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Category: AM-NC

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Decisions taken by the Governing Council of the ECB (in addition to decisions setting interest rates)

    Source: European Central Bank

    June 2025

    27 June 2025

    External communication

    ECB Convergence Report 2025

    On 4 June 2025 the ECB published its Convergence Report, prepared following a request by Bulgaria on 25 February 2025. The report examines Bulgaria’s state of economic convergence and the compatibility of its national legislation with the Treaties. It was approved by the General Council and published simultaneously with the report prepared by the European Commission as foreseen by the provisions of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. The report is available on the ECB’s website, together with a related press release.

    Monetary policy

    Climate-related disclosures of the Eurosystem’s corporate bond holdings

    On 30 May 2025 the Governing Council authorised the publication of the third ECB report on the climate-related financial disclosures of Eurosystem assets held for monetary policy purposes and the ECB’s foreign reserves. The report provides information on the Eurosystem portfolios’ carbon footprint and exposure to climate risks, as well as on climate-related governance, strategy and risk management. A second report also provides information on the ECB’s euro-denominated non-monetary policy portfolios, including its own funds portfolio and its staff pension fund. Both reports, together with a related press release, were published on the ECB’s website on 12 June 2025.

    Market operations

    Postponement of reporting requirements of monetary policy counterparties for the first quarter of 2025

    On 6 June 2025 the Governing Council decided to postpone, on a one-off basis, the reporting requirements of counterparties for the first quarter of 2025 as spelled out in Article 158(3) of Guideline (EU) 2015/510 of the European Central Bank (General Documentation Guideline) with the transitional periods of the new supervisory reporting regime introduced by Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/3117. More specifically, the Governing Council decided to set the date for an automatic suspension on the grounds of prudence mentioned in Article 158(3) to 7 October 2025. The reporting requirements concerned relate to the transmission of own funds and leverage ratio data by eligible counterparties. A related announcement is available on the ECB’s website.

    Amendments to the third covered bond purchase programme (CBPP3) and pandemic emergency purchase programme (PEPP) Decisions

    On 11 June 2025 the Governing Council adopted Decision ECB/2025/20 amending Decision ECB/2020/8 on the implementation of the CBPP3, and adopted Decision ECB/2025/21 amending Decision ECB/2020/17 on a temporary PEPP. The amendments reflect the decisions taken by the Governing Council in April 2025 to amend, first, the provisions on counterparties eligible for the CBPP3 to allow Eurosystem central banks to participate in standard market transactions such as repurchase transactions by issuers of covered bonds (“buybacks”), and, second, the rules applicable to securities lending transactions of covered bonds held by the Eurosystem under the CBPP3 and the temporary PEPP to reflect risk management considerations.

    Market infrastructure and payments

    Decision confirming the go-live of the Eurosystem Collateral Management System (ECMS)

    On 16 May 2025 the Governing Council confirmed, following a positive assessment conducted by the Market Infrastructure Board, that the ECMS would go live on 16 June 2025. A related announcement was published on the same day on the ECB’s website. The ECB also issued a press release on 17 June 2025 confirming the successful launch over the weekend of 13-15 June 2025.

    Launch of a public consultation on a possible extension of T2 operating hours

    On 30 May 2025 the Governing Council decided to launch a public consultation on a possible extension of T2 operating hours and approved the related consultation paper and its publication on the ECB’s website. The primary objective of this consultation, which runs until 30 September 2025, is for the Eurosystem to understand current and upcoming market needs and identify any constraints that may arise if T2 operating hours were extended. Based on this feedback and a thorough analysis of the responses received, in the course of 2026 the Governing Council will discuss possible follow-up actions.

    Decision amending Decision (EU) 2025/222 on access by non-bank payment service providers to Eurosystem central bank operated payment systems and central bank accounts (ECB/2025/2)

    On 2 June 2025 the Governing Council adopted Decision (EU) 2025/1148 amending Decision (EU) 2025/222 on access by non-bank payment service providers to Eurosystem central bank operated payment systems and central bank accounts (ECB/2025/2) (ECB/2025/18). The amendment follows from the decision taken by the Governing Council to postpone amendments to the TARGET Guideline in order to avoid the legal uncertainty that would have ensued in relation to access by non-bank payment service providers to Eurosystem central bank operated payment systems, including TARGET components, as a result of delays in some euro-area Member States in transposing relevant amendments to Directive 98/26/EC on settlement finality in payment and securities settlement systems and Directive (EU) 2015/2366 on payment services in the internal market into national legislation.

    Progress report on the digital euro project

    On 3 June 2025 the Governing Council discussed the progress made on key digital euro design aspects (e.g. the sourcing of potential providers, preparation of the rulebook, experimentation and further analysis) and took note of the envisaged next steps, concluding that the project remained on track in terms of both budget and timing. More detailed information on the digital euro project is available on the ECB’s website.

    Eurosystem roadmap regarding distributed ledger technology (DLT) for wholesale central bank money settlement

    On 23 June 2025 the Governing Council approved a high-level roadmap for its two-track approach on DLT for wholesale central bank money settlement which the Eurosystem embarked on with its exploratory work in 2024. Under the first track, referred to as Pontes, the Market Infrastructure Board is mandated to deliver an operational short-term offering to settle DLT-based transactions in central bank money, for which a pilot is expected to be launched by the end of the third quarter of 2026. The second track, referred to as Appia, will focus on identifying a potential long-term approach for an innovative and integrated ecosystem in Europe that also includes international operations. A related press release with more detailed information will be published in due course on the ECB’s website.

    Report on Eurosystem’s exploratory work on new technologies for wholesale central bank money settlement

    On 25 June 2025 the Governing Council took note of a report, prepared by the Market Infrastructure and Payments Committee, on the Eurosystem’s exploratory work on new technologies for wholesale central bank money settlement. The report consolidates the key findings of this initiative, which attracted high interest with a total of 64 eligible participants, across nine jurisdictions, and almost €1.6 billion settled in 27 trials, and it showcases the various use cases identified. The report will be published in due course on the ECB’s website.

    Advice on legislation

    ECB Opinion on the composition of the decision-making bodies of the Magyar Nemzeti Bank, the treasury accounts managed by the Magyar Nemzeti Bank and the permitted activities of foundations established by the Magyar Nemzeti Bank

    On 27 May 2025 the Governing Council adopted Opinion CON/2025/12 prepared on the ECB’s own initiative.

    ECB Opinion on the pensions of the Nationale Bank van België/Banque Nationale de Belgique

    On 10 June 2025 the Governing Council adopted Opinion CON/2025/13 at the request of the Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finances and Pensions.

    ECB Opinion on access to cash and a constitutional right to payment in cash

    On 25 June 2025 the Governing Council adopted Opinion CON/2025/14 at the request of Magyar Nemzeti Bank. The Opinion will be available in due course on EUR-Lex.

    Corporate governance

    ECB Recommendation on the external auditors of the Deutsche Bundesbank

    On 2 June 2025 the Governing Council adopted Recommendation ECB/2025/19 to the Council of the European Union on the external auditors of the Deutsche Bundesbank.

    Membership of the ECB Audit Committee and the ECB Ethics Committee

    On 4 June 2025 the Governing Council appointed Gaston Reinesch as Governing Council member to the ECB Audit Committee to succeed Klaas Knot, whose mandate comes to an end on 1 July 2025. The Governing Council also appointed Federica Mogherini, the current Rector of the College of Europe, Director of the European Union Diplomatic Academy and former High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission, as a new member of the ECB Ethics Committee, to succeed Virginia R. Canter, whose mandate comes to an end at the beginning of August 2025. These appointments, which start on 1 July and 1 August 2025, respectively, are for an initial term of three years, renewable once.

    Statistics

    Recommendation for amending Council Regulation (EC) No 2533/98 concerning the collection of statistical information by the ECB

    On 22 May 2025 the Governing Council adopted Recommendation ECB/2025/17 for a Council Regulation amending Regulation (EC) No 2533/98 concerning the collection of statistical information by the European Central Bank. The main objective of amending Regulation (EC) No 2533/98 is to address the significant changes in the collection, compilation, dissemination and use of statistical information by the European System of Central Banks (ESCB) owing to the digital transformation. These changes have led to demands for timelier, more frequent and more detailed statistical information but have also offered new possibilities for a more efficient collection of statistical information, therefore improving its cost-effectiveness and minimising the reporting burden.

    International and European cooperation

    Report on the international role of the euro

    On 15 May 2025 the Governing Council approved the June 2025 edition of the report on the international role of the euro and authorised its publication on the ECB’s website. The report, which presents an overview of developments in the use of the euro by non-euro area residents in 2024, is available, together with a related press release, on the ECB’s website.

    ESCB response to the European Commission targeted consultation on the integration of EU capital markets

    On 4 June 2025 the Governing Council, with the benefit of the observations received from members of the General Council, approved an ESCB response to the European Commission’s targeted consultation on the integration of EU capital markets. The ESCB response, which provides detailed views of the ESCB on specific aspects regarding simplification and burden reduction, trading, post-trading, horizontal barriers to trade and post-trade infrastructures, asset management and funds, topics for consultation on supervision, as well as horizontal questions on the supervisory framework, is available on the ECB’s website.

    ECB Banking Supervision

    Compliance with the European Supervisory Authorities’ (ESA) Joint Guidelines for the exchange of information relevant for fit and proper assessments

    On 16 May 2025 the Governing Council did not object to a proposal by the Supervisory Board to notify the European Banking Authority (EBA) that, for the significant institutions under its direct supervision, the ECB already complies with the Joint Guidelines on the system established by the ESAs for the exchange of information relevant to the assessment of the fitness and propriety of holders of qualifying holdings, directors and key function holders of financial institutions and financial market participants by competent authorities (JC/GL/2024/88). The Joint Guidelines aim at establishing consistent, efficient and effective supervisory practices within the European System of Financial Supervision, and at ensuring the common, uniform and consistent application of Union law with regard to the use of the system established by the ESAs for the aforementioned exchange of information.

    Compliance with the ESA Joint Guidelines on the estimation of aggregated annual costs and losses caused by major ICT-related incidents under Regulation (EU) 2022/2554

    On 19 May 2025 the Governing Council did not object to a proposal by the Supervisory Board to notify the EBA that, for the significant institutions under its direct supervision, the ECB intends to comply by 30 November 2025 with the Joint Guidelines on the estimation of aggregated annual costs and losses caused by major ICT-related incidents under Regulation (EU) 2022/2554 (JC/GL/2024/34).

    Compliance with the EBA Guidelines on environmental, social and governance (ESG) risks

    On 28 May 2025 the Governing Council did not object to a proposal by the Supervisory Board to notify the EBA that, for the significant institutions under its direct supervision, the ECB intends to comply by 11 January 2026 with the Guidelines on the management of ESG risks (EBA/GL/2025/01). These guidelines aim at enhancing the identification, measurement, management and monitoring of ESG risks by institutions, and at supporting their safety and soundness as they are confronted with the short, medium and long-term impact of ESG factors. They contain requirements as to the internal processes and ESG risk management arrangements that institutions should have in place, including specific plans to address the risks arising from the transition and process of adjustment to relevant sustainability legal and regulatory objectives.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Man arrested for murder following death of a woman in east London

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after the death of a woman in Tower Hamlets.

    On Thursday, 26 June at 23:01hrs, police were called to an address in Monier Road, Tower Hamlets to reports of a stabbing.

    Officers attended the scene alongside the London Ambulance Service, who treated a woman in her 40s for stab wounds.

    Sadly, despite the best efforts of the emergency services, she was pronounced dead at the scene.

    Her next of kin have been made aware and are currently being supported by specialist officers.

    A man in his 20s was arrested on suspicion of murder and he remains in police custody. It’s believed he was known to the victim.

    A murder investigation has been launched.

    Detective Superintendent Mike Cagney, who leads policing in Tower Hamlets, said: “We are currently supporting the family of a woman who was sadly killed in the early hours of this morning.

    “I understand the local community will feel understandably shocked by this news, but I want to reassure residents we believe this to be an isolated incident, with no wider threat to the public.

    “Although we have made significant progress by making an arrest, I would like to make it clear that our investigation does not stop here. Specialist officers are working at pace to make enquiries and understand exactly what took place.

    “Local people may notice a higher police presence within the area today and would encourage anyone with concerns to speak to officers.”

    Anyone with information which could assist with the investigation is asked to call 101 stating CAD9509/26JAN. Alternatively you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or by submitting an online form.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: ASIA – Central Asian countries seek to preserve water resources

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    unece.org

    by Cosimo GrazianiTashkent (Agenzia Fides) – At the end of May, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan signed a trilateral agreement regarding the allocation of water from the Bahri Tochik reservoir in Tajikistan during the harvest season from June to August. In the allocation of the reservoir’s resources, located on the course of the Syr Darya, one of the region’s two most important rivers, Kazakhstan was allocated 499 million cubic meters of water for agricultural irrigation, reports the Kazinform newspaper. The agreement demonstrates that the countries of the region – Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan – have begun to address the issue of water management, often through bilateral agreements. Water in Central Asia is becoming increasingly scarce. As a result of climate change and reckless management during the Soviet period, when canals were built to irrigate cotton fields dozens of kilometers from the riverbeds, the region’s two most important rivers, the Amu Darya and the Syr Darya, have dried up in their final stretches, ultimately leading to the drying up of the Aral Sea. The summer months are the most difficult to manage: the drought is becoming increasingly severe. The agreement between the three countries has positive effects not only on agriculture, but also on the energy policies of the participating countries and, more generally, on the joint management of water resources. In the past, there have been episodes of tensions leading to real conflicts over control of waterways and lakes. Kyrgyzstan has been the most frequently involved in this type of conflict. In 2014, clashes occurred on the border with Tajikistan; a brief armed conflict erupted in 2021, and the crisis continued the following year, resulting in one hundred deaths. The water supply situation calmed down when an agreement was reached in December of last year on border demarcation and, consequently, access to water resources. This was followed by another agreement involving Uzbekistan, which also covered energy supply issues related to water use. The Amu Darya was also at the center of the agreements signed between Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan in 2021 and 2022. According to the 2022 agreement, any decision that could affect the river’s course, including hydropower infrastructure, must first be independently assessed by the two states. Uzbekistan signed a similar agreement with Kazakhstan the same year, likely also due to political changes, on the management of the Pretashkent groundwater, which stretches between the two countries. Although these agreements demonstrate a certain willingness to jointly address the problem of water resources, two problems hamper these attempts. First, there is a lack of consensus in the region that encompasses all states. One attempt has been made in the past with the Interstate Commission for Water Coordination (ICWC), established in 1992 to protect and use the waters of the Aral Sea, and the Chu Talas Water Management Commission, which includes Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. These two initiatives, which have remained isolated, require further support to adequately address the problem. Another problem is the intention of other countries to exploit the region’s water resources. While it is relatively easy to reach an agreement for the Syr Darya, the waters of the Amu Darya form the border between Tajikistan and Afghanistan, and Afghanistan also wishes to use them. The Taliban government plans to build the Qosh Tepa Canal, which will flow south from the river for 285 kilometers and facilitate the resumption of agriculture in the country. Construction was 80% complete in March, and the completion of the canal is causing concern for Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan: the canal is expected to divert up to 20% of the river’s current water flow, reducing their water supplies by 80% and 15%, respectively. Concerns include the impact on agriculture in both countries and the maintenance of the canal, which is feared to be built using poor technology and will lead to further water problems in the region in the future. (Agenzia Fides, 27/6/2025)
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  • MIL-OSI Europe: AFRICA/DR CONGO – Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo sign a peace agreement in Washington

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Friday, 27 June 2025 peace  

    Kinshasa (Agenzia Fides) – A peace agreement to end the conflict in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is scheduled to be signed today, June 27, between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda. The agreement is based on a Declaration of Principles adopted between the two countries in April and includes provisions for “respect for territorial integrity and a cessation of hostilities” in the east of the DRC.The agreement will be signed at a ministerial meeting in Washington, which will also include US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his counterparts from the DRC and Rwanda, Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner and Olivier Nduhungirehe.Both will also be received by Donald Trump at the White House. A complex negotiating strategy was put in place to achieve today’s signing, involving not only the two countries concerned, but also the United States, Qatar, and the African Union. In parallel with the negotiations in Washington between Kigali and Kinshasa, negotiations have been taking place in recent months in Doha (capital of Qatar) between the Congolese authorities and the rebels of the Congo River Alliance/March 23 Movement (AFC/M23).The latter are supported by Rwanda and control most of the provinces of North and South Kivu in eastern DRC. The United States has an interest in achieving peace in the Democratic Republic of Congo and between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda so that its companies can exploit the immense Congolese mineral resources. In parallel with the peace agreements, the Trump administration intends to sign a mining agreement with the Congolese government. The problem is that several of the most important Congolese mines are located in North and South Kivu, provinces no longer controlled by the government in Kinshasa, but by the AFC/M23. “Furthermore, almost all Congolese mines are controlled by Chinese companies,” states the latest report by the Peace Network for Congo.”The Congolese government therefore has little to offer the United States, which will be forced to negotiate behind the scenes with the Chinese authorities and bypass Kinshasa,” emphasizes the network of missionaries working in the region. According to the missionary network, caution must be exercised regarding the validity of the newly signed agreements.”In the Great Lakes region in general, and in the Democratic Republic of Congo in particular, the numerous conflicts have regularly led to the signing of ceasefires and peace agreements that have never definitively silenced the guns. In the last four years, about a dozen such texts have been signed, which have then been systematically violated and never respected,” the network points out. “The rumors of large-scale arms purchases by the Congolese government and the arrival of former Congolese President Joseph Kabila in Goma, the stronghold of the AFC/M23, are not a sign of a de-escalation of the Congolese crisis, which in many respects is completely beyond the control of the negotiators from Qatar and the United States,” the network’s report continues. Finally,The Peace Network for Congo emphasizes that true peace requires “restorative justice” that takes into account the rights of those affected by the violence perpetrated by all actors in the conflict. Starting with the hundreds of thousands of people (women, girls, children, but also men and boys) who have been victims of rape during the conflict. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides, 27/6/2025)
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  • MIL-OSI Europe: ASIA/TURKEY – The Archbishop of Smyrna: “We are awaiting Pope Leo XIV’s visit to Nicaea

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Opera Roma Pellegrinaggi

    Smyrna (Agenzia Fides) – “Pilgrimages to Nicaea are being organized from Smyrna, Istanbul, and other Turkish dioceses. And from abroad, representatives of parishes from all over the world are coming to what is now Iznik, which was once Nicaea. We eagerly await the official confirmation from the Holy See regarding Pope Leo XIV’s visit to Nicaea: his presence in Turkey will be a source of great joy and grace for us believers and for the entire nation,” said Martin Kmetec, President of the Turkish Bishops’ Conference and Archbishop of Smyrna, in an interview with Fides. He commemorated the 1700th anniversary of the Ecumenical Council of Nicaea, convened in 325 AD, an event that draws the attention of Christian churches around the world to the city south of Istanbul on Lake Bursa. Monsignor Kmetec explains: “The anniversary aroused great interest among the Christian community in Turkey and prompted us to explore the history of the Church in our region. Today we reflect on the treasure of faith we received from Nicaea: we are called to embrace it, preserve it, and apply it in our daily lives.”The Archbishop also recalls that the anniversary is also being celebrated by the Orthodox Church “and is therefore an opportunity for ecumenical dialogue and unity.” Referring to a recent ecumenical symposium held in Antalya, in which he personally participated, the Archbishop of Smyrna states: “I found the perspective very significant because it helped us focus on the content of the faith we proclaim and live, that is, to reflect on the Incarnation of Christ, which expresses the gift of his divine and human nature. The gift given to us is salvation: today we are called to safeguard this gift and proclaim it to the world as Christians, Catholics and Orthodox together,” he states. The then also emphasizes a second aspect: “Nicaea is not only a place for theological reflection: This Council was also the fruit of the profound witness of faith by so many people who gave their lives for the faith in the first three centuries of Christianity. This witness, in a sense, prepared the outcome of the Council. For us today, the memory of this witness of faith is the most important thing, because it inspires and strengthens us in the challenges we live in the present.” A moment of faith and witness for the small Catholic community in Turkey (in a country with a large Muslim majority, there are approximately 60,000 Catholics, representing 0.07% of the population) will also be the visit of Pope Leo XIV, scheduled for the Feast of Saint Andrew (November 30), although the official announcement has yet to be made. Bishop Kmetec notes: “We are awaiting him in Turkey; all the details and agreements between the Holy See and the Turkish government are currently being finalized. A Vatican delegation already came here in February to prepare for the visit of Pope Francis, whom we remember in prayer, with affection and gratitude. Now we hope with all our hearts that Pope Leo can come: We are confident, there are positive signs, and everything is developing for the best.” If the Pope were to come to Turkey for his first apostolic visit abroad, “it would be a privilege for us,” he notes, but “it would be a great event for the entire nation, including the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople.” “We were struck by the Pope’s first greeting: Peace be with you, the Archbishop concluded. “He proclaimed and will bring us the peace that is the gift of the Risen Christ. We believe that he has an open ear to the realities of the world and will bring a word of peace to a torn world. Let us pray for him that the Holy Spirit may comfort and enlighten him as father, head, and support for us, a small community in Turkey, and for the universal Church.” (PA) (Agenzia Fides, 27/6/2025)
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  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Plans submitted to transform city’s iconic Cables Wynd House and Linksview House

    Source: Scotland – City of Edinburgh

    The City of Edinburgh Council’s retrofit project has taken a major step forward this month with the submission of a planning application by Collective Architecture.

    Built in the 1960s and now designated as Category A listed buildings, Cables Wynd House and Linksview House collectively provide 310 homes, the majority of which are owned by the Council for social rent.

    These landmark buildings have served generations of residents, and this project represents a significant investment in securing their future as safe, high-quality homes.

    The proposed works are being driven by the need to meet the Scottish Government’s Energy Efficiency Standard for Social Housing – EESSH2.

    Achieving compliance will require substantial upgrades to both the building fabric and mechanical systems. Alongside this, the Council has identified the opportunity to deliver wider improvements that will bring the buildings in line with modern new-build standards.

    Key elements of the proposal include:

    • Energy Efficiency Upgrades: Improved insulation, window replacements, and energy-efficient heating systems to meet EESSH2 standards.
    • Fire Safety Enhancements: Installation of sprinkler systems, smoke ventilation, a new fire-fighting lift, and improved fire compartmentalisation in communal areas. The removal of legacy bin chutes and inclusion of internal waste management facilities will also contribute to enhanced fire safety.
    • Resident Safety and Security: Upgraded internal and external lighting, a comprehensive review of CCTV systems, and improved access control throughout the buildings.
    • Landscape and Placemaking Improvements: The refurbishment project presents a unique opportunity to reimagine the outdoor environment surrounding both towers. Proposals include new play areas, external seating, wildflower meadows, sustainable urban drainage systems (SUDS), and a full review of parking and waste facilities.

    Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Convener Lezley Marion Cameron said:

    I am delighted that the proposals for the Council’s £69 million investment in Cables Wynd House and Linksview House have now been submitted to the CEC Planning Service, setting out our plans to make our residents’ homes safer, more comfortable and more energy efficient.  

    Cables Wynd and Linksview House residents have long campaigned for this much needed and substantive investment in their homes to happen.  Their influence and input into our consultation sessions have shaped these proposals and is hugely valued.  I look forward to continuing this positive engagement with Cables Wynd and Linksview House residents and Leith Ward Councillors as the project progresses.

    Carl Baker, Architect, Certified Passivhaus Designer – Collective Architecture said:

    Collective Architecture is proud to be working with The City of Edinburgh Council on the retrofit of Cables Wynd House and Linksview House. Our proposals place residents at the heart of the process, aiming to provide greener, warmer homes, while celebrating and sensitively enhancing the unique character of the Category A listed buildings.

    As part of a just transition, our carefully considered interventions will improve the thermal and environmental performance of the iconic structures – boosting energy efficiency and alleviating the risk of fuel poverty.

    As with many of our projects, meaningful resident engagement has been central to the design process and will remain a key focus through the final design stage and into construction.

    Subject to planning approval, the Council will continue to engage closely with residents throughout the design and construction process, ensuring their needs remain at the heart of the project.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: EUROPE/ITALY – University and solidarity: the choice to be present

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Friday, 27 June 2025

    UER

    Rome (Agenzia Fides) – Another year of social responsibility activities, promoted by the university’s Center for Integral Formation, has come to an end at the European University of Rome (Università Europea di Roma, UER).These activities play a central role in the education and personal development of students by raising their awareness of social dynamics, the active practice of solidarity, and the recognition of the social value inherent in professional commitment. The students collaborate with various organizations operating in the social sector in the region (associations, non-profit organizations, foundations, workshops, volunteer organizations) and engage in various areas: supporting the homeless or people in socio-economic distress, helping minors and the disabled, protecting the environment, promoting culture and education, and supporting the elderly or the sick.One student describes her personal experience helping the homeless: “On our way home, we took with us much more than we gave. This encounter changed us. It broke through the invisible barrier that separates us from the pain of others. And perhaps in this small shift in our perspective lies the possibility of a greater change: in the city, in our relationships, in ourselves.” Another student reported on the “Angel for a Day” project, which she spent with children in Rome’s family homes: “The experience taught me that volunteering is not just an act of generosity. It is a mirror. It shows you the reality of others, but also your own. It forces you to examine your priorities and focus on what is truly important. It teaches you respect, gratitude, and presence.”The goal of these initiatives is to provide students with both technical and scientific training and human skills, enabling them to treat others with sensitivity and respect, and to experience their profession not only as personal fulfillment but also as a service for the transformation of society. (Agenzia Fides, 27/6/2025)
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  • MIL-OSI Europe: Eurogroup presidency: three ministers put forward their candidacies

    Source: Council of the European Union

    Three ministers have put forward their candidacy to become president of the Eurogroup:Carlos Cuerpo, Paschal Donohoe and Rimantas Šadžius. The election of the new president will take place at the next meeting of the Eurogroup on 7 July. The president is elected by a simple majority of the Eurogroup ministers, in line with the Treaty’s Protocol 14 on the Eurogroup.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Philadelphia Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Gunpoint Carjacking

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

    PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Kelly Stanton, 55, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 144 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and restitution in the amount of $12,500 by United States District Judge R. Barclay Surrick for carjacking a woman at gunpoint in January of 2023.

    Stanton was charged by indictment in March 2023 and pleaded guilty to the carjacking in October of last year.

    As detailed in court filings and admitted to by the defendant, around 11 p.m. on January 26, 2023, a woman had parked her car on the 1600 block of Cecil B. Moore Avenue in Philadelphia to pick up a pizza. After she exited the pizza shop and was getting back in her car, Stanton approached. He put a firearm to her head and said, “give me the f[***]ing keys or I’m going to shoot you.”

    After struggling with Stanton, the victim was eventually able to get her keys out of her pocket, give them to him, and run away from the car. The defendant drove off in the vehicle, heading west on Cecil B. Moore. The victim’s car has still not been recovered.

    “The victim in this case was just going about her night when Stanton ambushed and terrorized her, putting his gun to her head and threatening to shoot,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “Anyone who would violently accost a stranger like this for their car, or any other possession, is a clear threat to our community. My office will continue to work with our partners on the Philadelphia Carjacking Task Force to bring these dangerous offenders to justice.”

    “Kelly Stanton’s victim was picking up a pizza when he stuck a gun to her head and demanded her car keys — he’s now facing a dozen years in federal prison,” said Eric DeGree, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Philadelphia Field Division. “Carjacking is a violent and dangerous crime. Together with our Carjacking Task Force partners we are using ATF’s unique forensic and investigative tools to stop criminals like this from terrorizing our neighborhoods. We hope this case deters those willing to use violence in our community.”

    The case was investigated by the ATF and the Philadelphia Police Department and is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Meagan Gordon and Assistant United States Attorney Priya De Souza.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Twelve Defendants Sentenced for Drug and Firearm Offenses Related to Springfield, Vermont Drug Conspiracy

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

    Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office announced that twelves defendants have been sentenced in connection with drug and firearm charges related to a conspiracy to distribute cocaine base and fentanyl between March  and November 2022 in Springfield, Vermont. The last sentencing occurred June 16, 2025. All twelve defendants previously pleaded guilty to charges including conspiracy to distribute cocaine base and fentanyl, and unlawful possession of a firearm.

    According to court documents, the drug conspiracy involved distribution of controlled substances on Valley Street in Springfield, Vermont and elsewhere. The conspirators armed themselves with firearms in furtherance of the conspiracy. At certain times, firearms were discharged in Springfield in connection with the drug trafficking activity. Several of the conspirators were arrested on November 30, 2022 following the execution of federal search warrants on several addresses on Valley Street.

    Chief United States District Judge Christina Reiss imposed the following sentences, each followed by a three-year term of federal supervised release:

    Anibal Castro, Sr.  – 108 months 
    Jonathan Castro – 98 months
    Alex Barnes – 47 months
    James Hines – 38 months 
    Jessica Auclair – 8 months
    Jennifer Armstrong – Time Served

    United States District Judge Geoffrey W. Crawford imposed the following sentences, each followed by a three-year term of federal supervised release:

    Anibal Castro, Jr.  – 72 months 
    Martine Protas – Time Served

    United States District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr. imposed the following sentence, followed by a three-year term of federal supervised release:

    Kerri Yaqoob – 75 months

    United States District Judge Mary Kay Lanthier imposed the following sentence, followed by a three-year term of federal supervised release:

    Todd Amell – Time Served

    United States District Judge William K. Sessions, III imposed the following sentences:

    Michael Cotter – Time Served to be followed by 2 years of supervised release
    Derek Arie  – Time Served to be followed by 1 year of supervised release

    Acting U.S. Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the investigatory and collaborative efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Vermont State Police, the Vermont Drug Task Force, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Massachusetts State Police, the Springfield Police Department, and the Windsor County State’s Attorney’s Office.

    The United States is represented in this matter by Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Stendig.  Assistant United States Attorneys Andrew Gilman and Joe Perella offered valuable assistance.

    Anibal Castro, Sr. is represented by Natasha Sen, Esq.; Jonathan Castro is represented by Robert Behrens, Esq.; Anibal Castro, Jr. is represented by Karen Shingler, Esq.; Derek Arie is represented by Kevin Henry, Esq.; Martine Protas is represented by Michael Shklar, Esq.; Michael Cotter is represented by Mark Oettinger, Esq.; Jessica Auclair is represented by Peter Langrock, Esq.; Kerri Yaqoob is represented by Richard Bothfeld, Esq.; Alex Barnes is represented by John-Claude Charbonneau, Esq.; James Hines is represented by Stephanie Greenlees, Esq.; Todd Amell is represented by Chandler Matson, Esq.; Jennifer Armstrong is represented by Jason Sawyer, Esq.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Students from Kazakhstan completed an internship on cross-border e-commerce in China

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

    BEIJING, June 27 (Xinhua) — Thirty-two students from the International Kazakh-Chinese Language College recently completed a three-month internship on cross-border e-commerce at the China-Kazakhstan International Boundary Cooperation Center (ICBC) “Khorgos” in the city of the same name in northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (XUAR), the city’s press service said.

    During the internship, students from Kazakhstan mastered the skills of presenting products live, and also learned how to manage accounts on short video platforms and cross-border logistics, and tried to present specific products to consumers in the two countries in Kazakh and Chinese.

    According to Arna Alibek, one of the interns, she managed to learn how to conduct cross-border e-commerce, present products via live broadcasts, shoot videos and disseminate this knowledge in Khorgos. She added that if there was such an opportunity, she would like to go to Hangzhou, known as China’s e-commerce hub, and try to promote Kazakhstan’s products to China there.

    In recent years, the fast-growing Central Asian e-commerce market has attracted increasing interest from global e-commerce merchants. For many Chinese companies looking to enter the Central Asian market, Kazakhstan is the first port of call.

    In 2024, the volume of the e-commerce market in Kazakhstan reached about 3.2 trillion tenge, accounting for 14.1 percent of all retail trade in the country during the reporting period, The Tenge reports, citing a source from the Bureau of National Statistics.

    In May of this year, the major Chinese online trading platform Taobao, which topped the ranking of the most downloaded mobile apps in many foreign countries, began operating in Kazakhstan, allowing consumers to receive information about products and their prices in Russian, as well as pay for purchases in the national currency, without resorting to online translators. Notably, this is the first time that Taobao has launched a multilingual app in a non-English-speaking country. -0-

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: China is ready to maintain trade and economic contacts with the US – Deputy Minister of Finance

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

    BEIJING, June 27 (Xinhua) — China is willing to maintain economic and trade exchanges with the United States on the basis of equality, mutual respect and mutual benefit, so as to benefit both countries and the world, Vice Finance Minister Liao Min said in a statement released by the ministry on Friday.

    Liao Min made the remarks during a meeting with Harvard University Professor Graham Allison on June 20. The two sides held an in-depth exchange of views on China-US relations, bilateral economic and trade ties, and issues of common interest.

    Guided by the important agreements reached by the two heads of state, the China-US negotiating teams on trade and economic issues have reached fundamental agreement on implementing the important consensus reached by the two heads of state during the telephone conversation on June 5 and on the framework of measures to consolidate the results of the trade and economic talks in Geneva, which has played an important role in stabilizing both China-US relations and bilateral trade and economic ties, Liao Min noted.

    He stressed that China will firmly safeguard its legitimate rights and interests, while at the same time being willing to maintain economic and trade contacts with the United States on the basis of equality, mutual respect and mutual benefit, so as to benefit both countries and the whole world.

    Mr. Allison, in turn, said that relations between the US and China are one of the most important bilateral relations in the world, and it is extremely important for both sides to maintain and deepen communication.

    He noted that China has made significant progress in advancing economic reforms, expanding openness and creating a fair market environment. Given the high interdependence of the US and Chinese economies, further deepening trade and economic exchanges is in the common interests of both countries and the entire world, he concluded. -0-

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Toyota Begins Construction of Electric Vehicle Plant in Shanghai

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

    SHANGHAI, June 27 (Xinhua) — Japanese automaker Toyota Motor Corporation on Friday began construction of a plant to produce Lexus brand electric vehicles in Shanghai, east China.

    The new plant, located in Shanghai’s Jinshan District and also including a battery development and production base, will roll out its first vehicles as early as 2027, with an initial production capacity of 100,000 units per year.

    Jiang Juwang, director of the Jinshan District Investment Promotion Office, said that although Jinshan is not an auto hub, the fact that it is located in the geometric center of the Yangtze River Delta allows it to bring together component suppliers, research and development centers and auto companies based in Shanghai.

    This “one-hour supply chain radius” enables Toyota to make local purchases for key production processes, Jiang Juwang said.

    Remarkably, the entire process from the signing of the strategic cooperation agreement between the Shanghai government and Toyota on April 22 to the start of construction of the plant took just over two months. -0-

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: One killed, 11 injured in Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

    BEIRUT, June 27 (Xinhua) — One woman was killed and 11 others were injured on Friday when an Israeli airstrike hit an apartment in the Lebanese city of Nabatieh, the local Public Health Emergency Operations Center said in a statement.

    The Israeli attack was the second largest on Nabatiyeh since a ceasefire agreement ended fighting last November, the National News Agency reported.

    The current airstrikes began on Friday at around 11:00 local time, targeting the heights of Kfar Tebnit, Upper Nabatieh and Kfar Remen, in the area of former Israeli military outposts. Warplanes reportedly carried out more than 20 strikes within 15 minutes.

    Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam strongly condemned Israeli airstrikes. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Why energy markets fluctuate during an international crisis

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Skip York, Nonresident Fellow in Energy and Global Oil, Baker Institute for Public Policy, Rice University

    Stock and commodities traders found themselves dealing with various price swings as energy markets responded to Israeli and U.S. attacks on Iran. Timothy A. Clary/AFP via Getty Imagesf

    Global energy markets, such as those for oil, gas and coal, tend to be sensitive to a wide range of world events – especially when there is some sort of crisis. Having worked in the energy industry for over 30 years, I’ve seen how war, political instability, pandemics and economic sanctions can significantly disrupt energy markets and impede them from functioning efficiently.

    A look at the basics

    First, consider the economic fundamentals of supply and demand. The risk most people imagine in the current crisis between Israel, the U.S. and Iran is that Iran, which is itself a major oil-producing country, might suddenly expand the conflict by threatening the ability of neighboring countries to supply oil to the world.

    Oil wells, refineries, pipelines and shipping lanes are the backbone of energy markets. They can be vulnerable during a crisis: Whether there is deliberate sabotage or collateral damage from military action, energy infrastructure often takes a hit.

    For instance, after Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait in August 1990, Iraqi forces placed explosive charges on Kuwaiti oil wells and began detonating them in January 1991. It took months for all the resulting fires to be put out, and millions of barrels of oil and hundreds of millions of cubic meters of natural gas were released into the environment – rather than being sold and used productively somewhere around the world.

    Scenes of Kuwaiti life during and after the Gulf War of 1990 and 1991 include images of oil wells burning as a result of Iraqi sabotage.

    Logistics can mess markets up too. For instance, closing critical maritime routes like the Strait of Hormuz or the Suez Canal can cause transportation delays.

    Whether supply is lost from decreased production or blocked transportation routes, the effect is less oil available to the market, which not only causes prices to rise in general, but it also makes them more volatile – tending to change more frequently and by larger amounts.

    On the flip side, demand can also shift radically. During the 1990-1991 Gulf War, demand rose: U.S. forces alone used more than 2 billion gallons of fuel, according to an Army analysis. By contrast, during the COVID-19 pandemic, industries shut down, travel came to a halt and energy demand plummeted.

    When crisis looms, countries and companies often start stockpiling oil and other raw materials rather than buying only what they need right now. That creates even more imbalance, resulting in price volatility that leaves everyone, both consumers and producers, with a headache.

    Regional considerations

    In addition to uncertainties around market fundamentals, it’s important to note that many of the world’s energy reserves are located in regions that have not been models of stability. In the Middle East, wars, revolutions and diplomatic disputes there can raise concerns about supply, demand or both.

    Those worries send shock waves through the world’s energy markets. It’s like walking on a tightrope: One wrong move – or even the perception of a misstep – can make the market wobble.

    Governments’ economic sanctions, such as those restricting trade with Iran, Russia or Venezuela, can distort production and investment decisions and disrupt trade flows. Sometimes markets react even before sanctions are officially in place: Just the rumor of a possible embargo can cause prices to spike as buyers scramble to secure resources.

    In 2008, for example, India and Vietnam imposed rice export bans, and rumors of additional restrictions fueled panic buying and nearly doubled prices in months.

    In those scrambles, the role of investor speculation enters the picture. Energy commodities, such as oil and gas, aren’t just physical resources; they’re also traded as financial assets like stocks and bonds. During uncertain times, traders don’t wait around for actual changes in supply and demand. They react to news and forecasts, sometimes in large groups, which can shift the market just with the actions that result from their fears or hopes.

    The events on June 22, 2025, are a good example of how this dynamic works. The Iranian parliament passed a resolution authorizing the country’s Supreme Council to close the Strait of Hormuz. Immediately, oil prices started rising, even though the strait was still open, with oil tankers steaming through unimpeded.

    The next day, Iran launched a missile strike on Qatar, but coordinated in advance with Qatari officials to minimize damage and casualties. Traders and analysts perceived the action as a de-escalatory signal and anticipated that the Supreme Council was not going to close the strait. So prices started to fall.

    It was a price roller coaster, fueled by speculation rather than reality. And computer algorithms and artificial intelligence, which assist in making automated trades, only add to the chaos of price changes.

    Shipping activity in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz decreased after Israel’s attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities.

    A broader look

    International crises can also cause wider changes in countries’ economies – or the global economy as a whole – which in turn affect the energy market.

    If a crisis sparks a recession, rising inflation or high unemployment, those tend to cause people and businesses to use less energy. When the underlying situation stabilizes, recovery efforts can mean energy consumption resumes. But it’s like a pendulum swinging back and forth, with energy markets caught in the middle.

    Renewable energy is not immune to international crisis and chaos. The supply is less affected by market forces: The amount of available sunlight and wind isn’t tied to geopolitical relations. But overall economic conditions still affect demand, and a crisis can disrupt the supply chains for the equipment needed to harness renewable energy, like solar panels and wind turbines.

    It’s no wonder energy markets are so jittery during international crises. A mix of imbalances between supply and demand, vulnerable infrastructure, political tensions, corporate worries and speculative trading all weave together into a complex web of volatility.

    For policymakers, investors and consumers, understanding these dynamics is key to navigating the ups and downs of energy markets in a crisis-prone world. The solutions aren’t simple, but being informed is the first step toward stability.

    Skip York is a nonresident fellow for Global Oil and Energy with the Center for Energy Studies at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy. He also is the Chief Energy Strategist at Turner Mason & Company, an energy consulting firm.

    – ref. Why energy markets fluctuate during an international crisis – https://theconversation.com/why-energy-markets-fluctuate-during-an-international-crisis-259839

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: What Trump’s budget proposal says about his environmental values

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Stan Meiburg, Executive Director, Sabin Center for Environment and Sustainability, Wake Forest University

    The president’s spending proposal doesn’t leave much behind. Alexey Kravchuk/iStock / Getty Images Plus

    To understand the federal government’s true priorities, follow the money.

    After months of saying his administration is committed to clean air and water for Americans, President Donald Trump has proposed a detailed budget for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for fiscal year 2026. The proposal is more consistent with his administration’s numerous recent actions and announcements that reduce protection for public health and the environment.

    To us, former EPA leaders – one a longtime career employee and the other a political appointee – the budget proposal reveals a lot about what Trump and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin want to accomplish.

    According to the administration’s Budget in Brief document, total EPA funding for the fiscal year beginning October 2025 would drop from US$9.14 billion to $4.16 billion – a 54% decrease from the budget enacted by Congress for fiscal 2025 and less than half of EPA’s budget in any year of the first Trump administration.

    Without taking inflation into account, this would be the smallest EPA budget since 1986. Adjusted for inflation, it would be the smallest budget since the Ford administration, even though Congress has for decades given EPA more responsibility to clean up and protect the nation’s air and water; handle hazardous chemicals and waste; protect drinking water; clean up environmental contamination; and evaluate the safety of a wide range of chemicals used in commerce and industry. These expansions reflected a bipartisan consensus that protecting public health and the environment is a national priority.

    The budget process in brief

    Federal budgeting is complicated, and EPA’s budget is particularly so. Here are some basics:

    Each year, the president and Congress determine how much money will be spent on what things, and by which agencies. The familiar aphorism that “the president proposes, Congress disposes” captures the Constitution’s process for the federal budget, with Congress firmly holding the “power of the purse.”

    EPA’s budget can be difficult to understand because individual programs may be funded from different sources. It is useful to consider it as a pie sliced into five main pieces:

    • Environmental programs and management: the day-to-day work of protecting air, water and land.
    • Science and technology: research on pollution, health effects and new environmental tools.
    • Superfund and trust funds: cleaning up contaminated sites and responding to emergency releases of pollution.
    • State and Tribal operating grants: supporting local implementation of environmental laws.
    • State capitalization grants: revolving loans for water infrastructure.

    The Trump administration’s budget proposals for EPA represent a striking retreat from the national goals of clean air and clean water enacted in federal laws over the past 55 years. In the budget document, the administration argues that the federal government has done enough and that the protection of gains already achieved, as well as any further progress, should not be paid for with federal money.

    This budget would reduce EPA’s ability to protect public health and the environment to a bare minimum at best. Most dramatic and, in our view, most significant are the elimination of operating grants to state governments, drastic reductions in funding for science of all kinds, and elimination of EPA programs relating to climate change and environmental justice, which addresses situations of disproportionate environmental harm to vulnerable populations. It would cut regulatory and enforcement activities that the administration sees as inconsistent with fossil energy development. Other proposed changes, notably for Superfund and capitalization grants, are more nuanced.

    These changes to EPA’s regular budget allocation are separate from changes to supplementary EPA funding that have also been in the news, including for projects specified in the Inflation Reduction Act and other specific laws.

    Environmental programs and management

    Funding for basic work to protect the environment and prevent pollution would be cut by 22%. The reductions are not spread equally, however. All activities related to climate change would be eliminated, including the Energy Star program and greenhouse gas reporting and tracking. Funding for civil and criminal enforcement of environmental laws and regulations would be cut by 69% and 50%, respectively.

    The popular Brownfields program would be cut by 50%. Since 1995, $2.9 billion in federal funds have produced public and private investments totaling $42 billion for cleaning and redeveloping contaminated sites, and created more than 200,000 jobs.

    A program to set standards and conduct training for safe removal of lead paint and other lead-containing materials from homes and businesses would be eliminated.

    The administration has been clear that EPA will no longer do environmental justice work, such as funding to monitor toxic air emissions in low-income neighborhoods adjacent to industrial areas. This budget is consistent with that.

    Science and technology

    Scientific support functions would be cut by 34%. The Office of Research and Development would go from about 1,500 staff to about 500 and would be redistributed throughout the agency. This would diminish science that supports not just EPA’s work but that of organizations, industries, health care professionals and public and private researchers who benefit from EPA’s research.

    A former uranium mill in Colorado is just one of the nation’s extremely contaminated Superfund sites awaiting federal money for cleanup.
    RJ Sangosti/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images

    Superfund and other trust funds

    Superfund is by far the largest of EPA’s cleanup trust funds. It allows EPA to clean up contaminated sites. It also forces the parties responsible for the contamination to either perform cleanups or reimburse the government for EPA-led cleanup work. When there is no viable responsible party, Superfund gives EPA the funds and authority to clean up contaminated sites.

    Prior to 2021, Superfund was funded through EPA’s annual budget. In 2021 and 2022, Congress restored taxes on selected chemicals and petroleum products to help pay for Superfund. During the Biden administration, EPA reduced the Superfund’s line in the general budget, with the expectation that the Superfund tax revenues would more than make up for the reduction. Administrator Zeldin, who has said that site cleanup is a priority, is proposing to shift virtually all funding for cleanups to these new tax revenues.

    There is risk in this approach, however. The Superfund tax expires in 2031 and has raised less than Treasury Department predictions in both 2023 and 2024. In fiscal year 2024, available tax receipts were predicted to be $2.5 billion, but only $1.4 billion was collected. Future funding is uncertain because it depends on the amounts of various chemicals that companies actually use. Experts disagree on whether this is significant for the Superfund program. The petrochemical industry, on whom this tax largely falls, is lobbying for its repeal.

    Funds to address leaks at gas station tanks would be cut nearly in half. Funds to clean up oil and petroleum spills would be cut by 24%.

    State operating grants

    The budget proposal seeks to reset the EPA’s relationship with state agencies, which implement the vast majority of environmental regulations.

    EPA has long delegated some of its powers to state environmental agencies, including permitting, inspections and enforcement of regulations that govern air, water and soil pollution. Since the 1970s, EPA has helped fund those activities through basic operating grants that require minimum state contributions and reward larger state investments with additional federal dollars.

    The proposed budget would eliminate all of those grants to states – totaling $1 billion. The document itself explains that federal funding over decades has totaled “hundreds of billions of dollars” and has resulted in programs that “are mature or have accomplished their purpose.”

    States disagree. They note that EPA has delegated 90% of the nation’s environmental protection work to state authorities, and states have accepted that workload based on the expectation of federal funding. The states say reduced funding would greatly diminish the actual work of environmental protection – site inspections, air and water monitoring, and enforcement – across the country.

    State capitalization grants

    Since 1987, EPA has given states money for revolving loan programs that provide low-interest loans to state and local governments to clean up waterways and provide safe drinking water. The proposed budget would cut that funding by 89%, from $2.8 billion to $305 million.

    These capitalization grants were originally envisioned as seed money, with future loans available as the initial and subsequent loans were repaid. But the need for water infrastructure continues to grow, and Congress has for many years allocated additional money to the program.

    In protecting the environment, you get what you pay for. In past years, Congress has refused to accept proposed drastic cuts to EPA’s budget. It remains to be seen whether this Congress will go along with these proposed rollbacks.

    Stan Meiburg is a volunteer with the Environmental Protection Network. He was an employee of the Environmental Protection Agency from 1977 to 2017.

    i have worked at the US EPA twice. During the Obama Administration, i was first principal deputy to the Assistant Administrator of the Office of Air and Radiation and then Acting Assistant Administrator. During the Biden Administration, I was Deputy Administrator. I am also a volunteer with the Environmental Protection Network.

    – ref. What Trump’s budget proposal says about his environmental values – https://theconversation.com/what-trumps-budget-proposal-says-about-his-environmental-values-258962

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Cyberattacks shake voters’ trust in elections, regardless of party

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Ryan Shandler, Professor of Cybersecurity and International Relations, Georgia Institute of Technology

    An election worker installs a touchscreen voting machine. Ethan Miller/Getty Images

    American democracy runs on trust, and that trust is cracking.

    Nearly half of Americans, both Democrats and Republicans, question whether elections are conducted fairly. Some voters accept election results only when their side wins. The problem isn’t just political polarization – it’s a creeping erosion of trust in the machinery of democracy itself.

    Commentators blame ideological tribalism, misinformation campaigns and partisan echo chambers for this crisis of trust. But these explanations miss a critical piece of the puzzle: a growing unease with the digital infrastructure that now underpins nearly every aspect of how Americans vote.

    The digital transformation of American elections has been swift and sweeping. Just two decades ago, most people voted using mechanical levers or punch cards. Today, over 95% of ballots are counted electronically. Digital systems have replaced poll books, taken over voter identity verification processes and are integrated into registration, counting, auditing and voting systems.

    This technological leap has made voting more accessible and efficient, and sometimes more secure. But these new systems are also more complex. And that complexity plays into the hands of those looking to undermine democracy.

    In recent years, authoritarian regimes have refined a chillingly effective strategy to chip away at Americans’ faith in democracy by relentlessly sowing doubt about the tools U.S. states use to conduct elections. It’s a sustained campaign to fracture civic faith and make Americans believe that democracy is rigged, especially when their side loses.

    This is not cyberwar in the traditional sense. There’s no evidence that anyone has managed to break into voting machines and alter votes. But cyberattacks on election systems don’t need to succeed to have an effect. Even a single failed intrusion, magnified by sensational headlines and political echo chambers, is enough to shake public trust. By feeding into existing anxiety about the complexity and opacity of digital systems, adversaries create fertile ground for disinformation and conspiracy theories.

    Just before the 2024 presidential election, Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Jen Easterly explains how foreign influence campaigns erode trust in U.S. elections.

    Testing cyber fears

    To test this dynamic, we launched a study to uncover precisely how cyberattacks corroded trust in the vote during the 2024 U.S. presidential race. We surveyed more than 3,000 voters before and after election day, testing them using a series of fictional but highly realistic breaking news reports depicting cyberattacks against critical infrastructure. We randomly assigned participants to watch different types of news reports: some depicting cyberattacks on election systems, others on unrelated infrastructure such as the power grid, and a third, neutral control group.

    The results, which are under peer review, were both striking and sobering. Mere exposure to reports of cyberattacks undermined trust in the electoral process – regardless of partisanship. Voters who supported the losing candidate experienced the greatest drop in trust, with two-thirds of Democratic voters showing heightened skepticism toward the election results.

    But winners too showed diminished confidence. Even though most Republican voters, buoyed by their victory, accepted the overall security of the election, the majority of those who viewed news reports about cyberattacks remained suspicious.

    The attacks didn’t even have to be related to the election. Even cyberattacks against critical infrastructure such as utilities had spillover effects. Voters seemed to extrapolate: “If the power grid can be hacked, why should I believe that voting machines are secure?”

    Strikingly, voters who used digital machines to cast their ballots were the most rattled. For this group of people, belief in the accuracy of the vote count fell by nearly twice as much as that of voters who cast their ballots by mail and who didn’t use any technology. Their firsthand experience with the sorts of systems being portrayed as vulnerable personalized the threat.

    It’s not hard to see why. When you’ve just used a touchscreen to vote, and then you see a news report about a digital system being breached, the leap in logic isn’t far.

    Our data suggests that in a digital society, perceptions of trust – and distrust – are fluid, contagious and easily activated. The cyber domain isn’t just about networks and code. It’s also about emotions: fear, vulnerability and uncertainty.

    Firewall of trust

    Does this mean we should scrap electronic voting machines? Not necessarily.

    Every election system, digital or analog, has flaws. And in many respects, today’s high-tech systems have solved the problems of the past with voter-verifiable paper ballots. Modern voting machines reduce human error, increase accessibility and speed up the vote count. No one misses the hanging chads of 2000.

    But technology, no matter how advanced, cannot instill legitimacy on its own. It must be paired with something harder to code: public trust. In an environment where foreign adversaries amplify every flaw, cyberattacks can trigger spirals of suspicion. It is no longer enough for elections to be secure − voters must also perceive them to be secure.

    That’s why public education surrounding elections is now as vital to election security as firewalls and encrypted networks. It’s vital that voters understand how elections are run, how they’re protected and how failures are caught and corrected. Election officials, civil society groups and researchers can teach how audits work, host open-source verification demonstrations and ensure that high-tech electoral processes are comprehensible to voters.

    We believe this is an essential investment in democratic resilience. But it needs to be proactive, not reactive. By the time the doubt takes hold, it’s already too late.

    Just as crucially, we are convinced that it’s time to rethink the very nature of cyber threats. People often imagine them in military terms. But that framework misses the true power of these threats. The danger of cyberattacks is not only that they can destroy infrastructure or steal classified secrets, but that they chip away at societal cohesion, sow anxiety and fray citizens’ confidence in democratic institutions. These attacks erode the very idea of truth itself by making people doubt that anything can be trusted.

    If trust is the target, then we believe that elected officials should start to treat trust as a national asset: something to be built, renewed and defended. Because in the end, elections aren’t just about votes being counted – they’re about people believing that those votes count.

    And in that belief lies the true firewall of democracy.

    Anthony DeMattee receives funding from National Science Foundation and various academic institutions. He is the Data Scientist in the Democracy Program at The Carter Center.

    Bruce Schneier and Ryan Shandler do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Cyberattacks shake voters’ trust in elections, regardless of party – https://theconversation.com/cyberattacks-shake-voters-trust-in-elections-regardless-of-party-259368

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: How Zohran Mamdani’s win in the New York City mayoral primary could ripple across the country

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Lincoln Mitchell, Lecturer, School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University

    New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani speaks to supporters in Brooklyn on May 4, 2025. Madison Swart/Hans Lucas/AFP via Getty Images

    Top Republicans and Democrats alike are talking about the sudden rise of 33-year-old Zohran Mamdani, a state representative who won the Democratic mayoral primary in New York on June 24, 2025, in a surprising victory over more established politicians.

    While President Donald Trump quickly came out swinging with personal attacks against Mamdani, some establishment Democratic politicians say they are concerned about how the democratic socialist’s progressive politics could harm the broader Democratic Party and cause it to lose more centrist voters.

    New York is a unique American city, with a diverse population and historically liberal politics. So, does a primary mayoral election in New York serve as any kind of harbinger of what could come in the rest of the country?

    Amy Lieberman, a politics and society editor at The Conversation U.S., spoke with Lincoln Mitchell, a political strategy and campaign specialist who lectures at Columbia University, to understand what Mamdani’s primary win might indicate about the direction of national politics.

    New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, center, greets voters with New York Comptroller Brad Lander, right, on the Upper West Side on June 24, 2025.
    Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

    Does Mamdani’s primary win offer any indication of how the Democratic Party might be transforming on a national level?

    Mamdani’s win is clearly a rebuke of the more corporate wing of the Democratic Party. I know there are people who say that New York is different from the rest of the country. But from a political perspective, Democrats in New York are less different from Democrats in the rest of country than they used to be.

    That’s because the rest of America is so much more diverse than it used to be. But if you look at progressive politicians now in the House of Representatives and state legislatures, they are being elected from all over – not just in big cities like New York anymore.

    Andrew Cuomo, the former governor of New York, ran an absolutely terrible mayoral campaign. He tried to build a political coalition that is no longer a winning one, which was made up of majorities of African Americans, outer-borough white New Yorkers and orthodox and conservative Jews. Thirty or 40 years ago, that was a powerful coalition. Today, it could not make up a majority.

    Mamdani visualized and created what a 2025 progressive coalition looks like in New York and recognized that it is going to look different than the past. Mamdani’s coalition was based around young, white people – many of them with college degrees who are worried about affordability – ideological lefties and immigrants from parts of the Global South, including the Caribbean and parts of Africa, South Asia and South America.

    When you say a new kind of political coalition, what policy priorities bring Mamdani’s supporters together?

    Mamdani reframed what I would call redistributive economic policies that have long been central to the progressive agenda. A pillar of his campaign is affordability – a brilliant piece of political marketing because who is against affordability? He came up with some affordability-related policies that got enough buzz, like promising free buses. Free buses are great, but it won’t help most working and poor New Yorkers get to work – they take the subway.

    He has been very critical of Israel and has weathered charges of antisemitism.

    In the older New York, progressive politicians such as the late Congressman Charlie Rangel were very hawkish on Israel.

    What Mamdani understood is that in today’s America, the progressive wing of the Democratic Party does not care if somebody is, sounds like or comes close to being antisemitic. For those people, calling someone antisemitic sounds Trumpy, and they understand it as a right-wing hit, rather than the legitimate expression of concerns from Jewish people. Some liberals think that claims of antisemitism are simply something done just by those on the right to damage or discredit progressive politicians, but antisemitism is real.

    Therefore, Mamdani’s record on the Jewish issue did not hurt him in the campaign, but he needs to build bridges to Jewish voters, or he will not be able to govern New York City.

    How else did Mamdani appeal to a base of supporters?

    He got the support of “limousine liberals” – including rich, high-profile, progressive people. His supporters include Ella Emhoff, a model and the stepdaughter of Kamala Harris, and the actress Cynthia Nixon, but there were many others. Supporting Mamdani became stylish – almost de rigueur – among certain segments of affluent New York.

    Mamdani is also a true New Yorker and the voice of a new kind of immigrant. His parents are from Uganda and India. But he is also the child of extreme privilege – his mother, Mira Nair, is a well-known filmmaker, and his father is an accomplished professor. Mamdani went to top schools in New York and knows how to play in elite circles, and with white people. He is a Muslim man whose roots are in the Global South, not threatening because he knows how to speak their language.

    But to people of color and immigrants, Mamdani is also one of them. Because of Mamdani’s interesting background, he brought the limousine liberals together with the aunties from Bangladesh.

    Finally, on the charisma scale, Mamdani was so far ahead of other Democratic candidates. Who is going to make better TikTok videos – the good-looking, young man whose mother is a world-famous movie producer, or the older guy who is a loving father and husband but gives off dependable dad, rather than hip young guy, vibes?

    People arrive to vote in the New York mayoral primary in Brooklyn on June 24, 2025.
    Spencer Platt/Getty Images

    Is New York City so distinct that you cannot compare politics there to what happens nationwide?

    I think that nationwide or at the state level there is a potential for something similar to a Mamdani coalition, but not a Mamdani coalition exactly. But in a place like Oklahoma, there are people who are in bad economic shape and who will also respond positively to an affordability-focused, Democratic political campaign. Mamdani remade a progressive New York coalition for this moment. Other progressives politicians should copy the spirit of that and reimagine a winning coalition in their city, state or district.

    When Trump was campaigning, he focused at least on making groceries cheaper. Mamdani is one of the few Democrats who took the affordability issue back from Trump and addressed it head on and in a much more honest and relevant way. Trump has the phrase, “Make America Great Again!” That’s a popular slogan on baseball caps for Trump supporters.

    If Mamdani wanted to make a baseball cap, he could just print “Affordability” on it. Boom.

    Other Democratic politicians can take that approach of affordability and reframe it in a way that works in Kansas City or elsewhere.

    Lincoln Mitchell supported Brad Lander in the primary election.

    – ref. How Zohran Mamdani’s win in the New York City mayoral primary could ripple across the country – https://theconversation.com/how-zohran-mamdanis-win-in-the-new-york-city-mayoral-primary-could-ripple-across-the-country-259951

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Cascading disasters like those created by Hurricane Helene show why hazard models can’t rely on the past

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Brian J. Yanites, Associate Professor of Earth and Atmospheric Science. Professor of Surficial and Sedimentary Geology, Indiana University

    The Carter Lodge hangs precariously over the flood-scoured bank of the Broad River in Chimney Rock Village, N.C., on May 13, 2025, eight months after Hurricane Helene. AP Photo/Allen G. Breed

    Hurricane Helene lasted only a few days in September 2024, but it altered the landscape of the Southeastern U.S. in profound ways that will affect the hazards local residents face far into the future.

    Mudslides buried roads and reshaped river channels. Uprooted trees left soil on hillslopes exposed to the elements. Sediment that washed into rivers changed how water flows through the landscape, leaving some areas more prone to flooding and erosion.

    Helene was a powerful reminder that natural hazards don’t disappear when the skies clear – they evolve.

    These transformations are part of what scientists call cascading hazards. They occur when one natural event alters the landscape in ways that lead to future hazards. A landslide triggered by a storm might clog a river, leading to downstream flooding months or years later. A wildfire can alter the soil and vegetation, setting the stage for debris flows with the next rainstorm.

    Satellite images before (top) and after Hurricane Helene (bottom) show how the storm altered landscape near Pensacola, N.C., in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
    Google Earth, CC BY

    I study these disasters as a geomorphologist. In a new paper in the journal Science, I and a team of scientists from 18 universities and the U.S. Geological Survey explain why hazard models – used to help communities prepare for disasters – can’t just rely on the past. Instead, they need to be nimble enough to forecast how hazards evolve in real time.

    The science behind cascading hazards

    Cascading hazards aren’t random. They emerge from physical processes that operate continuously across the landscape – sediment movement, weathering, erosion. Together, the atmosphere, biosphere and the earth are constantly reshaping the conditions that cause natural disasters.

    For instance, earthquakes fracture rock and shake loose soil. Even if landslides don’t occur during the quake itself, the ground may be weakened, leaving it primed for failure during later rainstorms.

    That’s exactly what happened after the 2008 earthquake in Sichuan Province, China, which led to a surge in debris flows long after the initial seismic event.

    A strong aftershock after a 7.8 magnitude earthquake in Sichuan province, China, in May 2008 triggered more landslides in central China.
    AP Photo/Andy Wong

    Earth’s surface retains a “memory” of these events. Sediment disturbed in an earthquake, wildfire or severe storm will move downslope over years or even decades, reshaping the landscape as it goes.

    The 1950 Assam earthquake in India is a striking example: It triggered thousands of landslides. The sediment from these landslides gradually moved through the river system, eventually causing flooding and changing river channels in Bangladesh some 20 years later.

    An intensifying threat in a changing world

    These risks present challenges for everything from emergency planning to home insurance. After repeated wildfire-mudslide combinations in California, some insurers pulled out of the state entirely, citing mounting risks and rising costs among the reasons.

    Cascading hazards are not new, but their impact is intensifying.

    Climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of wildfires, storms and extreme rainfall. At the same time, urban development continues to expand into steep, hazard-prone terrain, exposing more people and infrastructure to evolving risks.

    The rising risk of interconnected climate disasters like these is overwhelming systems built for isolated events.

    Yet climate change is only part of the equation. Earth processes – such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions – also trigger cascading hazards, often with long-lasting effects.

    Mount St. Helens is a powerful example: More than four decades after its eruption in 1980, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers continues to manage ash and sediment from the eruption to keep it from filling river channels in ways that could increase the flood risk in downstream communities.

    Rethinking risk and building resilience

    Traditionally, insurance companies and disaster managers have estimated hazard risk by looking at past events.

    But when the landscape has changed, the past may no longer be a reliable guide to the future. To address this, computer models based on the physics of how these events work are needed to help forecast hazard evolution in real time, much like weather models update with new atmospheric data.

    A March 2024 landslide in the Oregon Coast Range wiped out trees in its path.
    Brian Yanites, June 2025
    A drone image of the same March 2024 landslide in the Oregon Coast Range shows where it temporarily dammed the river below.
    Brian Yanites, June 2025

    Thanks to advances in Earth observation technology, such as satellite imagery, drone and lidar, which is similar to radar but uses light, scientists can now track how hillslopes, rivers and vegetation change after disasters. These observations can feed into geomorphic models that simulate how loosened sediment moves and where hazards are likely to emerge next.

    Researchers are already coupling weather forecasts with post-wildfire debris flow models. Other models simulate how sediment pulses travel through river networks.

    Cascading hazards reveal that Earth’s surface is not a passive backdrop, but an active, evolving system. Each event reshapes the stage for the next.

    Understanding these connections is critical for building resilience so communities can withstand future storms, earthquakes and the problems created by debris flows. Better forecasts can inform building codes, guide infrastructure design and improve how risk is priced and managed. They can help communities anticipate long-term threats and adapt before the next disaster strikes.

    Most importantly, they challenge everyone to think beyond the immediate aftermath of a disaster – and to recognize the slow, quiet transformations that build toward the next.

    Brian J. Yanites receives funding from the National Science Foundation.

    – ref. Cascading disasters like those created by Hurricane Helene show why hazard models can’t rely on the past – https://theconversation.com/cascading-disasters-like-those-created-by-hurricane-helene-show-why-hazard-models-cant-rely-on-the-past-259502

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI China: China clarifies rules on submission of tax-related information by internet platform companies

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

    China clarifies rules on submission of tax-related information by internet platform companies

    BEIJING, June 27 — China’s State Taxation Administration has issued two notices clarifying the obligations of internet platforms in submitting tax-related information and handling personal income tax withholding for their workers.

    The administration said the two notices it issued provide detailed guidance to ensure effective implementation of rules to regulate internet platform companies’ submission of tax-related information.

    The rules went into effect on Monday.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China clarifies rules on submission of tax-related information by internet platform companies

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

    China clarifies rules on submission of tax-related information by internet platform companies

    BEIJING, June 27 — China’s State Taxation Administration has issued two notices clarifying the obligations of internet platforms in submitting tax-related information and handling personal income tax withholding for their workers.

    The administration said the two notices it issued provide detailed guidance to ensure effective implementation of rules to regulate internet platform companies’ submission of tax-related information.

    The rules went into effect on Monday.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Tang dynasty artefacts go on display

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    The opening ceremony of the “Tang Vogue Beyond the Horizons: A Golden Era of Multicultural Integration & Openness” exhibition, which will run at the Heritage Discovery Centre from tomorrow, was held today.

    The exhibition is jointly organised by the Development Bureau and the National Cultural Heritage Administration.

    Speaking at the opening ceremony, Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn said that as one of the celebration activities of the 28th anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to the motherland, this is the largest joint exhibition, in terms of profile, scale and quantity of artefacts on display, since the signing of the Framework Agreement on Deepening Exchange & Cooperation in the Field of Heritage Architecture & Archaeology between the bureau and the National Cultural Heritage Administration in 2022.

    She highlighted that the exhibition marks a move towards a higher level of mutual co-operation, and she is looking forward that the exhibition can showcase the culture of the majestic Tang dynasty to members of the public and friends from all over the world.

    Among the key exhibits are two paintings, namely the “Scroll depicting Emperor Minghuang playing polo”, which is a Song dynasty depiction of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang playing polo with his concubines on horseback; and the hanging scroll of Li Bai’s “Chun Ye Yan Tao Li Yuan Xu”  on cut silk depicting the refined life of Tang dynasty literati.

    These paintings will only be displayed during the first two months.

    The exhibition also displays significant Tang dynasty artefacts unearthed at Chek Lap Kok, Tung Chung and San Tau on Lantau Island in Hong Kong, including ceramic ware, iron weapons, bronze belt ornaments, silver chai hairpin, glass ring and fragment of silver piece, to illustrate the role of Hong Kong in the Maritime Silk Road.

    The exhibition will run from tomorrow to December 31 with free admission.

    Click here for details.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Tang dynasty artefacts go on display

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    The opening ceremony of the “Tang Vogue Beyond the Horizons: A Golden Era of Multicultural Integration & Openness” exhibition, which will run at the Heritage Discovery Centre from tomorrow, was held today.

    The exhibition is jointly organised by the Development Bureau and the National Cultural Heritage Administration.

    Speaking at the opening ceremony, Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn said that as one of the celebration activities of the 28th anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to the motherland, this is the largest joint exhibition, in terms of profile, scale and quantity of artefacts on display, since the signing of the Framework Agreement on Deepening Exchange & Cooperation in the Field of Heritage Architecture & Archaeology between the bureau and the National Cultural Heritage Administration in 2022.

    She highlighted that the exhibition marks a move towards a higher level of mutual co-operation, and she is looking forward that the exhibition can showcase the culture of the majestic Tang dynasty to members of the public and friends from all over the world.

    Among the key exhibits are two paintings, namely the “Scroll depicting Emperor Minghuang playing polo”, which is a Song dynasty depiction of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang playing polo with his concubines on horseback; and the hanging scroll of Li Bai’s “Chun Ye Yan Tao Li Yuan Xu”  on cut silk depicting the refined life of Tang dynasty literati.

    These paintings will only be displayed during the first two months.

    The exhibition also displays significant Tang dynasty artefacts unearthed at Chek Lap Kok, Tung Chung and San Tau on Lantau Island in Hong Kong, including ceramic ware, iron weapons, bronze belt ornaments, silver chai hairpin, glass ring and fragment of silver piece, to illustrate the role of Hong Kong in the Maritime Silk Road.

    The exhibition will run from tomorrow to December 31 with free admission.

    Click here for details.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • Trump plans executive orders to power AI growth in race with China

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    The Trump administration is readying a package of executive actions aimed at boosting energy supply to power the U.S. expansion of artificial intelligence, according to four sources familiar with the planning.

    Top economic rivals U.S. and China are locked in a technological arms race and with it secure an economic and military edge. The huge amount of data processing behind AI requires a rapid increase in power supplies that are straining utilities and grids in many states.

    The moves under consideration include making it easier for power-generating projects to connect to the grid, and providing federal land on which to build the data centers needed to expand AI technology, according to the sources.

    The administration will also release an AI action plan and schedule public events to draw public attention to the efforts, according to the sources, who requested anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.

    The White House did not respond to requests for comment.

    Training large-scale AI models requires a huge amount of electricity, and the industry’s growth is driving the first big increase in U.S. power demand in decades.

    Between 2024 and 2029, U.S. electricity demand is projected to grow at five times the rate predicted in 2022, according to power-sector consultancy Grid Strategies.

    Meanwhile, power demand from AI data centers could grow more than thirtyfold by 2035, according to a new report by consultancy Deloitte.

    Building and connecting new power generation to the grid, however, has been a major hurdle because such projects require extensive impact studies that can take years to complete, and existing transmission infrastructure is overwhelmed.

    Among the ideas under consideration by the administration is to identify more fully developed power projects and move them higher on the waiting list for connection, two of the sources said.

    Siting data centers has also been challenging because larger facilities require a lot of space and resources, and can face zoning obstacles or public opposition.

    The executive orders could provide a solution to that by offering land managed by the Defense Department or Interior Department to project developers, the sources said.

    The administration is also considering streamlining permitting for data centers by creating a nationwide Clean Water Act permit, rather than requiring companies to seek permits on a state-by-state basis, according to one of the sources.

    In January, Trump hosted top tech CEOs at the White House to highlight the Stargate Project, a multi-billion effort led by ChatGPT’s creator OpenAI, SoftBank 9434.T and Oracle ORCL.N to build data centers and create more than 100,000 jobs in the U.S.

    Trump has prioritized winning the AI race against China and declared on his first day in office a national energy emergency aimed at removing all regulatory obstacles to oil and gas drilling, coal and critical mineral mining, and building new gas and nuclear power plants to bring more energy capacity online.

    He also ordered his administration in January to produce an AI Action Plan that would make “America the world capital in artificial intelligence” and reduce regulatory barriers to its rapid expansion.

    That report, which includes input from the National Security Council, is due by July 23. The White House is considering making July 23 “AI Action Day” to draw attention to the report and demonstrate its commitment to expanding the industry, two of the sources said.

    Trump is scheduled to speak at an AI and energy event in Pennsylvania on July 15 hosted by Senator Dave McCormick.

    Amazon this month announced it would invest $20 billion in data centers in two Pennsylvania counties.

    (Reuters)

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Government of Canada Enhances Safety and Strengthens Local Fisheries by Reconstructing Torbay Wharf

    Source: Government of Canada News

    June 27, 2025

    Torbay, Newfoundland and Labrador – Small craft harbours are the heart of coastal communities, bringing people together for both work and leisure. Investing in infrastructure is essential to strengthen local commercial and recreational fisheries and provide reliable and safe harbours for their users. Nationally, these harbours support over 45,000 Canadians employed in the fish and seafood industry.

    In line with the Government of Canada’s commitment to economic growth and support for coastal communities, the Honourable Joanne Thompson, Minister of Fisheries, announced a $4.1 million investment for the reconstruction of the Torbay wharf in Newfoundland and Labrador which is a hub for commerce, community and local culture.

    To improve safety, existing infrastructure will be removed and replaced with a new timber wharf and concrete spray wall, specially designed to withstand extreme weather events resulting from climate change. The reconstructed wharf, expected to be completed in May 2026, will support the region’s economy and culture by boosting commercial and recreational fisheries, which provides jobs and help preserves the community’s traditions and way of life. Many small craft harbours, like Torbay Wharf, are the economic engines fueling coastal, rural and Indigenous communities across Canada. Keeping them in good working condition and resilient from weather challenges supports the economies and traditions of these important communities.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Toxic algae blooms are lasting longer in Lake Erie − why that’s a worry for people and pets

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Gregory J. Dick, Professor of Biology, University of Michigan

    A satellite image from Aug. 13, 2024, shows an algal bloom covering approximately 320 square miles (830 square km) of Lake Erie. By Aug. 22, it had nearly doubled in size. NASA Earth Observatory

    Federal scientists released their annual forecast for Lake Erie’s harmful algal blooms on June 26, 2025, and they expect a mild to moderate season. However, anyone who comes in contact with the blooms can face health risks, and it’s worth remembering that 2014, when toxins from algae blooms contaminated the water supply in Toledo, Ohio, was considered a moderate year, too.

    We asked Gregory J. Dick, who leads the Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research, a federally funded center at the University of Michigan that studies harmful algal blooms among other Great Lakes issues, why they’re such a concern.

    The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s prediction for harmful algal bloom severity in Lake Erie compared with past years.
    NOAA

    1. What causes harmful algal blooms?

    Harmful algal blooms are dense patches of excessive algae growth that can occur in any type of water body, including ponds, reservoirs, rivers, lakes and oceans. When you see them in freshwater, you’re typically seeing cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae.

    These photosynthetic bacteria have inhabited our planet for billions of years. In fact, they were responsible for oxygenating Earth’s atmosphere, which enabled plant and animal life as we know it.

    The leading source of harmful algal blooms today is nutrient runoff from fertilized farm fields.
    Michigan Sea Grant

    Algae are natural components of ecosystems, but they cause trouble when they proliferate to high densities, creating what we call blooms.

    Harmful algal blooms form scums at the water surface and produce toxins that can harm ecosystems, water quality and human health. They have been reported in all 50 U.S. states, all five Great Lakes and nearly every country around the world. Blue-green algae blooms are becoming more common in inland waters.

    The main sources of harmful algal blooms are excess nutrients in the water, typically phosphorus and nitrogen.

    Historically, these excess nutrients mainly came from sewage and phosphorus-based detergents used in laundry machines and dishwashers that ended up in waterways. U.S. environmental laws in the early 1970s addressed this by requiring sewage treatment and banning phosphorus detergents, with spectacular success.

    How pollution affected Lake Erie in the 1960s, before clean water regulations.

    Today, agriculture is the main source of excess nutrients from chemical fertilizer or manure applied to farm fields to grow crops. Rainstorms wash these nutrients into streams and rivers that deliver them to lakes and coastal areas, where they fertilize algal blooms. In the U.S., most of these nutrients come from industrial-scale corn production, which is largely used as animal feed or to produce ethanol for gasoline.

    Climate change also exacerbates the problem in two ways. First, cyanobacteria grow faster at higher temperatures. Second, climate-driven increases in precipitation, especially large storms, cause more nutrient runoff that has led to record-setting blooms.

    2. What does your team’s DNA testing tell us about Lake Erie’s harmful algal blooms?

    Harmful algal blooms contain a mixture of cyanobacterial species that can produce an array of different toxins, many of which are still being discovered.

    When my colleagues and I recently sequenced DNA from Lake Erie water, we found new types of microcystins, the notorious toxins that were responsible for contaminating Toledo’s drinking water supply in 2014.

    These novel molecules cannot be detected with traditional methods and show some signs of causing toxicity, though further studies are needed to confirm their human health effects.

    Blue-green algae blooms in freshwater, like this one near Toledo in 2014, can be harmful to humans, causing gastrointestinal symptoms, headache, fever and skin irritation. They can be lethal for pets.
    Ty Wright for The Washington Post via Getty Images

    We also found organisms responsible for producing saxitoxin, a potent neurotoxin that is well known for causing paralytic shellfish poisoning on the Pacific Coast of North America and elsewhere.

    Saxitoxins have been detected at low concentrations in the Great Lakes for some time, but the recent discovery of hot spots of genes that make the toxin makes them an emerging concern.

    Our research suggests warmer water temperatures could boost its production, which raises concerns that saxitoxin will become more prevalent with climate change. However, the controls on toxin production are complex, and more research is needed to test this hypothesis. Federal monitoring programs are essential for tracking and understanding emerging threats.

    3. Should people worry about these blooms?

    Harmful algal blooms are unsightly and smelly, making them a concern for recreation, property values and businesses. They can disrupt food webs and harm aquatic life, though a recent study suggested that their effects on the Lake Erie food web so far are not substantial.

    But the biggest impact is from the toxins these algae produce that are harmful to humans and lethal to pets.

    The toxins can cause acute health problems such as gastrointestinal symptoms, headache, fever and skin irritation. Dogs can die from ingesting lake water with harmful algal blooms. Emerging science suggests that long-term exposure to harmful algal blooms, for example over months or years, can cause or exacerbate chronic respiratory, cardiovascular and gastrointestinal problems and may be linked to liver cancers, kidney disease and neurological issues.

    The water intake system for the city of Toledo, Ohio, is surrounded by an algae bloom in 2014. Toxic algae got into the water system, resulting in residents being warned not to touch or drink their tap water for three days.
    AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari

    In addition to exposure through direct ingestion or skin contact, recent research also indicates that inhaling toxins that get into the air may harm health, raising concerns for coastal residents and boaters, but more research is needed to understand the risks.

    The Toledo drinking water crisis of 2014 illustrated the vast potential for algal blooms to cause harm in the Great Lakes. Toxins infiltrated the drinking water system and were detected in processed municipal water, resulting in a three-day “do not drink” advisory. The episode affected residents, hospitals and businesses, and it ultimately cost the city an estimated US$65 million.

    4. Blooms seem to be starting earlier in the year and lasting longer – why is that happening?

    Warmer waters are extending the duration of the blooms.

    In 2025, NOAA detected these toxins in Lake Erie on April 28, earlier than ever before. The 2022 bloom in Lake Erie persisted into November, which is rare if not unprecedented.

    Scientific studies of western Lake Erie show that the potential cyanobacterial growth rate has increased by up to 30% and the length of the bloom season has expanded by up to a month from 1995 to 2022, especially in warmer, shallow waters. These results are consistent with our understanding of cyanobacterial physiology: Blooms like it hot – cyanobacteria grow faster at higher temperatures.

    5. What can be done to reduce the likelihood of algal blooms in the future?

    The best and perhaps only hope of reducing the size and occurrence of harmful algal blooms is to reduce the amount of nutrients reaching the Great Lakes.

    In Lake Erie, where nutrients come primarily from agriculture, that means improving agricultural practices and restoring wetlands to reduce the amount of nutrients flowing off of farm fields and into the lake. Early indications suggest that Ohio’s H2Ohio program, which works with farmers to reduce runoff, is making some gains in this regard, but future funding for H2Ohio is uncertain.

    In places like Lake Superior, where harmful algal blooms appear to be driven by climate change, the solution likely requires halting and reversing the rapid human-driven increase in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

    Gregory J. Dick receives funding for harmful algal bloom research from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Science Foundation, the United States Geological Survey, and the National Institutes for Health. He serves on the Science Advisory Council for the Environmental Law and Policy Center.

    – ref. Toxic algae blooms are lasting longer in Lake Erie − why that’s a worry for people and pets – https://theconversation.com/toxic-algae-blooms-are-lasting-longer-in-lake-erie-why-thats-a-worry-for-people-and-pets-259954

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: India’s International Investment Position (IIP), March 2025

    Source: Reserve Bank of India

    Today, the Reserve Bank released data relating to India’s International Investment Position for end-March 2025[1].

    Key Features

    IIP during January-March 2025:

    • Net claims of non-residents on India declined by US$ 34.2 billion during Q4:2024-25 to US$ 330.0 billion as at end-March 2025.

    • Higher rise in Indian residents’ overseas financial assets (US$ 60.0 billion) as compared to that in the foreign-owned assets in India (US$ 25.8 billion) led to the decline in net claims of non-residents during the quarter (Table 1).

    • Increase in reserve assets accounted for over 54 per cent of the rise in Indian residents’ overseas financial assets, followed by currency & deposits and direct investments.

    • Rise in loans (US$ 10.0 billion) and inward direct investment (US$ 9.7 billion) together accounted for over three-fourths of the rise in foreign liabilities of Indian residents during January-March 2025.

    • Reserve assets accounted for 58.7 per cent of India’s international financial assets (Table 3).

    • The ratio of India’s international assets to international liabilities increased to 77.5 per cent in March 2025 from 74.8 per cent a quarter ago (Chart 1 & Table 1).

    • The share of debt liabilities in total external liabilities increased during the quarter and stood at 54.8 per cent (Table 4).

    IIP during April-March 2024-25:

    • During 2024-25, the net claims of non-residents declined by US$ 31.2 billion on the back of higher rise in India’s external financial assets (US $ 105.4 billion) vis-à-vis external financial liabilities (US $ 74.2 billion) (Table 1).

    • Over 72 per cent of the rise in India’s overseas financial assets was due to increase in overseas direct investment, currency & deposits, and reserve assets.

    • Inward direct investments, loans as well as currency & deposits accounted for over three-fourths of the rise in foreign liabilities during the year.

    • The ratio of India’s international financial assets to international financial liabilities increased to 77.5 per cent in March 2025 from 74.1 per cent a year ago (Chart 1 & Table 1).

    Ratio of International Financial Assets and Liabilities to Gross Domestic Product (GDP):

    • As a ratio to GDP (at current market prices), residents’ overseas financial assets increased and external financial liabilities declined during 2024-25 (Table 2).

    • The ratio of net claims of non-residents on India to GDP improved to (-)8.7 per cent in March 2025 from (-)10.1 per cent a year ago, and (-)14.1 per cent five years ago.

    (Puneet Pancholy)  
    Chief General Manager

    Press Release: 2025-2026/616

    Table 1: Overall International Investment Position of India
    (US$ billion)
    Period Mar-24 (PR) Jun-24 (PR) Sep-24 (PR) Dec-24 (PR) Mar-25 (P)
    Net IIP (A-B) -361.2 -366.9 -353.0 -364.2 -330.0
    A. Assets 1,033.8 1,052.0 1,119.4 1,079.2 1,139.2
      1. Direct Investment 242.3 246.6 254.5 260.8 270.5
        1.1 Equity and investment fund shares 153.4 156.6 162.4 166.5 173.6
        1.2 Debt instruments 88.9 90.0 92.1 94.3 96.9
      2. Portfolio Investment 12.5 12.4 12.5 12.2 13.7
        2.1 Equity and investment fund shares 11.0 10.7 11.2 9.4 8.7
        2.2 Debt securities 1.5 1.7 1.3 2.8 5.0
      3. Other Investment 132.6 141.0 146.6 170.5 186.7
        3.1 Trade Credits 33.4 32.8 32.9 33.2 33.4
        3.2 Loans 17.6 20.8 22.1 22.5 25.9
        3.3 Currency and Deposits 53.5 57.8 56.1 68.6 79.3
        3.4 Other Assets 28.1 29.6 35.5 46.2 48.1
      4. Reserve Assets 646.4 652.0 705.8 635.7 668.3
    B. Liabilities 1,395.0 1,418.9 1,472.4 1,443.4 1,469.2
      1. Direct Investment 542.9 552.8 555.3 547.1 556.8
        1.1 Equity and investment fund shares 511.1 520.6 522.8 513.0 521.9
        1.2 Debt instruments 31.8 32.2 32.5 34.1 34.9
      2. Portfolio Investment 277.3 277.4 294.3 276.6 272.0
        2.1 Equity and investment fund shares 162.1 160.9 170.9 155.6 141.9
        2.2 Debt securities 115.2 116.5 123.4 121.0 130.1
      3. Other Investment 574.8 588.7 622.8 619.7 640.4
        3.1 Trade Credits 123.7 125.9 131.3 135.6 131.2
        3.2 Loans 221.4 224.6 239.4 240.6 250.6
        3.3 Currency and Deposits 154.8 160.6 164.1 165.7 167.6
        3.4 Other Liabilities 74.9 77.6 88.0 77.8 91.0
    of which:          
    Special drawing rights (Net incurrence of liabilities) 21.9 21.8 22.4 21.6 22.0
    Memo Item: Assets to Liability ratio (%) 74.1 74.1 76.0 74.8 77.5
    Notes (applicable for all tables):
    1. P: Provisional; PR: Partially Revised; and R: Revised.
    2. The sum of the constituent items may not add to the total due to rounding off.
    Table 2: Ratios of External Financial Assets and Liabilities to GDP
    (per cent)
    Period Mar-23 (R) Mar-24 (PR) Mar-25 (P)
    Net IIP (A-B) -11.3 -10.1 -8.7
    A. Assets 28.2 28.5 29.3
      1. Direct Investment 6.8 6.7 6.9
        1.1 Equity and investment fund shares 4.3 4.2 4.4
        1.2 Debt instruments 2.5 2.5 2.5
      2. Portfolio Investment 0.5 0.3 0.3
        2.1 Equity and investment fund shares 0.3 0.3 0.2
        2.2 Debt securities 0.2 –   0.1
      3. Other Investment 3.2 3.6 4.8
        3.1 Trade Credits 0.8 0.8 0.8
        3.2 Loans 0.4 0.5 0.7
        3.3 Currency and Deposits 1.0 1.5 2.1
        3.4 Other Assets 1.0 0.8 1.2
      4. Reserve Assets 17.7 17.9 17.3
    B. Liabilities 39.5 38.6 38.0
      1. Direct Investment 16.0 15.0 14.4
        1.1 Equity and investment fund shares 15.1 14.1 13.5
        1.2 Debt instruments 0.9 0.9 0.9
      2. Portfolio Investment 7.5 7.7 7.1
        2.1 Equity and investment fund shares 4.3 4.5 3.7
        2.2 Debt securities 3.2 3.2 3.4
      3. Other Investment 16.0 15.9 16.5
        3.1 Trade Credits 3.8 3.4 3.4
        3.2 Loans 6.2 6.1 6.5
        3.3 Currency and Deposits 4.3 4.3 4.3
        3.4 Other Assets 1.7 2.1 2.3
    of which:      
    Special drawing rights (Net incurrence of liabilities) 0.7 0.6 0.6
    Table 3: Composition of International Financial Assets and Liabilities of India
    (per cent)
    Period Mar-24 (PR) Jun-24 (PR) Sep-24 (PR) Dec-24 (PR) Mar-25 (P)
    A. Assets
    1. Direct Investment 23.4 23.4 22.7 24.2 23.7
    2. Portfolio Investment 1.2 1.2 1.1 1.1 1.2
    3. Other Investment 12.9 13.4 13.1 15.8 16.4
    4. Reserve Assets 62.5 62.0 63.1 58.9 58.7
    Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
    B. Liabilities
        1. Direct Investment 38.9 39.0 37.7 37.9 37.9
        2. Portfolio Investment 19.9 19.5 20.0 19.2 18.5
        3. Other Investment 41.2 41.5 42.3 42.9 43.6
    Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
    Table 4: Share of External Debt and Non-Debt Liabilities of India
    (per cent)
    Period Mar-24 (PR) Jun-24 (PR) Sep-24 (PR) Dec-24 (PR) Mar-25 (P)
    Non-Debt Liabilities 48.3 48.0 47.1 46.3 45.2
    Debt Liabilities 51.7 52.0 52.9 53.7 54.8
    Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI Video: What is the United Nations?

    Source: United Nations (video statements)

    Anna Wilson explains the fundamentals of the organization and breaks down the basics:
    How it started?
    What it does?
    And why does it still matter today?

    Learn all this in the following UN explainer video.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ttoad811t88

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NEWS: Sanders Successfully Pushes to Restore $17 Million for Vermont Schools Cancelled by the Trump Administration

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Vermont – Bernie Sanders
    WASHINGTON, June 27 — Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, today announced that the Department of Education reversed its decision to cancel nearly $17 million in federal K-12 COVID-19 funding for Vermont school districts and some $2.5 billion for schools across the country. The administration’s announcement follows a successful lawsuit led by 16 states and the District of Columbia to prevent the department from revoking this important education funding. 
    Sanders worked with Secretary of Education Linda McMahon to make certain that Vermont received its fair share. Sanders and his staff also worked with 19 school districts in Vermont to submit 88 applications to appeal these cancellations. 
    “I am very happy to announce that the U.S. Department of Education has reversed its decision to deny $17 million of COVID-19 funding to schools in Vermont and billions across the nation. This means that 19 school districts in our state will receive funding that had been denied so that they can go forward with a variety of projects — summer programs, afterschool programs and school renovation,” Sanders said in a video message. “At a time when so many of our school districts are suffering and struggling economically, this is an important step forward.” 
    In March, the Trump administration canceled an estimated $2.5 billion nationwide in unspent funding for K-12 schools provided under the American Rescue Plan Act and established a bureaucratic appeals process. Sanders had several conversations with the Secretary of Education to urge her to change course. 
    Sanders’ office promptly contacted all affected school districts and worked with local school leaders to overcome administrative barriers to appeal the cancelations. The department is expected to provide funding to states next week. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Personal Income and Outlays, May 2025

    Source: US Bureau of Economic Analysis

    Personal income decreased $109.6 billion (0.4 percent at a monthly rate) in May, according to estimates released today by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Disposable personal income (DPI)—personal income less personal current taxes—decreased $125.0 billion (0.6 percent) and personal consumption expenditures (PCE) decreased $29.3 billion (0.1 percent).

    Personal outlays—the sum of PCE, personal interest payments, and personal current transfer payments—decreased $27.6 billion in May. Personal saving was $1.01 trillion in May and the personal saving rate—personal saving as a percentage of disposable personal income—was 4.5 percent.

    The decrease in current-dollar personal income in May primarily reflected decreases in government social benefits to persons and in farm proprietors’ income that were partly offset by an increase in compensation.

    The $29.3 billion decrease in current-dollar PCE in May reflected a decrease of $49.2 billion in spending on goods that was partly offset by an increase of $19.9 billion in spending for services.

    From the preceding month, the PCE price index for May increased 0.1 percent. Excluding food and energy, the PCE price index increased 0.2 percent.

    From the same month one year ago, the PCE price index for May increased 2.3 percent. Excluding food and energy, the PCE price index increased 2.7 percent from one year ago.

    Personal Income and Related Measures
    [Percent change from Apr. to May]
    Current-dollar personal income -0.4
    Current-dollar disposable personal income -0.6
    Real disposable personal income -0.7
    Current-dollar personal consumption expenditures (PCE) -0.1
    Real PCE -0.3
    PCE price index 0.1
    PCE price index, excluding food and energy 0.2
    For definitions, statistical conventions, updates to PIO, and more, visit “Additional Information.”

    Next release: July 31, 2025, at 8:30 a.m. EDT
    Personal Income and Outlays, June 2025

    Technical Notes

    Changes in Personal Income and Outlays for May

    The decrease in personal income in May reflected decreases in government social benefits to persons and farm proprietors’ income that were partly offset by an increase in compensation.

    • The decrease in government social benefits to persons was led by Social Security payments, reflecting a decrease in payments associated with the Social Security Fairness Act.
    • The decrease in farm proprietors’ income primarily reflected the pattern of payments from the Emergency Commodity Assistance Program as part of the American Relief Act.
    • The increase in compensation was led by private wages and salaries, based on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Current Employment Statistics (CES). Wages and salaries in services-producing industries increased $35.9 billion. Wages and salaries in goods‑producing industries increased $7.5 billion.

    Revisions to Personal Income

    Estimates have been updated for January through April, reflecting updated BLS CES data. The revision to Medicaid benefits for April reflects revised information from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and new Monthly Treasury Statement data.

    MIL OSI USA News –