alien Arrested during Los Angeles ICE Operation Committed Notorious Gang-Affiliated Murder of Two Teenagers at a Graduation Party

Source: US Department of Homeland Security

This criminal illegal alien is who Governor Newsom, Mayor Bass and the rioters in Los Angeles are trying to protect over U.S. citizens

WASHINGTON – The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is revealing further details of Cuong Chanh Phan’s, one of the criminal illegal aliens arrested in Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) operation in Los Angeles, criminal past.

According to local reports in 1994, Phan and his gang member associates were asked to leave a high school graduation party following a dispute. They returned with semiautomatic weapons and fired shots at 30 partygoers. Dennis Buan, 18, of South Pasadena and David Hang, 15, of San Marino, California were killed, and seven others were wounded.

Following the shooting, more than 120 sheriff’s deputies and police officers launched a manhunt that resulted in the arrests of Phan and eight other alleged gang members linked to the murders and shootout.

“It is sickening that Governor Newsom and Mayor Bass continue to protect violent criminal illegal aliens at the expense of the safety of American citizens and communities. This cold-blooded killer is who the rioters are trying to protect over U.S. citizens,” said Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. “The brave men and women of ICE put their lives on the line every day to arrest violent criminals like this and protect the lives of American citizens.”

On June 7, ICE arrested Cuong Chanh Phan, a 49-year-old illegal alien from Vietnam. His criminal history includes a conviction for second degree murder.

###

MIL Security OSI –

June 10, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Ghana’s older people feel left behind and ignored: how to care for them better

Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Andrew Kweku Conduah, PhD Candidate, University of Ghana

Ghana’s national agenda often focuses on the country’s large number of young people. In fact a less noticed demographic transformation is reshaping society: the country’s older population is growing rapidly. According to Ghana Statistical Service estimates,
people aged 60 and above are projected to make up over 12% of the total population by 2050, more than doubling the 2021 estimate of 6.8%.

And more of these older adults are ageing alone.

That’s because of Ghana’s transition from extended to nuclear family systems, coupled with rural–urban and international migration. Traditionally, older Ghanaians aged within multi-generational households, with care provided by children and extended family. But today, migration patterns have intensified, with over 50% of the population living in urban areas, leaving many elders behind in rural communities or isolated in city slums.

I recently conducted a study across six Ghanaian communities (urban and rural). Drawing from 52 interviews, I explored the emotional, social and economic implications of ageing alone.

The participants in the study echoed a common theme: the erosion of intergenerational family structures, leaving the elderly socially and emotionally isolated.

As a 73-year-old widow participant who lives in a city put it:

My daughter is in Canada. My son lives in Kumasi, but he rarely visits. I live alone, and if I fall sick, I just wait. Sometimes, I pray someone will notice.

Such stories are no longer anecdotal outliers. Nationally representative data from the Ghana Living Standards Survey and WHO SAGE Ghana Wave 2 also reveal an uptick in solitary living among older adults, particularly widowed women and those without formal pensions. Over 22% of older respondents in urban Ghana reported living alone, a sharp contrast to previous decades, where co-residence with adult children was the norm. Many older Ghanaians don’t have reliable caregivers.

As a PhD candidate in population studies at the University of Ghana, I focus on health-related quality of life among older adults. This article draws from my doctoral fieldwork in urban and rural Ghana, using qualitative interviews to uncover the lived realities of ageing alone.

The study highlights a gap in Ghana’s ageing policies: they overlook solitary elders who live without daily family support.

The paper calls for integrated social protection for older adults living alone. That would include subsidised healthcare, community outreach services, emergency care networks, and community-based mental health interventions.

What old people had to say

Focus group discussions revealed that older adults struggle with emotional loneliness, financial anxiety and health system constraints. Despite the presence of pension associations, many older adults feel forgotten. Spiritual activities and reading offer moments of solace, but limited National Health Insurance Scheme coverage, rising living costs, and declining family support deepen the hardship.

Focus groups revealed that older women were particularly vulnerable due to widowhood, land insecurity and declining support from children. Men, while respected, felt idle and underutilised. Participants spoke of finding strength in farming, faith and fellowship, but felt forgotten in national development planning.

Ghana’s National Ageing Policy (2010) promises integrated care, but older adults, especially women, are slipping into the cracks of urban anonymity.

Ageing here is not just biological, it is physical, psychological and economic. My broader research affirms that the majority of older adults in Ghana worked in the informal sector. They therefore have no access to formal pensions or post-retirement income security.

Participants in my most recent research shared how they felt:

I was a seamstress all my life. Now my eyes are failing. No pension, no money. I survive on cassava and prayer. – 66-year-old retired woman

Ageing in Ghana is like walking into a forest — you disappear quietly. No one sees you. — 69-year-old woman

This statement underscores the gendered experience of ageing, where women often face greater economic and emotional vulnerability due to widowhood, longer life expectancy, and social neglect.

We are not dying yet. We want to matter again. – 70-year-old man

We have houses, but not homes anymore. – 75-year-old man

What next

The implications of this neglect are staggering. According to the World Health Organization, loneliness and social isolation among the elderly are associated with a 50% increased risk of dementia, depression and premature death. In Ghana, there are added challenges of inaccessible health facilities and cultural stigma about ageing. Yet most people aren’t talking about it.

Ghana introduced the National Ageing Policy in 2010 to promote the health, security and participation of older people in national development. But many elderly people still live without affordable healthcare, age-friendly infrastructure or a regular income.

What Ghana needs now is not another grand policy document. It needs practical, community-rooted and state-supported action.

Decentralised community geriatric care: Train district-level health volunteers in geriatric care, and equip them with basic tools to support older people in their homes.

Pension and informal sector integration: Extend Ghana’s pension framework to informal sector workers.

Public awareness campaigns: Reframe ageing in national media not as decline but as contribution, highlighting elder wisdom, resilience, and ongoing social relevance.

Urban planning for ageing: Incorporate age-friendly elements like ramps, benches, toilets and signage into development plans.

None of this is charity. It is a strategic investment. In 2021, Ghana spent less than 0.5% of its national health budget on elderly-specific care. That is fiscally short-sighted. Healthier, engaged older adults reduce family burdens, boost social capital, and can even contribute economically by training and mentoring others.

In the communities I visited, I encountered grassroots interventions worth scaling up: church youth groups providing weekly food support, pensioners’ associations checking in on members, and intergenerational community storytelling sessions that rebuild emotional bonds.

In Ghana’s Akan tradition, elders are considered living libraries. Their absence from the communal space is not just a social loss, it is a cultural erasure.

If the elderly are neglected, anyone may wake up on the wrong side of the demographic line one day, wondering if they too will be forgotten.

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

– ref. Ghana’s older people feel left behind and ignored: how to care for them better – https://theconversation.com/ghanas-older-people-feel-left-behind-and-ignored-how-to-care-for-them-better-257951

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

June 10, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Johannesburg’s problems can be solved – but it’s a long journey to fix South Africa’s economic powerhouse

Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Philip Harrison, Professor School of Architecture and Planning, University of the Witwatersrand

South African president Cyril Ramaphosa met senior leaders of Johannesburg and Gauteng, the province it’s located in, in March 2025 to discuss ways to arrest the steep decline in South Africa’s largest city.

Ramaphosa announced a two-year-long presidential intervention to tackle some of the city’s most pressing issues. It is to be led by the Presidential Johannesburg Working Group with eight cross-governmental and multi-stakeholder workstreams.

Johannesburg was established 130 years ago, where the world’s largest-ever gold deposits were discovered. It grew rapidly in the early 20th century and became the country’s economic heartland and largest population centre. Like all South African cities, it was deeply scarred by apartheid policies. People were divided by racially defined groups. Good services and a strong economy benefited a minority, and a black majority were pushed into impoverished ghettos.

But, for about the first two decades of post-apartheid rule from 1994, Johannesburg led the country with innovation and progressive change. It pioneered the new local government system, institutional reforms, new practice on city strategy and planning, pro-poor service delivery, and modern transport infrastructure.

Today, however, the city is in a dire state. Over the past decade, roughly coinciding with the arrival of messy coalition governance in 2016, sound political leadership, administrative stability and financial management have crumbled. Underinvestment in infrastructure maintenance has led to collapsing services. Public trust is deteriorating among increasingly frustrated communities. This was evident in local election results. It also shows up in recent data released by the Gauteng City-Region Observatory on public trust in local government.

The local economy has stagnated. The city’s official unemployment rate of 34.3% is higher than the national average of 32.9%. Mounting joblessness and dwindling incomes have intertwined with depleted trust to knock levels of payment for property rates and service charges. In turn this has deepened the financial and service maintenance crisis.

Corruption in many parts of the city is an endemic complicating factor.

The presidential intervention is designed to address this complex interplay between embedded legacies and failings post-apartheid. The workstreams involving city officials and concerned stakeholders are generating ideas for priority actions. There is also a new energy in the city government, with the executive mayor and members of his mayoral committee making turnaround promises.

This long overdue attention is heartening. But some caution is called for. While some “quick wins” are needed, there will be no easy turnaround. The best prospect is likely to be a process of recovery that will require patience and methodical attention over the long term. A city cannot be repaired in the way an automobile can. A city has a trillion moving parts and is in a constant state of makeover, as dynamics of economy, technology, demography, environment, society, politics, and more, interact and produce change.

The question is not whether a city is fixed – it can never finally be – but rather what trajectory it is on. For Johannesburg, the question is how to exit the downward spiral and begin the process of reconstruction.

We are a group who previously worked in the City of Johannesburg as officials, who are now academics with decades of experience observing local governance trends and dynamics, or scholars engaged in civil society coalitions or communities mobilising around the crisis. Some of us have been involved in the Presidential Johannesburg Working Group over the last few months.

Our view is that there are four areas needing urgent but sustained attention.

Focus areas

The first is the need for a joint effort across national, provincial and municipal government to resolve the crisis. We are pleased that this has begun. The political leadership in the city (and of the province) failed to grasp the opportunity provided by the post-2024 election national compromises to put together a broad-based government of local unity to lead reconstruction. There is no option now but to pursue an inter-governmental initiative led by national government with the committed involvement of the other spheres.

Only genuine collaboration will succeed.

In this respect, the Presidential Johannesburg Working Group holds promise. But what will be needed is careful, concerted work focused first on short-term priorities. Then, over years, on key structural challenges facing the city.

Second, the city needs civil society in all its forms to hold a careful balance between keeping up the pressure on municipal government, constantly holding it accountable to its residents, and working with government to help it solve problems. The Joburg Crisis Alliance, Jozi-my-Jozi, WaterCAN and similar initiatives are claiming well-recognised and respected voice in the affairs of the municipality.

Johannesburg needs a city government that is open to this scrutiny, accepting the need for transparency, and open to the help that civil society can offer.

To raise the level of accountability and collaboration, a clear programme of restoration has to be communicated openly to the public. Milestones and expenditure requirements need to be set that allow for constant monitoring. There must be open council meetings, and regular online and in-person briefings.

Also required are new mechanisms for citizen-based monitoring. These may include trained citizen monitors reporting on service delivery. Alternatively, the establishment of a sort of “Citizen’s Council” which meets regularly to receive reports from these monitors and the city administration.

International examples include the Bürgerrat model. This is now fully institutionalised in parts of Germany and Austria to strengthen local democracy and accountability. In this model, citizens are randomly selected to sit on a council which monitors performance of local government and provides new ideas.

Another approach could be for civil society organisations to be invited to a Citizen’s Council that would act in support of the oversight processes of the elected Municipal Council.

Third, there has to be a solution to unstable coalition governments. These seem to be structured to facilitate separate political fiefdoms where spoils can be divided in the allocation of portfolios. At minimum, the presidential intervention must provide for a check and balance on processes where bureaucratic appointments and budgetary allocations may serve the interests of cronyism. For example, there should be transparency and rigour in appointments to the boards of Johannesburg’s municipally owned companies.

Regulatory reforms are required in the political arena. This should include rules for the distribution of seats on the municipal executive and the election of mayors. Between January 2023 and August 2024 a tiny minority party held the mayoralty because the larger parties could not agree on a mayoral selection or, more cynically, to ensure that the executive mayor could not call large parties to account.

More importantly, though, there has to be a change in political culture. This is a longer-term process.

Fourth, the problems run far deeper than what bureaucratic reorganisation can achieve.

The longer-term project is to build a capable administration with clear political direction and oversight but insulated from personal agendas and factional battles. The administration became confused and demoralised because of the political instability over an extended period. There are, however, still many capable and committed public servants in the city bureaucracy. The focus should be on working with them to rebuild the administration, making it a place where talent and initiative are recognised and rewarded.

Restored political leadership and a rejuvenated administration is needed for a long term process, extending far beyond the quick wins. This process will involve refurbishing the decaying network infrastructure, restoring financial stability, reestablishing social trust and returning confidence to the city’s economy.

2025 marks 30 years since the first democratic local elections. National government is looking seriously at sweeping municipal reforms. And the next municipal election – likely to be held at the end of 2026 – is an opportunity to make a deep transformation effort. Citizens can ensure that parties contesting the election place Johannesburg’s recovery at the heart of their agenda.

Philip Harrison has received funding from South Africa’s National Research Foundation in support of the South African Research Chair in Spatial Analysis and City Planning.

The Gauteng City-Region Observatory receives core grant funding from the Gauteng Provincial Government.

Lorena Nunez Carrasco received funding from the National Research Foundation in support of research on the South African response on COVID-19

Rashid Seedat receives funding from Gauteng Provincial Government for the Gauteng City-Region Observatory. He is affiliated with the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation as a member of the Board of Trustees.

– ref. Johannesburg’s problems can be solved – but it’s a long journey to fix South Africa’s economic powerhouse – https://theconversation.com/johannesburgs-problems-can-be-solved-but-its-a-long-journey-to-fix-south-africas-economic-powerhouse-256013

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

June 10, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: A quarter of the world’s population are adolescents: major report sets out health and wellbeing trends
Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Alex Ezeh, Dornsife Endowed Professor of Global Health, Drexel University

The Lancet has released its second global commission report on Adolescent Health and Wellbeing. Adolescents are defined as 10- to 24-year-olds. The report builds on the first one, done in 2016. The latest report presents substantial original research that supports actions it recommends to be taken across sectors as well as at global, regional, country and local level. The co-chairs of the commission, Sarah Baird, Alex Ezeh and Russell Viner, together with the youth commissioners lead, Shakira Choonara, give a guide to the report’s findings.

What were the key findings?

The report noted significant improvements in some aspects of adolescent health and wellbeing since the 2016 report. These include reductions in:
- communicable, maternal and nutritional diseases, particularly among female adolescents
- the burden of disease from injuries
- substance use, specifically tobacco and alcohol
- teenage pregnancy.
It also found that there had been an increase in age at first marriage and in education, especially for young women.

Despite this progress, adolescent health and wellbeing is said to be at a tipping point. Continued progress is being undermined by rapidly escalating rates of
non-communicable diseases and mental disorders, accompanied by threats from compounding and intersecting megatrends. These include climate change and environmental degradation, the growing power of commercial influences on health, rising conflict and displacement, rapid urbanisation, and the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.

These megatrends are outpacing responses from national governments and the international community.

What’s unique about today’s cohort of adolescents?

Born between 2000 and 2014, this is the first cohort of humans who will live their entire life in a time when the average annual global temperature has consistently been 0.5°C or higher above pre-industrial levels.

At roughly 2 billion adolescents, they are the largest cohort of adolescents in the history of humanity. And this number will not be surpassed as populations age and fertility rates fall in even the poorest countries.

They are the first generation of global digital natives. They live in a world of immense resources and opportunities, with unprecedented connectedness made possible by the rapid expansion of digital technologies. This is true even in the hardest-to-reach places.

Growing participation in secondary and tertiary education is equipping adolescents of all genders with new economic opportunities and providing pathways out of poverty.

These opportunities, however, are not being realised for most adolescents. Increasing numbers continue to grow up in settings with limited opportunities. In addition, investments in adolescent health and wellbeing continue to lag relative to their population share or their share of the global burden of disease.

Investments in adolescents accounted for only 2.4% of the total development assistance for health in 2016-2021. This was despite the fact that adolescents accounted for 25.2% of the global population in that period and 9.1% of the total burden of disease. We use development assistance as a measure because, while governments also invest in adolescents, it’s difficult to account for how much this is. For example, when a government supports a health facility, it serves the entire population.

Yet, the report provides evidence to show that the return on investments in adolescent health and wellbeing is highly cost-effective and at par with investments in children.

What’s the news for adolescents in Africa?

The report recognises the special place of Africa in the global future of adolescents. It notes that, by the end of this century, nearly half of all adolescents will live in Africa.

Currently, adolescents in Africa experience higher burdens of communicable, maternal and nutritional diseases, at more than double the global average for both male and female adolescents. They also have a higher prevalence of anaemia, adolescent childbearing, early marriage and HIV infection. They are much less likely to complete 12 years of schooling and more likely to not be in education, employment, or training.

Female adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa have the highest adolescent fertility rate at 99.4 births per 1,000 female adolescents aged 15-19 (the global average is 41.8). They have also experienced the slowest decline between 2016 and 2022.

Globally, there was progress in reducing child marriage between 2016 and 2022. But in eight countries in 2022, at least one in three female adolescents aged 15–19 years was married. All but one of these eight countries were in sub-Saharan Africa. Niger (50.2%) and Mali (40.6%) had the highest proportion of married female adolescents.

The practice of child marriage is declining in south Asia and becoming more concentrated in sub-Saharan Africa. As the report notes:

it continues because of cultural norms, fuelled by economic hardships, insurgency, conflict, ambiguous legal provisions, and lack of political will to enforce legal provisions.

What should be Africa’s focus areas?

Beyond adolescent sexual and reproductive health concerns in sub-Saharan Africa, obesity is increasing fastest in the region. This illustrates the vulnerability of adolescents to the power of commercial interests.

Since 1990, obesity and overweight has increased by 89% in prevalence among adolescents aged 15–19 years in sub-Saharan Africa. This is the largest regional increase.

The absence of data on adolescents is a problem. Adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa are absent in many data systems. For example, data on adolescent mental health in sub-Saharan Africa is virtually absent.

Stronger data systems are needed to understand and track progress on the complex set of determinants of adolescent health and wellbeing.

Another area of concern is the massive inequities within countries, often gendered or by geography. While female adolescents in Kenya are experiencing substantial declines in the burden of HIV and sexually transmitted infections, adolescent males are experiencing increasing burdens. In South Africa, years of healthy life lost to maternal disorders show more than 10-fold differences between the Western Cape and North West provinces.

Where there’s been strong political leadership, remarkable changes have been seen. Take the case of Benin Republic. The adolescent fertility rate in the country declined from 26% in 1996 to 20% in 2018 and child marriage from 39% to 31% over the same period. Strong political leadership has also led to substantial reductions in female genital mutilation or cutting. This fell from 12% of girls in Benin in 2001 to 2% in 2011–12 among 15–19-year-old girls in Benin Republic. Political leadership also facilitated the expansion, by the national parliament in 2021, of the grounds under which women, girls, and their families could access safe and legal abortion.

But for every country that takes positive steps to protect the health and wellbeing of adolescents, several others regress.

The last decade has witnessed regression in several countries. In 2024, The Gambia attempted to repeal a 2015 law criminalising all acts of female genital mutilation or cutting. In 2022, Nigeria’s federal government ordered the removal of sex education from the basic education curriculum.

What are the recommended courses of action?

The report calls for a multisectoral approach across multiple national ministries and agencies, including the office of the head of state, and within the UN system.

Coordination and accountability mechanisms for adolescent health and wellbeing also need to be strengthened.

Laws and policies are needed to protect the health and rights of adolescents, reduce the impact of the commercial determinants of health, and promote healthy use of digital and social media spaces and platforms.

Strong political leadership at local, national, and global levels is essential.

The report also calls for prioritised investments, the creation of enabling environments to transform adolescent health and wellbeing, and the development of innovative approaches to address complex and emerging health threats.

It calls for meaningful engagement of adolescents in policy, research, interventions and accountability mechanisms that affect them.

Without these concerted actions, we risk failing our young people and losing out on the investments being made in childhood at this second critical period in their development.

The current adverse international aid climate is particularly affecting adolescents as much development assistance relates to gender and sexual and reproductive health. Concerted action in addressing adolescent health and wellbeing is an urgent imperative for sub-Saharan Africa.

Alex Ezeh is a fellow at the Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study (Stias).

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

– ref. A quarter of the world’s population are adolescents: major report sets out health and wellbeing trends – https://theconversation.com/a-quarter-of-the-worlds-population-are-adolescents-major-report-sets-out-health-and-wellbeing-trends-257282
MIL OSI – Global Reports –
June 10, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Air Quality Alert Issued for the Southwest Coast of Maine Amid Canadian Wildfires
Source: US State of Maine

June 9, 2025

CONTACT:

Ground-level particle pollution concentrations are expected to be in the ‘Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups’ (USG) level according to the Maine Department of Environmental Protection.

Sunday, USG levels of particle pollution were recorded in the Southwest Coastal area. This morning, levels continue in the USG range. While levels may drop during the day, another plume of wildfire smoke is expected to move in from the east. This is a portion of the plume from the western Canadian wildfires that broke off over Newfoundland and Labrador. It has now moved south of Nova Scotia. Easterly winds are expected to push this plume toward the Maine & New Hampshire coast with the leading edge reaching the shoreline this afternoon.

Currently, smoke is expected to move out on Tuesday. DEP will continue to monitor the situation and update Tuesdays forecast this afternoon.

Smoke may return in the coming days as wildfires continue to burn across Canada.

At elevated levels of particle pollution, children, the elderly, and individuals suffering from respiratory or heart diseases such as asthma, bronchitis, or COPD can experience reduced lung function and irritation. In addition, healthy adults who exert themselves outdoors may also notice these health effects. Affected individuals may notice symptoms such as coughing, shortness of breath, throat irritation, and/or experience mild chest pain.

Some actions you can take to protect your health during periods of elevated particle pollution levels include:
- Avoid strenuous outdoor activity
- Close windows and circulate indoor air with a fan or air conditioner
- If you have asthma, keep your quick-relief medications and action plan handy
Additional health information may be found on the following websites:

In addition to those in a sensitive group, others who are responsible for the welfare of people impacted by poor air quality are urged to use one of the listed tools to follow the Air Quality Forecast:

For more information go to Maine DEPs air quality web site.

For additional information, contact: David R. Madore, Deputy Commissioner david.madore@maine.gov

MIL OSI USA News –
June 10, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: Johannesburg’s problems can be solved – but it’s a long journey to fix South Africa’s economic powerhouse

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Philip Harrison, Professor School of Architecture and Planning, University of the Witwatersrand

South African president Cyril Ramaphosa met senior leaders of Johannesburg and Gauteng, the province it’s located in, in March 2025 to discuss ways to arrest the steep decline in South Africa’s largest city.

Ramaphosa announced a two-year-long presidential intervention to tackle some of the city’s most pressing issues. It is to be led by the Presidential Johannesburg Working Group with eight cross-governmental and multi-stakeholder workstreams.

Johannesburg was established 130 years ago, where the world’s largest-ever gold deposits were discovered. It grew rapidly in the early 20th century and became the country’s economic heartland and largest population centre. Like all South African cities, it was deeply scarred by apartheid policies. People were divided by racially defined groups. Good services and a strong economy benefited a minority, and a black majority were pushed into impoverished ghettos.

But, for about the first two decades of post-apartheid rule from 1994, Johannesburg led the country with innovation and progressive change. It pioneered the new local government system, institutional reforms, new practice on city strategy and planning, pro-poor service delivery, and modern transport infrastructure.

Today, however, the city is in a dire state. Over the past decade, roughly coinciding with the arrival of messy coalition governance in 2016, sound political leadership, administrative stability and financial management have crumbled. Underinvestment in infrastructure maintenance has led to collapsing services. Public trust is deteriorating among increasingly frustrated communities. This was evident in local election results. It also shows up in recent data released by the Gauteng City-Region Observatory on public trust in local government.

The local economy has stagnated. The city’s official unemployment rate of 34.3% is higher than the national average of 32.9%. Mounting joblessness and dwindling incomes have intertwined with depleted trust to knock levels of payment for property rates and service charges. In turn this has deepened the financial and service maintenance crisis.

Corruption in many parts of the city is an endemic complicating factor.

The presidential intervention is designed to address this complex interplay between embedded legacies and failings post-apartheid. The workstreams involving city officials and concerned stakeholders are generating ideas for priority actions. There is also a new energy in the city government, with the executive mayor and members of his mayoral committee making turnaround promises.

This long overdue attention is heartening. But some caution is called for. While some “quick wins” are needed, there will be no easy turnaround. The best prospect is likely to be a process of recovery that will require patience and methodical attention over the long term. A city cannot be repaired in the way an automobile can. A city has a trillion moving parts and is in a constant state of makeover, as dynamics of economy, technology, demography, environment, society, politics, and more, interact and produce change.

The question is not whether a city is fixed – it can never finally be – but rather what trajectory it is on. For Johannesburg, the question is how to exit the downward spiral and begin the process of reconstruction.

We are a group who previously worked in the City of Johannesburg as officials, who are now academics with decades of experience observing local governance trends and dynamics, or scholars engaged in civil society coalitions or communities mobilising around the crisis. Some of us have been involved in the Presidential Johannesburg Working Group over the last few months.

Our view is that there are four areas needing urgent but sustained attention.

Focus areas

The first is the need for a joint effort across national, provincial and municipal government to resolve the crisis. We are pleased that this has begun. The political leadership in the city (and of the province) failed to grasp the opportunity provided by the post-2024 election national compromises to put together a broad-based government of local unity to lead reconstruction. There is no option now but to pursue an inter-governmental initiative led by national government with the committed involvement of the other spheres.

Only genuine collaboration will succeed.

In this respect, the Presidential Johannesburg Working Group holds promise. But what will be needed is careful, concerted work focused first on short-term priorities. Then, over years, on key structural challenges facing the city.

Second, the city needs civil society in all its forms to hold a careful balance between keeping up the pressure on municipal government, constantly holding it accountable to its residents, and working with government to help it solve problems. The Joburg Crisis Alliance, Jozi-my-Jozi, WaterCAN and similar initiatives are claiming well-recognised and respected voice in the affairs of the municipality.

Johannesburg needs a city government that is open to this scrutiny, accepting the need for transparency, and open to the help that civil society can offer.

To raise the level of accountability and collaboration, a clear programme of restoration has to be communicated openly to the public. Milestones and expenditure requirements need to be set that allow for constant monitoring. There must be open council meetings, and regular online and in-person briefings.

Also required are new mechanisms for citizen-based monitoring. These may include trained citizen monitors reporting on service delivery. Alternatively, the establishment of a sort of “Citizen’s Council” which meets regularly to receive reports from these monitors and the city administration.

International examples include the Bürgerrat model. This is now fully institutionalised in parts of Germany and Austria to strengthen local democracy and accountability. In this model, citizens are randomly selected to sit on a council which monitors performance of local government and provides new ideas.

Another approach could be for civil society organisations to be invited to a Citizen’s Council that would act in support of the oversight processes of the elected Municipal Council.

Third, there has to be a solution to unstable coalition governments. These seem to be structured to facilitate separate political fiefdoms where spoils can be divided in the allocation of portfolios. At minimum, the presidential intervention must provide for a check and balance on processes where bureaucratic appointments and budgetary allocations may serve the interests of cronyism. For example, there should be transparency and rigour in appointments to the boards of Johannesburg’s municipally owned companies.

Regulatory reforms are required in the political arena. This should include rules for the distribution of seats on the municipal executive and the election of mayors. Between January 2023 and August 2024 a tiny minority party held the mayoralty because the larger parties could not agree on a mayoral selection or, more cynically, to ensure that the executive mayor could not call large parties to account.

More importantly, though, there has to be a change in political culture. This is a longer-term process.

Fourth, the problems run far deeper than what bureaucratic reorganisation can achieve.

The longer-term project is to build a capable administration with clear political direction and oversight but insulated from personal agendas and factional battles. The administration became confused and demoralised because of the political instability over an extended period. There are, however, still many capable and committed public servants in the city bureaucracy. The focus should be on working with them to rebuild the administration, making it a place where talent and initiative are recognised and rewarded.

Restored political leadership and a rejuvenated administration is needed for a long term process, extending far beyond the quick wins. This process will involve refurbishing the decaying network infrastructure, restoring financial stability, reestablishing social trust and returning confidence to the city’s economy.

2025 marks 30 years since the first democratic local elections. National government is looking seriously at sweeping municipal reforms. And the next municipal election – likely to be held at the end of 2026 – is an opportunity to make a deep transformation effort. Citizens can ensure that parties contesting the election place Johannesburg’s recovery at the heart of their agenda.

Philip Harrison has received funding from South Africa’s National Research Foundation in support of the South African Research Chair in Spatial Analysis and City Planning.

The Gauteng City-Region Observatory receives core grant funding from the Gauteng Provincial Government.

Lorena Nunez Carrasco received funding from the National Research Foundation in support of research on the South African response on COVID-19

Rashid Seedat receives funding from Gauteng Provincial Government for the Gauteng City-Region Observatory. He is affiliated with the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation as a member of the Board of Trustees.

– ref. Johannesburg’s problems can be solved – but it’s a long journey to fix South Africa’s economic powerhouse – https://theconversation.com/johannesburgs-problems-can-be-solved-but-its-a-long-journey-to-fix-south-africas-economic-powerhouse-256013

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

June 10, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Rutherford Statement on NOAA’s Amendment 59

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman John Rutherford (4th District of Florida)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Monday, U.S. Congressman John H. Rutherford (FL-05) released the following statement on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)’s Amendment 59:

“The release of Amendment 59 by NOAA, without the proposed three-month bottom fishing closure, is a major victory for Florida, especially for our more than 4 million anglers, coastal communities, and families whose livelihoods depend on reliable access to these waters and fisheries.

“This outcome proves what anglers have been saying all along, the proposed bottom closure was a politically motivated attempt by the Biden Administration to shut down access to our fisheries and not rooted in actual data.

“Thank you to President Trump and Secretary Lutnick for listening to the concerns of anglers across the South Atlantic and pushing for accurate data. The final rule reflects what anglers are seeing and catching, which is more red snapper than ever before.

“I am proud to have introduced the Red Snapper Act in the House and secured funding for the South Atlantic Great Red Snapper Count to ensure we’re using independent, peer-reviewed data in future management decisions. Today is a huge step in the right direction and I look forward to working with the Trump Administration to ensure recreational anglers voices are heard in Washington, D.C.”

Read more about NOAA’s announcement here.

MIL OSI USA News –

June 10, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: UConn’s Dr. Cato T. Laurencin Honored by the West Indian Foundation

Source: US State of Connecticut

The West Indian Foundation praised Dr. Cato T, Laurencin for his longstanding activities, “Your unwavering dedication and commitment have played a significant role in advancing our mission and strengthening our community. Your generosity and consistent support have been a cornerstone of our ability to serve the community. Whenever the West Indian Foundation has faced challenges, you have always stepped forward, ensuring that we can continue our important work. Your selflessness and commitment have made a profound impact, allowing us to grow and extend our reach.”

Samuel J. Laurencin, M.D., Ph.D., the nephew of Dr. Cato T. Laurencin, accepted the award on Dr. Laurencin’s behalf. Dr. Samuel Laurencin is a board-certified orthopaedic surgeon who trained at UConn.

Dr. Cato T. Laurencin has a strong connection to the West Indian community as his father was born in St. Lucia. He was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award by the West Indian Foundation in 2015. In 2025, Sir Cato T. Laurencin received Knighthood under the auspices of King Charles III of England through the Governor-General of St. Lucia.

The mission of the West Indian Foundation Inc. is to foster and strengthen a sense of unity within the West Indian community through strategic partnerships in the areas of health, education, business, and culture. The Foundation is dedicated to preserving the identity, history, and unique cultural heritage of the West Indian community while continuing to educate the community at large in these traditions.

At UConn Laurencin is the University Professor and Albert and Wilda Van Dusen Distinguished Endowed Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at UConn School of Medicine, professor of Chemical Engineering, professor of Materials Science and Engineering, and professor of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Connecticut. He is chief executive officer of The Cato T. Laurencin Institute for Regenerative Engineering, a cross-university institute created and named in his honor at the University of Connecticut.

Laurencin is an expert in public health, especially as it pertains to racial and ethnic health and health disparities. Academically, he completed the Program in African American Studies at Princeton University. He is a core professor of Africana Studies at UConn and is the editor-in-chief of the Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities, published by Springer/Nature, the leading journal in the field. He has served as the chair of the National Academy of Sciences Roundtable on Black Men and Black Women in Science, Engineering, and Medicine. Laurencin co-founded the W. Montague Cobb/NMA Health Institute, dedicated to addressing racial health disparities, and served as its founding chair of the board. The W. Montague Cobb/NMA Institute and the National Medical Association created the Cato T. Laurencin Lifetime Research Achievement Award which is bestowed at the opening ceremonies of the National Medical Association’s annual meeting. Laurencin is the recipient of the Spingarn Medal, the highest honor of the NAACP. The medal is presented for the “highest or noblest achievement by a living African American during the preceding year or years in any honorable field.”

Laurencin received the 2014 Greater Hartford Torch of Liberty Award from the Anti-Defamation League in recognition of his commitment to social justice and public service. He received the Community Service Award from the Urban League of Greater Hartford. He has been honored by the Hartford Public School System and the Connecticut State Legislature for his work in the community and has been recognized as a Connecticut Health Care Hero by Connecticut Magazine.

MIL OSI USA News –

June 10, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: Albanese says the government’s focus on delivering commitments is essential to reinforce faith in democracy

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says his second term government is “focused on delivery” of its commitments, declaring this is important not only for the economy but also for Australians’ faith in our democracy.

In a speech to the National Press Club on Tuesday, partially released ahead of delivery, Albanese warns that the present era of global uncertainty reaches beyond just economic uncertainty.

“It is the more corrosive proposition that politics and government and democratic institutions, including a free media, are incapable of meeting the demands of this moment.

“Some simply dismiss such sentiment. Others cynically seek to harvest it. Our responsibility is to disprove it.

“To recognise that some of this frustration is drawn from people’s real experience with government – be it failures of service delivery, or falling through the cracks of a particular system.

“And to counter this, we have to offer the practical and positive alternative.To prove that a good, focused, reforming Labor government can make a real difference to people’s lives.”

Albanese’s speech comes ahead of his departure later this week for the G7 summit in Canada, where he is expected to meet US President Donald Trump on the sidelines.

Their talks are set to cover, in particular, the Albanese government’s bid for relief from the Trump tariffs and the president’s desire for Australia to significantly boost its spending on defence.

Australia is subject to both the general US 10% tariff and the separate tariff on steel and aluminium, which the president has just increased to 50%.

Australia will put on the table a proposal for arrangements on access to our critical minerals and rare earths, that will favour the US. The government has also been examining a way to give access to US beef, which currently faces an effective ban on biosecurity grounds.

Albanese has stressed that any change would not compromise Australian biosecurity.

The Trump administration has flagged it would like to see Australia boost defence spending to 3.5% of GDP. Albanese has said Australia makes its own defence decisions and that spending should be based on capability needs rather than a set percentage.

Albanese’s stress, in his speech, on “delivery” of commitments is partly to manage expectations in the wake of the government’s massive majority.

The unexpected election result has led to some pressures on the government to use its position to undertake a more radical agenda than the one it put at the election.

Albanese says: “Our government’s vision and ambition for Australia’s future was never dependent on the size of our majority.

“But you can only build for that future vision if you build confidence that you can deliver on urgent necessities.

“How you do that is important too – ensuring that the actions of today, anticipate and create conditions for further reform tomorrow.”

He says the government’s second-term agenda has been shaped by Australians’ lives, priorities and values.

“It is the mission and the measure of a Labor government to give those enduring ideals of fairness, aspiration and opportunity renewed and deeper meaning, for more Australians.

“To deliver reforms that hold no-one back – and drive progress that leaves no-one behind.

“This is no small task. It demands we aim high and requires us to build big.”

He points to the government’s promised big investment in Medicare as well as its commitments on housing and the energy transition.

“Our vision is for a society that is a microcosm for the world – where all are respected and valued and our diversity is recognised as a strength.

“Where our international relationships in the fastest growing region of the world in human history benefit us, but also provide a platform for us to play a stabilising global role in uncertain times.”

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

– ref. Albanese says the government’s focus on delivering commitments is essential to reinforce faith in democracy – https://theconversation.com/albanese-says-the-governments-focus-on-delivering-commitments-is-essential-to-reinforce-faith-in-democracy-257331

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

June 10, 2025
Northeast charts 11-year journey of human-centric development

Source: Government of India

Source: Government of India (4)

Northeast India has emerged as a model of inclusive and sustainable development over the past 11 years, with remarkable progress in agriculture, healthcare, literacy, and social empowerment. Between 2014 and 2025, targeted government schemes and grassroots participation have helped bridge the development gap between the Northeast and the rest of the country.

Sikkim led the charge by becoming the world’s first 100% organic state. Building on its success, the central government launched the Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North Eastern Region (MOVCDNER), under which over 200,000 farmers transitioned to organic farming between 2015 and 2025. The establishment of 434 Farmer Producer Companies has facilitated access to national and international markets.

Mizoram set another benchmark in May 2025 by becoming India’s first state to achieve 100% functional literacy under the ULLAS (Understanding Lifelong Learning for All in Society) mission, which focuses on adult education and community learning.

Healthcare infrastructure has also advanced significantly. Assam now houses 15 medical colleges and 15 cancer hospitals, forming the largest cancer care network in South Asia. These facilities, developed over the past decade, have enhanced access to specialized and affordable treatment for millions in the region.

To measure and guide progress, the Ministry of DoNER launched the North East District Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Index in collaboration with NITI Aayog and UNDP. This tool tracks district-wise performance on key indicators, helping tailor development policies to local needs.

Together, these milestones represent 11 years of purposeful, people-first growth—transforming the Northeast into a beacon of inclusive and sustainable development.

June 10, 2025
MIL-OSI China: 1st meeting of China-U.S. economic, trade consultation mechanism opens in London

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

LONDON, June 9 — The first meeting of the China-U.S. economic and trade consultation mechanism opened here in London on Monday.

Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, attended the meeting with U.S. representatives.

MIL OSI China News –

June 10, 2025
MIL-OSI China: Chinese vice premier meets British chancellor of exchequer on economic, financial cooperation

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

Chinese vice premier meets British chancellor of exchequer on economic, financial cooperation

LONDON, June 9 — Visiting Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng on Sunday held talks in London with British Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves on enhancing economic and financial cooperation between the two countries.

He, who leads the Chinese side to the China-UK Economic and Financial Dialogue, had an in-depth exchange of views with Reeves, the British head of the dialogue, also on issues of common concern.

He called on China and Britain to make joint efforts to implement the important consensus between Chinese President Xi Jinping and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, promote the effective implementation of the outcomes of the dialogue, further deepen exchanges and cooperation in various fields of economy and finance, promote mutual benefit and win-win results, and maintain the sustained, healthy and stable development of China-Britain economic relations.

Reeves said that Britain attaches great importance to its cooperation with China and stands ready to enhance its communication with China, implement the outcomes of the dialogue, and inject new impetus into Britain-China economic cooperation.

MIL OSI China News –

June 10, 2025
MIL-OSI China: Photovoltaic project turns Inner Mongolia’s desert into ‘blue seas’ of green energy

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

Photovoltaic project turns Inner Mongolia’s desert into ‘blue seas’ of green energy

Updated: June 9, 2025 21:23 Xinhua

An aerial drone photo taken on June 7, 2025 shows a photovoltaic project in Kubuqi Desert in north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. In recent years, Inner Mongolia has made all-out efforts to tackle the ecological challenges in the areas along the Yellow River, and has treated land covering a total of 14.89 million mu (about 992,667 hectares). In deserts of Kubuqi and Ulan Buh, the sand control model with photovoltaic projects has been widely implemented, transforming stretches of sandy terrain into vast “blue seas” brimming with green energy. [Photo/Xinhua]

An aerial drone photo taken on June 5, 2025 shows a photovoltaic project in Ulan Buh Desert, in Dengkou County of Bayannur, north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. [Photo/Xinhua]

An aerial drone photo taken on June 5, 2025 shows an integrated sand control and photovoltaic project at a state forestry area in the edge of Ulan Buh Desert in Linhe District of Bayannur, north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. [Photo/Xinhua]

Seeds of desert plants are pictured at an integrated sand control and photovoltaic project at a state forestry area in the edge of Ulan Buh Desert in Linhe District of Bayannur, north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, June 5, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

An aerial drone photo taken on June 6, 2025 shows a photovoltaic project in Kubuqi Desert, north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. [Photo/Xinhua]

An aerial drone photo taken on June 7, 2025 shows machineries leveling sandy land for the construction of a photovoltaic project in Kubuqi Desert in Dalad Banner of north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. [Photo/Xinhua]

An aerial drone photo taken on June 5, 2025 shows an integrated sand control and photovoltaic project at a state forestry area in the edge of Ulan Buh Desert in Linhe District of Bayannur, north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. [Photo/Xinhua]

An aerial drone photo taken on June 7, 2025 shows a photovoltaic project in Kubuqi Desert in north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. [Photo/Xinhua]

MIL OSI China News –

June 10, 2025
MIL-OSI China: China issues guidelines on further improving people’s well-being

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

China on Monday issued a set of guidelines on further safeguarding and improving public well-being, and resolutely addressing the most pressing concerns of the people.

The guidelines, jointly issued by the General Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council, aim to promote a more equitable, balanced, inclusive, and accessible development of public services.

The guidelines stressed the need to provide social insurance subsidies to eligible university graduates and individuals facing employment difficulties.

The country will gradually adjust basic public services to ensure they are provided based on individuals’ permanent residence, according to the guidelines.

More than 1,000 high-quality general high schools will be newly built or expanded, with a focus on improving the basic educational conditions in county-level general high schools, according to the guidelines.

The guidelines also support the nighttime opening of cultural venues, such as museums, libraries and art galleries.

The guidelines further vowed to strengthen cross-departmental coordination and collaboration on major policies concerning people’s well-being.

MIL OSI China News –

June 10, 2025
MIL-OSI China: 1st meeting of China-US economic, trade consultation mechanism opens in London

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

The first meeting of the China-U.S. economic and trade consultation mechanism opened in London on Monday.

Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, attended the meeting with U.S. representatives.

MIL OSI China News –

June 10, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: First meeting of defence industry body to forge new partnership and industry mobilisation
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 3

Press release

First meeting of defence industry body to forge new partnership and industry mobilisation

Defence Secretary John Healey co-chairs the first Defence Industrial Joint Council meeting today, bringing together defence firms, trade unions and investors to forge a new partnership aimed at improving warfighting readiness, driving innovation and boosting British jobs.
Defence Secretary to co-chair inaugural Defence Industrial Joint Council meeting at Hadean’s London headquarters.

Council members include primes, tech companies, small and medium enterprises (SMEs), trade unions and investors, bringing diverse defence industry expertise from all across the UK to the heart of defence decision-making.

Focus on delivering the Government’s Plan for Change by driving jobs and prosperity through a new partnership with industry and driving procurement reforms, marking start of London Tech Week and following launch of the Strategic Defence Review.

The UK’s drive to improve warfighting readiness and turbocharge defence innovation will be the focus of the first ever meeting of the Government’s new Defence Industrial Joint Council (DIJC) today – bringing together Ministers and defence firms of all sizes with trade unions and investors.

Co-chaired by the Secretary of State for Defence, John Healey and Dr. Charles Woodburn, Chief Executive Officer at BAE Systems, the meeting comes at a significant moment for defence, following the publication of the Government’s Strategic Defence Review and in the lead-up to the Defence Industrial Strategy’s publication this summer.

Industry, innovators and investors will benefit from the new partnership with UK Defence, enabling better decision-making and communication between the MOD and its industry partners, boosting British jobs and national security, underpinning the Government’s Plan for Change.

This comes as the Prime Minister made the historic commitment to increase defence spending to 2.5% of UK GDP by April 2027, recognising the critical importance of military readiness in an era of heightened global uncertainty.

Closer collaboration with the defence industry was a key focus of the Strategic Defence Review, which saw the UK committing to:

Investing £6bn in munitions this parliament, including £1.5bn in an “always on” pipeline for munitions and building at least 6 new energetics and munitions factories in the UK, generating over 1,000 jobs and boosting export potential.

Establishing UK Defence Innovation with £400m to fund and grow UK based companies.

Creating a new Defence Exports Office in the Ministry of Defence to drive exports to our allies and growth at home.

Introducing radical new reforms to speed up defence procurement.

Defence Secretary John Healey MP said:

National security is at the heart of our Plan for Change and is essential for economic security. We are sending a signal to industry and to our adversaries: with a strong UK defence sector we will make Britain secure at home and strong abroad.

It is an honour to co-chair the inaugural meeting of the Defence Industrial Joint Council, through which we can forge a new and improved partnership between government and industry, while also bringing trade unions and investors closer to the heart of defence decision-making. I am proud that this council brings together, for the first time, the full range of voices across UK Defence.

UK Defence is open for business and driving defence as an engine for economic growth, boosting British jobs across the UK.

The DIJC replaces the former Defence Suppliers Forum and aims to harness a wider, and more diverse set of defence expertise to shape the future of Britain’s defence manufacturing, supply chain and innovation – including trade union representation alongside SMEs and investors for the first time.

The Council is underpinned by a commitment to continually refresh and widen its membership, to champion new entrants to the defence sector. The diversity of the DIJC’s members reflects the defence sector of the future, a joint endeavour characterised by innovation and efficiency.

The meeting coincides with the first day of London Tech Week, serving as a reminder of the cutting-edge innovation delivered through defence tech year-round and its contribution to keeping the UK safe at home and strong abroad. Innovation as a driver for growth has been recognised by government with a commitment to ringfencing 10% defence budget for investment in novel technologies.

Dr. Charles Woodburn, Chief Executive Officer at BAE Systems said:

Today’s meeting of the Defence Industrial Joint Council is an important moment, bringing together defence companies of all sizes, along with trade unions and investors, to support implementation of the Government’s forthcoming Defence Industrial Strategy.

Improved collaboration and communication will enable industry to continue investing in new technologies, facilities and our workforce to create a stronger UK defence industrial base ready to meet evolving military requirements in an increasingly uncertain world.

Innovation can be delivered most efficiently through partnerships between the public and private sectors, exemplified by the latest remotely operated underwater robot developed by the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) with small and medium enterprises. By modifying a commercially available remotely operated vehicle, Dstl and its industry partners have created a prototype which might soon be able to save lives at sea for the Royal Navy and prevent adversaries from sabotaging undersea cables and pipelines.

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Published 9 June 2025
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
June 10, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Michigan City Fentanyl Trafficking Conspirators Sentenced

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

SOUTH BEND – Four men have been sentenced by United States District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty after pleading guilty to various fentanyl drug and gun related charges, announced Acting United States Attorney Tina L. Nommay.

Tyler Wood, 23 years old, of Michigan City, Indiana was sentenced to 160 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, distribution of fentanyl, and illegal use of a communications facility.

Clinton Rouse, 24 years old, of Michigan City, Indiana, was sentenced to 188 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and distribution of fentanyl.

Justin Hervey, 27 years old, of Michigan City, Indiana, was sentenced to 125 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and unlawful possession of a firearm.

Raquan Perry, 23 years old, of Gary, Indiana, was sentenced to 72 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and unlawful possession of a firearm.

According to documents in the case, Wood, Rouse, Hervey, and Perry worked together to distribute fentanyl pills throughout Michigan City over a period of approximately 10 months, between October 2023 and July 2024. During the spring of 2024, Wood and Rouse lived with a supplier from Michigan who obtained tens of thousands of pills from the Detroit area that were transported to Michigan City to be sold to buyers with the assistance of sub-distributors such as Hervey and Perry. Law enforcement seized approximately 10,000 of these fentanyl pills during its investigation.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with assistance from the Michigan City Police Department, the LaPorte County Sheriff’s Office, the LaPorte County Prosecutor’s Office, and the DEA North Central Laboratory. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Lydia T. Lucius and Katelan McKenzie Doyle.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

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

MIL Security OSI –

June 10, 2025