NewzIntel.com

Category: AM-NC

  • MIL-OSI USA: Statement on Supreme Court Ruling

    Source: US State of New York

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    July 14, 2025

    Albany, NY

    “The Supreme Court just greenlit Trump’s continued assault on the Department of Education and every student, teacher and parent across the country.

    “As Governor, I’m determined to ensure every New Yorker can access a quality, affordable education — and that every teacher has the support they need to help students succeed.

    “Today’s ruling pushes that promise further out of reach by opening the door to devastating layoffs, deeper funding cuts and worse outcomes for our kids.”

    You are leaving the official State of New York website.

    The State of New York does not imply approval of the listed destinations, warrant the accuracy of any information set out in those destinations, or endorse any opinions expressed therein. External web sites operate at the direction of their respective owners who should be contacted directly with questions regarding the content of these sites.

    Visit Site

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Statement on Supreme Court Ruling

    Source: US State of New York

    Official websites use ny.gov

    A ny.gov website belongs to an official New York State government organization.

    Secure ny.gov websites use HTTPS

    A lock icon or https:// means you’ve safely connected to a ny.gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

    July 14, 2025

    Albany, NY

    “The Supreme Court just greenlit Trump’s continued assault on the Department of Education and every student, teacher and parent across the country.

    “As Governor, I’m determined to ensure every New Yorker can access a quality, affordable education — and that every teacher has the support they need to help students succeed.

    “Today’s ruling pushes that promise further out of reach by opening the door to devastating layoffs, deeper funding cuts and worse outcomes for our kids.”

    You are leaving the official State of New York website.

    The State of New York does not imply approval of the listed destinations, warrant the accuracy of any information set out in those destinations, or endorse any opinions expressed therein. External web sites operate at the direction of their respective owners who should be contacted directly with questions regarding the content of these sites.

    Visit Site

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Defense News in Brief: Hegseth Thanks German Counterpart for Stepping Up to Defense Challenges

    Source: United States Department of Defense

    Germany committed to a permanent brigade in Lithuania, a sizable purchase of F-35 Lightning II fighter jets, an increase in defense spending and being a key nexus for providing support to Ukraine during a meeting with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at the Pentagon.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Saddened by Passing of Muhammadu Buhari, Secretary-General Praises Former Nigerian President’s Key Role Promoting Regional Peace, Security in West Africa

    Source: United Nations General Assembly and Security Council

    SG/SM/22728

    The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General António Guterres:

    The Secretary-General is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of the former President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari.

    During his tenure, President Buhari demonstrated a deep commitment to the sovereignty, stability and development of his country.  He also played a key role in promoting regional peace and security in West Africa and the Lake Chad Basin.  He was also a strong advocate for multilateral and regional cooperation.

    The Secretary-General extends his heartfelt condolences to his family, the Government, and the people of Nigeria during this time of national mourning.

    For information media. Not an official record.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Better safeguards, transparency for homebuyers

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    People buying a home will soon be better protected by new rules and regulations for the mortgage services industry.

    “Buying a home is often one of the biggest financial decisions people make in their lifetimes, and it’s important that they have peace of mind,” said Brenda Bailey, Minister of Finance. “The new framework for the Mortgage Services Act raises standards across the mortgage industry, improves accountability and helps protect both home buyers and lenders, while supporting efforts to crack down on money laundering.”

    The Mortgage Services Act and its newly approved regulations respond to recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry into Money Laundering in British Columbia (the Cullen commission). In 2022, the commission identified gaps and vulnerabilities in the regulation of mortgage brokering. The new act expands regulatory requirements and provides the BC Financial Services Authority (BSFSA) with enhanced tools to regulate the industry, such as tools to investigate, license and set standards of conduct.

    This means homebuyers can be confident that they are getting fair, safe and transparent mortgage advice.

    The act, introduced in November 2022, replaces the Mortgage Brokers Act, put in place in 1972. Although it has been amended several times, it has not kept pace with the changes in the financial-services market and evolving standards for consumer protection and anti-money-laundering initiatives.

    “The mortgage market has changed dramatically in the 50 years since the Mortgage Brokers Act was passed,” said Tolga Yalkin, CEO and chief statutory officer, BCFSA. “It is larger, more complex and operates at a much faster pace. The Mortgage Services Act will reflect the realities of today’s market to address current risks and will be adaptable to address emerging ones to ensure we can better protect everyone involved.”

    The framework for the Mortgage Services Act sets out more explicit requirements for mortgage brokers to provide homebuyers with honest, transparent advice so that they are not unknowingly entering into risky or unfair mortgage agreements.

    It also protects the housing market by deterring criminals from using real estate to launder money by increasing oversight, making suspicious transactions easier to detect and investigate. Brokers will also be required to follow tighter anti-money-laundering rules.

    New mortgage services rules set out four categories of licensing:  

    • dealing in mortgages;
    • trading in mortgages;
    • administering mortgages; and
    • mortgage lending.

    “Mortgage Professionals Canada is supportive of the overhaul of the regulatory framework for mortgage brokers, the first significant change in 50 years,” said Lauren van den Berg, president and CEO, Mortgage Professionals Canada. “We, as an industry, are in strong support of enhancing consumer protection and combating fraud in the real-estate sector, including income-document fraud and money laundering. This has been one of our top advocacy issues not just in British Columbia, but at a national level.”

    Recent approval of a regulatory framework for the new Mortgage Services Act brings it into force in fall 2026, providing the industry and regulator with a 14-month period to prepare. The Province and BCFSA are working together to achieve a smooth transition to the new rules, ensuring industry workers have time to learn about the changes.

    “CMBA-BC supports the principles of consumer protection and a strong, professional mortgage-broker industry in British Columbia,” said Rebecca Casey, president, Canadian Mortgage Brokers Association – BC (CMBA-BC). “We look forward to reviewing the final details of the new Mortgage Services Act’s rules and regulations, and emphasize the importance of modernizing the regulatory framework to reflect today’s housing and lending environment. We are committed to working collaboratively with BCFSA and the provincial government to ensure the implementation of the act supports mortgage brokers in helping British Columbians achieve their homeownership goals.”

    Information about the transition, including support provided by BCFSA and action required from mortgage brokers, is available on BCFSA’s Mortgage Services Act webpage, linked below.

    Quick Facts:

    • The Province’s introduction of the Mortgage Services Act in November 2022 is a key response to the Cullen commission recommendations.
    • The Mortgage Services Act aligns closely with other financial services legislation in B.C., including the Real Estate Services Act, allowing for efficient regulation and encouraging responsible business conduct.
    • There are more than 7,000 registered mortgage brokers and sub-mortgage brokers in B.C.

    Learn More:

    To learn more about transition process to the Mortgage Services Act, visit:
    https://www.bcfsa.ca/industry-resources/mortgage-broker-resources/mortgage-services-act  

    To read the Cullen commission final report, visit:
    https://cullencommission.ca/files/reports/CullenCommission-FinalReport-Full.pdf

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Fresh look for remote Trains Hut

    Source: NZ Department of Conservation

    Date:  15 July 2025

    Trains Hut is a well-loved, six-bunk hut used regularly by trampers and hunters, reached by a 15 km tramp along the rugged Trains Track. This remote and rewarding backcountry track takes visitors through regenerating native forest, rugged ridgelines, and across several swing bridges.

    DOC Ranger Rhydian Lewis, who led the project, says support from the Backcountry Trust allowed the DOC team to expand the scope of work beyond essential repairs.

    “Alongside basic maintenance, a new wood burner has been installed, the deck extended, and an L-shaped veranda constructed, all improving comfort and shelter for visitors.”

    “Working with the Trust, we were able to go beyond basic maintenance and give Trains Hut the attention it deserved. These upgrades make a big difference, especially for those staying in tough weather conditions,” says Rhydian.

    The project is part of the Community Huts Programme, a collaboration between DOC and the Backcountry Trust to support volunteers to care for highly valued backcountry huts and tracks. Announced in January, the $4.2 million dollar boost comes from the International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (IVL).

    Renovations were completed in June by a team of five, with a helicopter used to transport materials to the remote location.

    Backcountry Trust Manager Rob Brown says the partnership with DOC Whanganui has enabled important work on backcountry places valued by the community.

    “As well as this work on Trains Hut, we collaborated to complete much needed maintenance on two of the huts on the Matemateonga Walkway.

    “When we get teams of passionate people from DOC and BCT together, we get through a lot of field work in a short amount of time.”

    Rhydian says Trains Hut is important to many backcountry explorers.

    “We’re incredibly grateful to everyone who contributed their time, energy, and expertise to ensuring the hut will continue to serve the next generation of outdoor adventurers. DOC can’t do it alone.”

    Waitotara Conservation Area sits to the south-west of Whanganui National Park between Whanganui and Stratford, and features stunning mature rimu, tōtara and northern rātā. Occasional regenerating scrubland and forest is a lingering reminder of failed settlement attempts.

    Trains Track is an advanced track which can be heavily impacted by wet conditions, visitors are reminded to carry appropriate gear and be ready for changeable weather. Always check track conditions and hut availability on the DOC website before heading into the backcountry.

    Contact

    For media enquiries contact:

    Email: media@doc.govt.nz

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hickenlooper, Bennet, Colleagues Press Trump Admin on Weaponizing Immigration Court Hearings to Arrest Immigrants

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator John Hickenlooper – Colorado
    According to recent reports, the administration has targeted noncriminal immigrants who show up for their court hearings
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper and Michael Bennet joined 22 of their Senate colleagues to call out the Trump administration’s recent efforts to arrest noncriminal immigrants at their immigration court hearings and deport them without adequate due process.
    “This manipulation of existing laws to enact this Administration’s mass deportation agenda is creating chaos in our immigration system while doing nothing to make our communities safer…” wrote the senators. “They also make clear that this Administration is not targeting the worst criminals and threats to public safety, instead redirecting staff and resources away from drug trafficking and human trafficking and towards these operations targeting noncriminal immigrants who are following the law and showing up for their day in court.”
    The senators sent a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem, and Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Acting Director Todd Lyons. They condemned the admin’s efforts that undermine due process and intimidate and discourage people from attending their immigration court hearings.
    This February, Hickenlooper and Bennet helped introduce the Protecting Sensitive Locations Act, which would limit immigration arrests at sensitive locations like courthouses, schools, hospitals, and places of worship.
    Full text of the letter available HERE and below.
    Dear Secretary Noem, Attorney General Bondi, and Acting Director Lyons:
    We are extremely concerned by reports of a recent initiative to arrest and detain noncitizens at their immigration court hearings, and in many cases, dismiss their immigration cases without advance notice and while hiding the government’s intent to arrest them. Some reports indicated that plain-clothed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) personnel stationed outside of immigration courtrooms had lists of cases marked for dismissal and even photos of the individuals they intended to arrest. Upon the granting of this request by an immigration judge, ICE officers have reportedly arrested individuals or families outside the courtrooms and placed them in a fast-track removal process known as expedited removal (ER). These actions prevent noncitizens from having their fair day in court and raise serious legal and due process concerns. They also make clear that this Administration is not targeting the worst criminals and threats to public safety, instead redirecting staff and resources away from drug trafficking and human trafficking and towards these operations targeting noncriminal immigrants who are following the law and showing up for their day in court.
    ER historically has applied only to a noncitizen who “is arriving in the United States” and certain other noncitizens apprehended close to the border less than 14 days after arrival in the United States. Individuals subject to ER are mandatorily detained and can be summarily deported without a hearing before a judge, administrative appeal or federal court review, unlike regular removal proceedings. The ER process offers very limited administrative review and no
    meaningful opportunity for a noncitizen to challenge whether they can legally be placed in ER. There is no real opportunity to provide documentation, for example, that would demonstrate they have continuously resided in the United States for more than two years, or that they were, in fact, admitted or paroled into the United States and therefore not subject to ER. ICE is now expanding the application of ER to noncitizens in the interior of the United States who have developed significant ties to the United States, including by lawfully working and attending school. Arresting law-abiding individuals and placing them in ER deprives them of the opportunity to have their fair day in court with the due process protections in immigration court proceedings.
    Nevertheless, we understand that ICE attorneys have been instructed to look for immigration court cases that can be dismissed11 and then orally request, without prior notice, that removal proceedings be dismissed or the Notice to Appear be withdrawn. ICE often did not inform immigration judges or the noncitizens that the purpose of their request was not relief from removal, but instead that ICE intended to arrest and place the individual in fast-track removal without a hearing. It has been a longstanding practice to dismiss cases that are not a priority for enforcement or that ICE chooses not to prosecute, allowing noncitizens to instead pursue immigration applications affirmatively through U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Here, however, many noncitizens were not notified that their cases were being dismissed for a different purpose—to place them in ER—and effectively deny them access to a
    decision from an immigration judge as well as affirmative applications through USCIS. Because noncitizens did not understand the purpose of their dismissal, they did not, through counsel or otherwise, have an opportunity to take steps to oppose the ICE attorneys’ motions to terminate or withdraw.
    Immigration judges—who are not part of an independent judiciary but housed under the Executive Office of Immigration Review within the Department of Justice—have also received guidance encouraging immigration judges to grant the ICE attorneys’ motion to dismiss “with no additional documentation or briefing” or opportunity for a noncitizen to respond. In some cases, immigration judges were not made aware of the purpose of the dismissal. As a result, immigration judges could not take into account in their dismissal determination that the noncitizen will immediately be placed in ER. In some cases, the immigration judge did not give noncitizens adequate time to respond to ICE motions to dismiss, or ensure those appearing pro se were informed of the consequences of their cases being dismissed. And in some cases, the immigration judge dismissed the case over the strong objections from the noncitizen who wished for their immigration case to continue with the court.
    Noncitizens whose removal proceedings are abruptly dismissed in this manner lose the ability to request relief in immigration court for which they are otherwise eligible, such as asylum or adjustment of status to lawful permanent resident, or to request that an immigration judge hold their case while they pursue an immigration status with USCIS, such as classification as a Special Immigrant Juvenile. Many of these noncitizens who had their cases dismissed had
    reportedly already submitted an asylum application or other forms of relief to the immigration court, raising serious concerns that their applications were wrongfully denied any consideration. For example, a Mexican transgender woman with no criminal history who came to the United States in 2023 after being subject to abduction and rape by members of the Knights Templar drug cartel in Mexico, had applied for asylum; upon her appearance for her court hearing in Portland, Oregon, ICE moved to dismiss her case, the court granted the request, and she was subsequently arrested by ICE agents in the lobby. In another case, ICE requested the dismissal of a case of a Cuban man who entered the United States in 2021 and had an asylum application pending; an immigration judge in the Miami Immigration Court told the asylum seeker he could seek asylum affirmatively from USCIS after the dismissal; instead, ICE arrested and detained him.
    The U.S. Supreme Court recently stated, “[w]e have long held that no person shall be removed from the United States without opportunity, at some time, to be heard. Due process requires notice that is reasonably calculated, under all the circumstances, to apprise interested parties and that affords[s] a reasonable time …to make an appearance.” Here, it appears that the ICE attorneys are being told to dismiss immigration cases and place noncitizens in expedited removal. At the same time, immigration judges are being told that they may dismiss such cases
    without any briefing or opportunity to respond. In addition, often noncitizens have not been notified of the purpose of their dismissal, in order to respond or contest the dismissal of their immigration cases, or the placement of their case into expedited removal. Taken together, these actions raise serious due process concerns.
    These actions also place noncitizens in an impossible position. If noncitizens who fear arrest do not attend their immigration court hearing, they may receive an in absentia removal order that will newly subject them to swift detention and removal. If they do attend, they risk arrest, detention, and a swift deportation, possibly to South Sudan, Libya, or El Salvador—countries they may have no connection to. This manipulation of existing laws to enact this Administration’s mass deportation agenda is creating chaos in our immigration system while doing nothing to make our communities safer.
    We request responses to the following questions by July 25, 2025:
    What specific guidance has DHS or DOJ/EOIR issued regarding the dismissal of standard 240 removal proceedings and the facilitation of enforcement actions in and around immigration courtrooms? Please provide a copy of the relevant guidance, email, memorandum, or other directives associated with this policy.
    How many individuals have been detained and placed in ER following dismissal of their cases from January 20th to May 19th, 2025? How many have been detained and placed in ER following dismissal since May 20, 2025? Provide the total number of individuals arrested and detained by week, and disaggregate by country of origin, gender, and age.
    What number of the total individuals detained and placed in ER following the dismissal of their removal proceedings have been referred for a credible fear interview (CFI)? How many have passed that interview with the asylum officer and how many did not? Of the total negative CFIs by an asylum officer, how many were reviewed by an Immigration Judge and reversed?
    Of the total individuals detained and placed in ER following dismissal of their cases, how many had applications pending with the immigration court in INA 240 proceedings at the time that the ICE attorney moved for dismissal? How many had applications pending with USCIS (e.g. adjustment of status, SIJ classification, T or U visa)? Of those with applications pending in immigration court, how many were asylum applications and how many were for adjustment of status to lawful permanent resident?
    Of those individuals who had asylum applications pending in immigration court when the ICE attorney requested the dismissal of proceedings, how many were subsequently given a CFI after dismissal and their placement in ER? Of those, how many passed that interview with the Asylum Officer and were placed back into proceedings to again pursue their asylum claim? Of those with an asylum application pending who were subsequently given a CFI after dismissal and their placement in ER, how many had a negative CFI with an asylum officer which was subsequently reversed by an IJ and were placed back into proceedings?
    What number of the total individuals detained and placed in ER following the dismissal of their removal proceedings have been placed back into INA 240 proceedings for any reason?
    Are immigration judges being monitored or tracked on how they respond to ICE motions to dismiss the cases or to withdraw the NTA? If so, how is that information being utilized?
    There are reports of cases where the immigration judge did not immediately grant ICE’s motion to dismiss and did give the noncitizen additional time to respond, but ICE detained the noncitizen anyway.
    Since May 20th, in how many cases has an ICE attorney orally requested a dismissal, and the IJ has either denied such a motion or granted additional time for the noncitizen to respond?

    In how many of those cases did ICE arrest and detain the noncitizen despite the removal proceedings not being dismissed?
    In how many of those cases did ICE request a Change of Venue to a detained docket?
    For the subset of cases moved to the detained docket, in how many cases has ICE moved to dismiss again before a different immigration judge in order to place the noncitizen in ER?
    Of the total detained and placed in ER after the dismissal of their court cases, how many had a criminal conviction?
    Of the total detained and placed in ER after dismissal of their court cases, how many were continuously present in the United States for more than two years? Provide an explanation of the legal basis for their placement in ER.
    Of the total detained and placed in ER after dismissal of their court cases, how many were in removal proceedings after having been initially paroled into the United States at a port of entry? Provide the total number and disaggregate by country of origin, gender and age. Also, provide the total number of individuals who were initially paroled more than two years prior to the issuance of the I-860 ER order.
    Provide a complete list of all the immigration courts where ICE courthouse arrests and placements into ER have occurred since May 20, 2025. At each of these immigration courts, disaggregated by each individual court, have in absentia removal orders increased and if so, by what percentage of the total scheduled court hearings? Provide a daily accounting of the number of in absentia removal orders issued in each immigration court since January 1, 2025, disaggregated by court.
    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: National two-minute silence to mark VJ Day 80

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    National two-minute silence to mark VJ Day 80

    National two-minute silence will be held at 12 noon on 15 August 2025 to honour the 80th anniversary of VJ Day

    • Event at National Memorial Arboretum to honour VJ veterans will be broadcast live
    • Red Arrows will join historic Spitfire and Hurricane aircraft for flypast over national VJ Day 80 commemorations

    Members of the public are encouraged to participate in a national two-minute silence on Friday 15 August to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War. 

    A Service of Remembrance will honour and remember those who fought and died during the Second World War in the Far East at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire, which will be broadcast live on BBC1 from midday. 

    It will host a spectacular tribute to veterans involving 400 members of the Armed Forces, the Red Arrows and historic aircraft from The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.

    This follows four days of events in May to commemorate the 80th anniversary of VE Day, which marked the end of the Second World War in Europe. 

    However, at that time 80 years ago, thousands of British and Commonwealth military personnel continued to fight Japanese forces in Asia and the Pacific for a further three months when Victory over Japan (VJ Day) was declared on 15 August 1945, following Imperial Japan’s surrender to Allied Forces. Alongside British Armed Forces, hundreds of thousands of people served in the Far East from countries including pre-partition India, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Nepal and from African nations.

    The Service of Remembrance will be run in partnership with the Royal British Legion and will be attended by Second World War veterans, VJ association members, senior politicians, and military personnel. It will pay tribute to the British, Commonwealth and Allied veterans who served in the Far East theatres of war, the Pacific and Indian Ocean territories.

    The event will include a guard of honour of Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force and music provided by military bands. The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight will lead a breathtaking flypast featuring the historic Dakota, Hurricane and Spitfire aircrafts. 

    Veterans attending will include Burma Star recipients, British Indian Army veterans and those involved in the Battles of Kohima and Imphal, as well as Prisoners of War held across the region and veterans stationed in the UK or Commonwealth countries, who contributed to the war effort. 

    The service is a ticketed event, but members of the public visiting the Arboretum on the day are invited to observe the two-minute silence and watch the service on large screens at a nearby public viewing area.

    Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said: 

    Those who continued to fight bravely in Asia and the Pacific in those last few months of the Second World War must never be forgotten. 

    It is so important for us as a nation to come together on this important anniversary to remember our VJ Day veterans and hear their stories first-hand so we can ensure that their legacy is passed on to future generations and their sacrifice is never forgotten.

    Defence Secretary John Healey said: 

    VJ Day was the final victory in a war that changed the world, and we honour those who served in the Far East with enduring gratitude. 

    Just as we proudly marked VE Day, we reflect on the courage, sacrifice and resilience shown by so many to secure peace. 

    Their legacy must never be forgotten, and it’s our duty to pass their stories on to future generations.

    Mark Atkinson, Director General of the Royal British Legion, said: 

    We encourage everyone across the country to take a moment to reflect during the two-minute silence on VJ Day, to watch the Service of Remembrance live on the BBC or at the Arboretum, and pay tribute to those from Britain and across the Commonwealth who fought in the Far East in the Second World War. 

    It was so moving to see the nation come together for VE80 and to be putting veterans at the heart of these commemorations – now we have one of our last chances to honour all those VJ Day veterans whose service and sacrifice finally brought an end to the War.

    Second World War veteran and RBL ambassador Tom Berry, 101, from Cheshire, who was serving on HMS Tartar in the Pacific when Japan surrendered, said:

    For veterans like me and all those who carried on fighting until VJ Day was announced, this will be a very emotional day – a moment in history. I’ll be watching the service at home, and I’d ask the country to do the same – to stop and remember all those who gave so much for our freedoms, and those who never made it back.

    The national commemorations will commence with a government reception to celebrate VJ Day with veterans.  

    Government buildings and High Commissions across the globe will also be lit up on 15 August to commemorate VJ Day. 

    In addition, Imperial War Museums (IWM) will be screening I Saw The World End, a digital public artwork by celebrated artist and designer Es Devlin, at Piccadilly Circus on Wednesday 6th August to commemorate the dropping of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. 

    IWM will also invite visitors to reflect on the events leading up to the end of the Second World War through paper dove and crane making activities at IWM London and IWM North.  

    On VJ Day itself, IWM will premiere a new contemporary film exploring the events and significance of VJ Day and the war in Asia and the Pacific. The film, which can be seen at IWM North and outdoor screens in locations across the UK, is produced in partnership with SODA (School of Digital Arts), part of Manchester Metropolitan University. A new augmented reality experience at IWM North will also engage audiences in a deeper exploration of the Second World War in Asia and the Pacific and its significance, bringing to life some of the personal stories, sound and film from IWM’s collection.

    Following the success of IWM’s VE Day Letters to Loved Ones initiative, the public are asked to delve into their family history to find letters sent by relatives to loved ones that provide fresh insight and first-hand testimonies of VJ Day and the war in the Far East. Digital copies can be uploaded onto the official VE/VJ80 website.

    Minister Steph Peacock shares her family story, remembering her Grandad and all those he served alongside

    James Taylor, IWM’s Principal Curator of Public History said: 

    The story of the Second World does not finish with VE Day on 8 May 1945, with intense fighting in Asia and the Pacific continuing for another three months, and the destruction of the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Through this varied programme of activities, we will shine a light on these often-overlooked stories from the final months of the Second World War. Through public film screenings, digital experiences, and artist commissions, IWM will give people the opportunity to delve deeper into the significance of the war in Asia and the Pacific and its lasting global impact.

    The Government is working with partners across the UK, including the Devolved Governments of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, to ensure commemorations are inclusive and UK-wide. 

    The Commonwealth War Graves will continue their Every Story For Evermore campaign through events, new content, and augmented reality tours at international sites. These will include Commonwealth War Graves Cemeteries at Nairobi in Kenya, Sai Wan in Hong Kong, Kranji in Singapore, Kanchanaburi in Thailand, and Yokohama in Japan. This will enable international audiences to learn about the men and women who continued to serve in the Second World War after VE Day.

    Director of Education, Engagement and Volunteering at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Simon Bendry, said:

    As part of the anniversary commemorations marking the end of the Second World War, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission is encouraging people around the world to pause and reflect on the human cost of conflict.

    We commemorate more than 580,000 casualties who died during the Second World War, and we invite the public to ensure their stories are never forgotten by exploring and contributing to our online story collection, For Evermore, and by joining commemorative events taking place across the globe. From sites in the UK to Japan, from Kenya to Thailand, Indonesia and Singapore, local communities will have opportunities to honour and remember those who gave their lives and acknowledge the huge sacrifices made in pursuit of peace.

    Notes to editors: 

    • Access to the service at the base of the Arboretum’s Armed Forces Memorial will be strictly by event ticket only.
    • Members of the public can participate in the commemorations by attending a live screening at the nearby Naval Review and observe the two-minute national silence; pre-booking of car parking via the National Memorial Arboretum website is strongly recommended to guarantee entry.
    • For further information about VJ Day 80 and to pre-book parking, visit: https://thenma.org.uk/what’s-on/events/remembering-vj-day-80-years-on-national-commemorative-event
    • Visit the dedicated interactive website ve-vjday80.gov.uk for latest information and ways to get involved.

    Updates to this page

    Published 14 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Joint Statement from Senators Graham and Blumenthal

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for South Carolina Lindsey Graham

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Connecticut) today made this joint statement after President Trump made a series of announcements regarding the Russia-Ukraine war, including his intention to impose secondary tariffs on Russia if they do not agree to a ceasefire in the next 50 days.

    Graham and Blumenthal have introduced the Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025, which would impose secondary tariffs and sanctions on countries that continue to fund Putin’s barbaric war in Ukraine. Their legislation has 85 cosponsors in the Senate.

    “President Trump and his team have made a powerful move, implementing a new approach to end this bloodbath between Russia and Ukraine.

    “Selling American-manufactured weapons to NATO – that will be used by Ukraine to defend themselves – is smart military policy and will enormously benefit the U.S. economy. Not only will these weapons be made in America, creating jobs for Americans, but they also will be purchased by the Europeans. This is a win-win scenario.

    “However, the ultimate hammer to bring about the end of this war will be tariffs against countries, like China, India and Brazil, that prop up Putin’s war machine by purchasing cheap Russian oil and gas. President Trump’s decision to announce the implementation of 100 percent secondary tariffs on countries that buy Russian oil and gas if a peace agreement is not reached in the next 50 days is a real executive hammer to drive the parties to the negotiating table. The goal is not more tariffs and sanctions – the goal is to entice Putin to come to the peace table. 

    “It is long overdue for the financial backers of Russia’s atrocities in Ukraine to pay a price for buying cheap energy products and marking it up in order to benefit their economies. The days of doing this without consequences are coming to an end.

    “Finally, as President Trump indicated, we will join our colleagues in continuing to work with the White House on our bipartisan Russia sanctions legislation that would implement up to 500 percent tariffs on countries that buy Russian oil and gas, and do not help Ukraine. The congressional legislation authorizing tariffs and sanctions would truly be a sledgehammer for President Trump to end this war, and it will allow for maximum flexibility to achieve that end. The benefit of our approach is that it blends congressional authorization of tariffs and sanctions with flexibility for presidential implementation, making it rock solid legally and politically.

    “This bill has 85 cosponsors in the Senate and it would pass incredibly quickly. We will continue to work with my colleagues in the House and Senate, and with the Trump team to have this legislation ready to go at a moment’s notice.

    “The combination of more American-made, European-purchased weapons for Ukraine and tariffs on the financial backers of Putin’s brutal war has changed the game. We sincerely believe President Trump has set in motion a new approach that has the highest likelihood yet of ending this bloodbath in the right way.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Welch Blasts Republicans for Cutting Funding to Combat HIV/AIDS 

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) will submit a Statement for the Congressional Record blasting Senate Republicans for attempting to advance President Trump’s rescission request, which claws back congressionally-appropriated funding, and his FY26 budget, which also threatens funding for HIV/AIDS and other life-saving global health programs.  
    In his statement, Senator Welch warns that the White House’s drastic cuts in funding to sustain the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and fulfill the United States’ pledges to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria will hurt the world’s most vulnerable. Senator Welch says that if Congress advances these cuts, the legislative body will share responsibility for sabotaging one of the great, bipartisan public health achievements of this century. 
    “I can’t help but wonder why? Why is the White House walking away from these life-saving programs that everyone agrees have been a huge success story? It would be one thing if HIV/AIDS had been eradicated. But we are a very long way from that. There are an estimated 1.3 million new HIV infections every year,” said Senator Welch. “We cannot let down our guard. We cannot be so shortsighted to think that we would save money by cutting funding for PEPFAR and the Global Fund. Prevention is far less expensive than treatment. If Congress does not reject these funding cuts there will almost immediately be more infections, not fewer. More Americans will get sick. Mother to child transmission will exponentially increase. Many more people will die needlessly.” 
    Welch concluded: “A drug developed by an American biopharmaceutical company that can prevent HIV/AIDS finally exists. Let’s do again what President Bush did nearly a quarter century ago and show the world that the United States can be the world’s leader in saving lives from a deadly disease.” 
    Read the full Statement for the Record here. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Bergman Secures Major Wins in NDAA to Boost Military Readiness, Energy Independence, and Housing for Servicemembers

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jack Bergman (MI-1)

    Bergman Secures Major Wins in NDAA to Boost Military Readiness, Energy Independence, and Housing for Servicemembers

    Washington, July 14, 2025

    Washington – Today, Rep. Jack Bergman, Chairman of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness, issued the following statement in support of the FY26 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA):

    “This NDAA puts our warfighters first. Modernizing their tools, improving safety, and delivering on our promises to military families. It’s about cutting waste, building strength, and putting America First,”said Rep. Bergman. “As Chairman of the Readiness Subcommittee, I fought alongside my colleagues to ensure this bill addresses the real challenges facing our servicemembers. We’re delivering results that will make our military stronger, safer, and better prepared for the fight.”

    Key provisions in the FY26 NDAA include:

    • Toxic Exposure Accountability: Builds on the momentum of the recently introduced Military PFAS Transparency Act by incorporating key provisions requiring detailed cleanup plans, risk assessments, and safeguards to protect military families from harmful chemicals at Camp Grayling, Wurtsmith Air Force Base, and military installations nationwide.

    • Indo-Pacific Strategy: Streamlines contested logistics, enhances Air Mobility Command’s readiness, and expands additive manufacturing near forward-operating locations.

    • Military Construction Reform: Cuts red tape and construction costs by eliminating outdated mandates, allowing faster, more cost-efficient construction of barracks and childcare facilities, and investing $120 million in new military labs.

    • Servicemember Housing: Adds $240 million for new barracks, strengthens oversight of private military housing, and demands DOD accountability on health and safety obligations.

    • Energy Independence: Advances next-generation nuclear energy by expanding deployment on military bases, investing $20 million in advanced nuclear fuel, and streamlining DOD nuclear energy initiatives.

    • Military Aviation Safety: In response to deadly trends, this year’s NDAA mandates an independent safety review and key reforms to improve rotary wing training and maintenance safety practices.

    • Training Innovation: Accelerates use of cutting-edge simulators, extended reality, and synthetic environments to improve readiness and reduce costs.

    • Maintenance & Readiness: Addresses F-35 parts shortages, boosts amphibious ship maintenance funding, and demands accountability for aircraft mission-capable rates.

    • Made in America: Protects U.S. supply chains by prohibiting taxpayer funds from flowing to adversaries and requiring American-made military food and energy supplies.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Carter Celebrates House Passage of Bill to Make Permanent the Institute for Telecommunication Sciences

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Earl L Buddy Carter (GA-01)

    Headline: Carter Celebrates House Passage of Bill to Make Permanent the Institute for Telecommunication Sciences

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Earl L. “Buddy” Carter (R-GA) today celebrated unanimous House passage of his bipartisan bill with Rep. Brittany Pettersen (D-CO), the Institute for Telecommunication Sciences (ITS) Codification Act. The bill strengthens the statutory authority of the ITS testing center, which is essential for informing the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s (NTIA) spectrum policy decisions. 

    The bill also directs ITS to establish an important and potentially life-saving initiative to develop emergency communication and tracking technologies for use in locating people trapped in areas where mobile connectivity may not be available due to natural disasters and other devastating events.

    “The ITS is critical to achieving our goal of beating China by having effective, workable, and innovative spectrum policies and practices. I’m proud to co-lead this effort with Rep. Pettersen and am thrilled that the House unanimously voted to send this important, life-saving bill to the Senate. I’m calling on my Senate colleagues to quickly get this bill to President Trump’s desk, so we can ensure mobile connectivity during natural disasters and other devastating events,” said Rep. Carter.

    “The incident at the Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine in my District last October was a devastating cautionary tale about what can happen in an emergency situation when people end up trapped where cell service isn’t available,” said Rep. Pettersen. “This bipartisan bill will enhance emergency communications for critical moments like the Gold Mine accident. Ensuring rescuers can effectively communicate can make all the difference in successfully saving lives.”

    Read the full bill text here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congresswoman Torres Demands Answers from ICE After Reports of Aggressive, Racially-Targeted Arrests in the Inland Empire

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Norma Torres (35th District of California)

    July 14, 2025

    Washington, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Norma J. Torres wrote to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Acting Director Todd Lyons demanding immediate answers following reports of aggressive, abusive, and racially discriminatory enforcement actions in the Inland Empire. 

    Congresswoman Torres’ office has received a surge of calls from frantic families unable to locate loved ones who were abruptly taken into ICE custody. Many have resorted to filing missing persons reports with local law enforcement after ICE failed to update its Online Detainee Locator System, leaving families without answers—or hope.

    “What we are witnessing in our communities is racial terror,” said Congresswoman Norma Torres. “Latino residents are being targeted based on their appearance, not their actions. That’s not just immoral—it’s unconstitutional. My constituents are being pulled from their homes, their jobs, and the streets without cause or explanation. ICE is operating in the shadows and it must stop.”

    A recent Los Angeles Times report detailed instances of racial profiling by ICE agents, reinforcing the troubling stories Torres and her office have received firsthand. Families are living in fear—pulling children from school, skipping work, and carrying passports just to go to the grocery store.

    In her letter, Rep. Torres demands the following from ICE:

    • A complete list of detained individuals from California’s 35th District, including names, locations, and legal status;

    • An explanation for why the Online Detainee Locator System is not being promptly updated;

    • Proof that detainees have access to basic services and are able to contact family and legal counsel;

    • Detailed legal justifications for each detention;

    • A report on internal complaints or investigations into racial profiling during enforcement operations.

    “This is not oversight—it’s overreach. ICE has a duty to uphold the law, not abuse it,” Torres continued. “If they think they can make people disappear without consequence, they’re wrong. I will not stop until families have answers, and this agency is held accountable.”

    Full letter text

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Refocusing local government to deliver for Kiwis

    Source: New Zealand Government

    The Government’s plan to refocus councils on core services, such as roading, core infrastructure, water, and rubbish, has taken a major step forward with the introduction of the Local Government (System Improvements) Amendment Bill to Parliament.

    Local Government Minister Simon Watts says the Bill will help restore discipline, transparency and performance across the sector, to the benefit of ratepayers.

    “Kiwis are frustrated with rising rates, expanding bureaucracy, and poor value for money. This Bill puts councils back to work on the basics, their core services, so ratepayers see real results for what they pay.”

    The Bill is part of the Government’s System Improvements programme, first announced by the Prime Minister in August 2024, and responds directly to public frustration over deteriorating infrastructure, rising rates, and lack of financial focus.

    Key reforms in the Bill include: 

    • A renewed focus on core services in the statutory purpose of local government by removing the four ‘well-beings’
    • A requirement to prioritise core services when managing finances and setting rates
    • New financial performance measures for councils, with a requirement for regular public reporting
    • Mandatory disclosure of contractor and consultant spending
    • Stronger transparency and accountability requirements
    • Regulatory relief to reduce unnecessary compliance burdens

    “Local government has drifted from their core responsibilities. This Bill draws a line in the sand – focus on the essentials and deliver value for your community,” Mr Watts says.

    “This refocusing of our councils will help to deliver better value for money, and ultimately help with addressing the number one issue people are dealing with right now, which is cost of living. 

    “I have made it clear that the Government will not support new taxes and revenue tools for local authorities at a time when we believe there is scope for improvement in the value for money New Zealanders receive in return for their rates. 

    “To that end, we are working at pace on a rates cap model, and I look forward to providing an update later this year.”

    Mr Watts says the Bill is another major milestone in a significant period for local government reform.

    Other key developments this week include the second reading of the Local Government (Water Services) Bill, and Ministerial attendance at the Local Government New Zealand conference, where Mr Watts will outline the vision for local government.  

    In recent weeks, Mr Watts announced the first City and Regional Deal agreements which will boost local investment and development in three regions, and the establishment of the first water services entity, Selwyn Water Ltd. 

    “These changes show we’re not just talking about reform – we’re delivering it. Stronger accountability, clear priorities, better infrastructure delivery – these are central to our vision for local government,” Mr Watts says.

    The Government intends to pass the System Improvements Bill, the Local Government (Water Services) Bill, and have the first regional deal in place by the end of 2025. 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NEA reacts to Supreme Court as Trump continues taking a wrecking ball to public schools

    Source: US National Education Union

    WASHINGTON – National Education Association President Becky Pringle released the following statement reacting to the Supreme Court’s action today: 

    “Nothing is more important than the success of students. America’s educators and parents won’t be silent as Donald Trump, with the support of the MAGA Supreme Court, strips our students, our families, and our communities of protections and funding that Congress has mandated. Gutting the Department of Education has already harmed students and communities. Today’s ruling withholding relief that the lower courts ordered will only compound the harm.  

    “NEA will continue our efforts in and outside of court to protect students, school districts, parents, and educators from Trump’s illegal and destructive dismantling of the Department of Education, which will hurt all students by sending class sizes soaring, cutting job training and career and technical education programs, making higher education further out of reach, taking away special education services for students with disabilities, and gutting student civil rights protections.  

    “Everyone who cares about America’s students and public schools should be appalled by the Supreme Court’s premature intervention in this case today, which stays preliminary relief ordered by the lower courts. Today’s decision does not resolve the underlying merits of Trump’s unlawful plan to eliminate the Department of Education.  

    “Parents, educators, and community leaders won’t be silent as Trump and his allies take a wrecking ball to public schools and the futures of the 50 million students in rural, suburban, and urban communities across America. We will continue to organize, advocate, and mobilize until all students have the opportunity to attend the well-resourced public schools where they can thrive.” 

    -###- 

     Follow us on Bluesky at https://bsky.app/profile/neapresident.bsky.social and https://bsky.app/profile/neatoday.bsky.social   

    The National Education Association is the nation’s largest professional employee organization, representing more than 3 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support professionals, school administrators, retired educators, students preparing to become teachers, healthcare workers, and public employees. Learn more at www.nea.org 

     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NEA reacts to Supreme Court as Trump continues taking a wrecking ball to public schools

    Source: US National Education Union

    WASHINGTON – National Education Association President Becky Pringle released the following statement reacting to the Supreme Court’s action today: 

    “Nothing is more important than the success of students. America’s educators and parents won’t be silent as Donald Trump, with the support of the MAGA Supreme Court, strips our students, our families, and our communities of protections and funding that Congress has mandated. Gutting the Department of Education has already harmed students and communities. Today’s ruling withholding relief that the lower courts ordered will only compound the harm.  

    “NEA will continue our efforts in and outside of court to protect students, school districts, parents, and educators from Trump’s illegal and destructive dismantling of the Department of Education, which will hurt all students by sending class sizes soaring, cutting job training and career and technical education programs, making higher education further out of reach, taking away special education services for students with disabilities, and gutting student civil rights protections.  

    “Everyone who cares about America’s students and public schools should be appalled by the Supreme Court’s premature intervention in this case today, which stays preliminary relief ordered by the lower courts. Today’s decision does not resolve the underlying merits of Trump’s unlawful plan to eliminate the Department of Education.  

    “Parents, educators, and community leaders won’t be silent as Trump and his allies take a wrecking ball to public schools and the futures of the 50 million students in rural, suburban, and urban communities across America. We will continue to organize, advocate, and mobilize until all students have the opportunity to attend the well-resourced public schools where they can thrive.” 

    -###- 

     Follow us on Bluesky at https://bsky.app/profile/neapresident.bsky.social and https://bsky.app/profile/neatoday.bsky.social   

    The National Education Association is the nation’s largest professional employee organization, representing more than 3 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support professionals, school administrators, retired educators, students preparing to become teachers, healthcare workers, and public employees. Learn more at www.nea.org 

     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Energy Secretary: The World Needs More Reliable American Energy

    Source: US Department of Energy

    The Economist

    July 14, 2025

    “Climate change is a by-product of progress, not an existential crisis, says Trump’s energy czar”

    By Chris Wright, Secretary of Energy

    Nearly every aspect of modern life depends upon energy. It fuels opportunity, lifts people out of poverty and saves lives. That is why, as a lifelong energy entrepreneur and as US Secretary of Energy, I am honoured to advance President Donald Trump’s policy of bettering lives through unleashing a golden age of energy dominance—both at home and around the world.

    Over the past two centuries, two forces dramatically transformed the human condition: the rise of bottom-up social organisation—human liberty—and the explosion in the supply of affordable energy. The result has been a doubling in life expectancy. In the same period, extreme poverty has plummeted from affecting 90% of the world’s population to under 10%. Energy and human liberty matter.

    The world needs more energy—in particular, more American energy. The growth of American energy production is a win for our citizens, for our geopolitical standing and for our allies. We need energy that is affordable, reliable and secure.
    This administration is focused on energy addition, not subtraction—a complete reversal from the previous four years. By the time President Trump took office, American energy had become more uncertain, more expensive and less reliable. One in five American households were struggling to pay their energy bills. Half of the electric grid faced the risk of blackouts.

    In the name of a single risk—climate change—the Biden administration launched a regulatory assault aimed at eliminating hydrocarbons in favour of so-called renewables.
    . . .
    Was this damage at least offset by progress with Joe Biden’s promise to green the economy? In short, no. Hydrocarbons made up 82% of American primary energy consumption in 2024, nearly the same as in 2019. Hydrocarbons are proving extremely difficult to replace.

    Urgent, politically charged proclamations to alter national energy systems have consistently proven disastrous. In Europe, as well as in America under President Biden, climate zealotry has overtaken energy reality. The result is crushingly high energy prices, deindustrialisation and diminished life opportunities for citizens.

    . . .

    America is taking a different path—one focused on growth. We are expanding our supply of reliable energy, delivering more secure energy to Americans more cheaply. This approach enables the reshoring and domestic expansion of energy-intensive manufacturing: steel, semiconductors, fertiliser, cement and more. And it is positioning America to lead the next major energy-intensive frontier: artificial intelligence (AI).

    AI transforms electricity into the most valuable output imaginable: intelligence. The country that wins the global race for AI leadership will shape the future of innovation, economic productivity and national defence. Dominating AI will require not only world-class scientific expertise, but enormous, continuous amounts of power.
    . . .
    We are accelerating the production of all baseload resources—coal, nuclear, geothermal and, of course, natural gas. Natural gas alone supplies over 40% of American electricity and 25% of global primary energy. It heats more American homes than any other fuel, anchors the booming petrochemical industry and remains the dominant source of industrial heat for manufacturing.

    We will treat climate change as what it is: not an existential crisis but a real, physical phenomenon that is a byproduct of progress. Yes, atmospheric CO2 has increased over time—but so has life expectancy. Billions of people have been lifted out of poverty. Modern medicine, telecommunications and global transportation became possible. I am willing to take the modest negative trade-off for this legacy of human advancement.

    The world stands at an energy crossroads and it is time to choose. Do we want an energy policy of exclusion and scarcity that shackles humanity and limits economic potential? Or do we want a policy of inclusion and abundance, bursting all limits to growth and opportunity?

    America has made its choice in favour of more energy, more manufacturing and more economic activity. We invite others to do the same.

    Read the full article here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Eighth Former Correctional Officer Sentenced on Federal Civil Rights Charges in Connection with Death of Inmate at West Virginia Jail

    Source: US State Government of Utah

    A former correctional officer from the Southern Regional Jail in Beaver, West Virginia, was sentenced today for his role in an assault that resulted in the death of an inmate, identified by the initials Q.B., on March 1, 2022. Andrew Fleshman, 22, was sentenced to eight years and four months in prison.

    According to his plea agreement, Fleshman responded to a call for officer assistance after Q.B. tried to push past another correctional officer and leave his assigned pod. When Correctional Officer Fleshman arrived at the pod, Q.B. was on the floor as force was being used against him. The officers restrained and handcuffed Q.B. Officer Fleshman and other members of the conspiracy then escorted Q.B. to an interview room, where, aided and abetted by each other, they struck and injured Q.B. while he was restrained, handcuffed and posed no threat to anyone. Fleshman admitted that he and the members of the conspiracy struck and injured Q.B. to punish him for attempting to leave his assigned pod.

    Fleshman pleaded guilty before Chief U.S. District Court Judge Frank W. Volk on Nov. 2, 2023. That same day, former correctional officer Steven Nicholas Wimmer also pleaded guilty to conspiring to use unreasonable force against Q.B. On May 8, Chief U.S. District Court Judge Frank W. Volk sentenced Wimmer to nine years in prison.

    On Nov. 29, 2023, a federal grand jury indicted six other defendants in connection with the death of Q.B. In November 2024, Mark Holdren, Corey Snyder, and Johnathan Walters each pleaded guilty in connection with the use of unreasonable force against Q.B., resulting in his death. On July 9, U.S. District Court Judge Joseph R. Goodwin sentenced Holdren to 20 years in prison and Walters was sentenced to 21 years in prison. On July 10, Judge Goodwin sentenced Snyder to 19 years and seven months in prison.

    In August 2024, Ashley Toney and Jacob Boothe each pleaded guilty to failing to intervene to protect Q.B. from the officers’ assault. On June 9, Judge Goodwin sentenced Toney to six and a half years in prison. On July 10, Judge Goodwin sentenced Boothe to three years in prison.

    On Jan. 27, a federal jury returned a guilty verdict at trial for the sixth indicted defendant, Chad Lester, a former Lieutenant at the Southern Regional Jail, finding him guilty on three obstruction of justice charges for his role in conspiring to cover up the death of Q.B. On May 15, Judge Goodwin sentenced Lester to 17 and a half years in prison.

    Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa G. Johnston for the Southern District of West Virginia made the announcement.

    The FBI Pittsburgh Field Office, Charleston Resident Agency, investigated the case.

    Deputy Chief Christine M. Siscaretti and Trial Attorney Tenette Smith of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division prosecuted the case in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: expert reaction to study suggesting vapes are more effective for quitting smoking than gum or lozenges including in disadvantaged groups

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    A study published in Annals of Internal Medicine looks at vapes for smoking cessation in disadvantaged groups. 

    Prof Leonie Brose, Professor of Addictions & Public Health at King’s College London, said:

    “This very well-conducted Australian study shows that vaping is more effective than traditional nicotine replacement therapies (NRT) for helping people quit smoking. This is in line with what we know from previous evidence. What makes this study stand out is its focus on less advantaged groups, who are often hit hardest by smoking-related illnesses. And by offering participants a choice of vaping devices and flavours, the researchers created a more realistic scenario. Interestingly, the effectiveness of vaping over NRT was greater than anticipated.

    “These results are particularly relevant for England, where we are currently evaluating ‘Swap to Stop’, the national initiative providing free vapes to get more people from less advantaged groups to stop smoking.”

    Prof Peter Hajek, Professor of Clinical Psychology and Director of the Health and Lifestyle Research Unit, Queen Mary University of London (QMUL), said:

    “Compared to the general population, rates of smoking are much higher and rates of quitting smoking lower among people whose lives are more stressful. In previous studies in unselected groups of smokers, e-cigarettes were up to twice as effective as NRT. In this study looking at a large sample of people on income support, the advantage of vapes over NRT was three-fold!  

    “As vaping poses only a small fraction of risks of smoking, encouraging smokers who find giving up nicotine difficult to use vapes seemed always a logical and sensible thing to do. This high-quality study with rigorous outcome criteria shows that it is also effective.”

    ‘Vaporized Nicotine Products for Smoking Cessation Among People Experiencing Social Disadvantage’ by Ryan J. Courtney et al. was published in Annals of Internal Medicine at 10pm UK time on Monday 14 July.

    DOI: 10.7326/ANNALS-24-03531

    Declared interests

    Leonie Brose: “I have no interests to declare.”

    Peter Hajek: “No COI”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Belarus plans to transport about 7 million tons of cargo via the Russian port of St. Petersburg in 2025

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

    MINSK, July 14 /Xinhua/ — Belarus plans to transport about 7 million tons of cargo via the Russian port of St. Petersburg “Bronka” in 2025. This was stated on Monday by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko during a meeting with St. Petersburg Governor Alexander Beglov. The relevant information was published by the press service of the Belarusian head of state.

    A. Lukashenko noted that the project to build a Belarusian port facility for handling cargo at the Bronka sea handling complex is supported by the Russian leadership. The Belarusian leader noted that much has already been done on the territory of the complex.

    “We will transport about 7 million tons of various cargo through this port this year. Both bulk cargo and oil products. We will develop this port. We also plan to go to Murmansk. This is a reserve location, but this port needs to be built there, and it will take many years,” A. Lukashenko said. -0-

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

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Secretary-General Welcomes Adoption of Final Report of Open-ended Working Group on Security, Use of Information and Communications Technologies

    Source: United Nations General Assembly and Security Council

    SG/SM/22726

    The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General António Guterres:

    The Secretary-General welcomes the consensus adoption of the final report of the Open-ended working group on security of and in the use of information and communications technologies (ICTs) 2021-2025, marking the conclusion of four years of steady efforts to safeguard the peace and security of the ICT domain.

    The Secretary-General expresses his sincere appreciation to Burhan Gafoor (Singapore), Chair of the Open-ended working group, for his tireless efforts and leadership.

    He congratulates the Open-ended working group on its many concrete achievements, which demonstrate that even in the most challenging international security environment, collective action is still possible.

    He welcomes, in particular, the agreement to establish a new “Global Mechanism on developments in the field of ICTs in the context of international security and advancing responsible State behaviour in the use of ICTs”.

    The Secretary-General now calls upon all States to work together through the Global Mechanism to tackle digital risks and ensure these technologies are leveraged for good.

    For information media. Not an official record.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Application to establish the Puketeraki mātaitai reserve near Karitāne, north of Dunedin

    Source: NZ Ministry for Primary Industries

    Your views sought

    Kāti Huirapa Rūnaka ki Puketeraki has applied for a mātaitai reserve (Puketeraki mātaitai reserve) near Karitāne, north of Dunedin, Otago. 

    Kāti Huirapa Rūnaka ki Puketeraki and Fisheries New Zealand will hold a public meeting to discuss the application.

    This is the first of 2 consultations to be held about the application. For this consultation, we invite submissions on the proposal from the local community.

    Find out about the second consultation

    The proposed area of the reserve

    The proposed area includes approximately 47.5 square kilometres of South Island fisheries waters enclosed by a line drawn between Cornish Head (Ohineamio) and Purehurehu Point (west of Heyward Point) and the seaward boundary of the East Otago Taiāpure (local fishery). The southern boundary of the proposed area between Potato Point and Purehurehu Point is the mean high-water mark.

    Consultation documents

    Map of the proposed Puketeraki mātaitai reserve [PDF, 8.9 MB]

    Application for Puketeraki mātaitai reserve [PDF, 707 KB]

    Public meeting planned at Karitāne

    The local community is invited to attend a public meeting to discuss the application.

    Time: 7pm.
    Date: 21 August 2025.
    Venue: Puketeraki Marae at 520 Apes Road, Karitāne.

    Making your submission

    Submissions close at 5pm on Thursday 4 September 2025.

    Email your submission to FMSubmissions@mpi.govt.nz

    While we prefer email, you can post your submission to:

    Fisheries management – spatial allocations
    Fisheries New Zealand
    PO Box 2526
    Wellington 6140.

    Public notices about this consultation

    Public notices about the meeting with the local community and the call for submissions are scheduled to appear in:

    • the Otago Daily Times on Tuesday 15 July 2025 and Thursday 24 July 2025
    • The Star on Thursday 14 August 2025
    • the August edition of both the POWA (Progress of the Waikouaiti Area) and Blueskin News.

    A second consultation is planned

    After the local community consultation period has closed, Fisheries New Zealand will hold a second consultation.

    This will invite written submissions from people who take fish, aquatic life, or seaweed or own quota, and whose ability to take fish, aquatic life, or seaweed, or whose ownership interest in quota may be affected by the proposed mātaitai reserve.

    The second consultation will be advertised in the same newspapers and on this website.

    About mātaitai reserves

    A mātaitai reserve is an identified traditional fishing ground which tangata whenua have a special relationship with.

    Mātaitai reserves are limited to fisheries waters and do not include any land area. Mātaitai reserves do not change any existing arrangements for access to private land.

    Mātaitai reserves do not affect private landowners’ land titles, or their ability to exercise resource consents for such things as taking water or extracting gravel or sand. Resource consents are managed under the Resource Management Act 1991.

    Find out more about mātaitai reserves

    Fisheries (South Island Customary Fishing) Regulations 1999 – NZ Legislation

    Recreational fishing

    Mātaitai reserves do not change the recreational fishing rules. However, the Tangata Tiaki/Kaitiaki for a mātaitai reserve may propose changes to the rules at a later date. These are called mātaitai reserve bylaws. Any proposed bylaws will be consulted on separately with the public and relevant stakeholders. They need to be approved by the Minister of Oceans and Fisheries.

    Commercial fishing

    Commercial fishing is generally banned in a mātaitai reserve. However, the applicants have proposed conditions to allow some commercial fishing activities to continue. The proposed conditions are set out in section 6 of the application.

    Application for Puketeraki mātaitai reserve [PDF, 707 KB]

    Submissions are public information

    Note that all, part, or a summary of your submission may be published on this website. Most often this happens when we issue a document that reviews the submissions received.

    People can also ask for copies of submissions under the Official Information Act 1982 (OIA). The OIA says we must make the content of submissions available unless we have good reason for withholding it. Those reasons are detailed in sections 6 and 9 of the OIA.

    If you think there are grounds to withhold specific information from publication, make this clear in your submission or contact us. Reasons may include that it discloses commercially sensitive or personal information. However, any decision MPI makes to withhold details can be reviewed by the Ombudsman, who may direct us to release it.

    Official Information Act 1982 – NZ Legislation

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SCHUMER: A HISTORIC MOMENT FOR UPSTATE NY! AMERICA’S FIRST-EVER NATIONAL SEMICONDUCTOR TECHNOLOGY CENTER OFFICIALLY OPENS AT ALBANY NANOTECH, MARKING MAJOR MILESTONE AS NEW GLOBAL EPICENTER FOR…

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New York Charles E Schumer

    Schumer Says NSTC Will Attract Companies From Around The World To Upstate NY, Boosting Existing NY Companies From Micron To GlobalFoundries With Access To Most Advanced Machinery In The World And Bringing Thousands Of Good-Paying Jobs To Re-Establish America’s Global Chip Leadership

    Thanks To Schumer’s CHIPS & Science Law & Years Of Relentless Advocacy, Albany Received A Whopping $825M And Will Be Home To Only Federal EUV Lab Country, The Leading Research Hub In The Nation To Develop The Next Generation Of Semiconductors

    Schumer: The Next Frontier For The World’s Microchips Will Be Created Here In Upstate NY

    Following years of relentless advocacy for the Capital Region, U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer today cut the ribbon for the grand opening of America’s first-ever National Semiconductor Technology Center at Albany NanoTech, created by his CHIPS & Science Law.

    Schumer said this major milestone firmly establishes Upstate NY as the heart for America’s semiconductor research and manufacturing, with Albany and the Capital Region as the home for this first of its kind national lab with the most advanced chip making machinery that will bring together the nation’s top industry leaders, universities, innovators, and entrepreneurs under one roof to ensure the future of innovation in chipmaking happens here in the U.S.A.

    “America’s first-ever National Semiconductor Technology Center is open for business! Today, the eyes of the world turn to Albany and Upstate NY as the next frontier where the scientific and engineering breakthroughs in chipmaking that we cannot even fathom today will happen. The ribbon cutting for this facility will be heard like a sonic boom and make it clear that America will lead the future of semiconductor technology,” said Senator Schumer. “This is the day I long envisioned when I created the NSTC program in my CHIPS & Science Law. This facility will allow the nation’s top scientists, universities, and companies to access the most advanced machinery in the world for developing microchips. It is the start of a historic new effort by the federal government to ensure the next generation of microchips will be developed here in America, here in the Capital Region, not in China, not overseas. Today, we help usher in America’s next era of chip research and manufacturing, with Upstate NY leading the way.”

    The new EUV Accelerator at Albany NanoTech is a CHIPS for America flagship facility and will allow researchers to work together to develop more advanced semiconductor technology for commercial use. In addition to state-of-the-art EUV technology, the new EUV Accelerator includes collaboration space and resources for NSTC partners, dedicated onsite Natcast offices and staff to support NSTC members, support for programs to grow the workforce, and more. Today’s ribbon cutting signifies that the facility is now open and ready to support the needs of NSTC members and collaborators. The EUV Accelerator is currently accepting project proposals after first beginning operations on July 1, 2025.

    Schumer explained that the new state-of-the-art EUV facility at Albany NanoTech will help the United States establish dominance in advanced semiconductor research and development. The NSTC EUV Accelerator will help address gaps in American R&D and manufacturing of semiconductors and provide information to stakeholders, including universities, small businesses and entrepreneurs, large manufacturers, workers, and government agencies by providing NSTC members with access to EUV technology to facilitate research, commercialization, and workforce training.

    EUV technology is essential to the semiconductor industry and is some of the most advanced machinery in the world, in which light is used to print patterns and make chips on wafers. EUV lithography is what has allowed the breakthroughs to make this technology nanoscopic and allows for the chips that power everything from smartphones, computers, and vehicles to artificial intelligence. Albany NanoTech will be one of only two public facilities in the world with the most advanced EUV technology, a High NA Extreme Ultraviolet Lithography tool, and the only publicly-owned High NA EUV Center in North America.

    The NSTC EUV Accelerator at Albany NanoTech will be a place for leaders in the semiconductor industry to conduct research and collaborate, including bringing industry leaders like Micron, IBM, GlobalFoundries, ASML, Applied Materials, Tokyo Electron, and more to the table to partner on next-generation R&D. Being designated the NSTC EUV Accelerator will also open up opportunities for Albany NanoTech and Upstate NY to attract further federal investment and help attract more companies from around the world to Albany to conduct research, all with the potential of creating more good-paying jobs and making Upstate NY a global leader in semiconductors.

    “NY CREATES and our industry partners are proud to continue our two-decade-long history of advancing semiconductor technologies, and as Natcast cuts the ribbon to share with the world that the EUV Accelerator is operational and their offices at our Albany NanoTech Complex are open, this latest partnership undoubtedly represents a pivotal step forward in accelerating U.S. innovation over the long-term,” said Dave Anderson, President of NY CREATES. “With accessible, standard numerical aperture EUV lithography capabilities available today, and access to High NA EUV equipment available next year, we are proud that NY CREATES is supporting the NSTC’s mission and enabling groundbreaking research, impactful economic growth, and strategic workforce development, all of which are imperative for America’s national security and economic leadership.”

    The NSTC is a critical part of Schumer’s mission of re-establishing America’s leadership in the semiconductor industry and will bring together industry leaders, researchers from the nation’s top universities, innovators, workers, and entrepreneurs to help give them access to the most advanced chip making machinery in the world and drive the next frontier of chip innovation and manufacturing.

    Schumer worked for years to highlight Albany NanoTech and the Capital Region’s ability to lead the country’s semiconductor research and development efforts, announcing the selection of Albany NanoTech as America’s first National Semiconductor Technology Center with up to $825 million in federal CHIPS funding last year. Schumer also highlighted Albany NanoTech when pitching Micron to locate their massive $100+ billion megafab project in Upstate NY, which Micron said was a critical factor in their selection of Central NY for their major investment to bring advanced memory chip manufacturing to the U.S.

    The NSTC EUV Accelerator at Albany NanoTech is one of three major NSTC facilities. The U.S. Department of Commerce announced that California’s Silicon Valley will host NSTC’s Administrative and Design Facility and Phoenix, Arizona will host the Prototyping and Advanced Packaging Piloting Facility. Together, these three major hubs will lead the NSTC’s core functions and help fulfill the CHIPS and Science Law’s vision of developing more American-made technology and boosting America as a global semiconductor leader. The new NSTC EUV Accelerator at Albany NanoTech will also open the doors to opportunities for millions of dollars in additional future investment and partnership with the federal government, as well as help bring in additional industry partners to leverage the state-of-the-art facilities to develop and manufacture advanced chips.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: AFSCME’s Saunders: Shutting down the Department of Education will harm our children, educators and nation

    Source: American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Union

    WASHINGTON – AFSCME President Lee Saunders released the following statement in response to the Supreme Court opening the way for the administration to illegally shut down the Department of Education:

    “We are incensed by the Supreme Court’s decision to allow the administration to unlawfully dismantle the Department of Education in direct violation of the Constitution. This agency was created by an act of Congress to ensure equal access to education, and it cannot be eliminated simply because a president wills it. Our children, educators and nation will suffer great harm if this agency is shuttered. The Department of Education ensures that all students, no matter their zip code, economic class or disability, can learn and thrive. Tens of thousands of AFSCME members across the country have dedicated their careers to education, and we will continue to fight, regardless of this decision, to ensure that our students have every opportunity to succeed.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: AFSCME’s Saunders: Shutting down the Department of Education will harm our children, educators and nation

    Source: American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Union

    WASHINGTON – AFSCME President Lee Saunders released the following statement in response to the Supreme Court opening the way for the administration to illegally shut down the Department of Education:

    “We are incensed by the Supreme Court’s decision to allow the administration to unlawfully dismantle the Department of Education in direct violation of the Constitution. This agency was created by an act of Congress to ensure equal access to education, and it cannot be eliminated simply because a president wills it. Our children, educators and nation will suffer great harm if this agency is shuttered. The Department of Education ensures that all students, no matter their zip code, economic class or disability, can learn and thrive. Tens of thousands of AFSCME members across the country have dedicated their careers to education, and we will continue to fight, regardless of this decision, to ensure that our students have every opportunity to succeed.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NASA Research Shows Path Toward Protocells on Titan

    Source: NASA

    NASA research has shown that cell-like compartments called vesicles could form naturally in the lakes of Saturn’s moon Titan.
    Titan is the only world apart from Earth that is known to have liquid on its surface. However, Titan’s lakes and seas are not filled with water. Instead, they contain liquid hydrocarbons like ethane and methane. 
    On Earth, liquid water is thought to have been essential for the origin of life as we know it. Many astrobiologists have wondered whether Titan’s liquids could also provide an environment for the formation of the molecules required for life – either as we know it or perhaps as we don’t know it – to take hold there.
    New NASA research, published in the International Journal of Astrobiology, outlines a process by which stable vesicles might form on Titan, based on our current knowledge of the moon’s atmosphere and chemistry. The formation of such compartments is an important step in making the precursors of living cells (or protocells).
    The process involves molecules called amphiphiles, which can self-organize into vesicles under the right conditions. On Earth, these polar molecules have two parts, a hydrophobic (water-fearing) end and a hydrophilic (water-loving) end. When they are in water, groups of these molecules can bunch together and form ball-like spheres, like soap bubbles, where the hydrophilic part of the molecule faces outward to interact with the water, thereby ‘protecting’ the hydrophobic part on the inside of the sphere. Under the right conditions, two layers can form creating a cell-like ball with a bilayer membrane that encapsulates a pocket of water on the inside.
    When considering vesicle formation on Titan, however, the researchers had to take into account an environment vastly different from the early Earth.

    Titan is Saturn’s largest moon and the second largest in our solar system. Titan is also the only moon in our solar system with a substantial atmosphere.
    The hazy, golden atmosphere of Titan kept the moon shrouded in mystery for much of human history. However, when NASA’s Cassini spacecraft arrived at Saturn in 2004, our views of Titan changed forever.
    Thanks to Cassini, we now know Titan has a complex meteorological cycle that actively influences the surface today. Most of Titan’s atmosphere is nitrogen, but there is also a significant amount of methane (CH4). This methane forms clouds and rain, which falls to the surface to cause erosion and river channels, filling up the lakes and seas. This liquid then evaporates in sunlight to form clouds once again.
    This atmospheric activity also allows for complex chemistry to happen. Energy from the Sun breaks apart molecules like methane, and the pieces then reform into complex organic molecules. Many astrobiologists believe that this chemistry could teach us how the molecules necessary for the origin of life formed and evolved on the early Earth.

    The new study considered how vesicles might form in the freezing conditions of Titan’s hydrocarbon lakes and seas by focusing on sea-spray droplets, thrown upwards by splashing raindrops. On Titan, both spray droplets and the sea surface could be coated in layers of amphiphiles. If a droplet then lands on the surface of a pond, the two layers of amphiphiles meet to form a double-layered (or bilayer) vesicle, enclosing the original droplet. Over time, many of these vesicles would be dispersed throughout the pond and would interact and compete in an evolutionary process that could lead to primitive protocells.
    If the proposed pathway is happening, it would increase our understanding of the conditions in which life might be able to form. 
    “The existence of any vesicles on Titan would demonstrate an increase in order and complexity, which are conditions necessary for the origin of life,” explains Conor Nixon of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. “We’re excited about these new ideas because they can open up new directions in Titan research and may change how we search for life on Titan in the future.”
    NASA’s first mission to Titan is the upcoming Dragonfly rotorcraft, which will explore the surface of the Saturnian moon. While Titan’s lakes and seas are not a destination for Dragonfly (and the mission won’t carry the light-scattering instrument required to detect such vesicles), the mission will fly from location to location to study the moon’s surface composition, make atmospheric and geophysical measurements, and characterize the habitability of Titan’s environment.

    Karen Fox / Molly WasserHeadquarters, Washington202-358-1600karen.c.fox@nasa.gov / molly.l.wasser@nasa.gov

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NASA Research Shows Path Toward Protocells on Titan

    Source: NASA

    NASA research has shown that cell-like compartments called vesicles could form naturally in the lakes of Saturn’s moon Titan.
    Titan is the only world apart from Earth that is known to have liquid on its surface. However, Titan’s lakes and seas are not filled with water. Instead, they contain liquid hydrocarbons like ethane and methane. 
    On Earth, liquid water is thought to have been essential for the origin of life as we know it. Many astrobiologists have wondered whether Titan’s liquids could also provide an environment for the formation of the molecules required for life – either as we know it or perhaps as we don’t know it – to take hold there.
    New NASA research, published in the International Journal of Astrobiology, outlines a process by which stable vesicles might form on Titan, based on our current knowledge of the moon’s atmosphere and chemistry. The formation of such compartments is an important step in making the precursors of living cells (or protocells).
    The process involves molecules called amphiphiles, which can self-organize into vesicles under the right conditions. On Earth, these polar molecules have two parts, a hydrophobic (water-fearing) end and a hydrophilic (water-loving) end. When they are in water, groups of these molecules can bunch together and form ball-like spheres, like soap bubbles, where the hydrophilic part of the molecule faces outward to interact with the water, thereby ‘protecting’ the hydrophobic part on the inside of the sphere. Under the right conditions, two layers can form creating a cell-like ball with a bilayer membrane that encapsulates a pocket of water on the inside.
    When considering vesicle formation on Titan, however, the researchers had to take into account an environment vastly different from the early Earth.

    Titan is Saturn’s largest moon and the second largest in our solar system. Titan is also the only moon in our solar system with a substantial atmosphere.
    The hazy, golden atmosphere of Titan kept the moon shrouded in mystery for much of human history. However, when NASA’s Cassini spacecraft arrived at Saturn in 2004, our views of Titan changed forever.
    Thanks to Cassini, we now know Titan has a complex meteorological cycle that actively influences the surface today. Most of Titan’s atmosphere is nitrogen, but there is also a significant amount of methane (CH4). This methane forms clouds and rain, which falls to the surface to cause erosion and river channels, filling up the lakes and seas. This liquid then evaporates in sunlight to form clouds once again.
    This atmospheric activity also allows for complex chemistry to happen. Energy from the Sun breaks apart molecules like methane, and the pieces then reform into complex organic molecules. Many astrobiologists believe that this chemistry could teach us how the molecules necessary for the origin of life formed and evolved on the early Earth.

    The new study considered how vesicles might form in the freezing conditions of Titan’s hydrocarbon lakes and seas by focusing on sea-spray droplets, thrown upwards by splashing raindrops. On Titan, both spray droplets and the sea surface could be coated in layers of amphiphiles. If a droplet then lands on the surface of a pond, the two layers of amphiphiles meet to form a double-layered (or bilayer) vesicle, enclosing the original droplet. Over time, many of these vesicles would be dispersed throughout the pond and would interact and compete in an evolutionary process that could lead to primitive protocells.
    If the proposed pathway is happening, it would increase our understanding of the conditions in which life might be able to form. 
    “The existence of any vesicles on Titan would demonstrate an increase in order and complexity, which are conditions necessary for the origin of life,” explains Conor Nixon of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. “We’re excited about these new ideas because they can open up new directions in Titan research and may change how we search for life on Titan in the future.”
    NASA’s first mission to Titan is the upcoming Dragonfly rotorcraft, which will explore the surface of the Saturnian moon. While Titan’s lakes and seas are not a destination for Dragonfly (and the mission won’t carry the light-scattering instrument required to detect such vesicles), the mission will fly from location to location to study the moon’s surface composition, make atmospheric and geophysical measurements, and characterize the habitability of Titan’s environment.

    Karen Fox / Molly WasserHeadquarters, Washington202-358-1600karen.c.fox@nasa.gov / molly.l.wasser@nasa.gov

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Disaster Recovery Center Opens July 15 in San Angelo

    Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

    Headline: Disaster Recovery Center Opens July 15 in San Angelo

    Disaster Recovery Center Opens July 15 in San Angelo

    AUSTIN, Texas – A Disaster Recovery Center will open Tuesday, July 15, in Tom Green County to offer face-to-face help to survivors who had damage or losses from the severe storms and flooding in Central Texas

    Homeowners, renters and eligible non-residents may receive FEMA assistance for losses not covered by insurance

    Survivors with homeowners’ or renters’ insurance should first file a claim with their insurance company as soon as possible

    If your policy does not cover all your damage expenses, you may be eligible for federal assistance

    The Disaster Recovery Center is located at:Concho Valley Transit Annex510 N

    ChadbourneSan Angelo, TX 76903Hours: noon to 6 p

    m

    CT Monday to FridayFEMA and the U

    S

    Small Business Administration are supporting the Texas Division of Emergency Management, which is leading efforts to help survivors apply for federal disaster assistance

    Center specialists can also identify potential needs and connect survivors with local, state and federal agencies as well as nonprofit organizations and community groups

     Disaster Recovery Centers are accessible to people with disabilities and those with access and functional needs

    They are also equipped with assistive technology

    If you need a reasonable accommodation or an American Sign Language interpreter, call 833-285-7448 (press 2 for Spanish)

    Survivors may visit any Disaster Recovery Center

    No appointment is needed

    Here are the ways to apply for FEMA disaster assistance: Visit DisasterAssistance

    govUse the FEMA mobile appCall the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362

     Lines are open from 6 a

    m

    to 10 p

    m

    CT daily

    If you use a relay service, captioned telephone or other service, you can give FEMA your number for that service

    Helpline specialists speak many languages

    Press 2 for Spanish

    For an accessible video on how to apply for assistance, go to Three Ways to Register for FEMA Disaster Assistance – YouTube

     For the latest information about the Texas recovery, visit fema

    gov/disaster/4879

    Follow FEMA Region 6 on social media at x

    com/FEMARegion6 and at facebook

    com/FEMARegion6
    toan

    nguyen
    Mon, 07/14/2025 – 18:00

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: FEMA Authorizes Funds to Fight Highland Fire in Oregon

    Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency 2

    strong>BOTHELL, Wash. –  The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) authorized the use of federal funds to help with firefighting costs for the Highland Fire burning in Crook County, Oregon. 
    The state of Oregon’s request for a declaration under FEMA’s Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) program was approved by FEMA Region 10 Acting Administrator Vincent J. Maykovich on Saturday July, 12, 2025, at 10:58 p.m. PT. He determined that the Highland Fire threatened to cause such destruction as would constitute a major disaster. This is the fourth FMAG declaration in 2025 to help fight Oregon wildfires. 
    At the time of the state’s request, the wildfire threatened homes in and around the community of Prineville Lake Acres. The fire was also threatening roads, infrastructure, utilities, a watershed, and wildlife resources.  
    FMAGs make funding available to pay up to 75 percent of a state’s eligible firefighting costs for fires that threaten to become major disasters. Eligible items can include expenses for field camps, equipment use, materials, supplies and mobilization and demobilization activities attributed to fighting the fire. These grants do not provide assistance to individual home or business owners and do not cover other infrastructure damage caused by the fire.  
    ###
    Follow FEMA Region 10 on X and LinkedIn for the latest updates and visit FEMA.gov for more information.
    FEMA’s mission is helping people before, during, and after disasters.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Eliza Drake’s Story

    Source: International Association of Drilling Contractors – IADC

    Headline: Eliza Drake’s Story

    The following is part of IADC’s 85th anniversary campaign, “Many Stories, One Voice,” which aims to showcase the real human stories behind the drilling industry. 

    Eliza Drake – IADC Young Professionals Committee Networking/Social Subcommittee Chair; Marketing Representative for Caterpillar Oil & Gas

    Eliza (center) with fellow attendees at a 2024 IADC Young Professionals Committee networking event

    My journey with IADC started back in 2017, during my freshman year at Missouri S&T. From a young age, I knew I wanted to work in the oil and gas industry. I was always fascinated by what happens so far below the Earth’s surface, and I was drawn to being a part of an industry that’s often villainized. I saw it as a chance to change people’s opinions and show them how vital fossil fuels truly are. However, being from Missouri, I didn’t have many chances to connect with the industry directly. It was pure coincidence that I bumped into the IADC Student Chapter President during the first week of my freshman year and joined the group.

    While S&T’s petroleum engineering program might be small, it is mighty, largely due to the support of alumni and organizations like IADC. That support opened doors I didn’t even know existed. IADC gave me not only exposure to the industry and my first international trip, but also the job opportunity that started my career.

    I owe a lot of where I am today to IADC. As a student, I attended several Annual General Meetings (AGM), where I got to connect with influential people in the business and different companies across all aspects of drilling. While I was the Student Chapter President, I attended the AGM in Austin. As a senior without a job lined up, I knew this conference was my chance. I was determined to network and make something happen. Walking into lunch at the event, I was nervous, uncertain and, honestly, desperate for an opportunity. I spotted a table with one seat left, and found myself sitting among group of Caterpillar leaders and dealers. We hit it off immediately, and I had a job offer within two months. As they say, the rest is history.

    Eliza (left) with IADC Young Professionals Committee Co-Chairs Bill Pickering and Liana Carnes at a networking event co-hosted with the American Association of Drilling Engineer’s NEXT group in 2023

    IADC has also given me the opportunity to be a leader, not only as a student but also as a young professional. I have had the opportunity to serve as Student Chapter President and as the Events Chairman for the Young Professionals Committee. Both were invaluable experiences with chances to expand my network. Planning events for others in the drilling space has been so fulfilling. It’s been a great way to connect with like-minded people, share ideas and spark great conversations in a fun setting.

    IADC has made me feel like I’m a part of something much bigger than just a job. It’s made me feel like I’m part of an industry that, while often misunderstood, plays such an important role in powering the world. I’m beyond grateful, and I know I’ll be a lifelong member of this incredible organization.

    MIL OSI Economics –