Source: US Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation FDIC
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Category: AM-NC
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MIL-OSI USA: Press Release: FDIC Publishes Enforcement Orders for June 2025
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MIL-OSI USA: NEA President issues update on 2025 Representative Assembly
Source: US National Education Union
WASHINGTON — The following statement can be attributed to NEA President Becky Pringle:
“At the recent NEA 2025 Representative Assembly, a recommendation was sent to NEA’s Executive Committee that the National Education Association not partner with the Anti-Defamation League. As the NEA does not currently have a partnership with the ADL, this would have constituted a forward-looking declaration.
“Today, following the culmination of a thorough review process as governed by NEA rules, including a vote by NEA’s Executive Committee earlier this week, NEA’s Board of Directors—representing the broad and diverse membership of the NEA, including representatives from every state—voted not to implement this proposal.
“In our review, NEA considered multiple factors, including the rationale and concerns behind the proposal, its relationship to our policies and values, and how this would affect students, our members, our work, and our mission to champion excellence and justice in public education. We consulted with NEA state affiliates and civil rights leaders, including Jewish American and Arab American community leaders, and we also met with ADL leadership.
“After consideration, it was determined that this proposal would not further NEA’s commitment to academic freedom, our membership, or our goals. Today’s vote by the NEA Board of Directors to not adopt this proposal completes NEA’s process.
“There is no doubt that antisemitism is on the rise. Without equivocation, NEA stands strongly against antisemitism. We always have and we always will. Our Jewish students and educators deserve nothing less.
“As NEA members debated this issue on the floor of our Representative Assembly, they spoke about a variety of painful, frustrating, and dehumanizing experiences related to antisemitism and anti-Arab and anti-Palestinian bigotry. We know antisemitism and anti-Arab bigotry are very real and urgent problems in this country and around the world. They are insidious forms of hate, which is why NEA and our members actively work to fight them in our classrooms, on our campuses, and in our communities.
“We have increased our efforts to combat all forms of hate because we know freedom and safety for any of us depend on the freedom and safety of all of us. As educators, we remain steadfast in our commitment to ensuring our schools and campuses are safe and welcoming for all students, regardless of their religion, ethnicity, or identity—with no exceptions. That is fundamental to who we are as educators and the core of who we are as a union.
“At our core, NEA’s work and mission are rooted in social and racial justice, and we have a long, proud history of fighting against hate in all its forms. In this time of division, fighting antisemitism, anti-Arab racism, and other forms of discrimination will take more resources, not fewer. We are ready.
“Public education is vital to building respect for the worth, dignity, and equality of every individual in our diverse society. Our democracy depends on freedom of speech, and a great education depends on academic freedom, and inclusive and respectful debate. NEA opposes efforts to shut down debate, to silence voices of disagreement, and intimidation. We recognize the underlying concerns of the authors and supporters of the proposal, and we are committed to ongoing discussion with our community.
“Not adopting this proposal is in no way an endorsement of the ADL’s full body of work. We are calling on the ADL to support the free speech and association rights of all students and educators. We strongly condemn abhorrent and unacceptable attacks on our members who dedicate their lives to helping their students thrive. Our commitment to freedom of speech fully extends to freedom of protest and dissent, whether in the public square or on college campuses.
“NEA will continue our work to combat discrimination against all people, pursue justice inside and beyond our schools, and we will always ensure our members are supported in these efforts. Along with this vote, we commit to continue our ongoing work to stand strong against oppression and hatred, a prerequisite for a thriving public education system consistent with our core values. Even with passionately held views on emotionally charged issues, the moment calls for us to use care and grace with each other and to ensure we refrain from actions that harm vulnerable communities.
“Going forward, the NEA will use a diverse and knowledgeable group of NEA practitioners to review materials that we use in relation to antisemitism curriculum and tools to combat antisemitism.
“As a union, our diverse backgrounds and perspectives make us stronger, and our interconnected safety comes only through solidarity. In light of the near-daily direct attacks being made against public education, our work together has never been more important. No amount of bullying can force us to abandon our commitment to our members and our values. And there is too much at stake to rest for even a moment.”
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The National Education Association is the nation’s largest professional employee organization, representing more than 3 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support professionals, school administrators, retired educators, students preparing to become teachers, healthcare workers, and public employees. Learn more at www.nea.org.
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MIL-OSI NGOs: Six months into Congo’s war, cholera is killing more than four people every day
Source: Oxfam –
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Aid cuts and humanitarian deadlock are fuelling a full-blown public health disaster.
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In Sake and Minova, 500 people are sharing a single water tap.
Six months since the renewed war in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), a full-blown public health emergency is accelerating, Oxfam warned today.
Since January, more than 35,000 suspected cholera cases and at least 852 related deaths have been reported – an average of more than four deaths every day and a 62 percent increase compared to 2024.
After M23 fighters seized Goma in January civilians were ordered to return to their villages within 72 hours. More than 3.16 million people have since returned back only to find their homes reduced to rubble, and aid system on the verge of collapse.
Water networks, including storage facilities have been obliterated, leaving families to drink from contaminated streams and stagnant lakes. Basic health services have crumbled, with hospitals out of medicine and sanitation systems in ruins. In some of the hardest-hit areas, like Sake and Minova, 500 people are now sharing a single water tap.
Dr. Manenji Mangundu, Oxfam’s Director in DRC said:
“This is a full-blown public health emergency. Families are returning to ruins—no shelters, no toilets, no clean water. In many areas, latrines have been flooded or stripped for firewood, forcing people to defecate in the open and contaminate the only water available. The air reeks of sewage. Hospitals are out of medicine, and we can’t reach cut-off communities with even the most basic aid.”
In South Kivu’s Uvira region, cholera is surging with 100 new cases being reported each day. Floodwaters from Lake Tanganyika routinely inundate homes and latrines overflow into the lake, even as families are forced to drink lake water.
The forced closure and destruction of more than 20 displacement sites in Goma alone has left 700,000 people without safe shelter, clean water or basic sanitation In Rusayo, Lushagal, and Bhimba —where Oxfam had been supporting over 100,000 people—entire sites have been razed or abandoned, including more than $700,000 worth of water and sanitation infrastructure, such as pipelines, latrines, and tanks.
“This is a full-blown public health emergency. Families are returning to ruins—no shelters, no toilets, no clean water. In many areas, latrines have been flooded or stripped for firewood, forcing people to defecate in the open and contaminate the only water available. The air reeks of sewage. Hospitals are out of medicine, and we can’t reach cut-off communities with even the most basic aid.”
Dr. Manenji Mangundu, Oxfam’s Director in DRC
Oxfam
Despite a US-brokered ceasefire, insecurity, roadblocks, and ongoing clashes have severed vital supply routes, cutting off communities from lifesaving food, clean water, and medicine. Aid agencies like Oxfam are now being forced to detour through Rwanda, severely hampering relief efforts. Cross-border access through Burundi has been entirely blocked, while illegal taxes and bureaucratic obstruction are further choking humanitarian deliveries.
Deep aid cuts since the start of 2025 have pushed the humanitarian response to the brink of failure. Only a fraction of the $2.54 billion needed this year as humanitarian aid in DRC has been received to date—forcing agencies like Oxfam to scale back or suspend life-saving operations. Even a UN investigation into possible war crimes has been frozen for lack of funding.
“People are suffering because we cannot reach them,” said Balume Loutre, Oxfam’s Public Health Engineering Team Leader in Eastern DRC. “They’re drinking from contaminated water sources, and we lack the resources to deliver even basic aid. In some villages, 15,000 families need help, but we can only support 500. We’re forced to make impossible choices, leaving thousands behind.”
The situation is particularly alarming for women and girls. Since the cuts to USAID funding, more than 8,200 people living with HIV have lost access to antiretroviral treatment. Emergency post-rape care kits are vanishing, even as a child is reported raped every half an hour in eastern DRC, according to UNICEF.
Despite the collapse of the aid system, Oxfam and its partners continue to deliver lifesaving assistance – constructing water systems, building latrines and distributing soap and hygiene kits, food and seed. But urgent funding is needed to reach 400,000 people in high-risk cholera zones.
“We need an immediate injection of funds, and all warring parties to commit to a permanent ceasefire and allow aid to flow freely. After six months of chaos, people need dignity and respite from relentless violence. The world cannot look away,” said Mangundu.
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MIL-OSI NGOs: Plastic Greenpeace climbers abseil from Forth Bridge to block INEOS tanker in plastics protest An international team of Greenpeace activists has abseiled from Scotland’s Forth Road Bridge to block an INEOS tanker from delivering its cargo of fracked American gas to the Grangemouth petrochemical… by Graham Thompson July 25, 2025
Source: Greenpeace Statement –
An international team of Greenpeace activists has abseiled from Scotland’s Forth Road Bridge to block an INEOS tanker from delivering its cargo of fracked American gas to the Grangemouth petrochemical facility.
The Greenpeace protest is aimed at chemicals giant INEOS, owned by billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe, which is opposing efforts by UN Member States to secure a Global Plastics Treaty to curb plastic pollution [1]. INEOS is the UK’s biggest plastics manufacturer, producing 30-35 billion nurdles (pellets) daily at its Grangemouth plant – enough to make 60 million plastic bottles.
The action comes less than a fortnight before governments meet in Geneva, Switzerland, for the sixth and final round of negotiations on the Global Plastics Treaty (5-14 August). Greenpeace is calling for these talks to agree to a cut in global plastic production of at least 75% by 2040, and for the UN to exclude lobbyists from INEOS and other fossil fuels companies from the treaty negotiations. Plastics producers including INEOS have collectively sent hundreds of lobbyists to exert their influence at every stage of the talks so far. Lobbyists have used tactics such as intimidation and harassment, to block an agreement that includes caps on plastic production.
The 10 climbers are confronting the giant INEOS tanker ‘INDEPENDENCE’. The vessel spent the last 10 days crossing the Atlantic carrying 27,500 cubic metres of ethane bound for Grangemouth where it will be used by INEOS in the production of virgin plastic.
Amy Cameron, Programme Director at Greenpeace UK said:
“Plastic pollution has reached a crisis point: it’s poisoning our land, seas, air, even our bodies. The Global Plastics Treaty offers us a once in a generation chance to tackle the problem for good, so it’s no surprise INEOS and its billionaire boss, Jim Ratcliffe, are doing everything they can to stop it.
Ratcliffe tries to distract us with sports teams and sponsorships, but we’re not going to let him fill our planet with plastic, so he can fill his pockets with profit. Ratcliffe is trying to block a strong Global Plastics Treaty, so today we’re blocking him.”
An international team of Greenpeace activists abseil from Scotland’s Forth Road Bridge to block an INEOS tanker from delivering its cargo of fracked American gas to the Grangemouth petrochemical facility. The Greenpeace protest is aimed at chemicals giant INEOS, owned by billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe, which is opposing efforts by UN Member States to secure a Global Plastics Treaty to curb plastic pollution. INEOS is the UK’s biggest plastics manufacturer, producing (pellets) daily at its Grangemouth plant – enough to make 60 million plastic bottles. The highly-trained Greenpeace climbers [2] abseiled from beneath the bridge’s service walkway, unfurling six giant ‘Plastics Treaty Now’ banners. They will remain suspended 25 metres above the main shipping lane of the River Forth [3], preventing the tanker from reaching port with its hazardous cargo. They are supported by a rescue crew on the bridge and a boat team in the river below.
The Greenpeace protest comes during Donald Trump’s visit to Scotland. Over the past three years, INEOS Energy has made investments exceeding $3bn in the US oil and gas sector, and the US petrochemicals industry is investing heavily in new chemical and plastics production projects. Like INEOS, US Fossil Fuel giants are attempting to weaken the Global Plastics Treaty to avoid caps on virgin plastic production.
ENDS
Contact:
Greenpeace UK press office: press.uk@greenpeace.org / 020 7865 8255
Greenpeace press officer on the ground at Forth Road Bridge: Kai Tabacek – 07984 127025
Greenpeace spokespeople are available for interviews on the ground in Scotland and in London
Please find all photos and videos of the protest HERE. Additional pictures and footage will be added as they become available.
Notes to editors
- Speaking at the EFRA Parliamentary Committee on 8th July, on the UK Government’s priorities for the final plastics treaty negotiations, INEOS’s Technology Director, Peter Williams firmly opposed production caps because of potential “unintended consequences.”
- The international team of Greenpeace activists include climbers from: UK, Argentina, Croatia, Germany, Hungary, Finland, France, Italy, Netherlands and Taiwan.
- The main span of the iconic Forth Road Bridge is a little over a kilometre long, around 50 metres above water level. The highly-trained Greenpeace climbers are spaced at intervals of around 20 metres in an attempt to block the INEOS tanker.
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MIL-OSI Africa: Committee on Agriculture Commends Improved Performance of Agricultural Research Council (ARC), National Agricultural Marketing Council (NAMC) and Perishable Products Export Control Board (PPECB) in the Fourth Quarter of 2024/25
Source: APO
The Portfolio Committee on Agriculture welcomed the briefings it received yesterday from the Agricultural Research Council (ARC), National Agricultural Marketing Council (NAMC), and the Perishable Products Export Control Board (PPECB) on their performance in the fourth quarter of the 2024/25 financial year and commended their notable performance.
In welcoming the briefings from the three entities of the Department of Agriculture, the Chairperson of the Committee, Ms Dina Pule, said the committee was happy about the progress that the entities reported to the committee. She said the committee notes the hard work the entities have demonstrated and called for more improvement in all the areas of work that included implementation of the Auditor General’s recommendations on their last audit outcomes.
The ARC reported that funding for building of the new Foot-and-mouth Disease (FMD) Vaccine Facility is still a challenge and that, efforts to obtain the required funding for the new facility remains a priority. The entity reported that field assessment of the FMD vaccine in Mpumalanga and Limpopo is ongoing and the study on vaccine safety in pregnant cows and young calves has been initiated.
In appreciating the performance of the NAMC, the committee called on the entity to do more on finding market access for the small-scale farmers as markets are alfa and omega for their growth, survival and meaningful contribution to the South African economy and for national food security.
The Chairperson told the Deputy Minister of the Department of Agriculture, Ms Zoleka Capa, who led the departmental delegation, that the committee notes with appreciation the accountability of both the Minister and his Deputy that they demonstrate to the committee.
The Chairperson also said that accountability is a critical starting point for the success of the department. “We deeply appreciate your availability to our meetings with the department. Your presence solidifies the accountability of the department to the committee and the oversight responsibility of the committee over the department,” emphasised the Chairperson.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic of South Africa: The Parliament.
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MIL-OSI Africa: Mobilisation is urgently needed to avoid further deaths from northern Nigeria malnutrition crisis
Source: APO
- In northern Nigeria, our teams are seeing an ever-increasing number of children in need of treatment for malnutrition.
- We have begun a preventive campaign in Mashi local government area, distributing nutrition supplements for 66,000 children.
- Urgent mobilisation is needed to save lives from this malnutrition crisis.
Northern Nigeria is currently facing an alarming malnutrition crisis. In Katsina state, for instance, where Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has been present since 2021, the teams are seeing an ever-increasing number of malnourished children in our therapeutic feeding centres, with increasingly severe conditions and higher mortality rates.
In collaboration with the local authorities, we have begun distributing nutrition supplements for 66,000 children in the local government area of Mashi, as a method for emergency prevention. In the context of drastic cuts in international funding, the need for prevention and treatment of malnutrition is enormous in northern Nigeria, and urgent mobilisation is required.
By the end of June 2025, nearly 70,000 children with malnutrition had already received medical care from our teams in Katsina state, including nearly 10,000 who were hospitalised in serious condition. Without taking into account the new healthcare facilities opened by MSF during the year in the state, this represents an increase of approximately one-third compared to last year.
In addition, between January and June 2025, the number of children with nutritional oedema,1 the most severe and deadly form of malnutrition, rose by 208 per cent compared with the same period in 2024. Unfortunately, 652 children have already died in our facilities since the beginning of 2025 due to a lack of timely access to care.
A worrying sign of the growing severity of this major public health emergency, is that adults—particularly women, including pregnant and breastfeeding women—are also affected. A screening carried out in July, in all five MSF malnutrition centres in Katsina state, on 750 mothers of patients, revealed that more than half of adult caregivers were acutely malnourished, including 13 per cent with severe acute malnutrition.
To cope with the massive influx of children expected by the end of the lean season in October, we have increased our support to the local authorities in several states in north Nigeria where we provide care to communities. In Katsina state for instance, we opened a new outpatient therapeutic feeding centre in Mashi and an additional inpatient therapeutic feeding centre in Turai, to provide a total of 900 beds in two hospitals where MSF teams work.
“The year 2024 marked a turning point in northern Nigeria’s nutritional crisis, with an increase of 25 per cent from the previous year,” says Ahmed Aldikhari, country representative of MSF in Nigeria. “But the true scale of the crisis exceeds all predictions. We are currently witnessing massive budget cuts, particularly from the United States, the United Kingdom, and the European Union, which are having a real impact on the treatment of malnourished children.”
Earlier this week, the World Food Programme (WFP) announced it will be forced to suspend all emergency food and nutrition aid for 1.3 million people in northeast Nigeria by the end of July due to “critical funding shortfalls”.2
“At the same time, we observe ever-increasing needs, such as in Katsina state, where an increasing number of people cannot afford to buy food anymore, even though it is available in markets,” says Aldikhari.
A food security survey carried out by humanitarian organisations in the local government area of Kaita, in Katsina state, before the lean season began at the start of 2025 revealed that over 90 per cent of households had reduced the number of meals they ate each day.
Across the north, other factors worsening the malnutrition crisis include disease outbreaks, which are worsened by low vaccine coverage, availability, and accessibility of basic health services, and other socioeconomic indices complicated by insecurity and violence.
“The most urgent way to reduce the risk of immediate death from malnutrition is to ensure families have access to food,” says Emmanuel Berbain, nutrition adviser at MSF. “This can be done through large-scale distribution of food or nutrition supplements, as we are currently doing in the Mashi area, or through cash distributions when and where it is possible.”
The capacity to care for and treat malnourished children must also be expanded, both by increasing the number of beds in health facilities, and by providing funding and access to ready-to-use therapeutic food. These actions must be undertaken as a priority in areas where the needs, such as the number of malnourished children, are greatest.
People over the age of five, who are also increasingly affected by malnutrition but are currently not covered by any assistance, should also be included in prevention programmes.
On 8 July, His Excellency Nigeria’s Vice President Kashim Shettima publicly sounded the alarm on the scale of malnutrition in Nigeria, warning that it deprives almost 40 per cent of children under the age of five of their full physical and cognitive potential. He described the situation as a national emergency requiring urgent and collective action.
MSF treated over 300,000 children with malnutrition in seven northern states in 2024, a 25 per cent increase from 2023. In the northwest alone, where MSF tackles malnutrition in the states of Sokoto, Kebbi, Katsina, and Zamfara, we have already treated almost 100,000 children suffering from severe and moderate acute malnutrition in outpatient treatment centres in the first six months of 2025, and hospitalised around 25,000 malnourished children.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Médecins sans frontières (MSF).
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MIL-OSI Africa: Boosting Growth with Inclusive Financial Development Crucial to Unlock Angola’s Poverty Alleviation Efforts
Source: APO
Angola recorded the highest economic expansion since 2014, with real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth reaching 4.4% in 2024. According to the latest edition of the Angola Economic Update (AEU) published by the World Bank Group (WBG) today, titled Boosting Growth with Inclusive Financial Development, this growth was driven by the oil sector’s recovery and diamond extraction, along with strong expansion in commerce and fishing.
The report highlights that despite a rebound in economic activity in 2024, Angola still struggles with the lasting impacts of prolonged stagnation. From 2016 to 2020, the economy contracted by approximately 10.4%, averaging a 2.1% annual decline. This sluggish growth stemmed from structural challenges and heavy dependence on the oil sector, making it susceptible to global price fluctuations. Real GDP growth is projected at an average of 2.9% from 2025 to 2027, but this is unlikely to significantly improve living standards. Increased global uncertainty, including falling oil prices, emphasizes the need for Angola to diversify its economy and reduce reliance on oil.
“The Angolan economy is in urgent need of establishing a consistent pathway toward robust growth to address nearly a decade of stagnation and to improve conditions for poverty alleviation. There is optimism that the comprehensive economic reforms currently being implemented by the government will produce positive outcomes and unlock the country’s potential,” said Juan Carlos Alvarez, World Bank Country Manager for Angola. “The country must intensify its support for key sectors that can significantly contribute to the essential process of economic diversification. A deeper analysis of these sectors and the needed structural reforms are discussed in the Angola Country Economic Memorandum, also published today,” he added.
The AEU emphasizes the importance of promoting inclusive financial development in Angola to address the existing significant inequality and exclusion, particularly in rural areas where access to formal banking services is limited. Women and older adults are particularly affected. Compared to other countries in the region, Angolan households have less access to credit, savings, and digital financial services. Advancing financial inclusion can boost economic participation and resilience, leading to sustainable growth and poverty reduction. Access to banking, credit, and insurance empowers small businesses, farmers, and entrepreneurs, enhancing productivity and job creation. Moreover, financial inclusion can reduce income inequality by providing marginalized groups with opportunities to build assets and improve their well-being.
The report highlights that implementing key reforms can create a more robust and inclusive financial sector in Angola, essential for diversifying the economy and fostering growth and job creation. It emphasizes the need for broader access to financial services beyond Luanda, especially as Angola focuses on economic activities in the Lobito Corridor and develops secondary cities. Additionally, the rise of digital banking and mobile payments offers a significant opportunity to reach underserved populations, enhancing economic resilience and promoting inclusive development.
The report outlines essential reforms that Angola can implement to foster the growth of its financial sector and enhance accessibility in an inclusive manner. These reforms include:
- Developing digital payments to expand access to financial services in remote areas.
- Making digital payments more accessible and intuitive.
- Establishing a favorable regulatory framework to increase access to finance for Microcredit and Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME).
- Promoting lending to MSMEs and improving the transparency and market alignment of initiatives to finance MSMEs.
- Implementing the Financial Action Task Force action plan and addressing deficiencies in the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorist Financing (AML/CFT) Framework.
- Increasing access to insurance for individuals and MSMEs, including weather-based-index insurance for agricultural activities.
“While addressing financial inclusion in Angola has several challenges, particularly for low-income and rural communities, there are constructive opportunities to address these barriers. By implementing regulatory reforms, embracing digital innovations, and enhancing financial education, Angola can pave the way for a more diverse economy and unlock new avenues for growth and job creation,” said Benedicte Baduel, World Bank Senior Country Economist for Angola.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The World Bank Group.
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Over 7.23 crore Bihar electors participated in SIR process, 99.8% coverage achieved: ECI
Source: Government of India
Source: Government of India (4)
Bihar has achieved a major milestone in the State Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, with 7.23 crore electors already covered in the process. This figure accounts for 99.8% of the state’s total electorate, indicating widespread participation and confidence in the electoral system.
The forms submitted by these electors have been digitised and their names will be included in the Draft Electoral Roll set to be published on August 1, 2025. The digitisation of forms and the BLO reports for the remaining electors is also underway and is expected to be completed before the publication deadline.
As part of the exercise, the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Bihar shared lists with all 12 recognised political parties in the state on July 20. These lists include details of electors who are deceased, have migrated permanently, or have not submitted their forms. The purpose is to ensure transparency and allow political parties to verify and rectify any discrepancies before the draft is published.
Since the launch of the SIR process on June 24, 2025, Booth Level Officers (BLOs) and Booth Level Agents (BLAs) have provided crucial updates. They reported the names of approximately 22 lakh deceased electors, around 7 lakh electors registered at multiple locations, and nearly 35 lakh electors who have either migrated permanently or could not be traced. Enumeration forms for about 1.2 lakh electors are still pending collection.
The successful execution of the first phase of SIR has been credited to the coordinated efforts of the state’s electoral machinery. This includes the CEO of Bihar, 38 District Election Officers (DEOs), 243 Electoral Registration Officers (EROs), nearly 3,000 Assistant EROs (AEROs), BLOs deployed across 77,895 polling booths, and the support of all 12 political parties. The contribution of their 38 district presidents and 1.60 lakh nominated BLAs has also been instrumental in the process.
According to the SIR guidelines, the next phase will begin on August 1 and continue until September 1, 2025. During this period, electors or political parties may file claims and objections with the EROs. This includes the inclusion of eligible electors left out of the draft roll or the removal of any ineligible entries.
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MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Preston Parks awarded coveted Green Flag awards
Source: City of Preston
Preston Parks awarded coveted Green Flag Awards as they are officially recognised as some of the country’s best parks
Preston City Council is delighted to have retained the following Green Flag Awards for the city’s green spaces this year:
- Ashton Park
- Avenham and Miller Parks
- Fishwick Recreation Ground and Local Nature Reserve
- Haslam Park
- Winckley Square
Winckley Square has also retained its Green Heritage accreditation, supported by Historic England, and Haslam Park has retained the Green Flag Community Award courtesy of the Friends Group.
The sites are some of the 2,250 in the UK to achieve the award, which is the international quality mark for parks and green spaces.
Missing from the list this year is Preston’s oldest park, Moor Park, which is currently undergoing its own transformation. An important project includes de-silting and extending the historic lake, as well as the reinstatement of the Serpentine Bridge, alongside wider park enhancements to the play area and football pavilion. We’re hoping Moor Park will make the list for Green Flags again once the project is complete.
Councillor Freddie Bailey, Cabinet member for environment and community safety, said:
“The news that Preston’s parks and green spaces have once again met the standards required for the accreditation is testament to the hard work and dedication of the team that care for our parks and green spaces so that visitors and residents alike can enjoy them.”
Paul Todd MBE, Green Flag Award Scheme Manager, added:
“Congratulations to everyone involved in Preston who have worked tirelessly to ensure the high standards required for these Green Flag Awards.
“Quality parks and green spaces make the country a healthier place to live and work in, and a stronger place in which to invest.
“Crucially, Preston is offering vital green spaces for communities in residents to enjoy nature, and during the ongoing cost of living crisis it is a free and safe space for families to socialise. It also provides important opportunities for local people and visitors to reap the physical and mental health benefits of green space.”
The Green Flag Award scheme, managed by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy under licence from the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government, recognises and rewards well-managed parks and green spaces, setting the benchmark standard for the management of green spaces across the United Kingdom and around the world.
More information
The Green Flag Award Scheme is run by the environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy, under licence from the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government, in partnership with Keep Scotland Beautiful, Keep Wales Tidy and Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful.
Any green space that is freely accessible to the public is eligible to enter for a Green Flag Award. Awards are given on an annual basis, and winners must apply each year to renew their Green Flag Award status. A Green Flag Community Award recognises quality sites managed by voluntary and community groups. Green Heritage Site Accreditation is judged on the treatment of the site’s historic features and the standard of conservation.
Keep Britain Tidy is a leading environmental charity. We set the standard for the management of parks and beaches, inspire people to be litter-free, to waste less and live more sustainably. We run campaigns and programmes including the Great British Spring Clean, Eco-Schools, Love Parks Week (25th July – 3rd August 2025), Buy Nothing New Month, Eco-Schools, the Green Flag Award for parks and green spaces, the Blue Flag/ Seaside Awards for beaches and blue spaces, and the Green Key for sustainable tourism and hospitality.
About Historic England
We are Historic England, the public body that protects and brings life to the heritage that matters to us all, so it lives on and is loved for longer. From the extraordinary to the everyday, our historic places and spaces matter. From community centres to cathedrals, homes to high streets, markets to mills – there are special places we all choose to hold onto, the legacy we want to pass on and the stories we continue to tell. That’s why we work together with people across England to discover, protect and bring new life to our shared historic environment, providing advice, knowledge, support and services
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MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Mansion House reopens and residents invited for ‘behind-the-scenes’ tours
Source: City of York
York Mansion House, the 300-year-old Georgian landmark, is set to reopen its doors this August following the successful completion of the first phase of a major £1.3 million restoration project.
To mark this milestone, ninety City of York residents will be offered the opportunity to explore the newly-restored areas through a series of exclusive, free ‘behind-the-scenes’ tours.
Organised by Buttress Architects in partnership with City of York Council, the tours will take place on Tuesday 12 August, offering a unique glimpse into the craftsmanship and conservation efforts that have gone into preserving one of York’s most iconic civic buildings. The tours follow the Georgian Festival (7-11 August) and celebrate the Mansion House’s reopening in its 300th anniversary year.
Led by Hannah Bellerby, Senior Architect at Buttress, and Richard Pollitt, Mansion House Manager and Curator, the tours will guide visitors through the building’s most significant spaces and will explain more about the repair work undertaken. Most of the restoration has focused on protecting the fabric of the building following a comprehensive inspection, as well as external repairs. The Mansion House is now even more accessible than before, and the experts will explain further what has been improved and restored behind the scenes.
The tours will start in the state room before taking in the Lord Mayor’s drawing room, the principal staircase, the dining room, the butler’s pantry, the historic kitchen, the basement vault, external passageway, courtyard, and both the rear and front elevations.
The Right Honourable The Lord Mayor of York, Cllr Martin Rowley BEM, said:
“Work to build the house began in 1725 and was completed in 1732, making it one of the earliest civic buildings in England in the classical style.
“As city’s civic hub, the Mansion House holds and displays an important collection of items which tell York’s history and we’re delighted to welcome you back.”
Cllr Claire Douglas, Leader of City of York Council, said:
“These tours will give residents an exclusive insight into the essential maintenance, accessibility upgrades and safety improvements to secure the Mansion House’s future as a cultural and civic asset.
“They’ll find out about how the building’s environmental performance and accessibility is now the best it’s ever been – that’s good for the environment and residents!
“Working with our architects at Buttress and building contractor Birch, we’ve solved issues that this 300 year old building has presented so that it can reopen on 6 August ahead of the Georgian Festival. Please book your tickets for these special free tours now, or please book a regular visit at a time that suits you.”
Hannah Bellerby from Buttress commented:
“We’re excited to welcome local residents to see the results of our conservation works which help to ensure the longevity of the Mansion House for future generations to enjoy.
“Our focus has been on preserving the building’s historical integrity while ensuring it remains accessible and sustainable. This is a much-loved civic treasure, and its reopening – 300 years after its completion in 1725 – is a truly special moment.”
One of the most exciting discoveries during the restoration was made in the Lord Mayor’s drawing room, where seven layers of historic wallpaper were uncovered dating back to the 18th century. These layers, found on a narrow strip of wall, were then carefully removed and separated by wallpaper conservator Allyson McDermott and magnified to reveal the evolving decorative styles of the room over the centuries – providing invaluable insight for the restoration team.
A paint analysis, undertaken by Hirst Conservation, also found what appears to be a full archaeological paint record to the interior spaces of the hallway and principal staircase which allowed for an informed decision to be made on the redecoration of the spaces based on physical evidence.
Buttress Architects were appointed in October 2024 to lead the restoration, providing specialist heritage consultancy and conservation architecture. The second phase of works is expected to conclude in December 2025.
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MIL-OSI Security: FLORIDA MAN CHARGED WITH ILLEGAL POSSESSION OF MACHINE GUNS AND ASSAULTING LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS
Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – John Caleb Allen, 26, of Bristol, Florida, has been charged by federal criminal complaint for assault of a federal law enforcement officer with a deadly weapon, discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, and illegal possession of a machine gun. The charges were announced today by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
Court documents allege that, on July 24, 2025, agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives with the assistance of the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office, were executing a federal search warrant at the subject’s residence when Allen opened fire on law enforcement. After firing multiple rounds at the agents, Allen was arrested without the agents discharging their weapons. Agents suffered minor, non-critical injuries as a result of the assault.
Allen is scheduled for arraignment before United States Magistrate Judge Martin A. Fitzpatrick today, at 3:00 pm at the Federal Courthouse in Tallahassee, Florida.
If convicted, Allen faces up to twenty years’ imprisonment on the assault of a federal law enforcement officer with a deadly weapon count, a minimum of ten years up to life imprisonment on the discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence count, and up to ten years’ imprisonment on the illegal possession of a machinegun count.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement are investigating the case. Assistant United States Attorney James McCain is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation by a sworn affiant that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to due process, to include a fair trial, during which it is the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
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MIL-OSI Security: Member of Violent Gang Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Drug Trafficking
Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
BOSTON – A Boston-area man has been sentenced in federal court in Boston for his role in Cameron Street, a violent Boston gang.
Wilter Rodrigues, 39, was sentenced on July 22, 2025 by U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young to 60 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. In July 2024, Rodrigues pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute cocaine and cocaine base.
According to court documents, Rodrigues was identified as member of Cameron Street, a violent gang based largely in the Dorchester section of Boston that uses violence and threats of violence to preserve, protect and expand its territory, promote a climate of fear and enhance its reputation.
Rodrigues worked with two co-defendants to allegedly distribute cocaine and cocaine base from an apartment in Somerville. Rodrigues has a lengthy criminal record, including a previous federal conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition and two state court convictions for drug-distribution offenses.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Bryan DiGirolamo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; Jarod A. Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police; Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office; Suffolk, Plymouth, Norfolk and Bristol County District Attorney’s Offices; and the Canton, Quincy, Randolph, Somerville, Brockton, Malden, Stoughton, Rehoboth and Pawtucket (R.I.) Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Pohl and Charles Dell’Anno of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.
This operation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The remaining defendants named in the indictment are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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MIL-OSI Security: Illegal Alien Charged With Unlawful Possession Of A Firearm And Illegal Reentry
Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the return by a grand jury of an indictment charging Aristeo Ceron-Morales (48, Sarasota) with unlawful possession of a firearm and illegal reentry. If convicted on all counts, Ceron-Morales faces a maximum penalty of 17 years in federal prison. The indictment also notifies Ceron-Morales that the United States intends to forfeit a Sig Sauer P226 firearm, a Savage 410 shotgun, Hornady 9 mm ammunition, and Remington .38 ammunition, which are alleged to be traceable to proceeds of the offense.
According to the indictment, Aristeo Ceron-Morales is a convicted felon and illegal alien. In 2002, he was convicted of “Sex Offense Against Child Fondling – Conduct by Person 18 Years of Age or Older.” Ceron-Morales possessed firearms and ammunition despite not being able to legally do so based on his status as a convicted felon and illegal alien. Additionally, Ceron-Morales was previously removed from the United States in 2003 and had returned to the United States illegally.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Homeland Security – Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Bradenton Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Abigail K. King.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
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MIL-OSI Security: Illegal Possession of Stolen Firearms, Including Sawed-Off Shotgun, Lands Mustang Felon in Federal Prison for More Than Seven Years
Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
OKLAHOMA CITY – MICHAEL LOWELL BONJOUR, 39, of Mustang, has been sentenced to serve 87 months in federal prison for illegal possession of firearms after previous felony conviction, possession of stolen firearms, and possession of an unregistered firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
According to public record, Bonjour was arrested on state charges by officers with the El Reno Police Department in March 2024 when he was discovered to be in possession of a stolen firearm. Six months later, in September 2024, officers with the Oklahoma City Police Department arrested him after he was stopped driving a stolen vehicle and found to be in possession of three stolen firearms – including a sawed-off shotgun.
Prior to these arrests, Bonjour had been convicted of multiple felonies, including convictions in Canadian County District Court for bringing contraband into a jail/penal institution in case number CF-2023-232; possession of a stolen vehicle in case number CF-2023-298; and stalking in case number CF-2023-325, as well as a total of four misdemeanor convictions for violations of a protective order.
On November 6, 2024, a federal grand jury charged Bonjour with being a felon in possession of a firearm, possession of stolen firearms, and possession of an unregistered firearm. On February 28, 2025, Bonjour pleaded guilty and admitted he knowingly possessed stolen firearms despite his previous felony convictions, and further admitted that one of the firearms was not properly registered to him despite its modified barrel.
At a sentencing hearing on July 18, 2025, U.S. District Judge Scott L. Palk sentenced Bonjour to serve 87 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. In announcing the sentence, the Court noted the need to deter additional criminal conduct and to protect the public.
This case is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Edmond Police Department, the Oklahoma City Police Department, and the El Reno Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Danielle M. Connolly prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a Department of Justice program to reduce violent crime. This case is also part of “Operation 922,” the Western District of Oklahoma’s implementation of PSN, which prioritizes prosecution of federal crimes connected to domestic violence. For more information about PSN, please visit https://justice.gov/psn and https://justice.gov/usao-wdok.
Reference is made to public filings for additional information.
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MIL-OSI Security: South Bend Man Sentenced to 100 Months in Prison
Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
SOUTH BEND – Terrence Dockery, 33 years old, of South Bend, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Cristal C. Brisco after pleading guilty to being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, announced Acting United States Attorney M. Scott Proctor.
Dockery was sentenced to 100 months in prison followed by 1 year of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, police conducted a traffic stop as Dockery was riding his moped on a late summer night in South Bend. Police found Dockery in possession of two guns and about 30 grams of methamphetamine. Dockery has multiple prior felony convictions, including convictions for dealing methamphetamine and arson, and as such, he is prohibited from possessing the firearm in this case.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with assistance from the South Bend Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joel Gabrielse.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Jonathan L. Jackson Applauds France’s Decision to Recognize Palestinian Statehood, Calls for Renewed Push Toward Peace
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Jonathan Jackson – Illinois (1st District)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CHICAGO, IL – Today, Congressman Jonathan Jackson (IL-01) issued the following statement in response to France’s announcement that it will formally recognize a Palestinian state in September:
“I commend President Emmanuel Macron and the French government for their courageous and principled decision to recognize Palestinian statehood. This historic step reaffirms France’s commitment to justice, diplomacy, and a peaceful resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
“A two-state solution, with Israel and Palestine coexisting in security and mutual recognition, remains the only viable path to lasting peace. France’s leadership moves the world closer to that reality. The United States and the international community must follow this example by supporting dialogue, de-escalation, and a negotiated settlement that upholds the rights and dignity of all people in the region.
“Now is the time for bold action. Let us seize this moment to advance peace, stability, and hope for future generations. We must break this cycle of violence and work towards a lasting peace and prosperity. The work is not a singular act, but rather a commitment made to bring our world together. “
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MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI from Fox News: ‘Shirts and Skins’: How one Republican bridged the gap to pass Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator MarkWayne Mullin (R-Oklahoma)
ICYMI from Fox News: ‘Shirts and Skins’: How one Republican bridged the gap to pass Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’
“‘Hey, we’re all on the same team,’ is a little tougher than what people think.”
Washington, D.C. – ICYMI, Fox News published the following piece crediting U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullin’s (R-OK) essential role in uniting House and Senate Republicans to accomplish President Trump’s ‘One, Big, Beautiful Bill.’ The article highlights Mullin’s important role the “de facto liaison between the chambers” and specifically notes his importance in managing a SALT deal that “helped seal the deal for anxious blue state House Republicans.”
Additionally, Fox News reported on the evolution of the senator’s negotiating style due to the leadership of Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), writing, “for a time his negotiating style was arguing with lawmakers to convince them ‘why you’re wrong.’ But that style softened after watching Thune.”
Read the full story from Fox News HERE and below:
‘Shirts and Skins’: How one Republican bridged the gap to pass Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’
By Alex Miller | July 24, 2025
Passing President Donald Trump’s agenda was a team effort between the Senate and House, but one Senate Republican was key in smoothing over differences between the two chambers.
“There’s an inherent mistrust between senators and representatives,” Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., told Fox News Digital in an interview. “There’s a deep, deep mistrust, and it’s like we’re playing shirts and skins with our own team.”
“And trying to break down that barrier and let people know, ‘Hey, we’re all on the same team,’ is a little tougher than what people think,” he continued.
House Republicans were dead set on crafting one, colossal package, while Senate Republicans preferred splitting the bill into two — even three — pieces. Then there were disagreements over the depth of spending cuts, changes to Medicaid and carveouts to boost the cap on the State and Local Tax Deduction (SALT).
And while the House GOP worked to craft their version of the massive, $3.3 trillion tax cuts and spending package that eventually made its way to the Senate, Mullin was a crucial figure in bridging the roughly 100-yard gap between both sides of the Capitol.
But it’s a job he never really wanted.
Mullin, who has been in Washington for over a decade, got his start in the House before being elected to the Senate in 2021. He wanted to maintain “lifelong friendships” with his House colleagues, but becoming the de facto liaison between the chambers was more a decision of practicality than one he truly desired.
“The first couple of deputy whip meetings we had when [Senate Majority Leader John Thune] was whip was discussing what the House is going to do, and no one knew,” Mullin said. “And I was like, ‘Man, it’s just down the hall, we can go walk and talk to them.’ So the first time I did that, I went to the [House GOP] conference and just talked.”
“And then it just turned into me going to Thune and saying, ‘Hey, why don’t I just become a liaison between the two?’ So I didn’t, I never envisioned of doing that, other than just keeping a relationship, but it was a natural fit,” he continued.
That role began when former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who Mullin had a longstanding relationship with, led the House GOP, and has continued since House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., took the helm in 2023.
And it paid dividends during the six-month slog to draft and pass Trump’s budget reconciliation bill, which required full buy-in from congressional Republicans to do so given that no Democrats were involved in the process.
Markwayne said that before the bill even made it to the Senate in early June, he played a role in ensuring that House Republicans didn’t “dump a ton of stuff in there” that would be nixed by Senate rules.
He effectively ping-ponged back and forth between the chambers, jetting from morning workouts to speak with lawmakers, meeting with House Republicans during their weekly conference confabs or holding smaller discussions with lawmakers, particularly blue state Republicans concerned about changes to SALT, to get everyone on roughly the same page.
Much of it broke down to explaining how the Senate’s Byrd rule, which governs reconciliation and allows either party to skirt the Senate filibuster to pass legislation, worked.
“I mean, even though I spent 12 or 10 years in the House, I never understood the Byrd rule, but why would I? I didn’t have to deal with it,” he said. “So really getting to understand that, and breaking down that barrier helped.”
The flow of information wasn’t just one way, however. His discussions with House Republicans helped him better inform his colleagues in the upper chamber of their priorities, and what could and couldn’t be touched as Senate Republicans began putting their fingerprints on the bill.
SALT was the main issue that he focused on, and one that most Senate Republicans didn’t care much for. Still, it was a make-or-break agreement to raise the caps, albeit temporarily, to $40,000 for single and joint filers for the next five years, that helped seal the deal for anxious blue state House Republicans.
“Just keeping them informed through the process was very important,” he said. “But at the same time, talking to the House, and when we’re negotiating over here, I’d be like, ‘No guys, that’s a killer,’” he said. “We can’t do that if you, if you touch this, it’s dead over there for sure.
Guaranteed, it’s dead.”
Over time, his approach to the role has changed, an evolution he said was largely influenced by Thune.
A self-described “bull in a China cabinet,” Mullin said that for a time his negotiating style was arguing with lawmakers to convince them “why you’re wrong.” But that style softened after watching Thune, he said, and saw him talking less and listening more.
“I took his lead off of it to let people talk,” he said. “Sometimes you’re going to find out that they’re actually upset about something that had nothing to do with the bill, but they’re taking that, and they’re holding the bill hostage to be able to let this one point be heard.”
“I don’t think it was a good indication that we were butting heads. Everybody was very passionate about this. I mean, they’ve been working for a long time. We looked at it as maybe a once in a generation opportunity for us to be able to get this done,” he continued. “We wanted to get it right, but everybody wanted to have their fingerprint on it and at the end of the day, we knew we [had] to bring it to the floor.” -
MIL-OSI Banking: Ms. Anuradha Thakur, Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, nominated on RBI Central Board
Source: Reserve Bank of India
The Central Government has nominated Ms. Anuradha Thakur, Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, Government of India as a Director on the Central Board of Reserve Bank of India vice Shri Ajay Seth. The nomination of Ms. Anuradha Thakur is effective from July 24, 2025 and until further orders.
(Puneet Pancholy)
Chief General ManagerPress Release: 2025-2026/789
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Why is France recognising Palestinian statehood and who else has?
Source: Government of India
Source: Government of India (4)
French President Emmanuel Macron has announced he will recognise Palestinian statehood, drawing angry rebukes from Israel and the United States and opening the door for other major nations to potentially like Britain and Canada to perhaps follow suit.
Below are some details about Macron’s announcement, driven by a rising global outcry over starvation and devastation in Gaza amid Israel’s war against Hamas militants, as well as other nations’ position on having Palestinian statehood recognised.
WHAT DID MACRON SAY?
Macron published a letter sent to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas confirming France’s intention to press ahead with recognition and work to convince other partners to do the same. He said he would make a formal announcement at the United Nations General Assembly next month.
France is now the first major Western country to shift its diplomatic stance on a Palestinian state, after Spain, Ireland and Norway officially recognised one last year.
WHY IS THIS SIGNIFICANT?
The decision to recognise Palestinian statehood is mostly symbolic, with Israel occupying the territories where the Palestinians have long aimed to establish that state in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip with East Jerusalem as its capital.
But the move by France, which is home to Europe’s largest Jewish and Muslim communities, could fuel a movement so far dominated by smaller nations generally more critical of Israel.
It also makes Israel appear more isolated on the international stage over the war in Gaza, which is suffering from a wave of hunger that the World Health Organization’s chief said this week amounts to man-made mass starvation.
Israel says it is committed to allowing aid into Gaza but must control it to prevent it being diverted by militants. It says it has let enough food into Gaza during the war and blames Hamas for the suffering of Gaza’s 2.2 million people.
WHY DID MACRON DO THIS?
Macron had been leaning towards the move for months as part of a bid to keep the idea of a two-state solution alive, despite the pressure not to do so. He decided to do it ahead of a U.N. conference co-hosted by France and Saudi Arabia on the matter next week to try to sway other countries considering that step, or those that are wavering.
WHAT IMPACT COULD IT HAVE ON FRENCH TIES WITH ISRAEL
Ahead of Macron’s announcement, Israeli officials had spent months lobbying to prevent what some had called “a nuclear bomb” for bilateral relations.
Sources familiar with the matter say Israel’s warnings to France had ranged from scaling back intelligence-sharing to complicating Paris’ regional initiatives – even hinting at possible annexation of parts of the West Bank.
WHO COULD BE NEXT?
France’s decision may put pressure on major countries like Britain, Germany, Australia, Canada and Japan to take the same path. In the immediate term, Malta and Belgium could be the next countries within the European Union to do so.
A British cabinet minister said on Friday that Britain supports eventual recognition of a Palestinian state, but the immediate priority should be alleviating the suffering in Gaza and securing a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
Germany said on Friday it was not planning to recognise Palestinian statehood in the short term, rather its priority waas to make “long-overdue progress” towards a two-state solution – Israel and a Palestinian state co-existing in peace.
WHO ELSE HAS RECOGNISED PALESTINIAN STATEHOOD?
Last year, Ireland, Norway and Spain recognised a Palestinian state with its borders to be demarcated as they were prior to the 1967 Middle East war, when Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem.
However, they also recognised that those borders may change in any eventual talks to reach a final settlement, and that their decisions did not diminish their belief in Israel’s fundamental right to exist in peace and security.
About 144 of the 193 member states of the United Nations recognise Palestine as a state, including most of the global south as well as Russia, China and India. But only a handful of the 27 European Union members do so, mostly former Communist countries as well as Sweden and Cyprus.
The U.N. General Assembly approved the de facto recognition of the sovereign state of Palestine in November 2012 by upgrading its observer status at the world body to “non-member state” from “entity.”
HOW DID THE UNITED STATES, ISRAEL, AND PALESTINIANS REACT?
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the decision by France, one of Israel’s closest allies and a G7 member, saying such a move “rewards terror and risks creating another Iranian proxy”.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz described it as “a disgrace and a surrender to terrorism”. He added that Israel would not allow the establishment of a “Palestinian entity that would harm our security, endanger our existence”.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States “strongly rejects (Macron’s) plan to recognise a Palestinian state at the U.N. General Assembly.”
“This reckless decision only serves Hamas propaganda and sets back peace,” Rubio posted on X. “It is a slap in the face to the victims of October 7th” – a reference to Hamas’ 2023 cross-border attack on Israel that set off the Gaza war.
Thanking France, the Palestinian Authority’s Vice President Hussein Al Sheikh said Macron’s decision reflected “France’s commitment to international law and its support for the Palestinian people’s rights to self-determination and the establishment of our independent state”.
The Palestine Liberation Organization recognised Israel’s right to exist in peace at the start of the U.S.-backed peace process in 1993 that set up the Palestinian Authority in what Palestinians hoped would be a stepping stone towards statehood.
But Hamas and other Palestinian Islamist militants who have long dominated Gaza and frequently clash with Israeli forces in the West Bank reject recognition of Israel.
(Reuters)
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MIL-OSI USA: Sign Up for Free Community College With SUNY Reconnect
Source: US State of New York
overnor Kathy Hochul visited Suffolk County Community College as part of her efforts to highlight the SUNY Reconnect program to provide free community college for adult learners, ages 25-55, who don’t already have a college degree and who are pursuing an associate degree in a high-demand field. The SUNY Reconnect program, which will begin in fall 2025, is part of Governor Hochul’s ongoing efforts to empower New Yorkers to pursue good jobs, and to ensure employers have access to a well-educated workforce to help the state’s economy thrive.
“In every corner of our state, adult New Yorkers will have access to free community college so they will be able to realize their dreams of better jobs in high-demand industries,” Governor Hochul said. “Through SUNY Reconnect, community colleges like Suffolk County Community College will offer a world-class education to New Yorkers, for free, and will help empower these future leaders to turbo-charge our state economy and pursue paths to upward mobility.”
Launched in mid-May following passage of the 2025-26 State Budget, SUNY Reconnect will make it possible for eligible adult students, ages 25-55, to pursue degrees in high-demand fields for free at SUNY community colleges throughout the state. To help prospective students learn more, SUNY community colleges are holding informational sessions and recruitment events. An updated listing can be found at: https://www.suny.edu/communitycollege/free-cc/sessions/.
Governor Hochul was joined by SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. as they visited Suffolk County Community College where they highlighted the school’s Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration (HVAC/R) program, which is an eligible associate degree program under the free community college initiative. To support adult learner success through SUNY Reconnect, Suffolk County Community College will utilize online and hybrid options for students that need to work while attending classes. Students will also have access to personal support specifically for adult learners, including on-campus childcare centers.
SUNY Chancellor King said, “Thanks to Governor Hochul’s leadership, SUNY is on the move and our community colleges are stepping up to help New Yorkers around the state earn a degree in high-need fields. SUNY community colleges are pathways to upward mobility, and with the support of Governor Hochul and state leaders, Suffolk County Community College and all SUNY community colleges are ensuring that every eligible New Yorker interested in a degree in a high-need field will be able to unleash their full potential.”
The SUNY Board of Trustees said, “SUNY has been New Yorkers’ engine of upward mobility and access to a world-class, affordable higher education for 77 years, and with the support of Governor Hochul SUNY Reconnect represents a bold new chapter in our history of service. By offering a community college education free of charge for adult learners seeking degrees in high-need fields, Governor Hochul and state leaders made a bold investment in the future of our state economy and workforce.”
New York State Department of Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon said, “Free community college for adult learners opens new doors for New Yorkers and ensures skilled and knowledgeable workers in sectors that communities statewide rely on, including education, healthcare, and technology. I thank Governor Hochul for advancing workforce development initiatives through SUNY programs that not only set up adult students for success but also help make the state an affordable place to live, work, and raise a family.”
State Senator Toby Ann Stavisky said, “Everyone’s educational journey is different. Sometimes the path has hurdles and challenges. This initiative will enable students between the ages of 25 to 55 to complete their journey. It also expands workforce development in high demand fields. As a result, everyone benefits.”
To support the launch of SUNY Reconnect, SUNY has:
- Allocated $4 million to community colleges to support SUNY Reconnect programmatic implementation through advising, enrollment, outreach, award of credit for prior learning, and other student services, supports, and campus operations.
- Provided an additional $1 million to cover equipment, materials, supplies, and other one-time needs to increase student enrollment capacity in high-demand programs that are part of SUNY Reconnect.
- Announced $1.1 million in grant funding for the SUNY Adult Learner Leadership Initiative to help community colleges increase access and ensure degree completion for adult learners.
SUNY Reconnect will fund degrees in high-demand fields including:
- Advanced manufacturing
- Artificial Intelligence
- Cybersecurity
- Engineering
- Technology
- Nursing and allied health fields
- Green and renewable energy
- Pathways to teaching in shortage areas
In addition to SUNY Reconnect, the FY25-26 Enacted State Budget provides $8 million in increased operating aid to community colleges – the first back-to-back operating aid increases in decades for these institutions – and maintains the 100% community college funding floor, which protects community colleges from $75 million lost direct state tax support.
The budget also provides significant funding toward New York’s longstanding Educational Opportunity Program, which has served more than 85,000 students, and increased support for ASAP|ACE, which will make these proven retention and completion programs permanent at SUNY and allow for a significant expansion.
Assemblymember Tommy John Schiavoni said, “As an educator for 30 years, I know firsthand how transformative access to higher education can be for individuals and entire communities. Governor Hochul’s SUNY Reconnect initiative will open doors for thousands of adult learners across New York, giving them the opportunity to build careers in high-demand fields while strengthening our state’s workforce and economy. I am proud to support this bold investment in New Yorkers’ futures.”
Suffolk County Community College President Dr. Edward Bonahue said, “Suffolk County Community College is dedicated to the value of lifelong learning, and SUNY Reconnect is a major step forward in helping us fulfill that mission. With this support from the state, we are proud to welcome adult learners preparing for careers in the high-demand fields critical to growing Long Island’s workforce.”
New York State United Teachers President Melinda Person said, “From Niagara to Suffolk and every community in between, SUNY Reconnect is an historic step toward making higher education truly accessible. By removing financial barriers, it gives thousands of adult learners the chance to return to school, build new careers in high-demand fields, and strengthen their families. NYSUT is proud to stand with Gov. Hochul and Chancellor King to support a future where every New Yorker has the opportunity to thrive.”
New York State Association of Counties Executive Director Stephen Acquario said, “Community colleges are at the heart of local communities across New York State, offering accessible and affordable education while also serving as critical engines of workforce development. By removing financial barriers for adults to return to college and pursue degrees in high-demand fields, this initiative will help employers fill job openings and enable more New Yorkers to build fulfilling careers right in their communities. We commend Governor Hochul for her leadership in expanding educational access and creating meaningful opportunities for working-age adults across the state.”
New York Community College Association of Presidents and SUNY Orange President Dr. Kristine Young said, “Access and affordability have long been the hallmarks of New York’s community colleges. Governor Hochul’s support of SUNY Reconnect brings degrees in high-demand fields into reach for adult learners by further removing costs as a barrier. Students will gain access on our campuses to academic excellence and robust support systems, while being able to take advantage of the meaningful connections we’ve built with local and state employers in these critical sectors where skilled employees are needed. My colleagues at each of our 30 SUNY community colleges are more than ready to welcome new and returning adult learners throughout the state and to help them achieve their academic, career and personal goals.”
About The State University of New York
The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive system of higher education in the United States, and more than 95 percent of all New Yorkers live within 30 miles of any one of SUNY’s 64 colleges and universities. Across the system, SUNY has four academic health centers, five hospitals, four medical schools, two dental schools, a law school, the country’s oldest school of maritime, the state’s only college of optometry, and manages one US Department of Energy National Laboratory. In total, SUNY serves about 1.4 million students amongst its entire portfolio of credit- and non-credit-bearing courses and programs, continuing education, and community outreach programs. SUNY oversees nearly a quarter of academic research in New York. Research expenditures system-wide are nearly $1.16 billion in fiscal year 2024, including significant contributions from students and faculty. There are more than three million SUNY alumni worldwide, and one in three New Yorkers with a college degree is a SUNY alum. To learn more about how SUNY creates opportunities, visit www.suny.edu. -
MIL-OSI Africa: Inaugural conference to reimagine an efficient, safe transport system
Source: Government of South Africa
By Ivy Masale
The year 2025 marks a defining moment for South Africa’s transport sector, with the launch of the inaugural National Transport Conference, which is scheduled to take place from 6 – 8 October 2025 in Gauteng.
Hosted by the Department of Transport, this landmark event brings together government, State-owned enterprises (SOEs), private businesses, academia and civil society in one unified conversation.
For the first time, all stakeholders in the transport ecosystem will gather under one roof to exchange ideas, align strategies, and shape the future of mobility across aviation, rail, road, maritime and public transport.
Transport is more than movement: it is the lifeblood of economic growth and social connection.
It links rural communities to markets, supports trade across borders, and fuels development in cities. Yet, the sector faces mounting challenges. Infrastructure is under pressure and requires modernisation.
Passenger rail, once the backbone of public transport, must be restored to full service. Ports need to achieve world-class operational standards. Road fatalities remain unacceptably high. At the same time, technology is changing how goods and people move, and sustainability demands innovative, green solutions.
Addressing these challenges requires bold thinking and collaboration. It demands a shared national agenda where every role-player — government, industry, academia, and investors — works in step.
Until now, South Africa has hosted numerous successful conferences on transport — from the Southern African Transport Conference to the Africa Rail and the Smarter Mobility Summit. These forums have produced valuable insights, but discussions often remain within specific sectors. The absence of a unifying platform has made it difficult to consolidate recommendations into a coherent national strategy.
The National Transport Conference changes this. It is not here to replace existing events but to complement and amplify them. It creates a single forum where knowledge converges, and where ideas can be turned into policies, partnerships and solutions that impact the entire country.
This strategic step by the Department of Transport reflects government’s commitment to transforming mobility in ways that boost economic competitiveness, improve safety, create jobs and advance sustainability.
It also aligns with the priorities set out by the Minister of Transport, Barbara Creecy for her term of office–revitalising rail, expanding air and freight capacity, improving port efficiency, reducing road fatalities and positioning rail as the backbone of transport. These ambitions are not abstract targets; they are performance commitments aimed at unlocking opportunity for millions of South Africans.
Delegates can look forward to a dynamic programme that includes high-level keynote sessions from government leaders, industry executives, including global transport experts.
Discussions will explore critical themes such as restoring passenger rail services and expanding freight volumes to reduce road congestion and support economic growth, leveraging digital innovation and intelligent transport systems, unlocking investment through public-private partnerships, improving road safety in line with global targets and implementing low-emission transport solutions to reduce environmental impact.
Breakaway sessions will give participants a chance to engage deeply with specific challenges. Researchers can share findings that inform policy, while practitioners can explore practical solutions to accelerate implementation. Exhibitions will showcase innovative transport technologies–from electric buses and smart ticketing systems to logistics optimisation tools and green aviation solutions.
The future of transport
This conference is for everyone who has a stake in South Africa’s transport future. Researchers will gain a platform to present studies that influence national policy. Businesses will discover opportunities to partner on infrastructure projects or introduce new technologies.
Transport operators will access critical insights on regulations, funding models, and innovation. Academics will find networks for collaboration. Policymakers and officials will strengthen ties with global thought leaders and learn from best practices.
Beyond the professional value, the conference offers unparalleled networking opportunities. It is a chance to meet decision-makers, investors, and innovators–all under one roof–discussing how to build a transport system that works for the economy and for people.
This is not just a dialogue; it is a platform for action. The conference will adopt a National Transport Agenda — a strategic framework that sets out key priorities for the year ahead and aligns with government’s developmental objectives.
Delegates will contribute to a formal declaration and an actionable roadmap to ensure follow-through on commitments. These outcomes will also inform the October Transport Month campaign, linking dialogue to implementation timelines.
Capacity-building workshops will provide training opportunities to strengthen skills across the sector. Knowledge-sharing sessions will highlight global best practices that can be adapted to local realities. Public-private partnerships will be fostered to unlock investment and resources for large-scale projects.
The ultimate goal is a transport system that is integrated, efficient and sustainable. One that supports economic growth, connects people to opportunities, and enhances safety and accessibility for all.The launch of the National Transport Conference signals a new era of partnership and progress.
It is an opportunity to move beyond fragmented conversations and towards a shared vision for mobility. For government, it is a platform to lead transformation. For industry, it is a chance to invest in growth. For citizens, it promises a future where transport is safe, affordable and reliable.
South Africa stands at a pivotal point in its journey to reimagine mobility. The question now is not whether change will come–but how fast and how well we can make it happen. The National Transport Conference is where that future begins.
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MIL-OSI Security: Defense News in Brief: Around the Air Force: Global Teamwork for REFORPAC, Rapid Global Mobility, Modernizing GPS
Source: United States Spaceforce
In this week’s look around the Air Force, personnel, equipment and aircraft surge into the Indo-Pacific theatre for Resolute Force Pacific, AMC provides the logistical foundation for the Department-Level Exercise series, and Space Operations Command takes steps to modernize GPS.
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MIL-OSI United Kingdom: United Kingdom helps Guatemala to combat plastic pollution
Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements
World news storyUnited Kingdom helps Guatemala to combat plastic pollution
Deputy Head of Mission (DHM) Paul Huggins participated in the launch of Guatemala’s National Plastics Action Partnership (NPAP).
During the event, he offered closing remarks highlighting the United Kingdom’s commitment to the Global Plastics Action Partnership (GPAP), of which Guatemala has been a member since January 2025, and underscored the importance of international collaborations in addressing global environmental challenges.
DHM Huggins praised Guatemala’s leadership in creating inclusive, evidence-based policies and welcomed its recent membership in the UK-founded High Ambition Coalition to End Plastic Pollution (HAC). He also reaffirmed the United Kingdom’s commitment to concluding negotiations for a legally binding global treaty on plastics by August of this year.
The event was attended by the Minister of Environment, Patricia Orantes; the Vice Minister for Climate Change, Edwin Castellanos, and representatives of partner organizations and implementers of the NPAP in Guatemala.
The UK, through the Blue Planet Fund and in collaboration with other partners has contributed £24 million to the GPAP program since 2018, supporting initiatives that promote the circular economy and improve the conditions of informal waste workers.
Updates to this page
Published 25 July 2025 -
MIL-OSI China: Northeast China issues alerts for rainstorms, flooding
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
CHANGCHUN/HARBIN, July 25 — Northeastern Chinese provinces of Heilongjiang and Jilin on Friday issued alerts for flood and farmland waterlogging as rainstorms have swollen multiple rivers in the region.
Heavy rainfall is expected from Thursday to Saturday in parts of the Songhua River and Liaohe River basins, including their tributaries, likely causing significant water level rises in multiple rivers across the affected regions, according to the Songhua-Liaohe water resources commission under the Ministry of Water Resources.
Authorities overseeing the flood-control work for the two rivers have activated Level IV emergency responses for flood prevention and control, urging particular attention paid to the safety of small reservoirs as well as the prevention of mountain torrents.
Early on Friday morning, the water resources department and meteorological administration in Jilin Province jointly issued an orange alert, indicating a high likelihood of flood disasters, including river flooding and farmland waterlogging, over the next 24 hours in the southwestern region of Changchun, capital of Jilin, and in the central-western areas of Siping City.
A yellow alert for flood disaster risks was issued later, covering central Changchun and northern part of Jilin City. Local authorities have been urged to strengthen preventive measures, promptly activate emergency response plans, and ensure public safety.
China has a four-tier weather warning system — with red representing the most severe warning, followed by orange, yellow and blue.
Heilongjiang issued a red alert for rainstorms at 8 a.m. on Friday.
According to the Heilongjiang Meteorological Observatory, it is expected that some southern townships of the Mongolian Autonomous County of Dorbod could receive accumulated precipitation of up to 100 mm within the space of just three hours.
Local weather authorities advised all relevant departments to implement emergency flood prevention and disaster response measures — including timely evacuation of personnel from high-risk areas. Comprehensive measures to prevent urban waterlogging, river floods and mountain torrents should be reinforced, with intensified inspections and reinforcement of bridges, culverts, roadbeds, embankments and reservoirs.
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MIL-OSI China: China’s largest land port handles 30,000 China-Europe freight train trips since 2013
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
China’s largest land port handles 30,000 China-Europe freight train trips since 2013
An aerial drone photo taken on July 25, 2025 shows freight trains preparing to depart from the railway station in Manzhouli, north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. The Manzhouli railway port, China’s largest land port, has handled 30,000 China-Europe freight train trips and nearly 3 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) of goods since 2013. [Photo/Xinhua] This photo taken on July 24, 2025 shows a freight train loaded with goods arriving at the railway station in Manzhouli, north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. [Photo/Xinhua] An aerial drone photo shows containers being loaded at Manzhouli railway station in north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, July 24, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua] This photo shows containers being loaded at Manzhouli railway station in north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, July 25, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua] An aerial drone photo taken on July 24, 2025 shows a freight train departing from the railway station in Manzhouli, north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. [Photo/Xinhua] An aerial drone photo taken on July 25, 2025 shows freight trains preparing to depart from the railway station in Manzhouli, north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. [Photo/Xinhua] -
MIL-OSI China: China logs steady increase in cross-regional passenger trips in H1
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
China logged 33.76 billion cross-regional passenger trips in the first half of 2025, a 4.2 percent increase over the same period last year, the Ministry of Transport said on Friday.
Rail journeys rose 6.7 percent, road travel grew 4 percent, and the number of air passengers climbed 6 percent. International flights led the rebound, surging 28.5 percent.
Freight traffic remained solid amid resilient global logistics. Commercial freight totaled 28.03 billion tonnes, up 3.9 percent year on year.
The total port cargo throughput continued to rise, with the number of foreign trade containers growing at a relatively fast pace. China’s ports handled 8.9 billion tonnes of cargo during the period, up 4 percent from the year prior.
Fixed-asset investment in transport held steady at 1.65 trillion yuan (about 231 billion U.S. dollars), underscoring continued infrastructure momentum.
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MIL-OSI Africa: Development Minister sets out new United Kingdom (UK) approach to development at G20 meeting in South Africa
Source: APO – Report:
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- Development Minister Baroness Chapman will reset the UK’s approach to international development at the G20 Development Meeting in South Africa today (Friday, 25 July).
- Economic development underpins the UK’s new approach, as the Minister visits a South African food producer supported by the FCDO’s development arm BII.
- The UK is supporting countries to transition from traditional aid to innovative financing for development, as the Minister visits a centre for survivors of gender-based violence funded by both the UK and the private sector.
The UK is resetting its relationship with countries in the Global South and helping countries exit the need for aid, as Baroness Chapman attends the G20 Development Ministerial Meeting in South Africa today (Friday 25 July 2025).
This follows the publication of ODA allocations earlier this week (Tuesday 22 July 2025), which indicate how the UK is going to spend its aid budget for the next year.
The UK will move from being a donor to a genuine partner and investor, ensuring every pound spent on aid delivers for the UK taxpayer and the people we support.
Economic development underpins the UK’s new approach, to help countries grow fairer, more resilient economies and ultimately exit the need for aid, in support of the government’s Plan for Change.
The Minister saw this in action yesterday (Thursday 24 July 2025) as she visited an Agristar farm which produces macadamia nuts in Mbombela, eastern South Africa. British International Investment (BII), the UK’s development finance institution, is supporting Agristar to expand – supporting jobs and growth and helping to stock British supermarket shelves.
The Minister also visited a UK supported care centre for survivors of gender-based violence in Mbombela, alongside South African Minister for Women, Youth and Persons with Disability, Sindisiwe Lydia Chikunga. The centre is supported by a multi-donor fund which has seen increased backing from South African and international private investors. The innovative funding approach has supported over 200 community-based organisations in South Africa working to prevent violence in schools and communities and provide response services for survivors of gender-based violence. This demonstrates the UK and South Africa’s shared commitment to gender equality and women’s empowerment.
By mobilising private finance and empowering partners to take charge of their own development, the UK is moving away from a paternalistic approach to aid.
Minister for Development, Baroness Chapman said:
We want to help countries move beyond aid. In South Africa, I’ve seen the impact we can have with genuine partnerships, rather than paternalism. Our work is supporting jobs and generating global economic growth – and bringing high quality South African produce to UK shops.
At the G20 in South Africa, I have one simple message: the world has changed and so must we. The UK is taking a new approach to development, responding to the needs of our partners and delivering real impact and value for money for UK taxpayers.
At the G20, the Minister is due to discuss the UK’s new approach to international development with counterparts from Egypt, India and Germany.
The Agristar farm in Mbombela, which the Minister visited yesterday, has benefitted from UK investment as part of the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP). BII support has enabled the macadamia nut producer to expand its operations across Africa, invest in measures to mitigate climate risks, and support nearly 400 jobs. BII is also supporting Agristar’s expansion into Malawi.
BII, which aims to make a return on its investments, has so far supported 92 companies in South Africa and over 35,000 jobs.
Its success highlights how the UK’s investment in international development is driving green growth and jobs, boosting global prosperity and stability to help create the conditions to deliver the government’s Plan for Change at home.
The Minister will also announce today a new £2 million commitment to support local agribusiness projects by partnering with South African investment funds to drive more private finance for the farming sector.
In G20 talks on tackling illicit financial flows, the Minister will highlight how money and assets siphoned away as part of criminal activity deprive lower-income countries of vital resources which could otherwise support growth and development. The Foreign Secretary is leading a campaign against illicit finance, mobilising the best UK expertise and international partnerships, so dirty money has nowhere to hide. This is also vital to deterring threats to the safety and security of Britain, as part of the government’s Plan for Change.
– on behalf of United Kingdom Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
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MIL-OSI Analysis: Deportation tactics from 4 US presidents have done little to reduce the undocumented immigrant population
Source: The Conversation – USA – By Kevin Johnson, Dean and Professor of Public Interest Law and Chicana/o Studies, University of California, Davis
Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents escort a detained immigrant into an elevator on June 17, 2025, in New York. AP Photo/Olga Fedorova All modern U.S. presidents, both Republican and Democratic, have attempted to reduce the population of millions of undocumented immigrants. But their various strategies have not had significant results, with the population hovering around 11 million from 2005 to 2022.
President Donald Trump seeks to change that.
With harsh rhetoric that has sowed fear in immigrant communities, and policies that ignore immigrants’ due process rights, Trump has pursued deportation tactics that differ dramatically from those of any other modern U.S. president.
As a scholar who examines the history of U.S. immigration law and enforcement, I believe that it remains far from clear whether the Trump White House will significantly reduce the undocumented population. But even if the administration’s efforts fail, the fear and damage to the U.S. immigrant community will remain.
Presidents Bush and Obama
To increase deportations, in 2006 President George W. Bush began using workplace raids. Among these sweeps was the then-largest immigration workplace operation in U.S. history at a meat processing plant in Postville, Iowa in 2008.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement deployed 900 agents in Postville and arrested 398 employees, 98% of whom were Latino. They were chained together and arraigned in groups of 10 for felony criminal charges of aggravated identity theft, document fraud and use of stolen Social Security numbers. Some 300 were convicted, and 297 of them served jail sentences before being deported.
Men wait in a holding cell on June 21, 2006, in Nogales, Arizona.
Spencer Platt/Getty ImagesIn 2008, Bush also initiated Secure Communities, a policy that sought to deport noncitizens – both lawful permanent residents as well as undocumented immigrants – who had been arrested for crimes. Some 2 million immigrants were deported during Bush’s two terms in office.
The Obama administration limited Secure Communities to focus on the removal of noncitizens convicted of felonies. It deported a record 400,000 noncitizens in fiscal year 2013, which led detractors to refer to President Barack Obama as the “Deporter in Chief.”
Obama also targeted recent entrants and national security threats and pursued criminal prosecutions for illegal reentry to the U.S. Almost all of these policies built on Bush’s, although Obama virtually abandoned workplace raids.
Despite these enforcement measures, Obama also initiated Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, in 2012. The policy provided relief from deportation and gave work authorization to more than 500,000 undocumented immigrants who came to the United States as children.
Obama deported about 3 million noncitizens, but the size of the undocumented population did not decrease dramatically.
The first Trump administration and Biden
Trump’s first administration broke new immigration enforcement ground in several ways.
He began his presidency by issuing what was called a “Muslim ban” to restrict the entry into the U.S. of noncitizens from predominantly Muslim nations.
Early in Trump’s first administration, federal agents expanded immigration operations to include raids at courthouses, which previously had been off-limits.
In 2017, Trump tried to rescind DACA, but the Supreme Court rejected Trump’s effort in 2020.
In 2019, Trump implemented the Remain in Mexico policy that for the first time forced noncitizens who came to the U.S. border seeking asylum to wait in Mexico while their claims were being decided. He also invoked Title 42 in 2020 to close U.S. borders during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Trump succeeded in reducing legal immigration numbers during his first term. However, there is no evidence that his enforcement policies reduced the size of the overall undocumented population.
President Joe Biden sought to relax – although not abandon – some immigration enforcement measures implemented during Trump’s first term.
His administration slowed construction of the border wall championed by Trump. Biden also stopped workplace raids in 2021, and in 2023, he ended Title 42.
In 2023, Biden sought to respond to migration surges in a measured fashion, by temporarily closing ports of entry and increasing arrests.
In attempting to enforce the borders, his administration at times pursued tough measures. Biden continued deportation efforts directed at criminal noncitizens. Immigrant rights groups criticized his administration when armed Border Patrol officers on horseback were videotaped chasing Haitian migrants on the U.S.-Mexico border.
As of 2022, the middle of the Biden’s term, an estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants lived in the U.S.
Immigration-rights activists stage a rally outside President Barack Obama’s Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee fundraiser in Los Angeles, after the president signed a bill that tightened security at the Mexico border in August 2010.
Mark Ralston/AFP via Getty ImagesA second chance
Since his second inauguration, Trump has pursued a mass deportation campaign through executive orders that are unprecedented in their scope.
In January 2025, he announced an expanded, expedited removal process for any noncitizen apprehended anywhere in the country – not just the border region, as had been U.S. practice since 1996.
In March, Trump issued a presidential proclamation to deport Venezuelan nationals who were members of the Tren de Aragua gang, designated a foreign terrorist organization by the State Department. In doing so, he invoked the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 – an act used three times in U.S. history during declared wars that empowers presidents to remove foreign nationals from countries at war with the U.S.
Declaring an “invasion” of migrants into the U.S. in June, Trump deployed the military to assist in immigration enforcement in Los Angeles.
Trump also sought to dramatically upend birthright citizenship, the Constitutional provision that guarantees citizenship to any person born in the U.S. He issued an executive order in January that would bar citizenship to people born in the U.S. to undocumented parents.
California National Guard members stand in formation during a protest in Los Angeles on June 14, 2025.
David Pashaee/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty ImagesThe birthright executive order has been challenged in federal court and is mostly likely working its way up to the Supreme Court.
Under the second Trump administration, immigration arrests are up, but actual deportation numbers are in flux.
ICE in June arrested the most people in a month in at least five years, roughly 30,000 immigrants. But deportations of noncitizens – roughly 18,000 – lagged behind those during the Obama administration’s record-setting year of 2013 in which more than 400,000 noncitizens were deported.
The gap between arrests and deportations shows the challenges the Trump administration faces in making good on his promised mass deportation campaign.
Undocumented immigrants often come to the U.S. to work or seek safety from natural disasters and mass violence.
These issues have not been seriously addressed by any modern U.S. president. Until it is, we can expect the undocumented population to remain in the millions.
Kevin Johnson does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
– ref. Deportation tactics from 4 US presidents have done little to reduce the undocumented immigrant population – https://theconversation.com/deportation-tactics-from-4-us-presidents-have-done-little-to-reduce-the-undocumented-immigrant-population-261640
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MIL-OSI United Kingdom: DAO 05/25 letter: Green Book Review 2025: Findings
Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements
CorrespondenceDAO 05/25 letter: Green Book Review 2025: Findings
‘Dear Accounting Officer’ letters provide advice on accountability, regularity, propriety, value for money and annual accounting exercises.
Documents
Details
In January 2025, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced a review of the Green Book and how it is used to support fair, objective and transparent appraisal of projects outside of London and the south-east of England. The conclusions of the Green Book Review were published alongside the Spending Review on 11 June 2025. It sets out that the Green Book, and the way that it is used, need to change.
Updates to this page
Published 25 July 2025 -
MIL-OSI USA: Around the Air Force: Global Teamwork for REFORPAC, Rapid Global Mobility, Modernizing GPS
Source: United States Air Force
Headline: Around the Air Force: Global Teamwork for REFORPAC, Rapid Global Mobility, Modernizing GPS
In this week’s look around the Air Force, personnel, equipment and aircraft surge into the Indo-Pacific theatre for Resolute Force Pacific, AMC provides the logistical foundation for the Department-Level Exercise series, and Space Operations Command takes steps to modernize GPS.
