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  • MIL-OSI Global: Silent night: anatomical solutions for snoring

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Michelle Spear, Professor of Anatomy, University of Bristol

    Yuri A/Shutterstock.com

    Snoring is often dismissed as a harmless quirk – or the punchline of bedtime jokes – but it can signal deeper issues that go beyond mere acoustic annoyance.

    Snoring occurs when turbulent airflow causes soft tissue in the upper airway to vibrate during sleep. It can stem from something as minor as a blocked nose, but it can also hint at more serious concerns like obstructive sleep apnoea. This condition is linked to an increased risk of stroke and heart disease, impaired thinking, and fatigue that lasts all day.

    For partners sharing a bed (it affects about 40% of men and 24% of women) the relentless drone of disrupted airflow can cause broken sleep, affecting mood, productivity and emotional wellbeing.

    Addressing snoring is not just about restoring peace and quiet, it’s about improving your health. Understanding the anatomy involved opens the door to effective, non-invasive solutions.



    Read more:
    How Cpap machines work: the anatomical science behind a noisy night-time lifesaver

    The nose

    The problem often starts at the nose. When nasal breathing is impeded by allergies, polyps or a deviated septum, the body switches to mouth breathing. This increases airflow turbulence as it bypasses the nasal turbinates – bones covered by soft tissue that normally regulate airflow.

    Nasal turbinates explained.

    Saline nasal rinses and sprays can help clear allergens and mucus, promoting smooth airflow. And mechanical aids, such as nasal strips or nostril dilators, widen the nasal aperture, encouraging nose breathing. Even the simple act of practising nasal breathing during the day can help reduce snoring.

    The jaw

    A lower jaw that sits too far back – whether due to genetics or possibly injury – can cause the tongue to fall backwards during sleep and block the airway. If the mouth also falls open, it throws off the balance between the space in the mouth and the surrounding soft tissues, making snoring more likely.

    Sleeping on your side counteracts this gravitational collapse, and “mandibular advancement devices” subtly reposition the jaw forward, mechanically enlarging the space behind the tongue – the so-called retroglossal airway.

    For chronic mouth breathing, gently closing the lips with hypoallergenic tape can promote nasal breathing and help stabilise the jaw, when used safely.

    The tongue

    The tongue is no passive passenger during sleep. As we fall into deeper sleep, the muscles that keep it in place relax. In people with a large tongue, weak tongue muscles or a loose tongue tie, the tongue can fall backwards and block part of the airway. This makes the air passage smaller, causing air to rush through faster and increasing the vibrations that lead to snoring.

    Targeted exercises can improve tongue strength and control, reducing this effect. One such exercise is the “tongue push-up”, where the tongue is pressed against the roof of the mouth and held for several seconds before relaxing.

    Another involves sticking the tongue out as far as possible and moving it in different directions – up, down and side to side – to enhance flexibility and tone. For those prone to mouth breathing, mouth taping also plays a role by ensuring the tongue remains in its natural position, preventing it from collapsing backwards.

    The soft palate

    Just behind the mouth is the soft palate – a flexible, muscular part that continues from the hard roof of your mouth and ends in the uvula (the little dangly bit you often see in cartoons when a character screams or snores).

    These soft tissues help control airflow and stop food or liquid from going up into the nose when you swallow. But during sleep – especially in REM sleep – the muscles in the throat that normally lift it become relaxed. In some people, this causes the soft palate to flap or sag into the airway, making breathing noisy and difficult.

    A long soft palate or an enlarged uvula can make the problem worse. However, doing exercises to strengthen the muscles in this area can help stop them from collapsing during sleep. Singing, especially using sounds like “la” and “ka”, is a simple and effective way to do this.

    Balloon blowing is another useful technique, as the resistance required to inflate a balloon tones the muscles of the palate and throat. A simpler approach is to mimic chewing motions while pressing the tongue to the roof of the mouth, which engages and strengthens the muscles in this area.

    The pharynx

    Deeper still lies the pharynx – a muscular conduit linking the nasal and oral cavities to the larynx and oesophagus. Unlike the bony nasal cavity, the pharynx is a collapsible tube. Its walls are lined with soft tissues such as the tonsils and adenoids, which, when enlarged, create bottlenecks.

    The muscles in the throat help keep the airways open when you’re awake, but they relax during sleep. As we get older, or after drinking alcohol or taking sedatives, these muscles can become weaker.

    In people who are overweight, extra fat around the neck can also create external pressure on the airway, especially when lying down. Doing specific breathing and voice exercises can help strengthen these muscles to keep the airway from collapsing.

    Doesn’t have to be this way

    Snoring may be the soundtrack of sleep for many, but it doesn’t have to be the norm.

    Beneath the nightly noise lies a fascinating anatomy, one that, when understood, offers simple, effective solutions. From strengthening sleepy muscles to fine-tuning the way we breathe, the path to quieter nights doesn’t always require surgery or machines.

    Sometimes, all it takes is a shift in sleeping position, a splash of saline or even a balloon. So if you’re dreaming of a silent night, start by getting to know your airway.

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

    – ref. Silent night: anatomical solutions for snoring – https://theconversation.com/silent-night-anatomical-solutions-for-snoring-247729

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: British holidaymaker dies from rabies: what you need to know about the disease and getting the jab if you’re going abroad this summer

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Dan Baumgardt, Senior Lecturer, School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol

    Olexandr Panchenko/Shutterstock.com

    The recent death of a British woman from rabies after a holiday in Morocco is a sobering reminder of the risks posed by this almost universally fatal disease, once symptoms begin.

    If you’re considering travelling to a country where rabies is endemic, understanding how rabies works – and how to protect yourself – may go a long way in helping you stay safe.

    Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.

    Rabies is a zoonotic disease – meaning it is transmitted from animals to humans – and is caused by a viral infection. In 99% of cases the source of the infection is a member of the canidae family (such as dogs, foxes and wolves). Bats are another animal group strongly associated with rabies, as the virus is endemic in many bat populations.

    Even in countries that are officially rabies-free, including in their domestic animal populations – such as Australia, Sweden and New Zealand – the virus may still be found in native bat species. Other animals known to transmit rabies include raccoons, cats and skunks.

    Rabies is caused by lyssaviruses (lit. rage or fury viruses), which are found in the saliva of infected animals. Transmission to humans can occur through bites, scratches or licks to broken skin or mucous membranes, such as those in the mouth. Once inside the body, the virus spreads to eventually reach the nervous system.

    Because it causes inflammation of the brain and spinal cord, symptoms are primarily neurological, often stemming from damage to the nerve pathways responsible for sensation and muscle control.

    Patients who develop rabies symptoms often experience altered skin sensation and progressive paralysis. As the virus affects the brain, it can also cause hallucinations, and unusual or erratic behaviours. One particularly distinctive symptom – hydrophobia, a serious aversion to water – is believed to result from severe pain and difficulty associated with swallowing.

    Once rabies symptoms appear, the virus has already caused irreversible damage. At this stage, treatment is limited to supportive intensive care aimed at easing discomfort – such as providing fluids, sedation and relief from pain and seizures. Death typically results from progressive neurological deterioration, which ultimately leads to respiratory failure.

    It’s important to note that rabies symptoms can take several weeks, or even months, to appear. During this incubation period, there may be no signs that prompt people to seek medical help. However, this window is crucial as it offers the best chance to administer treatment and prevent the virus from progressing.

    Another danger lies in how the virus is transmitted. Even animals that don’t appear rabid – the classical frothing mouth and aggressive behaviour for instance – can still transmit the virus.

    Rabies can be transmitted through even superficial breaks in the skin, so minor wounds should not be dismissed or treated less seriously. It’s also important to remember that bat wounds can often be felt but not seen. This makes them easy to overlook, should there be no bleeding or clear mark on the skin.

    Don’t be tempted to pet stray animals in rabies endemic countries, not matter how cute they appear.
    cristi180884/Shutterstock.com

    The vaccine

    The good news is that there are proven and effective ways to protect yourself from rabies – either before travelling to a higher-risk area, or after possible exposure to an infected animal.

    Modern rabies vaccines are far easier to administer than older versions, which some may recall – often with discomfort. In the past, treatment involved multiple frequent injections (over 20 in all) into the abdomen using a large needle. This was the case for a friend of mine who grew up in Africa and was one day bitten by a dog just hours after it had been attacked by a hyena.

    The vaccine can now be given as an injection into a muscle, for instance in the shoulder, and a typical preventative course requires three doses. Since the protective effect can wane with time, booster shots may be needed for some individuals to maintain protection.

    Sustaining a bite from any animal should always be taken seriously. Aside from rabies, animals carry many potentially harmful bacteria in their mouths, which can cause skin and soft tissue infections – or sepsis if they spread to the bloodstream.



    Read more:
    How to treat a wound – without using superglue, grout or vodka, like some people

    First aid and wound treatment is the first port of call, and seeking urgent medical attention for any bites, scratches or licks to exposed skin or mucous membranes sustained abroad. In the UK, this also applies to any injuries sustained from bats.

    A doctor will evaluate the risk based on the wound, the animal involved, whether the patient has had previous vaccines, and in which country they were bitten, among other things. This will help to guide treatment, which might include vaccines alone or combined with an infusion of immunoglobulin infusions – special antibodies that target the virus.

    Timing is crucial. The sooner treatment is started, the better the outcome. This is why it is so important to seek medical help immediately.

    In making the decision whether you should get a vaccine before going on holiday, there are recommendations, but ultimately the choice is individual. Think about what the healthcare is like where you are going and whether you’ll be able to get treatment easily if you need it.

    Vaccines can have side-effects, though these tend to be relatively minor, and the intended benefits vastly exceed the costs. And of course avoid contact with stray animals while on holiday, despite how tempting it may be to pet them.

    Several rules of thumb can counteract the dangers of rabies: plan your holiday carefully, seek travel advice from your GP, and always treat animal bites and scrapes seriously.

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

    – ref. British holidaymaker dies from rabies: what you need to know about the disease and getting the jab if you’re going abroad this summer – https://theconversation.com/british-holidaymaker-dies-from-rabies-what-you-need-to-know-about-the-disease-and-getting-the-jab-if-youre-going-abroad-this-summer-259325

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Jaws at 50: a thinly disguised western by a nerdy young filmmaker that helped to rejuvenate Hollywood

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Barry Monahan, Senior Lecturer, Department of Film and Screen Media, University College Cork

    The collapse of classical Hollywood’s studio system in the 1960s mirrored much of America’s cultural and political uncertainties at the time. The assassinations of the Kennedys and Martin Luther King, the civil rights movement and the escalating Vietnam war provided a background that destabilised the optimism with which the decade began.

    It’s not surprising that narratives of many films at the time may have been hinting at an ominous dystopian turn.

    The decade opened with Hitchcock’s premature dispatching of his heroine in Psycho (1960) and ended with the haphazard slaughter of Dennis Hopper’s protagonists in Easy Rider and George Roy Hill’s outgunned antiheroes in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (both 1969).

    En route, Arthur Penn’s conclusion for Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow, plus Mike Nichols’ finale for graduate Benjamin Braddock and Elaine Robinson in 1967, did little to reassure audiences that all was well in society or the cinema.

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    But the 1970s offered some shoots of optimism. A new pack of filmmakers – versed in the best of international cinema – inveigled their way by luck, acumen or raw talent into the confidence of executives who were willing to give nerdy young cinephiles like Martin Scorsese, Brian de Palma, Frances Ford Coppola, Steven Spielberg and George Lucas a shot with studio funding.

    Despite the concerns of executives at Universal Studios, Spielberg began shooting on the adaptation of Peter Benchley’s bestseller Jaws in May 1974. By the following summer it was an enormous hit with the public and critics. The blockbuster had arrived and a new kind of studio system was born.

    Jaws is 50 years old this year, and it has earned the “classic” epithet. It invokes certain nostalgia for cinephiles and original audiences, many of whom fondly remember their first viewing.

    Aside from any cultural wistfulness, however, feelings towards the film may very well be a harkening back to a pre-neoliberal era when the embers of baby-boomer optimism still smouldered.

    Championing the everyman

    The film ultimately supports the blue collar “everyman” who has idealism, moral courage and emotional empathy: an ordinary protagonist, predating movie superheroes, Jedi knights, muscular macho men and cyborgs, who could still take on the system and its vices and defeat the villain (on land or sea).

    Most of the intense dramatic action – the battle between good and evil – is situated on the water. This displacement facilitates a useful comparative character study. On the ocean, police chief Martin Brody (Roy Scheider), marine biologist Matt Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss) and old sea-dog Quint (Robert Shaw) are strategically detached from the political and economic incentives that initiated the crisis in the first place.

    Working-class tough guy, middle-class intellectual and honest, reliable cop, they are brave, determined and morally strong, representing a microcosm of the society they’ve left behind, and hope to save. True to the thinly disguised western that Spielberg’s film is, the fate of each man positions the film’s compass as it sails a course between the values of an evolved society and the forces of primitive nature, pitting one of the youngest evolved mammals against one of the oldest evolved fish.

    However, it is in the first section of the film, set on dry land, where the political machinations of corruption, the distortion of truth for financial profit, the disregard of expertise and a manipulation of the media, are played out.

    A key scene in the early part of the narrative frames the duplicity that led to the avoidable death of the first victims. After the first shark attack, pressure is put on Chief Brody by Amity’s Mayor Vaughn (Murray Hamilton) to reopen the beaches despite the threat to holidaymakers on the island.

    Mayor Vaughn We’re really a little anxious that you’re, eh, rushing into something serious here. This is your first summer, you know.

    Chief Brody What does that mean?

    Mayor Vaughn I’m only trying to say that Amity is a summer town. We need summer dollars.

    The message is simple: economic prosperity takes precedence over human life. The strategy is straightforward: deride and deny allegations, falsify the evidence, use media spin to conceal the truth and platform the politician’s personal agenda.

    The propulsion of the plot into the second half of the film hinges on a later critical scene, which follows another shark attack. When their own boys become near victims of the predator, a shaken Vaughn is forcefully compelled by Brody to sign an agreement to pay a bounty hunter to find and kill the shark.

    The rise of neoliberalism (the political and economic ideology that advocates free-market capitalism) in the late 1970s and 1980s brought about the reconfiguration of the middle class in the US. Without consciously predicting the impending political transformations, the film – released before these wider ideological and economic changes took hold – idealistically offers hope for that social group.

    And while it may have been differently constituted under the Reagan and Thatcher governments, the public service sector (to which Brody belongs) existed in both America and Britain. Jaws implicitly and unproblematically acknowledged the reality of working-class sacrifice in Quint, while peddling the heroic survival of blue-collar police chief Brody.

    In holding out hope for the affirmative action of the dedicated, moral hero, Jaws might have been too idealistic, even narratively conservative: real-world good guys don’t always win.

    The phenomenal box office success of the film ran parallel with critical acclaim that has been reiterated in the five decades since its release. However, it marked the rejuvenation of a broken studio system that would soon energetically endorse the Reaganite neoliberalism of the following decade with films like The Empire Strikes Back (1980), Rambo: First Blood (1982), The Terminator (1984), Top Gun (1986) and Die Hard (1987).

    The film has undeniably stood the test of time as a remarkable cinematic feat, but crucially, it ushered in a new age for Hollywood’s seduction of global audiences with sophisticated, aggressive marketing strategies. Jaws may have irredeemably villainised nature’s most enduring predator, but Spielberg’s blockbuster played a pivotal role in making Hollywood great again.

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

    – ref. Jaws at 50: a thinly disguised western by a nerdy young filmmaker that helped to rejuvenate Hollywood – https://theconversation.com/jaws-at-50-a-thinly-disguised-western-by-a-nerdy-young-filmmaker-that-helped-to-rejuvenate-hollywood-257751

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why Israel — and potentially the U.S. — are sure to encounter the limits of air power in Iran

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By James Horncastle, Assistant Professor and Edward and Emily McWhinney Professor in International Relations, Simon Fraser University

    As the war between Israel and Iran escalates, Israel is increasing its calls on the United States to become involved in the conflict.

    Former Israeli officials are appearing on U.S. news outlets, exhorting the American public to support Israel’s actions.

    President Donald Trump has signalled a willingness for the U.S. to become involved in the conflict. He’s gone so far, in fact, to suggest in social media posts that he could kill Iran’s supreme leader if he wanted to.

    Segment on Trump’s threats against Iran’s leader. (BBC News)

    The American military could certainly make an impact in any air campaign against Iran. The problem from a military standpoint, however, is that the U.S., based on its forces’ deployment, will almost certainly seek to keep its involvement limited to its air force to avoid another Iraq-like quagmire.

    While doing so could almost certainly disrupt Iran’s nuclear program, it will likely fall short of Israel’s goal of regime change.

    In fact, it could reinforce the Iranian government and draw the U.S. into a costly ground war.



    Read more:
    Why is there so much concern over Iran’s nuclear program? And where could it go from here?

    Israel’s need for American support

    The initial stated reason for Israel’s bombing campaign — Iran’s nuclear capabilities — appears specious at best.

    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has argued several times in the past, without evidence, that Iran is close to achieving a nuclear weapon. U.S. intelligence, however, have assessed that Iran is three years away from deploying a nuclear weapon.

    Regardless of the veracity of the claims, Israel initiated the offensive and now requires American support.

    Israel’s need for U.S. assistance rests on two circumstances:

    1. While Israel succeeded in eliminating key figures from the Iranian military in its initial strikes, Iran’s response appears to have exceeded Israel’s expectations with their Arrow missile interceptors nearing depletion.

    2. Israel’s air strikes can only achieve so much in disrupting Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Most analysts note that Israel’s bombings are only likely to delay the Iranian nuclear program by a few months. This is due to the fact that Israeli missiles are incapable of penetrating the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant, which estimates place close to 300 feet underground.

    The United States, however, possesses munitions that could damage, or even destroy, the Fordow facility. Most notably, the GBU-57A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator (more commonly known as a bunker buster) has a penetration capability of 200 feet.

    Multiple strikes by said munition would render Fordow inoperable, if not outright destroyed.

    Romanticizing air power

    The efficacy of air power has been vastly overrated in the popular media and various air forces of the world. Air power is great at disrupting an opponent, but has significant limitations in influencing the outcome of a war.

    Specifically, air power is likely to prove an inadequate tool for one of the supposed Israeli and American objectives in the war: regime change. For air power to be effective at bringing about regime change, it needs to demoralize the Iranian people to the point that they’re willing to oppose their own government.

    Early air enthusiasts believed that a population’s demoralization would be an inevitable consequence of aerial bombardment. Italian general Giulio Douhet, a prominent air power theorist, argued that air power was so mighty that it could destroy cities and demoralize an opponent into surrendering.

    Douhet was correct on the first point. He was wrong on the second.

    Recent history provides evidence. While considerable ink has been spilled to demonstrate the efficacy of air power during the Second World War, close examination of the facts demonstrate that it had a minimal impact. In fact, Allied bombing of German cities in several instances created the opposite effect.

    More recent bombing campaigns replicated this failure. The U.S. bombing of North Vietnam during the Vietnam War did not significantly damage North Vietnamese morale or war effort. NATO’s bombing of Serbia in 1999, likewise, rallied support for the unpopular Slobodan Milosevic due to its perceived injustice — and continues to evoke strong emotions to this day.

    Iran’s political regime may be unpopular with many Iranians, but Israeli and potentially American bombing may shore up support for the Iranian government.

    Nationalism is a potent force, particularly when people are under attack. Israel’s bombing of Iran will rally segments of the population to the government that would otherwise oppose it.

    Few positive options

    The limitations of air power to fuel significant political change in Iran should give Trump pause about intervening in the conflict.

    Some American support, such as providing weapons, is a given due to the close relationship between the U.S. and Israel. But any realization of American and Israeli aspirations of a non-nuclear Iran and a new government will likely require ground forces.

    Recent American experiences in Afghanistan and Iraq show such a ground forces operation won’t lead to the swift victory that Trump desires, but could potentially stretch on for decades.

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

    – ref. Why Israel — and potentially the U.S. — are sure to encounter the limits of air power in Iran – https://theconversation.com/why-israel-and-potentially-the-u-s-are-sure-to-encounter-the-limits-of-air-power-in-iran-259348

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Indigenous engagement is essential for small modular nuclear reactor projects

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Rhea Desai, Post Doctoral Fellow, Department of Biology, McMaster University

    Urban Indigenous gathering for community well-being, showing the importance of interconnectedness in Indigenous Communities in Hamilton, Ont. in August 2021. This way of being must be reflected in nuclear projects to better work alongside Indigenous Peoples. (Michelle Webb)

    With climate change-fuelled natural disasters becoming more frequent and devastating for communities around the world, the need for cleaner energy solutions is more urgent than ever.

    When it comes to transitioning away from fossil fuels, much of the focus tends to be on solar, wind or hydroelectricity. However, small modular reactors (SMRs) are an emerging technology showing promise globally.

    SMRs are a specific type of nuclear reactor that, as the name suggests, are small in energy output and modular in their manufacturing. Provinces like New Brunswick, Alberta and Saskatchewan have made progress on strategic plans to make SMRs part of their provincial climate action plans.

    Unlike traditional nuclear reactors that generally produce more than 1,000 megawatts of electricity, SMRs are designed to produce as low as five megawatts. The modularity of such reactors allows for manufacturing off-site and installation at the desired location. This can decrease construction time, manufacturing costs and certain environmental costs associated with building on site.

    This means SMRs are more feasible for many off-grid communities that lack reliable access to electricity, many of which are Indigenous. In 2023, the Canada Energy regulator said there were 178 remote Indigenous and northern communities not connected to the North American electricity grid and natural gas infrastructure.

    In an effort to shift reliability from carbon-emitting resources to nuclear power, SMRs provide an exciting alternative, but implementation needs effective engagement with Indigenous communities to flourish.

    Small modular reactors (SMRs) could be relatively feasible way to generate power for many off-grid communities.
    (A. Vargas/IAEA)

    Engaging Indigenous communities

    Much of Canada’s electricity is already generated from low-carbon emission sources. However, there are still areas in northern Canada that are reliant on diesel, and therefore SMR plans are often aimed at providing electricity to these communities.

    While on paper, this might sound like the perfect solution, there’s a lot to consider about SMR siting from an environmental perspective in these remote communities. These considerations include but are not limited to potential locations, source term, refuelling and waste management.

    As research continues into the engineering and science behind SMR technology, meaningful community engagement with Indigenous communities is also required.

    Thoughtfully considered and integrated consultations are necessary to ensure projects respect treaties, land rights and the surrounding environment. Consultation is needed to understand the needs and goals of the community for creating an energy transition plan.

    In addition, incorporating traditional ecological knowledge in environmental risk assessments is vital. Ultimately, projects designed alongside Indigenous communities should strive for Indigenous sovereignty over growing infrastructure.

    Why community engagement is important

    Indigenous communities continue to face challenges as a result of colonization. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s (TRC) seventh Call to Action highlights the need to eliminate educational and employment disparity between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians.

    A direct way to address in terms of Canada’s nuclear landscape is to train members of those communities in technical roles related to the planning, deployment and sustained use of a nuclear facility. Specifically, training today’s Indigenous youth so they can fulfil these roles in their future careers.

    The TRC’s Call to Action 92 calls on Canada’s corporate sector to engage in meaningful consultation, respectful relationship-building and equitable access to training and education opportunities that will contribute to long-term benefits from any economic development projects.

    Through understanding the need for this relationship-building, there is a lot that western practices can learn from adopting Indigenous ways of knowing. Indigenous people have a long history of sustainable practices in their culture and traditions, and although western science now consider sustainable practices, it is not deeply woven into community and industrial initiatives.

    As nuclear projects advance in Canada, it’s vital to respect Indigenous knowledge through weaving with western science. Projects can adopt a Two-Eyed seeing approach. This refers to viewing a problem with one eye using an Indigenous knowledge perspective and the other with a western knowledge lens. There is much to learn from understanding the philosophy behind Indigenous ways of knowing that can be applied to protect the environment.

    Indigenous knowledge varies across Canada and comes with different insights, but a commonality is the teaching that all living things are interconnected and must be respected and cared for. This perspective is necessary for the future of nuclear projects to ensure the environment is sustained to support the biodiversity of regions throughout Canada.

    This informed approach of protecting the environment, together with an ecosystem approach that considers the uniqueness and interconectedness of each organism, will ultimately lead to improved nuclear policies and safety.

    The actions that institutions and private industry take today to build strong relationships with Indigenous communities and work towards an increasingly sustainable future will support already resilient communities so they can see growth well beyond the deployment of SMRs. A path to a cleaner future is in reach, but only if we walk beside Indigenous leaders, knowledge holders, community members and, especially, youth.

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

    – ref. Indigenous engagement is essential for small modular nuclear reactor projects – https://theconversation.com/indigenous-engagement-is-essential-for-small-modular-nuclear-reactor-projects-252134

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: NOV Delegation Joins African Energy Week (AEW) 2025 Amid Artificial Intelligence (AI) Push in African Energy Projects

    A high-level delegation from global energy services company NOV has joined the African Energy Week (AEW): Invest in African Energies conference – taking place on September 29 to October 3 in Cape Town. With a focus on digitization, a wealth of knowledge in oilfield services and a dedication to balancing operational efficiency with sustainable development, NOV is well-positioned to lead dialogue around the future of energy development in Africa. Underscoring the company’s commitment to unlocking technology-driven solutions in Africa, the NOV delegation comprises Arthur Ename, Vice President, Business Development: Africa; Cobie Loper, Senior Vice President, Operators and Geographical Sales; Johann Jansen van Rensburg, Director: Sub-Saharan Africa; and Marien Ibiaho, Area Sales Manager: Europe & Africa. The delegation will participate in a variety of panel discussions and technical workshops, providing insight into innovative tools to unlock rapid, low-carbon growth in Africa.

    AEW: Invest in African Energies is the platform of choice for project operators, financiers, technology providers and government, and has emerged as the official place to sign deals in African energy. Visit http://www.AECWeek.com for more information about this exciting event.

    With an extensive presence in Africa, NOV delivers a range of solutions for the continent’s oil and gas industry. Key markets include Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, the Republic of Congo, Angola, South Africa, Uganda, Kenya, Tunisia, Algeria and Egypt. The company’s cutting-edge technologies and services support clients to enhance operational efficiency while spearheading sustainable development, with its portfolio of capabilities ranging from drilling to well construction, completion and control to offshore rigs and platform repurposing to service and repair. With over 150 years’ experience and a global footprint, NOV represents a strong partner for African oil and gas projects.

    Looking ahead, NOV strives to consolidate its position as a leading energy service provider. In 2025, the company rolled out ChatGPT Enterprise – OpenAI’s most advanced generative AI platform – to advance AI-driven innovation. The enterprise has been deployed across its global workforce, putting cutting-edge tools in the hands of over 25,000 employees. For Africa, this technology will support energy projects by supporting decision-making, insights and innovation. Meanwhile, the company’s Drilling Beliefs & Analytics solution continues to gain traction globally and has been applied across 20 million feet of drilling operations in Africa, the Middle East, Europe and North America. This solution leverages AI to deliver real-time insights into critical well conditions during the drilling process.

    Beyond the oil and gas sector, the company also has extensive experience in emerging industries such as the energy transition. Capabilities include geothermal solutions, hydrogen solutions, lithium extraction, offshore and onshore wind, and more. With oil and gas as the focus, NOV offers a range of services that support operators reduce their emissions while scaling-up output. The company is also committed to local content and workforce development, with training initiatives, skills development programs and partnerships serving as a catalyst for capacity building in the markets in which is operates. By working closely with African partners, NOV is creating jobs, enhancing skills and empowering communities.

    “Now more than ever, Africa requires innovative solutions to enhance operational efficiency while reducing emissions across oil and gas projects. Companies such as NOV provide the technology and expertise to deliver these goals, and as such, play a prominent role in the industry. Looking ahead, as African countries look to scale-up operations and reduce their climate footprint, NOV’s solutions will continue supporting clients safely produce energy while minimizing environmental impact,” states Verner Ayukegba, Senior Vice President, African Energy Chamber.  

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI: 1 Hour Payday Loans With No Credit Check Guaranteed Approval – RadCred Launches New Offering for Borrowers with Instant Loan for Bad Credit in 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Glendale, California, June 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — RadCred has announced the launch of its new solution, addressing the urgent financial needs of consumers with 1 hour payday loans, no credit check, and guaranteed approval. 

    This initiative aims to connect borrowers with licensed direct lenders that offer quick funding solutions, including those with low credit scores. With financial emergencies on the rise, RadCred’s platform provides a streamlined and secure way for consumers to access funds swiftly.

    Rising Demand for 1 Hour Payday Loans No Credit Check

    The financial landscape this year is expected to see a notable increase in consumers seeking small, short-term loans due to unforeseen expenses. Rising inflation, medical emergencies, and urgent bills have driven demand for 1 hour payday loans no credit check services that offer speed and convenience. 

    Many borrowers now seek payday loans online with no credit check and instant approval to avoid lengthy application procedures and credit inquiries that could negatively impact their financial standing. RadCred’s platform aims to fill this gap by connecting applicants with lenders that provide rapid decisions, helping to ease the economic pressures faced by thousands of Americans.

    Key Features of RadCred’s 1 hour Payday Loans No Credit Check

    RadCred’s latest offering provides a range of features designed to meet borrower needs efficiently and securely. This solution helps connect applicants with licensed direct lenders, offering fast approvals, flexible loan amounts, and no credit check requirements, making it an ideal option for those seeking quick financial support in emergencies.

    • Fast Approval Process
      Applicants can receive approvals within minutes, due to RadCred’s streamlined lender network that prioritizes speed without compromising data integrity.
    • No Hard Credit Inquiry
      The platform connects borrowers with lenders who assess applications without affecting credit scores, making it suitable for those with bad credit.
    • Flexible Loan Amounts
      RadCred’s network offers a range of loan amounts, enabling borrowers to secure funds tailored to their individual financial needs.
    • Licensed Direct Lender Access
      RadCred collaborates exclusively with licensed lenders, ensuring that borrowers are connected with reputable financial providers.

    How RadCred’s 1 Hour Payday Loans No Credit Check Process Works?

    The process is designed to be simple, transparent, and efficient for applicants seeking fast funding. RadCred connects borrowers with licensed direct lenders through a secure online platform, allowing users to complete applications, receive loan offers, and access funds without unnecessary delays or complicated paperwork.

    • Online Application Form
      Borrowers complete a secure digital form, providing essential personal and financial details to initiate the request.
    • Instant Lender Matching
      RadCred’s platform matches borrowers with suitable lenders based on provided criteria, often within moments of submission.
    • Loan Offer Review
      Applicants can review terms from direct lenders before deciding to proceed, allowing for informed financial choices.
    • Electronic Fund Transfer
      Once accepted, funds are typically transferred electronically, often within the same business day.

    Technology & Security Behind RadCred’s 1 Hour Payday Loans

    RadCred uses advanced encryption technology and secure server protocols to protect borrower data throughout the application process. The platform ensures compliance with data privacy regulations and maintains transparency in the sharing of information with lending partners. Its technology-driven lender-matching system reduces delays, helping borrowers receive fast responses while safeguarding sensitive information.

    Eligibility Requirements for Payday Loan No Credit Check

    For consumers considering 1 hour payday loans no credit check or payday loans online no credit check instant approval, understanding basic eligibility criteria is essential. RadCred ensures that borrowers meet minimum standards before connecting them to licensed direct lenders offering no credit check loans with guaranteed approval. These requirements support responsible borrowing while enabling swift loan processing.

    • Minimum Age Requirement
      To apply for payday loans 1 hour no credit check through RadCred, borrowers must be at least 18 years old. This ensures compliance with legal standards across states. Lenders verify age using official documents, providing assurance that only eligible applicants can access instant payday loans online guaranteed approval.
    • Proof of Income
      Applicants must present verifiable proof of income when seeking 1 hour payday loans no credit check direct lender services. This demonstrates the borrower’s ability to repay the loan. Acceptable proof may include recent pay stubs, bank statements, or benefits documentation to satisfy lender conditions.
    • Valid Bank Account
      A checking or savings account in the applicant’s name is required for small payday loans online with no credit check. This account is used for both disbursing loan funds and facilitating repayments. Having an active bank account helps lenders streamline transactions and ensure the timely delivery of funds.
    • U.S. Residency Status
      RadCred’s network provides payday loan no credit check options exclusively to U.S. residents. Applicants must confirm their residency status during the application process. This ensures alignment with applicable federal and state regulations governing no credit check payday loans.

    Benefits of RadCred’s 1 Hour Payday Loans No Credit Check vs. Traditional Payday Lending

    Borrowers exploring 1 hour payday loans no credit check increasingly prefer RadCred’s online process over traditional payday lending. By connecting applicants with no-credit-check loans that offer guaranteed approval and direct lender options, RadCred provides transparency, faster funding, and added convenience. The following benefits highlight why digital lending is reshaping short-term borrowing in 2025.

    • Quicker Processing Times
      Unlike conventional payday loan storefronts, which often involve paperwork and in-person visits, RadCred offers 1 hour payday loans online with no credit check instant approval through its secure digital platform. Borrowers complete applications in minutes and receive near-instant lender matches, enabling faster access to emergency funds.
    • Greater Transparency on Loan Terms
      Traditional payday lenders may not always disclose full loan terms upfront. RadCred ensures borrowers can review lender offers, repayment schedules, and APRs before committing to payday loans online with no credit check instant approval. This empowers consumers to make informed financial decisions.
    • Convenient Remote Access
      RadCred’s system allows borrowers to apply for instant payday loans online with guaranteed approval from any device, eliminating the need for travel. The process accommodates busy schedules, making it ideal for those managing urgent expenses or limited by work and personal commitments.
    • Wider Network of Licensed Lenders
      Rather than relying on a single storefront lender, RadCred’s network spans multiple licensed direct lenders. This increases the chance of approval for payday loans 1 hour no credit check and helps borrowers compare loan offers for better terms.

    Explore 1 Hour Payday Loan Options- No Credit Check

    How RadCred Connects Borrowers with Licensed Payday Lenders?

    RadCred simplifies access to 1 hour payday loans no credit check by connecting applicants with licensed direct lenders nationwide. The platform ensures that borrowers seeking payday loans online, with instant approval or guaranteed approval direct lender options, are matched efficiently, securely, and in compliance with all regulatory standards.

    • Digital Lender Network
      RadCred partners with a network of licensed lenders offering 1 hour payday loans with no credit check, direct lender services. This digital-first model enables borrowers to compare multiple loan offers simultaneously, enhancing their chances of approval and helping applicants secure loans that meet their urgent financial needs.
    • Automated Screening Process
      The platform utilises automated technology to match borrowers with lenders who meet their profile for payday loan requests with no credit check. This reduces delays, eliminates manual errors, and ensures that applications are processed with accuracy and speed.
    • Secure Information Sharing
      Borrower details are transmitted securely to matched lenders offering instant payday loans online with guaranteed approval. RadCred employs encrypted data handling practices to safeguard sensitive information, providing borrowers with confidence throughout the application process.
    • Streamlined Communication
      RadCred facilitates direct, transparent communication between borrowers and lenders, offering payday loans with a 1 hour no-credit-check. Borrowers can review, question, and accept loan terms online, supporting clarity and informed decision-making without the need to visit physical offices.

    Conclusion

    RadCred’s launch of 1 hour payday loans with no credit check guaranteed approval underscores its focus on offering accessible financial solutions in today’s fast-paced environment. By focusing on speed, security, and transparency, RadCred provides a valuable option for borrowers seeking urgent funding through licensed lenders.

    About Radcred 

    RadCred is an online platform that connects borrowers with a network of licensed direct lenders across the United States. The platform prioritizes security, speed, and transparency in facilitating short-term loan solutions.

    Disclaimer

    RadCred is not a lender and does not make loan offers or credit decisions. Loan terms, including APRs and repayment periods, are determined by the direct lenders within the network. Borrowers should review all terms carefully before proceeding.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: 1 Hour Payday Loans With No Credit Check Guaranteed Approval – RadCred Launches New Offering for Borrowers with Instant Loan for Bad Credit in 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Glendale, California, June 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — RadCred has announced the launch of its new solution, addressing the urgent financial needs of consumers with 1 hour payday loans, no credit check, and guaranteed approval. 

    This initiative aims to connect borrowers with licensed direct lenders that offer quick funding solutions, including those with low credit scores. With financial emergencies on the rise, RadCred’s platform provides a streamlined and secure way for consumers to access funds swiftly.

    Rising Demand for 1 Hour Payday Loans No Credit Check

    The financial landscape this year is expected to see a notable increase in consumers seeking small, short-term loans due to unforeseen expenses. Rising inflation, medical emergencies, and urgent bills have driven demand for 1 hour payday loans no credit check services that offer speed and convenience. 

    Many borrowers now seek payday loans online with no credit check and instant approval to avoid lengthy application procedures and credit inquiries that could negatively impact their financial standing. RadCred’s platform aims to fill this gap by connecting applicants with lenders that provide rapid decisions, helping to ease the economic pressures faced by thousands of Americans.

    Key Features of RadCred’s 1 hour Payday Loans No Credit Check

    RadCred’s latest offering provides a range of features designed to meet borrower needs efficiently and securely. This solution helps connect applicants with licensed direct lenders, offering fast approvals, flexible loan amounts, and no credit check requirements, making it an ideal option for those seeking quick financial support in emergencies.

    • Fast Approval Process
      Applicants can receive approvals within minutes, due to RadCred’s streamlined lender network that prioritizes speed without compromising data integrity.
    • No Hard Credit Inquiry
      The platform connects borrowers with lenders who assess applications without affecting credit scores, making it suitable for those with bad credit.
    • Flexible Loan Amounts
      RadCred’s network offers a range of loan amounts, enabling borrowers to secure funds tailored to their individual financial needs.
    • Licensed Direct Lender Access
      RadCred collaborates exclusively with licensed lenders, ensuring that borrowers are connected with reputable financial providers.

    How RadCred’s 1 Hour Payday Loans No Credit Check Process Works?

    The process is designed to be simple, transparent, and efficient for applicants seeking fast funding. RadCred connects borrowers with licensed direct lenders through a secure online platform, allowing users to complete applications, receive loan offers, and access funds without unnecessary delays or complicated paperwork.

    • Online Application Form
      Borrowers complete a secure digital form, providing essential personal and financial details to initiate the request.
    • Instant Lender Matching
      RadCred’s platform matches borrowers with suitable lenders based on provided criteria, often within moments of submission.
    • Loan Offer Review
      Applicants can review terms from direct lenders before deciding to proceed, allowing for informed financial choices.
    • Electronic Fund Transfer
      Once accepted, funds are typically transferred electronically, often within the same business day.

    Technology & Security Behind RadCred’s 1 Hour Payday Loans

    RadCred uses advanced encryption technology and secure server protocols to protect borrower data throughout the application process. The platform ensures compliance with data privacy regulations and maintains transparency in the sharing of information with lending partners. Its technology-driven lender-matching system reduces delays, helping borrowers receive fast responses while safeguarding sensitive information.

    Eligibility Requirements for Payday Loan No Credit Check

    For consumers considering 1 hour payday loans no credit check or payday loans online no credit check instant approval, understanding basic eligibility criteria is essential. RadCred ensures that borrowers meet minimum standards before connecting them to licensed direct lenders offering no credit check loans with guaranteed approval. These requirements support responsible borrowing while enabling swift loan processing.

    • Minimum Age Requirement
      To apply for payday loans 1 hour no credit check through RadCred, borrowers must be at least 18 years old. This ensures compliance with legal standards across states. Lenders verify age using official documents, providing assurance that only eligible applicants can access instant payday loans online guaranteed approval.
    • Proof of Income
      Applicants must present verifiable proof of income when seeking 1 hour payday loans no credit check direct lender services. This demonstrates the borrower’s ability to repay the loan. Acceptable proof may include recent pay stubs, bank statements, or benefits documentation to satisfy lender conditions.
    • Valid Bank Account
      A checking or savings account in the applicant’s name is required for small payday loans online with no credit check. This account is used for both disbursing loan funds and facilitating repayments. Having an active bank account helps lenders streamline transactions and ensure the timely delivery of funds.
    • U.S. Residency Status
      RadCred’s network provides payday loan no credit check options exclusively to U.S. residents. Applicants must confirm their residency status during the application process. This ensures alignment with applicable federal and state regulations governing no credit check payday loans.

    Benefits of RadCred’s 1 Hour Payday Loans No Credit Check vs. Traditional Payday Lending

    Borrowers exploring 1 hour payday loans no credit check increasingly prefer RadCred’s online process over traditional payday lending. By connecting applicants with no-credit-check loans that offer guaranteed approval and direct lender options, RadCred provides transparency, faster funding, and added convenience. The following benefits highlight why digital lending is reshaping short-term borrowing in 2025.

    • Quicker Processing Times
      Unlike conventional payday loan storefronts, which often involve paperwork and in-person visits, RadCred offers 1 hour payday loans online with no credit check instant approval through its secure digital platform. Borrowers complete applications in minutes and receive near-instant lender matches, enabling faster access to emergency funds.
    • Greater Transparency on Loan Terms
      Traditional payday lenders may not always disclose full loan terms upfront. RadCred ensures borrowers can review lender offers, repayment schedules, and APRs before committing to payday loans online with no credit check instant approval. This empowers consumers to make informed financial decisions.
    • Convenient Remote Access
      RadCred’s system allows borrowers to apply for instant payday loans online with guaranteed approval from any device, eliminating the need for travel. The process accommodates busy schedules, making it ideal for those managing urgent expenses or limited by work and personal commitments.
    • Wider Network of Licensed Lenders
      Rather than relying on a single storefront lender, RadCred’s network spans multiple licensed direct lenders. This increases the chance of approval for payday loans 1 hour no credit check and helps borrowers compare loan offers for better terms.

    Explore 1 Hour Payday Loan Options- No Credit Check

    How RadCred Connects Borrowers with Licensed Payday Lenders?

    RadCred simplifies access to 1 hour payday loans no credit check by connecting applicants with licensed direct lenders nationwide. The platform ensures that borrowers seeking payday loans online, with instant approval or guaranteed approval direct lender options, are matched efficiently, securely, and in compliance with all regulatory standards.

    • Digital Lender Network
      RadCred partners with a network of licensed lenders offering 1 hour payday loans with no credit check, direct lender services. This digital-first model enables borrowers to compare multiple loan offers simultaneously, enhancing their chances of approval and helping applicants secure loans that meet their urgent financial needs.
    • Automated Screening Process
      The platform utilises automated technology to match borrowers with lenders who meet their profile for payday loan requests with no credit check. This reduces delays, eliminates manual errors, and ensures that applications are processed with accuracy and speed.
    • Secure Information Sharing
      Borrower details are transmitted securely to matched lenders offering instant payday loans online with guaranteed approval. RadCred employs encrypted data handling practices to safeguard sensitive information, providing borrowers with confidence throughout the application process.
    • Streamlined Communication
      RadCred facilitates direct, transparent communication between borrowers and lenders, offering payday loans with a 1 hour no-credit-check. Borrowers can review, question, and accept loan terms online, supporting clarity and informed decision-making without the need to visit physical offices.

    Conclusion

    RadCred’s launch of 1 hour payday loans with no credit check guaranteed approval underscores its focus on offering accessible financial solutions in today’s fast-paced environment. By focusing on speed, security, and transparency, RadCred provides a valuable option for borrowers seeking urgent funding through licensed lenders.

    About Radcred 

    RadCred is an online platform that connects borrowers with a network of licensed direct lenders across the United States. The platform prioritizes security, speed, and transparency in facilitating short-term loan solutions.

    Disclaimer

    RadCred is not a lender and does not make loan offers or credit decisions. Loan terms, including APRs and repayment periods, are determined by the direct lenders within the network. Borrowers should review all terms carefully before proceeding.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Sky Quarry to Outline Growth Strategy, Refinery Ramp-Up, and National Rollout in June 26 Investor Webinar

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    WOODS CROSS, Utah, June 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Sky Quarry Inc. (NASDAQ: SKYQ) (“Sky Quarry” or “the Company”), an integrated energy solutions company committed to revolutionizing the waste asphalt shingle recycling industry, today announced that it will host a live investor webinar on Thursday, June 26 at 11:00 a.m. PDT / 2:00 p.m. EDT.

    The webinar will provide a strategic overview of the Company’s recent milestones and outline how these developments support Sky Quarry’s broader growth plan. Topics will include:

    • Utah Permit Update: How the application moves Sky Quarry closer to commercializing its PR Spring site as part of a scalable waste-to-energy strategy
    • Strategic Partnerships: The role of non-binding letters of intent with Southwind RAS, Right Way Roofing, and R & R Solutions in securing regional feedstock and siting modular units
    • Refinery Capacity Planning: How Sky Quarry’s plans to increase throughput at the Foreland Refinery could strengthen regional fuel supply and unlock future revenue opportunities
    • Emerging Market Tailwinds: How tightening fuel supplies in California are creating strong demand signals for Sky Quarry’s clean fuel strategy

    The webinar will feature Sky Quarry executives David Sealock, Chairman and CEO, and Marcus Laun, EVP and Director, and will be moderated by Lloyd MacNeil, a partner at Troutman Pepper and a project finance attorney specializing in energy infrastructure.

    The presentation will be followed by a live Q&A. Attendees are encouraged to submit questions in advance by emailing ir@skyquarry.com.

    Registration is open to all investors, industry partners, and media. To register for the webinar, please click here. Space is limited, so early registration is encouraged.

    About Sky Quarry Inc.

    Sky Quarry Inc. (NASDAQ:SKYQ) and its subsidiaries are, collectively, an oil production, refining, and a development-stage environmental remediation company formed to deploy technologies to facilitate the recycling of waste asphalt shingles and remediation of oil-saturated sands and soils. Our waste-to-energy mission is to repurpose and upcycle millions of tons of asphalt shingle waste, diverting them from landfills. By doing so, we can contribute to improved waste management, promote resource efficiency, conserve natural resources, and reduce environmental impact. For more information, please visit skyquarry.com.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release may include ”forward-looking statements.” All statements pertaining to our future financial and/or operating results, future events, or future developments may constitute forward-looking statements. The statements may be identified by words such as “expect,” “look forward to,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “seek,” “estimate,” “will,” “project,” or words of similar meaning. Such statements are based on the current expectations and certain assumptions of our management, of which many are beyond our control. These are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties, and factors, including but not limited to those described in our disclosures. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize or should underlying expectations not occur or assumptions prove incorrect, actual results, performance, or our achievements may (negatively or positively) vary materially from those described explicitly or implicitly in the relevant forward-looking statement. We neither intend, nor assume any obligation, to update or revise these forward-looking statements in light of developments which differ from those anticipated. You are urged to carefully review and consider any cautionary statements and the Company’s other disclosures, including the statements made under the heading “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in the Company’s Form 10-K as filed with the SEC on March 31, 2025, as well as the Company’s Form 10-Q as filed with the SEC on May 15, 2025. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of the document in which they are contained.

    Investor Relations
    Jennifer Standley
    Director of Investor Relations
    Ir@skyquarry.com 

    Company Website
    www.skyquarry.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Middlefield Canadian Income PCC – Result of AGM

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Middlefield Canadian Income PCC (the “Company”)
     and
    Middlefield Canadian Income – GBP PC (the “Cell”)

    Results of General Meetings

    The Company on behalf of the Cell hereby announces that at the Cell Annual General Meeting held on Thursday, 19 June 2025 at 11.30 a.m. all the resolutions relating to both the ordinary business and the special business, as set out in the notice of meeting dated 24 March 2025, were duly passed on a poll and voting was as set out in the table below.

      Votes in favour* % of votes cast in favour Votes against* % of votes cast against % of issued shares voting** Votes withheld* % of issued shares withheld**
      No. shares % No. shares % % No. shares %
    Special Resolution 1 29,645,891 99.72 82,162 0.28 27.93 58,333 0.05
    Special Resolution 2 27,994,818 94.11 1,753,298 5.89 27.95 38,270 0.04
    Ordinary Resolution 3 29,734,559 99.92 24,944 0.08 27.96 26,883 0.03
    Ordinary Resolution 4 29,670,458 99.74 76,283 0.26 27.95 39,645 0.04
    Ordinary Resolution 5 29,705,149 99.86 40,376 0.14 27.94 40,861 0.04
    Ordinary Resolution 6 29,577,074 99.58 126,007 0.42 27.90 83,305 0.08
    Ordinary Resolution 7 29,712,458 99.91 27,797 0.09 27.94 46,131 0.04

    * The “in favour” and “against” votes, where appropriate, include those votes giving the Chairman discretion.
    **Total number of shares with voting rights in issue amounted to 106,447,250 redeemable preference shares and 2 management shares in the Cell.

    The Company for itself and on behalf of the Cell hereby gives notification that at the Cell and Company Meeting held on Thursday, 19 June 2025 at 11.45 a.m. all the ordinary resolutions, as set out in the notice of meeting dated 24 March 2025, were duly passed on a poll and voting was as set out in the table below.

      Votes in favour* % of votes in favour Votes against* % of votes against % of issued shares voting** Votes withheld* % of issued shares withheld**
     

    No. shares

    		 % No. shares % % No. shares %
    Ordinary Resolution 1 28,843,252 97.14 849,195 2.86 27.89% 23,473 0.02
    Ordinary Resolution 2 29,464,618 99.27 217,509 0.73 27.88% 33,793 0.03
    Ordinary Resolution 3 28,856,675 97.19 835,772 2.81 27.89% 23,473 0.02
    Ordinary Resolution 4 28,843,055 97.18 835,772 2.82 27.88% 37,093 0.03
    Ordinary Resolution 5 28,146,195 94.80 1,544,310 5.20 27.89% 25,415 0.02

    * The “in favour” and “against” votes, where appropriate; include those votes giving the Chairman discretion.
    **Total number of shares with voting rights in issue of the Cell amounted to 106,447,250 redeemable preference shares in the Cell, 2 management shares in the Cell and 2 management shares in the Company.

    The Company hereby gives notification that at the Company Annual General Meeting held on Thursday, 19 June 2025 at 12.00 p.m., all the ordinary resolutions, as set out in the notice of meeting dated 24 March 2025, were duly passed on a poll and voting was as set out in the table below.

      Votes in favour* % of votes in favour Votes against* % of votes against % of issued shares voting** Votes withheld* % of issued shares withheld**
     

    No. shares

    		 % No. shares % % No. shares %
    Ordinary Resolution 1 2 100 0 0.00 100 0 0.00
    Ordinary Resolution 2 2 100 0 0.00 100 0 0.00
    Ordinary Resolution 3 2 100 0 0.00 100 0 0.00

    * The “in favour” and “against” votes, where appropriate, include those votes giving the Chairman discretion.
    **Total number of shares with voting rights in issue of the Company amounted to 2 management shares.

    The Board would like to thank the Company’s and the Cell’s shareholders for their continued support.

    Further to the Company’s announcement on 2 May 2025, the Company continues to progress a proposed scheme of reconstruction pursuant to which the Company will be wound up and shareholders will be given the option to receive shares in a newly established, actively managed exchange traded fund and/or cash (the “Scheme”). A circular relating to the Scheme is expected to be sent to shareholders in August 2025.

    Terms used and not defined in this announcement bear the meaning given to them in the notices of the meetings dated 24 March 2025.

    In accordance with FCA listing rule 6.4.2, a copy of the resolutions has been submitted to the National Storage Mechanism. All of these documents will shortly be made available for inspection at https://data.fca.org.uk/#/nsm/nationalstoragemechanism.

    These results will also shortly be available for inspection on the Company’s website.  

    Enquiries:

    JTC Fund Solutions (Jersey) Limited
    Secretary
    Tel.: 01534 700 000

    Dean Orrico
    President
    Middlefield International Limited
    Tel.: 01203 7094016

    END OF ANNOUNCEMENT

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Middlefield Canadian Income PCC – Result of AGM

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Middlefield Canadian Income PCC (the “Company”)
     and
    Middlefield Canadian Income – GBP PC (the “Cell”)

    Results of General Meetings

    The Company on behalf of the Cell hereby announces that at the Cell Annual General Meeting held on Thursday, 19 June 2025 at 11.30 a.m. all the resolutions relating to both the ordinary business and the special business, as set out in the notice of meeting dated 24 March 2025, were duly passed on a poll and voting was as set out in the table below.

      Votes in favour* % of votes cast in favour Votes against* % of votes cast against % of issued shares voting** Votes withheld* % of issued shares withheld**
      No. shares % No. shares % % No. shares %
    Special Resolution 1 29,645,891 99.72 82,162 0.28 27.93 58,333 0.05
    Special Resolution 2 27,994,818 94.11 1,753,298 5.89 27.95 38,270 0.04
    Ordinary Resolution 3 29,734,559 99.92 24,944 0.08 27.96 26,883 0.03
    Ordinary Resolution 4 29,670,458 99.74 76,283 0.26 27.95 39,645 0.04
    Ordinary Resolution 5 29,705,149 99.86 40,376 0.14 27.94 40,861 0.04
    Ordinary Resolution 6 29,577,074 99.58 126,007 0.42 27.90 83,305 0.08
    Ordinary Resolution 7 29,712,458 99.91 27,797 0.09 27.94 46,131 0.04

    * The “in favour” and “against” votes, where appropriate, include those votes giving the Chairman discretion.
    **Total number of shares with voting rights in issue amounted to 106,447,250 redeemable preference shares and 2 management shares in the Cell.

    The Company for itself and on behalf of the Cell hereby gives notification that at the Cell and Company Meeting held on Thursday, 19 June 2025 at 11.45 a.m. all the ordinary resolutions, as set out in the notice of meeting dated 24 March 2025, were duly passed on a poll and voting was as set out in the table below.

      Votes in favour* % of votes in favour Votes against* % of votes against % of issued shares voting** Votes withheld* % of issued shares withheld**
     

    No. shares

    		 % No. shares % % No. shares %
    Ordinary Resolution 1 28,843,252 97.14 849,195 2.86 27.89% 23,473 0.02
    Ordinary Resolution 2 29,464,618 99.27 217,509 0.73 27.88% 33,793 0.03
    Ordinary Resolution 3 28,856,675 97.19 835,772 2.81 27.89% 23,473 0.02
    Ordinary Resolution 4 28,843,055 97.18 835,772 2.82 27.88% 37,093 0.03
    Ordinary Resolution 5 28,146,195 94.80 1,544,310 5.20 27.89% 25,415 0.02

    * The “in favour” and “against” votes, where appropriate; include those votes giving the Chairman discretion.
    **Total number of shares with voting rights in issue of the Cell amounted to 106,447,250 redeemable preference shares in the Cell, 2 management shares in the Cell and 2 management shares in the Company.

    The Company hereby gives notification that at the Company Annual General Meeting held on Thursday, 19 June 2025 at 12.00 p.m., all the ordinary resolutions, as set out in the notice of meeting dated 24 March 2025, were duly passed on a poll and voting was as set out in the table below.

      Votes in favour* % of votes in favour Votes against* % of votes against % of issued shares voting** Votes withheld* % of issued shares withheld**
     

    No. shares

    		 % No. shares % % No. shares %
    Ordinary Resolution 1 2 100 0 0.00 100 0 0.00
    Ordinary Resolution 2 2 100 0 0.00 100 0 0.00
    Ordinary Resolution 3 2 100 0 0.00 100 0 0.00

    * The “in favour” and “against” votes, where appropriate, include those votes giving the Chairman discretion.
    **Total number of shares with voting rights in issue of the Company amounted to 2 management shares.

    The Board would like to thank the Company’s and the Cell’s shareholders for their continued support.

    Further to the Company’s announcement on 2 May 2025, the Company continues to progress a proposed scheme of reconstruction pursuant to which the Company will be wound up and shareholders will be given the option to receive shares in a newly established, actively managed exchange traded fund and/or cash (the “Scheme”). A circular relating to the Scheme is expected to be sent to shareholders in August 2025.

    Terms used and not defined in this announcement bear the meaning given to them in the notices of the meetings dated 24 March 2025.

    In accordance with FCA listing rule 6.4.2, a copy of the resolutions has been submitted to the National Storage Mechanism. All of these documents will shortly be made available for inspection at https://data.fca.org.uk/#/nsm/nationalstoragemechanism.

    These results will also shortly be available for inspection on the Company’s website.  

    Enquiries:

    JTC Fund Solutions (Jersey) Limited
    Secretary
    Tel.: 01534 700 000

    Dean Orrico
    President
    Middlefield International Limited
    Tel.: 01203 7094016

    END OF ANNOUNCEMENT

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Province, BC Hydro launch pilot program to cut energy costs, support housing density

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    In a Canadian first, the Province and BC Hydro have launched a pioneering pilot project in Vancouver that has the potential to set new standards for supporting growing housing priorities and densification in Canada.

    Designed to support the transition from single-family homes to multi-unit residences, the initiative is exploring how full electrification – heating, cooling, EV charging and appliances – can be achieved without the need for more significant electrical service upgrades.

    “The potential for this innovative system shows what’s possible when we partner with local technology providers to make clean energy more accessible,” said Adrian Dix, Minister of Energy and Climate Solutions. “We’re proud to support made-in-B.C. solutions that reduce emissions, strengthen our grid and lower energy costs for residents.”

    At the core of this project is a smart panel developed by Burnaby-based Evectrix, a key innovation supported through a $600,000 investment from the Province’s Innovative Clean Energy Fund and BC Hydro’s $700-million Energy Efficiency Plan. This device transforms a conventional breaker panel into a “smart hub” that manages real-time energy usage, in this case eliminating the need to upgrade from a 200-amp to a 400-amp service, even in an electrified six-unit development.

    This pilot project is Canada’s first to demonstrate:

    • all-suite electrification in a multi-unit residential building without requiring a significant service upgrade;
    • a smart panel integration with advanced thermostats for greater suite-level energy control; and
    • management of multiple non-EV electrical loads, such as hot water, ranges and dryers, through a single smart panel.

    Traditionally, densifying from single-family homes to duplexes, fourplexes and sixplexes has required significant electrical upgrades. This project explores a better path: the smart panel dynamically manages load at the suite level, helping avoid over-capacity while unlocking significant savings. The project is a scalable model for retrofitting and densification that could save thousands of dollars in infrastructure costs per project.

    Special permission was given from the City of Vancouver in order for the project to be installed at the location. Through the Consortium for Power Efficient Design, BC Hydro continues working with partners to advocate for changes to the Canadian Electrical Code, expanding the use of energy management systems like the one being explored through this project.

    “This technology pilot is a potential game-changer for accelerating clean-energy adoption in multi-unit housing,” said Chris O’Riley, president and CEO, BC Hydro. “It not only supports our broader goal of building a more sustainable and efficient electricity system, but it also helps customers avoid the high costs of major electrical upgrades – making densification more accessible, affordable and practical.”

    Through its $700-million Energy Efficiency Plan, BC Hydro is significantly increasing investments in energy-saving tools, technologies, programs and rebates. These measures are expected to deliver 2,000 gigawatt hours in electricity savings – enough to power approximately 200,000 homes. The project, located on Vancouver’s Chestnut Street, is one of many innovative pilot programs now underway or in development, designed not only to reduce consumption today but to empower customers to manage their energy use more efficiently in the years ahead and save money.

    If this approach proves successful, it could set the stage for more customer-focused energy solutions that help households and businesses lower their bills, reduce emissions and take advantage of smarter, more responsive grid technologies. These efforts are part of BC Hydro’s long-term commitment to delivering value, reliability and sustainability to customers as energy needs evolve.

    Quotes:

    Brenda Bailey, Minister of Finance and MLA for Vancouver-South Granville –

    “Advanced technology projects like the smart panel will help to create electricity systems that are efficient, resilient and responsive to people’s needs. We will continue to partner with local technology companies to help strengthen our grid and cut energy costs for British Columbians.”

    Kambiz Pishghadam Ghaeni, chief operating officer, Evectrix –

    “We’re proud to bring B.C.-made innovation to life through this first-of-its-kind, electrified six-townhouse project, proving that homeowners can electrify and decarbonize without the burden of costly service upgrades. With meaningful support from the Province and in close collaboration with the BC Hydro team, our intelligent load management technology is unlocking a scalable, affordable and future-ready path to electrify homes and multi-unit buildings throughout the province.” 

    Saul Schwebs, chief building official, City of Vancouver –  

    “The City of Vancouver is proud to support this project, which showcases innovative made-in-British Columbia technology. The City approved the use of this load management technology through a special permission pathway, illustrating our commitment to energy-efficient solutions.” 

    Learn More:

    To learn more about the Province’s plans to power B.C.’s potential, visit: https://www.bchydro.com/poweringpotential

    A backgrounder follows.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Xia Baolong meets patriotic groups

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    CPC Central Committee Hong Kong & Macao Work Office Director and State Council Hong Kong & Macao Affairs Office Director Xia Baolong today met patriotic groups and representatives of higher education institutions in the city, and visited local cultural and tourism spots.

    In the morning, Mr Xia, in the company of Chief Executive John Lee and Secretary for Home & Youth Affairs Alice Mak, held an engagement session with patriotic groups dedicated to the nation and Hong Kong.

    The session was attended by representatives from political and community groups with an affection for the country and the city.

    In the afternoon, Mr Xia, accompanied by Mr Lee and Secretary for Education Choi Yuk-lin, attended another engagement session to exchange views with representatives of Hong Kong’s major higher education institutions, including chairmen of university councils and university presidents.

    Mr Xia then visited the Kai Tak Sports Park with Mr Lee, Chief Secretary Chan Kwok-ki and Secretary for Culture, Sports & Tourism Rosanna Law, touring Kai Tak Stadium and Kai Tak Gallery.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • India-UK FTA paves way for actionable cooperation in trade, technology: Piyush Goyal

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal has reaffirmed India’s commitment to transitioning the free trade agreement (FTA) from a negotiated text into a transformative economic partnership, the ministry said on Thursday.

    The minister showcased India’s strategic global outlook and economic leadership at the India Global Forum (IGF) 2025 in London. His visit marked a significant moment following the historic signing of the India–UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA) in May 2025.

    Delivering the keynote address, the Union Minister described the FTA as a reflection of shared ambition between two vibrant democracies. He stated that the agreement not only enhances bilateral trade, but also demonstrates India’s ability to negotiate balanced and future-oriented trade frameworks aligned with its national interests.

    Goyal was joined by UK Secretary of State for Business and Trade, Jonathan Reynolds, with moderation by international journalist Mark Barton.

    Outlining the next phase of implementation, Goyal highlighted key priorities such as strengthening institutional mechanisms for joint governance, unlocking early benefits for SMEs and startups, and facilitating smooth mobility of skilled professionals across sectors.

    On June 19, the Union Minister participated in a special session on “UK–India Science, Technology and Innovation Collaboration” at the Science Museum in London.

    The session explored opportunities for UK stakeholders to contribute to India’s expanding investments in digital public infrastructure, sustainable manufacturing, and green technologies.

    Discussions also covered efforts to make India a global manufacturing hub through Make in India, PLI schemes, and enhancing collaboration in sectors such as fintech, artificial intelligence, and creative industries, according to the ministry.

    The FTA’s role in deepening cooperation in critical technologies, defence production, and advanced manufacturing was also highlighted. The session further examined how innovations like UPI and CoWIN can be scaled globally through bilateral collaboration.

    “By leveraging the India–UK FTA, both nations aim to unlock new avenues in goods, services, technology, and innovation for shared prosperity,” said the ministry.

    (IANS)

  • India-UK FTA paves way for actionable cooperation in trade, technology: Piyush Goyal

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal has reaffirmed India’s commitment to transitioning the free trade agreement (FTA) from a negotiated text into a transformative economic partnership, the ministry said on Thursday.

    The minister showcased India’s strategic global outlook and economic leadership at the India Global Forum (IGF) 2025 in London. His visit marked a significant moment following the historic signing of the India–UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA) in May 2025.

    Delivering the keynote address, the Union Minister described the FTA as a reflection of shared ambition between two vibrant democracies. He stated that the agreement not only enhances bilateral trade, but also demonstrates India’s ability to negotiate balanced and future-oriented trade frameworks aligned with its national interests.

    Goyal was joined by UK Secretary of State for Business and Trade, Jonathan Reynolds, with moderation by international journalist Mark Barton.

    Outlining the next phase of implementation, Goyal highlighted key priorities such as strengthening institutional mechanisms for joint governance, unlocking early benefits for SMEs and startups, and facilitating smooth mobility of skilled professionals across sectors.

    On June 19, the Union Minister participated in a special session on “UK–India Science, Technology and Innovation Collaboration” at the Science Museum in London.

    The session explored opportunities for UK stakeholders to contribute to India’s expanding investments in digital public infrastructure, sustainable manufacturing, and green technologies.

    Discussions also covered efforts to make India a global manufacturing hub through Make in India, PLI schemes, and enhancing collaboration in sectors such as fintech, artificial intelligence, and creative industries, according to the ministry.

    The FTA’s role in deepening cooperation in critical technologies, defence production, and advanced manufacturing was also highlighted. The session further examined how innovations like UPI and CoWIN can be scaled globally through bilateral collaboration.

    “By leveraging the India–UK FTA, both nations aim to unlock new avenues in goods, services, technology, and innovation for shared prosperity,” said the ministry.

    (IANS)

  • MIL-OSI: Community Savings expands its Union Asset Management division with addition of USW Local 2009

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    VANCOUVER, British Columbia / Unceded Territories of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Nations, June 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — With a focus on aligning long-term financial strategy with union values, United Steelworkers (USW) Local 2009 has selected Community Savings Credit Union’s Union Asset Management division as its investment partner – continuing to partner with a credit union that the USW helped establish as the International Woodworkers of America in 1944.

    The partnership comes as BC’s forestry and steel sectors face mounting pressures from ongoing tariff disputes and market volatility, making values-aligned investment partnerships more critical than ever for union members’ financial security.

    “This isn’t just about finding another investment manager. It’s about keeping union money working for union values,” said Al Bieksa, USW Local 2009 President. “In forestry and steel, we’re dealing with constant uncertainty from tariff announcements and trade barriers. Community Savings has consistently demonstrated a deep understanding of union values and a thoughtful approach to growing investments for our members. Having an investment partner that understands our industry challenges and won’t ship our capital off to Bay Street makes real sense for our members.”

    Raj Khunkhun, President of Community Savings’ Union Asset Management division, said: “When unions pool their investment power, they can demand better returns for their members. In partnership with NEI Investments, we manage global investments while ensuring profits are retained in Canada, providing returns that matter to the labour movement. Our work with USW Local 2009 will continue through this shared mission and will support the financial security and growth of union members across the region. We’re not just managing money – we’re building the financial foundation that lets working people fight for better wages, safer workplaces, and stronger communities.”

    The Union Asset Management division offers fund management for pensions, benefits, and other investments. It partners with NEI Investments, a Canadian asset manager specializing in responsible investing with over $11 billion under management.

    For Local 2009’s members, many of whom work in industries facing significant economic headwinds, the partnership offers stability through turbulent times. The credit union’s approach prioritizes long-term security over short-term speculation which is crucial for workers in cyclical industries like forestry and steel.

    The move also strengthens Community Savings’ position as BC’s largest fully unionized credit union. Since becoming Canada’s first Living Wage employer in 2010, the institution has demonstrated that financial services can operate on cooperative principles while delivering competitive results.

    USW represents 225,000 members across nearly every economic sector in Canada and is North America’s largest private-sector union, with 850,000 members across Canada, the United States and the Caribbean.

    Union organizations interested in learning more about Union Asset Management services can visit: comsavings.com/assetmanagement

    About Community Savings Credit Union: Community Savings Credit Union is driven by its purpose to unite working people to build a just world. As BC’s largest fully unionized credit union, Community Savings provides banking services while living its values – from becoming Canada’s first Living Wage employer in 2010 to winning the 2022 BCBusiness Workplace Wellness Award.

    Community Savings operates seven branches across the Lower Mainland and Victoria. For more information, visit comsavings.com.

    Media Contact
    Yulu Public Relations
    cscu@yulupr.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: 8 in 10 people support taxing oil and gas corporations to pay for climate damages, global survey finds

    Source: Greenpeace Statement –

    Bonn, Germany, 19 June 2025 – A vast majority of people believe governments must tax oil, gas and coal corporations for climate-related loss and damage, and that their government is not doing enough to counter the political influence of super rich individuals and polluting industries. These are the key findings of a global survey – including responses from South Africa and Kenya – which reflect a broad consensus across political affiliations, income levels and age groups.[1]  

    The study, jointly commissioned by Greenpeace International and Oxfam International, was launched today at the UN Climate Meetings in Bonn (SB62), where government representatives are discussing climate policies, including ways to raise at least US$ 1.3 trillion annually in climate finance for Global South countries by 2035. The survey was conducted across 13 countries, including most G7 countries. 

    Sherelee Odayar, Oil and Gas Campaigner for Greenpeace Africa said:

    “In Africa, people are feeling the heat—literally—and they’re done footing the bill for disasters driven by record fossil-fuel profits. This survey sends an unmistakable message: our governments have a popular mandate to make oil, gas and coal corporations pay their fair share for the floods, droughts and hunger they’ve helped unleash. A polluter-pays tax would turn dirty profits into clean investments for frontline communities, and that’s the climate justice Africa has been calling for.”

    Ali Mohamed, Special Envoy for Climate Change, Kenya, said:


    “African Leaders adopted the Nairobi Declaration during the inaugural Africa Climate Summit in Nairobi, which among others, calls for a global carbon taxation regime, including levies on fossil fuel trade. Kenya co-chairs the Global Solidarity Levies Taskforce, which brings together a coalition of willing countries to design and implement progressive levies that reflect the true cost of pollution. The principle is simple, sectors profiting from the increasing greenhouse gas emissions that cause the destructive climate change, must be taxed to support climate impacted vulnerable communities in Africa and other developing world, adapt and recover from the devastating losses and damages being suffered so frequently.”

    Mads Christensen, Executive Director of Greenpeace International said:

    “These survey results send a clear message: people are no longer buying the lies. They see the fingerprints of fossil fuel giants all over the storms, floods, droughts, and wildfires devastating their lives, and they want accountability. By taxing the obscene profits of dirty energy companies, governments can unlock billions to protect communities and invest in real climate solutions. It’s only fair that those who caused the crisis should pay for the damage, not those suffering from it.”

    The study, run by Dynata, was unveiled alongside the Polluters Pay Pact, a global alliance of communities on the frontlines of climate disasters. The Pact demands that – instead of piling the costs on ordinary people – governments make oil, gas and coal corporations pay their fair share for the damages they cause, through the introduction of new taxes and fines.

    The Pact is backed by firefighters and other first responders, trade unions and worker groups, and mayors from countries including Australia, Brazil, Bangladesh, India, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Nigeria, and South Africa, the US, and plaintiffs in landmark climate cases from Pacific island states to Switzerland.

    The Pact is also supported by over 60 NGOs, including Oxfam International, 350.org, Avaaz, Islamic Relief UK, Asociación Interamericana para la Defensa del Ambiente (AIDA), Indian Hawkers Alliance, Pacific Islands Students Fighting Climate Change, Jubilee Australia and the Greenpeace network.

    The survey’s findings published today reveal broad public support for the core demands of the Polluters Pay Pact, as climate impacts worsen worldwide and global inequality grows.

    Key findings of the survey include:

    • 81% of people surveyed would support taxes on the oil, gas, and coal industry to pay for damages caused by fossil-fuel driven climate disasters like storms, floods, droughts and wildfires.
    • 86% of people in surveyed countries support channeling revenues from higher taxes on oil and gas corporations towards communities most impacted by the climate crisis. Climate change is disproportionately hitting people in Global South countries, who are historically least responsible for greenhouse gas emissions. 
    • When asked who should be taxed to pay for helping survivors of fossil-fuel driven climate disasters, 66% of people across countries surveyed think it should be oil and gas companies, while just 5% support taxes on working people, 9% on goods people buy, and 20% favour business taxes.
    • 68% felt that the fossil fuel industry and the super-rich had a negative influence on politics in their country. 77% say they would be more willing to support a political candidate who prioritises taxing the super-rich and the fossil fuel industry. 

    Amitabh Behar, Executive Director of Oxfam International, said: 

    “Fossil fuel companies have known for decades about the damage their polluting products wreak on humanity. Corporations continue to cash in on climate devastation, and their profiteering destroys the lives and livelihoods of millions of women, men and children, predominantly those in the Global South who have done the least to cause the climate crisis. Governments must listen to their people and hold polluters responsible for their damages. A new tax on polluting industries could provide immediate and significant support to climate-vulnerable countries, and finally incentivise investment in renewables and a just transition.” 

    The Polluters Pay Pact demonstrates popular support for the campaign to make polluters pay. The campaign is being waged throughout 2025 in countries worldwide and in critical international forums, including the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development (FFD4), the UN Climate Change Conference (COP30), and negotiations for a UN tax convention that could include new rules to make multinational oil and gas companies pay their fair share for their pollution.

    ENDS

    Notes:

    [1] The research was conducted by first-party data company Dynata in May-June, 2025, in Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Kenya, Italy, India, Mexico, the Philippines, South Africa, Spain, the UK and the US, with approximately 1200 respondents in each country and a theoretical margin of error of approximately 2.83%. Together, these countries represent close to half the world’s population. Statistics available here. 

    Additional background information available here.

    [2] Learn more about the Polluters Pay Pact: polluterspaypact.org

    [3] Additional quotes here from people around the world who are backing the Polluters Pay Pact, including first responders, local administration, youth, union representatives and people bringing climate cases to courts. 

    Contacts: 

    For Greenpeace Africa:

    Ferdinand Omondi, Communication and Story Manager, Email: [email protected], Cell: +254 722 505 233

    Greenpeace Africa Press Desk: [email protected]. 

    For Greenpeace International: 

    Tal Harris, Greenpeace International, Global Media Lead – Stop Drilling Start Paying campaign, [email protected], +41-782530550Greenpeace International Press Desk: [email protected], +31 (0) 20 718 2470 (available 24 hours). Follow on X and Bluesky for our latest international press releases.

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI: Bitget Secures Digital Asset License in Georgia, Running its Global Expansion Strategy in Eastern Europe

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    VICTORIA, Seychelles, June 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bitget, the leading cryptocurrency exchange and Web3 company, has secured regulatory approval in Georgia to operate as a provider of digital asset exchange and custodial wallet services through the Tbilisi Free Zone (TFZ). The new licensing development is a strategic expansion aligned with Bitget’s plans of growing its licensing portfolio in Eastern Europe, a region increasingly dictating the growth of crypto through open regulatory frameworks and progressive economic outlooks.

    Georgia has emerged as a notable hub for crypto innovation, drawing attention with its pro-business stance and supportive environment for crypto and blockchain companies. Ranked among the top countries for crypto mining per capita and blockchain integration, Georgia has actively pursued policies to align with global financial standards while embracing the strong potential of emerging cryptospace. The Tbilisi Free Zone offers tax advantages and has set frameworks and procedures for companies in the digital asset space, making it a hotbed for international players seeking operational flexibility with regulatory clarity.

    “Regions with strong crypto-friendly frameworks are creating the foundation for the next era of finance. Georgia is an example of how strategic policymaking can open doors for growth while guarding users’ safety and increasing accessibility. Bitget’s goal is to work hand-in-hand with jurisdictions that understand the long game—where crypto is a synonym for the new emerging global economic infrastructure,” said Gracy Chen, CEO at Bitget.

    Bitget’s entrance into Georgia aligns with its broader objective of strengthening its presence in markets that support responsible innovation. As crypto adoption accelerates in Eastern Europe, the region has become increasingly important for digital asset platforms looking to serve both institutional and retail users under compliant structures. Regulatory transparency in jurisdictions like Georgia helps ensure that growth is matched with accountability, a principle that aligns with Bitget’s international expansion approach.

    Bitget currently holds registrations in several key jurisdictions across Europe, Latin America, and Asia-Pacific. These include AUSTRAC in Australia, OAM in Italy, and Virtual Asset Service Provider listings in Poland, Bulgaria, Lithuania, and the Czech Republic. In the UK, Bitget operates its FCA-approved platform partnering with an Authorized Person for the purposes of Section 21 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000. In addition, Bitget’s recent licenses in El Salvador and registration Argentina adds depth to its reach across both rising and established economies, marking a deliberate move into markets shaping the next wave of crypto adoption.

    The newly acquired license in Georgia builds on this momentum—signaling a preference for regions implementing crypto-friendly frameworks and regulatory prudence. Each new license marks yet another step towards Bitget’s global strategy to include crypto into everyday infrastructure with high quality products, world-class security and strong compliance towards local regulations.

    About Bitget

    Established in 2018, Bitget is the world’s leading cryptocurrency exchange and Web3 company. Serving over 120 million users in 150+ countries and regions, the Bitget exchange is committed to helping users trade smarter with its pioneering copy trading feature and other trading solutions, while offering real-time access to Bitcoin price, Ethereum price, and other cryptocurrency prices. Formerly known as BitKeep, Bitget Wallet is a leading non-custodial crypto wallet supporting 130+ blockchains and millions of tokens. It offers multi-chain trading, staking, payments, and direct access to 20,000+ DApps, with advanced swaps and market insights built into a single platform. Bitget is at the forefront of driving crypto adoption through strategic partnerships, such as its role as the Official Crypto Partner of the World’s Top Football League, LALIGA, in EASTERN, SEA and LATAM markets, as well as a global partner of Turkish National athletes Buse Tosun Çavuşoğlu (Wrestling world champion), Samet Gümüş (Boxing gold medalist) and İlkin Aydın (Volleyball national team), to inspire the global community to embrace the future of cryptocurrency.

    For more information, visit: Website | Twitter | Telegram | LinkedIn | Discord | Bitget Wallet

    For media inquiries, please contact: media@bitget.com

    Risk Warning: Digital asset prices are subject to fluctuation and may experience significant volatility. Investors are advised to only allocate funds they can afford to lose. The value of any investment may be impacted, and there is a possibility that financial objectives may not be met, nor the principal investment recovered. Independent financial advice should always be sought, and personal financial experience and standing carefully considered. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. Bitget accepts no liability for any potential losses incurred. Nothing contained herein should be construed as financial advice. For further information, please refer to our Terms of Use.

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/595c8101-71b3-4f99-9849-5682104ad6de

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Delivering an energy market that works for consumers

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 2

    Press release

    Delivering an energy market that works for consumers

    New proposals announced to expand automatic compensation schemes when things go wrong.

    • New proposals to expand automatic compensation schemes for when things go wrong
    • working people will be better protected with fairer, quicker, easier access to compensation when they are let down by their energy supplier
    • follows confirmation that 2.7 million extra households will receive £150 off their energy bills next winter as the Warm Home Discount is expanded, easing the cost of living through the Plan for Change

    Working people will have better protections in the energy market through a new package of protection measures announced by the Prime Minister today.  

    The current system makes it too difficult for consumers to access proper compensation.

    Companies have 8 weeks to respond to requests, and if they do not respond or complaints go unresolved, then the onus is on consumers themselves to self-refer to the Energy Ombudsman.

    This produces a situation in which consumers often do not access the compensation they are entitled to due to time pressures or fatigue with a complex system.

    These reforms will take the pressure off consumers and onto the companies to ensure that consumers get the compensation they deserve. Doing so will ensure energy consumers are better-protected and empowered to take action when necessary.  

    These include proposals to make compensation fairer, quicker and easier, and covers areas including:  

    • working with Ofgem to look at expanding automatic compensation to cover more key issues faced by consumers, including excessively long call waiting times, unexpectedly high bills when suppliers fail to adjust direct debits, suppliers not responding to complaints, or suppliers not complying with Energy Ombudsman final decisions
    • government working with Ofgem to look at further increasing the value of base-level compensation from £40, following the first increase since the payments were last set a decade ago
    • strengthening the Energy Ombudsman’s powers so that suppliers must comply with its final decision or pay compensation to the consumer 
    • cutting the time before complaints can be escalated to the Ombudsman from 8 to 4 weeks
    • making referrals to the Ombudsman automatic, instead of people having to do it themselves

    Minister for Energy Consumers Miatta Fahnbulleh said: 

    Through our Plan for Change we are delivering an energy market consumers can trust, putting an end to unfair practices, holding suppliers to account, and ensuring that the consumer always comes first.  

    Today’s announcement is about taking the next steps – helping households to get fairer, quicker, easier compensation when things go wrong.

    This announcement follows confirmation that 2.7 million extra households will receive £150 off their energy bills this winter as the Warm Home Discount is expanded – putting more money directly into people’s pockets. 

    This vital support is the latest in a raft of cost of living support made possible because the government has stabilised the economy, fixed the foundations and repaired the public finances – deliberate choices which are helping provide security and more money in the pockets of working families through the Plan for Change.

    Since last summer, interest rates have been cut 4 times, lowering mortgage costs, free school meals have been rolled out for over half a million more children so that kids can focus on learning rather than hungry bellies, free breakfast clubs are being expanded to every child in the country, school uniform costs have been cut, and the 30 hours of free childcare scheme has been extended to more working parents.

    Work continues on the government’s comprehensive review of Ofgem, focusing on delivering an energy market where the consumer comes first.    

    The review is also considering how Ofgem can better drive the government’s missions for clean power and economic growth.  

    This includes investigating how the regulator can support the private sector to invest in energy infrastructure, and ensuring that families who want to upgrade their homes with clean technology can do so safe in the knowledge that they are protected by robust and responsive regulation.  

    Notes to editors

    Formal recommendations following the conclusion of the Ofgem Review Call for Evidence will be published later this year.  

    Reforms follow Secretary of State Ed Miliband’s letter to Ofgem Chief Executive Jonathan Brearley in February, in which he demanded that Ofgem took quicker and more effective action on consumer protection issues, including compensation for families affected by the forced installation of pre-payment meters.  

    In May Ofgem announced £18.6 million of compensation for the victims of forced pre-payment meter installations, following the Secretary of State’s letter and months of government work with the sector.

    Updates to this page

    Published 19 June 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI: Siili Solutions Plc: Share Repurchase 19.6.2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Siili Solutions Plc       Announcement  19.6.2025
         
         
    Siili Solutions Plc: Share Repurchase 19.6.2025  
         
    In the Helsinki Stock Exchange    
         
    Trade date           19.6.2025  
    Bourse trade         Buy  
    Share                  SIILI  
    Amount             951 Shares
    Average price/ share    6,2874 EUR
    Total cost            5 979,32 EUR
         
         
    Siili Solutions Plc now holds a total of 15 949 shares
    including the shares repurchased on 19.6.2025  
         
    The share buybacks are executed in compliance with Regulation 
    No. 596/2014 of the European Parliament and Council (MAR) Article 5
    and the Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/1052.
         
    On behalf of Siili Solutions Plc    
         
    Nordea Bank Oyj    
         
    Sami Huttunen Ilari Isomäki  
         
    Further information:    
    CFO Aleksi Kankainen    
    Email: aleksi.kankainen@siili.com    
    Tel. +358 50 584 2029    
         
    www.siili.com    

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Are Chinese investors grabbing Zambian land? Study finds that’s a myth

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Yuezhou Yang, Research Fellow, London School of Economics and Political Science

    Media coverage of Chinese land investments in African agriculture often reinforces narratives of a “weak African state” and the “Chinese land grab”, highlighting power imbalances between the actors involved in these land deals.

    Are Chinese actors grabbing land in Africa and jeopardising local people’s land rights and food security?

    China’s “Agriculture Going Out” policy, launched in 2007 as part of its broader “Going Out” strategy, was reinforced by the Belt and Road Initiative from 2013. Backed by these policies, Chinese foreign direct investment in Africa rose from US$74.81 million in 2003 to US$4.99 billion in 2021. By 2020, US$1.67 billion was invested in African agriculture, with nearly two-thirds targeting cash crop cultivation. Zambia ranked among the top ten African countries receiving Chinese foreign direct investment and loans.

    My research on Zambian agriculture finds that Chinese land grabbing is a myth. Instead, Chinese investors have preferred different investment models according to the specific rules of land access, transfer and control of three land tenure systems in Zambia.

    What ties the three types of Chinese agricultural investments together is this: land institutions matter. Whether it’s central government rules or traditional authority, these systems shape how foreign investment happens and what impact it has.



    Read more:
    Foreign agriculture investments don’t always threaten food security: the case of Madagascar

    Each of the three models raises new opportunities and challenges for rural development and land governance. These findings matter because they offer insights into the future of land rights, livelihoods and state-building in African countries.

    Not all land is the same

    After independence, all land in Zambia was vested in the president, held in trust for the people. Today, the country still operates under a dual land system, as outlined in the 1995 Lands Act. State land, managed by the central government, includes both private and government leaseholds. Customary land, on the other hand, remains under the authority of traditional chiefs. The exact proportion of state and customary land in Zambia is contested, with estimates of customary land ranging widely from 94% to 54%.

    This tenure distinction is significant because each type of land is governed by different rules regarding foreign access and ownership, which shape how foreign investors choose their investment models.

    Over four months of fieldwork in Zambia, I gathered data on 50 Chinese agricultural projects (41 remained active) through 96 qualitative interviews. These projects were spread across three types of land tenure: private leasehold (37), government leasehold (1), and customary land (3).

    Model 1: Commercial farm on private land

    My fieldwork data showed that the majority of Chinese agricultural investments in Zambia are located on private leasehold land, typically following the commercial farm model. This type of land functions much like private property, held under 99-year leases that can be bought, sold or transferred. Investors use it for large-scale farming operations, such as maize, soybean and wheat production.

    Even in these seemingly privatised spaces, however, state power remains influential. When Zambia proposed a draft National Land Policy in 2017 aimed at tightening rules for foreign land ownership, Chinese investors responded strategically. Many began aligning their projects with Zambia’s development priorities, emphasising contributions to local food security, donating to charities, and promoting themselves as responsible corporate actors.

    Model 2: Farm block on government land

    In northern Zambia, for example, a Chinese company partnered with the government to develop a farm block on state-owned land that had been converted from customary tenure for national development. Unlike the commercial farm model, the government played a central role, selecting the investor, managing the land and negotiating the deal. The project promised infrastructure and jobs, enhancing the political standing of local officials.

    But this kind of state-led development works only when the promises are delivered. In other areas where farm blocks failed to materialise, traditional chiefs reclaimed the land. In the northern case, actual physical infrastructure investment helped reinforce state authority.

    Model 3: Contract farming on customary land

    The third model is very different. For instance, a Chinese agribusiness company arranged contract farming deals with over 50,000 smallholders in Zambia’s Eastern Province. Instead of buying or leasing land, the company provided seeds and bought cotton from farmers after harvest. This let the company access land informally, without triggering the legal and political risks of converting customary land to leasehold.

    Operating on customary land posed challenges for investors. When farmers defaulted on loans or engaged in side-selling, companies had limited legal recourse and often had to negotiate with chiefs and local communities rather than the state. In such contexts, traditional authorities – not the central government – wielded the decisive power over land and its governance.

    Why this matters

    In a world where land deals are often controversial, understanding how local rules shape global investment is crucial. It’s not just about who buys the land, but under what terms, and how those terms are enforced. African governments are not just passive bystanders; they’re active players who use land institutions to negotiate power and development.



    Read more:
    China and Africa: Ethiopia case study debunks investment myths

    This research urges us to look beyond the headlines about “land grabs” and instead focus on the everyday politics of land. If African states want to steer rural development on their own terms, understanding and strengthening land institutions – both statutory and customary – is key.

    This research is developed from Yuezhou Yang’s MRes/PhD project, which is supported by funding from the China Scholarship Council 201708040015.

    – ref. Are Chinese investors grabbing Zambian land? Study finds that’s a myth – https://theconversation.com/are-chinese-investors-grabbing-zambian-land-study-finds-thats-a-myth-257644

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Are Chinese investors grabbing Zambian land? Study finds that’s a myth

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Yuezhou Yang, Research Fellow, London School of Economics and Political Science

    Media coverage of Chinese land investments in African agriculture often reinforces narratives of a “weak African state” and the “Chinese land grab”, highlighting power imbalances between the actors involved in these land deals.

    Are Chinese actors grabbing land in Africa and jeopardising local people’s land rights and food security?

    China’s “Agriculture Going Out” policy, launched in 2007 as part of its broader “Going Out” strategy, was reinforced by the Belt and Road Initiative from 2013. Backed by these policies, Chinese foreign direct investment in Africa rose from US$74.81 million in 2003 to US$4.99 billion in 2021. By 2020, US$1.67 billion was invested in African agriculture, with nearly two-thirds targeting cash crop cultivation. Zambia ranked among the top ten African countries receiving Chinese foreign direct investment and loans.

    My research on Zambian agriculture finds that Chinese land grabbing is a myth. Instead, Chinese investors have preferred different investment models according to the specific rules of land access, transfer and control of three land tenure systems in Zambia.

    What ties the three types of Chinese agricultural investments together is this: land institutions matter. Whether it’s central government rules or traditional authority, these systems shape how foreign investment happens and what impact it has.

    Read more: Foreign agriculture investments don’t always threaten food security: the case of Madagascar

    Each of the three models raises new opportunities and challenges for rural development and land governance. These findings matter because they offer insights into the future of land rights, livelihoods and state-building in African countries.

    Not all land is the same

    After independence, all land in Zambia was vested in the president, held in trust for the people. Today, the country still operates under a dual land system, as outlined in the 1995 Lands Act. State land, managed by the central government, includes both private and government leaseholds. Customary land, on the other hand, remains under the authority of traditional chiefs. The exact proportion of state and customary land in Zambia is contested, with estimates of customary land ranging widely from 94% to 54%.

    This tenure distinction is significant because each type of land is governed by different rules regarding foreign access and ownership, which shape how foreign investors choose their investment models.

    Over four months of fieldwork in Zambia, I gathered data on 50 Chinese agricultural projects (41 remained active) through 96 qualitative interviews. These projects were spread across three types of land tenure: private leasehold (37), government leasehold (1), and customary land (3).

    Model 1: Commercial farm on private land

    My fieldwork data showed that the majority of Chinese agricultural investments in Zambia are located on private leasehold land, typically following the commercial farm model. This type of land functions much like private property, held under 99-year leases that can be bought, sold or transferred. Investors use it for large-scale farming operations, such as maize, soybean and wheat production.

    Even in these seemingly privatised spaces, however, state power remains influential. When Zambia proposed a draft National Land Policy in 2017 aimed at tightening rules for foreign land ownership, Chinese investors responded strategically. Many began aligning their projects with Zambia’s development priorities, emphasising contributions to local food security, donating to charities, and promoting themselves as responsible corporate actors.

    Model 2: Farm block on government land

    In northern Zambia, for example, a Chinese company partnered with the government to develop a farm block on state-owned land that had been converted from customary tenure for national development. Unlike the commercial farm model, the government played a central role, selecting the investor, managing the land and negotiating the deal. The project promised infrastructure and jobs, enhancing the political standing of local officials.

    But this kind of state-led development works only when the promises are delivered. In other areas where farm blocks failed to materialise, traditional chiefs reclaimed the land. In the northern case, actual physical infrastructure investment helped reinforce state authority.

    Model 3: Contract farming on customary land

    The third model is very different. For instance, a Chinese agribusiness company arranged contract farming deals with over 50,000 smallholders in Zambia’s Eastern Province. Instead of buying or leasing land, the company provided seeds and bought cotton from farmers after harvest. This let the company access land informally, without triggering the legal and political risks of converting customary land to leasehold.

    Operating on customary land posed challenges for investors. When farmers defaulted on loans or engaged in side-selling, companies had limited legal recourse and often had to negotiate with chiefs and local communities rather than the state. In such contexts, traditional authorities – not the central government – wielded the decisive power over land and its governance.

    Why this matters

    In a world where land deals are often controversial, understanding how local rules shape global investment is crucial. It’s not just about who buys the land, but under what terms, and how those terms are enforced. African governments are not just passive bystanders; they’re active players who use land institutions to negotiate power and development.

    Read more: China and Africa: Ethiopia case study debunks investment myths

    This research urges us to look beyond the headlines about “land grabs” and instead focus on the everyday politics of land. If African states want to steer rural development on their own terms, understanding and strengthening land institutions – both statutory and customary – is key.

    – Are Chinese investors grabbing Zambian land? Study finds that’s a myth
    – https://theconversation.com/are-chinese-investors-grabbing-zambian-land-study-finds-thats-a-myth-257644

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: “For the Higher School of Economics, teaching AI technologies is a hygienic requirement”

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: State University Higher School of Economics – State University Higher School of Economics –

    © Dmitry Orlov / Roscongress Foundation

    “Technologies of the future: a single global space or everyone for himself” – this question was put in the title of the session held on June 19 with the support of Alfa-Bank at SPIEF-2025. The discussion was attended by the rector of the National Research University Higher School of Economics Nikita Anisimov, and the moderator was journalist, TV presenter and public figure Ksenia Sobchak.

    Opening the discussion, Ksenia Sobchak noted that we are currently experiencing a second technological revolution. The first was the universal use of computers and the Internet, and the second is related to AI, which means that we will see a huge number of breakthroughs in the economy, medicine, and in our human existence in general.

    “It would seem that this is a chance to join forces like never before, to face new challenges and opportunities together, but these breakthroughs are happening against the backdrop of a global technological divide, and this presents a huge number of additional challenges for all of us,” the moderator emphasized.

    Vladimir Verkhoshinsky, CEO of Alfa-Bank, said that the policy of technological isolation leads to a dead end, so his bank puts openness first. Previously, in the industrial economy, it was possible to patent a gear, a machine, a robot, but now, in the digital economy, it is impossible to patent a code, any innovation is easily copied, and the speaker believes that this is good.

    “Western countries were great in the 1990s and early 2000s, when they were technological leaders and openly shared technologies with the world,” added Vladimir Verkhoshinsky. In his opinion, now the leaders of many countries are pursuing protectionist policies, trying to close and ban everything.

    Addressing Nikita Anisimov, Ksenia Sobchak stated that the Higher School of Economics, as a source of personnel, must also face these modern challenges, and, in particular, asked how the university adapts its programs to the needs of AI.

    Nikita Anisimov specified that the entire education system can be considered a forge of personnel, while some simply prepare for the workplace, while others create the technologies of tomorrow, think about the future and form the values of the future. “It is important for us, and there are not many such universities in the world, that there is an environment that creates future technologies. There should be universities in the world that are a forge not of personnel, but of the technologies of the future,” he said. Such institutions – universities – exist both in our country and in the world, where AI technologies are introduced into the educational process and taught.

    “For the Higher School of Economics, teaching artificial intelligence technologies is a hygienic requirement. Our students take an exam on digital literacy already in their first year, and if they fail, we expel them,” the rector explained.

    He also said that 1% of the world’s leading universities compete for 1% of the world’s talent, and each person views studying at these universities as entering a special environment and culture, investing in themselves, creating opportunities for self-realization, and not preparing for a specific job. According to Nikita Anisimov, this understanding of the university was initially characteristic of Russia.

    The HSE rector also put forward a hypothesis that the preparation of a student for a specific job today is determined by a strong demographic impact on the labor market. So solving the demographic problem will help preserve the essence of university education.

    “What is a talent pool for? To fill jobs. And then you tell every university, even the one that is supposed to create an environment for creating the future, listen, but we don’t have enough people. Therefore, solving the demographic issue is critically important for technological leadership,” Nikita Anisimov emphasized.

    The moderator’s questions, addressed to Rostelecom President Mikhail Oseevsky, concerned the possibility of transforming various AI solutions for editing, design, visuals, etc. into a single system. “Many different wallets, with different currencies in them. It seems to be in order, but in fact it’s chaos,” Ksenia Sobchak drew an analogy.

    Mikhail Oseevsky responded that it is impossible to create a single universal solution that will be effective for different types of tasks. “That is why we create for ourselves and then bring to market a product called a “neural gateway” that allows employees and clients, depending on the task that needs to be solved, to access different “engines” “under the hood”. These can be global networks,” he explained.

    At the same time, in his opinion, it is necessary to keep in mind that in order to ensure security and sovereignty, not all information can be loaded into solutions that do not belong to us. In corporate activities, interaction should be carried out with those neural networks that are located in our data centers and that are specially trained on our material.

    “We believe that we need to focus on diversity, but within the framework of one product, ensuring personal and corporate security,” concluded Mikhail Oseevsky.

    The discussion was also attended by Deputy Minister of Finance of the Russian Federation Ivan Chebeskov, Chairman of the Board of the Moscow Exchange Viktor Zhidkov, and futurist writer from Singapore, author of the bestseller “AI 2041” Chen Qiufan.

    In conclusion, Ksenia Sobchak invited the session participants to briefly answer the question posed in its title. As it turned out, the speakers were unable to come to a consensus on whether it would be possible to create a single global technology space.

    Vladimir Verkhoshinsky offered an optimistic formulation: “Technology has no borders, especially now, in the digital world, like friendship and love. Perhaps, in the short term of 30-50 years, everyone will be for themselves, and if we look strategically 100-200 years ahead, we will have a single world, I would like to hope, a beautiful, space.”

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Immersive HK exhibition opens in SH

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    The “Immersive Hong Kong” roving exhibition, showcasing the charm and vibrancy of Hong Kong through interactive art technology, opened in Shanghai today and will run until June 29.

    With the theme of “Hong Kong – Where the World Looks Ahead”, the exhibition invites visitors from Shanghai and the Yangtze River Delta to explore the unique opportunities and potential for tourism, education, business and investment in Hong Kong.

    The five thematic zones – “Financial Bridgehead”, “I&T Brain Bank”, “Blossoming Creativity”, “Diversity and Greenery” and “Buzzing Sports Action” – feature multiple interactive art projections, light box installations and naked-eye 3D displays, representing the multifaceted appeal of Hong Kong.

    Director of Information Services Apollonia Liu introduced the highlights of the exhibition at the opening ceremony today, saying that the thematic zone “Buzzing Sports Action” was especially set up to serve as pre-event publicity for the 15th National Games to be co-hosted by Hong Kong, Guangdong and Macau in November.

    She also noted that China’s national treasures, giant pandas, are featured in naked-eye 3D displays and interactive games for the first time, inviting visitors to experience the vibrancy of Hong Kong as an “events capital”.

    Mrs Liu hoped that the exhibition could attract people from the Mainland to learn more about Hong Kong and spark their interest in visiting the city, and come to Hong Kong in future for business and investment, employment and entrepreneurship, injecting impetus to the further growth of Hong Kong.

    Visitors may also enjoy Hong Kong’s vibrant and colourful skyline, illustrated by Hong Kong artist Messy Desk (Jane Lee), at a photo corner in the venue. Two young talented Hong Kong musicians will also perform at the exhibition venue.

    There will also be an interactive game where winners will receive will a pair of round-trip business class air tickets or economy class air tickets from Shanghai to Hong Kong.

    Organised by the Information Services Department, this is the sixth stop for the exhibition, following its successful staging in cities in the Mainland, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the Middle East since 2023.

    The exhibition is being held at Xintiandi Style I, a major Hong Kong-based shopping centre in Shanghai. It will also be held in Qingdao and Chengdu, also Mainland key node cities along the Belt & Road, later this year.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Monetary Policy Decision- June 2025

    Source: Bank of Botswana

    At the meeting held on 19 June 2025, the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Bank of Botswana maintained the Monetary Policy Rate (MoPR) at 1.9 percent, while it increased the repurchase agreement (repo) tenure from up to 7 days to up to one month.

    Monetary Policy Decision -June 2025.pdf

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Euro Area: IMF Staff Concluding Statement of the 2025 Mission on Common Policies for Member Countries

    Source: IMF – News in Russian

    July 19, 2025

    A Concluding Statement describes the preliminary findings of IMF staff at the end of an official staff visit (or ‘mission’), in most cases to a member country. Missions are undertaken as part of regular (usually annual) consultations under Article IV of the IMF’s Articles of Agreement, in the context of a request to use IMF resources (borrow from the IMF), as part of discussions of staff monitored programs, or as part of other staff monitoring of economic developments.

    The authorities have consented to the publication of this statement. The views expressed in this statement are those of the IMF staff and do not necessarily represent the views of the IMF’s Executive Board. Based on the preliminary findings of this mission, staff will prepare a report that, subject to management approval, will be presented to the IMF Executive Board for discussion and decision.

    Washington, DC: Europe’s economy remains resilient with record-low unemployment, headline inflation broadly at target, and a stable financial system. However, policymakers face mounting challenges, including trade tensions, rising demand for defense spending, and the need to ensure energy security, all while addressing subpar productivity, rapid aging, and weak medium-term growth. The most effective solutions require decisive EU actions. Deepening the EU single market is the key tool available to policymakers to enhance investment, innovation, and productivity. A better-integrated EU single market, in turn, calls for a joint provision of key public goods including for energy connectivity and defense—including through the multiannual financial framework. This can help internalize positive cross-border externalities of investments, leverage economies of scale, and avoid costly duplicative national efforts. Ensuring orderly growth-friendly fiscal consolidations designed to address country-specific risks is critical to preserving fiscal sustainability and managing long-term spending pressures associated with aging and increased spending on security. Diversifying economic ties and expanding rule-based trade integration can further bolster competitiveness and strengthen economic resilience. Safeguarding price and financial stability continues to be the bedrock for addressing these longer-term challenges. 

    Outlook and Risks

    The euro area economy is navigating an increasingly challenging global environment of higher tariffs, elevated trade policy uncertainty, and geopolitical risks. The April 2025 World Economic Outlook (WEO) projected growth to remain moderate at 0.8 percent in 2025, picking up to 1.2 percent in 2026. Trade tensions and elevated uncertainty have dimmed the outlook for domestic demand and exports, outweighing an anticipated boost from higher defense and infrastructure spending. In addition, the geopolitical situation in Europe is expected to dampen sentiment and weigh on investment and consumption, despite looser monetary policy and projected gains in real income.   

    Headline inflation is close to 2 percent and, under staff’s April WEO projections, is expected to remain broadly at target with weak energy and core goods inflation offsetting elevated services inflation. Ongoing nominal wage growth moderation amid subdued activity and firmly anchored inflation expectations is expected to gradually lower services inflation. As a result, core inflation is projected to decline to 2 percent later than headline inflation, in 2026.

    Risks to growth are on the downside. Trade policy uncertainty, further tariff escalation, or geopolitical tensions could weigh on demand and growth more than expected. These would likely outweigh possible positive impacts of unanticipated further fiscal easing if more countries were to boost defense spending. The April 9th announcements of a pause in US tariffs constitutes a small upside risk to the April 2025 WEO projections as they lower the effective tariff rate on EU exports to the US.

    Risks to inflation are two-sided. Lower-than-expected non-energy goods prices because of trade diversion, weaker-than-expected activity and wages, as well as the recent euro appreciation could pull inflation lower than in the baseline. On the other hand, fiscal spending could turn out larger or more inflationary than assumed in the baseline, while geopolitical tensions, supply chain disruptions and tariff escalation could lead to faster increases in import prices, and wage growth may not moderate as strongly as expected. 

    Structural constraints weigh on the medium-term outlook. Risks of persistently elevated trade policy uncertainty, an escalation of tariffs, still high and volatile energy prices, and the shifting geopolitical context all add to pre-existing challenges from aging, skills shortages, and weak productivity trends.

    Policy Priorities

    Given the challenges outlined above, a comprehensive policy strategy for decisive EU level actions on multiple fronts is needed. The goals include strengthening potential growth amidst aging and a more difficult external environment, ensuring new public spending priorities are met without risking fiscal sustainability, and safeguarding broader macro and financial stability.

    Structural and Trade Policies

    To bolster productivity growth and resilience in the EU, it is crucial to enhance innovation and facilitate the scaling up of firms (Draghi 2024; Letta 2024; Adilbish and others 2025). The key lever available to achieve this is deeper integration of the EU single market. Staff analysis finds that remaining barriers within the single market are equivalent on average to a 44 percent tariff on goods and 110 percent on services (Adilbish and others 2025). More integration will unlock gains from specialization within the EU, as global value chains reconfigure and enable firms to capitalize on economies of scale. 

    Staff analysis highlights four key actionable priorities to help complete the single market and realize these ambitions (Arnold and others 2025). First, lowering regulatory fragmentation. For instance, a 28th corporate regime—alternative to national regimes—that establishes uniform regulations and legal rules crucial for not only the formation and operation of firms, but also their dissolution can provide a voluntary EU-wide legal framework to support firms’ expansion without requiring them to navigate divergent national regulations. By offering an alternative viable solution to simplify the regulatory landscape, the 28th regime can facilitate firms’ scaling up and enhance the efficiency of cross-border capital allocation, ultimately fostering innovation. Second, advancing the Capital Markets Union (CMU) to facilitate more efficient channeling of savings to risk capital for firms. For instance, increasing institutional investors’ familiarity with venture capital (VC) as an asset class and addressing remaining undue restrictions on their ability to invest in it can help meaningfully increase VC investment in the EU from a very low level currently (Arnold and others 2024). This, together with continued efforts to complete the Banking Union (BU)—critical for a more resilient and efficient banking sector—will build a well-functioning Savings and Investments Union (SIU). Lowering barriers to cross-border bank mergers and acquisitions would help augment bank finance, address long-standing concerns of structurally low profitability and high costs, and spur competition within the euro area’s banking sector. Third, enhancing intra-EU labor mobility (such as through extending the automatic system of professional qualification recognition) can offer productive firms greater access to talent and improve skills matching. Last, integrating the EU energy market, guided by a coordinated strategy for an energy system transformation, can help provide lower and more stable energy prices. Simulation results suggest that a few actionable steps along these dimensions could jumpstart the process of deeper integration and deliver a meaningful payoff by increasing the EU potential GDP level relative to baseline by around 3 percent over 10 years, benefiting every country. In this regard, the digital euro also has an important role to play. In addition to reinforcing monetary sovereignty in the growing presence of private digital currencies, the digital euro can help deepen the integration of financial services within the European market by streamlining and unifying cross-border retail payments. It can improve payment system efficiency, reduce transaction costs, and complement the SIU and the single market more broadly.

    While deeper intra-Europe integration is one key element in boosting growth prospects, complementary policy actions are needed at the national level. Recently published staff analysis (Budina and others 2025) identifies domestic structural reform priorities for individual European countries. Successful implementation—by which countries aim to close 50 percent of their prioritized policy gaps with respect to the most growth-friendly regulatory settings—would entail sizable gains in GDP level of around 5.7 percent for the EU in the medium term. The prioritized reforms cover labor market and human capital (e.g., education and training), fiscal structural issues (e.g., tax policy), business regulation, and credit and capital markets.

    An escalation of trade tensions poses important challenges to the EU. The EU would benefit from its continued advocacy for a stable, rules-based global trading system. Further diversifying economic ties can help strengthen supply chain resilience and capture efficiency gains from trade. Any new industrial policies should be limited to well-defined market failures and be coordinated at the EU level.

    Fiscal Policy

    Fiscal risks and optimal fiscal policy strategies differ across countries. For countries with high debt and limited fiscal space, significant fiscal adjustments are needed to mitigate risks, while countries with fiscal space can implement a more back-loaded fiscal adjustment. For the euro area economies excluding Germany, staff recommends improving the structural primary balance to a surplus of 1.4 percent of GDP in 2030—a cumulative improvement of 2.9 percentage points from a deficit of 1.5 percent of GDP in 2024. Achieving this requires an additional cumulative deficit reduction of close to 2 percentage points over 2024–30 relative to the baseline (typically predicated on current budgets and specified, concrete measures under consideration).

    The needed deficit-reduction creates challenging tradeoffs because, at the same time, Europe faces high and rising spending pressures that are crystallizing faster than previously anticipated. Pressures from interest costs, an aging population, climate transition and energy security, and defense would reach 4.4 percent of GDP annually for the euro area economies in 2050 (Eble and others 2025). Member states should transparently account for rising spending pressures to lay out trade-offs within the fiscal framework and develop credible plans to ensure sustainability. 

    The use of escape clauses to support member states’ ramp-up in defense spending should be restricted to its initial phase. Member states and the Commission should assess the impact of increased defense spending on debt sustainability on an ongoing basis and develop plans to put debt on a stable/declining path over the medium term. Also, it is crucial that care be taken in implementing the EU fiscal rules to ensure that countries with low fiscal risks that intend to increase spending to boost potential growth and enhance resilience should not be constrained from doing so by the rules. Eventually, a broader reassessment of key parameters may be needed to achieve an optimal balance between allowing countries with low fiscal risks to fulfill spending objectives that can also have favorable EU-wide spillovers, and ensuring that debt remains sustainable.

    Coordinated efforts at the EU level and targeted investments can help address shared challenges in a cost-effective manner, supporting member states in managing fiscal tradeoffs (Busse and others 2025). Identifying existing investment gaps and areas where joint EU-level initiatives would deliver cost-effective solutions can provide a blueprint for priority actions—for instance, public goods investment including on innovation, clean energy transition, and collective defense. To support investments in these areas, the EU budget size will need to increase by at least 50 percent, if existing programs are to be maintained. Coordinated investments that better internalize positive cross-border externalities and minimize duplicative national efforts will generate net budgetary savings for member states. In the area of the clean energy transition, for instance, our recent work estimates that better EU-level coordination and planning can lower investment costs by 7 percent (IMF 2024). In addition, reforms are needed to make the budget more streamlined, responsive to evolving needs, and more effective by incentivizing good performance. A performance-based approach that links financial support to implementing national-level reforms that support EU priorities and enhance growth potential can deliver objectives more effectively, particularly in areas where incentives are currently weak, and outcomes are closely linked to efforts. Lastly, strengthening the financing framework of the budget with borrowing capacity and increased own resources will help meet the growing demand for EU level investment in shared priorities in a timely manner while spreading the fiscal burden over time.

    Monetary and Financial Sector Policies

    Since headline inflation is broadly at target, core inflation is slightly above 2 percent, and the output gap is mildly negative, a monetary policy stance close to neutral is justified. Barring further shocks that materially revise the inflation outlook, maintaining the policy rate at 2 percent will help keep inflation around target in the second half of 2025 and beyond. But the outlook is highly uncertain, and the policy path may need to be adjusted on the basis of incoming data or developments.

    The concurrent Financial Stability Assessment Program (FSAP) found that the banking system generally appears adequately capitalized and liquid, but the authorities should closely monitor the vulnerabilities from the growing NBFI sector. Although financial stability risks linked to past monetary tightening are easing, a deteriorating business environment for corporates, especially those with trade exposures to the US, could weigh on banks’ otherwise healthy balance sheets. Moreover, new systemic risks have emerged, particularly from market volatility due to higher tariffs and banks’ exposures to NBFIs. Authorities should stand ready to address potential liquidity stress, including by preparing a framework for the provision of emergency liquidity assistance to NBFIs, paired with closer oversight.

    Facilitating better data sharing among EU and national authorities will improve risk monitoring, particularly to close gaps that hinder system-wide analyses. A key policy priority is to improve system-wide risk monitoring of the financial sector beyond banks, including by closing data gaps arising from legal restrictions for sharing or timely access by supervisors, which currently limit the ability to undertake complete system-wide analyses.

    Fragmentation continues to hinder the full benefits of the banking union and the development of a more resilient, deeper and integrated EA-wide financial system. Further steps to strengthen the euro area financial architecture include completing the Banking Union with the introduction of a common deposit insurance system; allowing a greater use of national deposit guarantee funds for resolution and making bail-in requirements more flexible; putting in place arrangements for the Single Resolution Fund to provide guarantees to enhance the provision of central bank liquidity in resolution, ideally with an EU fiscal backstop; fully implementing the international capital standard for banks (Basel III); and strengthening the resources and prudential powers of the European authorities overseeing NBFIs, including empowering ESMA to top-up national measures for substantially leveraged investment funds and to enforce cross-border reciprocation.

    IMF Communications Department
    MEDIA RELATIONS

    PRESS OFFICER: Eva-Maria Graf

    Phone: +1 202 623-7100Email: MEDIA@IMF.org

    https://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2025/06/18/mcs-06182025-euro-area-imf-cs-of-2025-mission-on-common-policies-for-member-countries

    MIL OSI

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI: Tech CU Hires Robyn Zach as VP, Senior Private Banking Relationship Manager

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SAN JOSE, Calif., June 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Technology Credit Union (Tech CU) announced today that Robyn Zach has joined its Wealth Management team as Vice President, Senior Private Banking Relationship Manager. In this role, Robyn will support Tech CU’s Private Banking and Commercial Banking efforts across key growth markets, with an emphasis on the Bay Area. She will also be responsible for building and managing a portfolio of high-net-worth members, identifying new commercial opportunities, and collaborating across divisions to deliver tailored banking solutions.

    Robyn brings over 30 years of experience in financial services, with deep expertise in managing high-net-worth relationships and delivering tailored financial solutions across deposits, lending, and strategic wealth planning. Most recently, she served as Senior Preferred Banker at First Republic Bank. After its acquisition by JP Morgan Chase, she continued on in a similar role as Vice President, Relationship Manager, where she oversaw a diverse portfolio of commercial and consumer clients. Prior to her time at JPMorgan Chase and First Republic Bank, Robyn held positions at City National Bank, Redwood Credit Union, and Bank of America.

    “Robyn’s hybrid background across private and commercial banking, combined with her long-standing client-first approach, makes her uniquely positioned to serve our expanding base of affluent and business clients,” said Robert Reed, Executive Vice President and Chief Retail Banking Officer at Tech CU. “Her expertise and network will be instrumental as we strengthen our relationships in the Bay Area and expand our presence in emerging markets. We’re excited about the value she will bring to our members and the communities we serve.”

    For more information about Tech CU, visit www.techcu.com.

    About Tech CU
    Tech CU is a $4.7 billion Bay Area credit union. As a federally insured not-for-profit organization, Tech CU has invested its resources to deliver superior rates, lower fees, and outstanding service and member benefits for more than 60 years while also supporting quality of life in local communities. It serves more than 200,000 members throughout the United States and provides financial products for all stages of its members’ lives, including personal banking, wealth management, private banking, commercial lending, and business banking. To learn more, please visit www.techcu.com.

    Contact:
    Linden Kohtz
    Public Relations, Tech CU
    lkohtz@techcu.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Tech CU Hires Robyn Zach as VP, Senior Private Banking Relationship Manager

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SAN JOSE, Calif., June 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Technology Credit Union (Tech CU) announced today that Robyn Zach has joined its Wealth Management team as Vice President, Senior Private Banking Relationship Manager. In this role, Robyn will support Tech CU’s Private Banking and Commercial Banking efforts across key growth markets, with an emphasis on the Bay Area. She will also be responsible for building and managing a portfolio of high-net-worth members, identifying new commercial opportunities, and collaborating across divisions to deliver tailored banking solutions.

    Robyn brings over 30 years of experience in financial services, with deep expertise in managing high-net-worth relationships and delivering tailored financial solutions across deposits, lending, and strategic wealth planning. Most recently, she served as Senior Preferred Banker at First Republic Bank. After its acquisition by JP Morgan Chase, she continued on in a similar role as Vice President, Relationship Manager, where she oversaw a diverse portfolio of commercial and consumer clients. Prior to her time at JPMorgan Chase and First Republic Bank, Robyn held positions at City National Bank, Redwood Credit Union, and Bank of America.

    “Robyn’s hybrid background across private and commercial banking, combined with her long-standing client-first approach, makes her uniquely positioned to serve our expanding base of affluent and business clients,” said Robert Reed, Executive Vice President and Chief Retail Banking Officer at Tech CU. “Her expertise and network will be instrumental as we strengthen our relationships in the Bay Area and expand our presence in emerging markets. We’re excited about the value she will bring to our members and the communities we serve.”

    For more information about Tech CU, visit www.techcu.com.

    About Tech CU
    Tech CU is a $4.7 billion Bay Area credit union. As a federally insured not-for-profit organization, Tech CU has invested its resources to deliver superior rates, lower fees, and outstanding service and member benefits for more than 60 years while also supporting quality of life in local communities. It serves more than 200,000 members throughout the United States and provides financial products for all stages of its members’ lives, including personal banking, wealth management, private banking, commercial lending, and business banking. To learn more, please visit www.techcu.com.

    Contact:
    Linden Kohtz
    Public Relations, Tech CU
    lkohtz@techcu.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Josh Brecheen Leads Letter to EPA Asking for Answers on Negative Effects of Mifepristone Abortion Pill

    Source: US Congressman Josh Brecheen (2nd District)

    Today, Congressman Josh Brecheen (R-OK), Senator James Lankford (R-OK), and over 20 lawmakers sent a letter to the Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Lee Zeldin inquiring about the full negative effects of the chemical abortion drug mifepristone, specifically on its potential contaminant effects on America’s water supply.

    The Daily Wire wrote an exclusive report on the letter, which you can read here.

    Congressman Josh Brecheen stated, “Abortion is one of the defining evils of our time. The Biden-Harris administration worked tirelessly to promote this evil, repeatedly lying about the ‘safety’ of the abortion pill and ignoring legitimate concerns about mifepristone’s widespread availability.

    We recognize that the greatest tragedy of every abortion is the murder of the innocent. But we are also concerned that activist bureaucrats overlooked real public health risks posed by mifepristone in their crusade to expand abortion access.

    With chemical abortion now the most common abortion method in America, the public deserves answers about how these potent hormone disruptors affect our water supply and contribute to our nation’s rising infertility rates.

    We are grateful to work alongside an administration that recognizes the sanctity of life, as well as the importance of public health. We urge the EPA to use this opportunity to seriously review the contaminant effects of mifepristone.”

    Senator James Lankford stated, “Federal regulators are rightfully eager to study the health effects of many chemicals in our water and septic systems, but they haven’t examined the environmental and public health risks of chemical abortion drugs like mifepristone in those same systems. Scientific research on the health effects of water sources where there are trace amounts of a chemical that is designed to end the life of a child in the womb should not be controversial.”

    In support of the letter, Students for Life Action President Kristan Hawkins said, “Great leaders ask hard questions, making this letter to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) vital for consideration by the new Trump Administration. The Biden-Harris Administration recklessly used COVID to justify allowing No Test, Online Distribution of Chemical Abortion Pills, never checking whether the chemically tainted blood, placenta tissue, and human remains now flushed into our waterways by the hundreds of thousands was harming the environment. You don’t have to be pro-life to be concerned about endocrine disruptors in our waterways, potentially impacting our water safety, harming endangered species & our food supply, and perhaps even multiplying the rate of infertility. The Pro-Life Generation proudly stands with Rep. Josh Brecheen and Sen. James Lankford and all who joined this effort to make sure that America has crystal clear water by demanding that the EPA test what’s in the water.”

    Brecheen and Lankford were joined by U.S. Senators Cynthia Lummis (WY), Bernie Moreno (OH), and Jim Banks (IN), along with Representatives Andy Harris (R-MD), Robert Aderholt (R-AL), Kat Cammack (R-FL), Chip Roy (R-TX), Diana Harshbarger (R-TN), Andy Biggs (R-AZ), Brandon Gill (R-X), Richard Hudson (R-NC), Michael Cloud (R-TX), Paul Gosar (R-AZ), Michael Guest (R-MS), Andrew Clyde (R-GA), Eli Crane (R-AZ), Ben Cline (R-NC), Mary Miller (R-IL), Mark Harris (R-NC), Barry Moore (R-AL), Riley Moore (R-WV), Sheri Biggs (R-SC), and Eric Burlison (R-MO).

    Background:

    President Biden’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) deregulated mifepristone, allowing pregnant women to receive this chemical abortion drug by mail delivery, without an in-person doctor visit. Since then, the number of abortions using mifepristone has grown dramatically, accounting for over 60% of all abortions in the United States. The increased use and disposal of mifepristone may increase levels of harmful chemicals in our water system due to the drug’s high levels of endocrine disruptors.

    A copy of the full letter is available here.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Government steps in to protect consumers with old energy meters

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Press release

    Government steps in to protect consumers with old energy meters

    A widespread switch-off of Radio Teleswitch Service (RTS) meters will not happen on 30 June.

    • Ministers have confirmed that a widespread switch-off of Radio Teleswitch Service (RTS) meters will not happen on 30 June – with this summer now marking a limited start of a phase-out process
    • Industry will pursue a phased approach beginning with a very small number of homes and businesses in carefully targeted local areas, with government monitoring suppliers’ performance to ensure the process is smooth and working families are protected
    • Affected customers will be contacted in advance, and are urged to respond to energy suppliers and book appointments to have their meter replaced

    Thousands of people with a Radio Teleswitch Service (RTS) meter will not face any unexpected disruption to their heating or hot water at the end of this month, as the government confirms there will be a cautious and targeted phase out to the service, protecting working families. 

    The Radio Teleswitch Service uses radio signals to switch older electricity meters between different tariffs such as peak and off peak, and can also be used to turn heating and hot water systems on and off at specific times of the day.  

    The service was introduced in the 1980s and, as planned, is now reaching the end of its life. But unacceptably slow progress to replace these meters has left around 314,000 households still using them as of last month – equal to around 1% of British households.  

    Ministers have taken action to ensure industry delivers a better phase out plan from 30 June, ensuring working families can continue to go about their home lives as normal. 

    The phase out will now begin on a significantly smaller scale, in areas with very few RTS customers, meaning energy suppliers will be ready to respond rapidly to protect households who most need support.  

    In advance of any phase out activity in their area, households will be contacted by their energy supplier to inform them well ahead of time, before their meters are affected. 

    Ministers have been clear that they also expect suppliers’ momentum to install replacement meters to increase over the coming weeks. 

    Minister for Energy Consumers Miatta Fahnbulleh said: 

    We have stepped in to ensure that thousands of vulnerable consumers with RTS meters do not experience any sudden disruption at the end of this month.  

    I will be watching suppliers closely to make sure they are doing everything they can to make sure the transition is as smooth as possible.

    Charlotte Friel, Director for Retail Pricing & Systems for Ofgem, said:

    Ofgem has been clear that customers must be protected at every stage of the phased area-by-area shutdown, and we are spelling out to suppliers key requirements that must be met before an area loses its RTS signal. 

    At the same time we expect energy companies to go faster, building on the work of the cross-sector Taskforce set up by Ofgem that has seen the upgrade rate rise from 1,000 meters per month to more than 1,000 per day. 

    While this carefully managed phaseout process should reassure customers, it remains crucial that these meters are replaced urgently so it’s vital to engage with your supplier when offered an appointment.

    The Minister for Energy Consumers will meet with Ofgem and Energy UK on a fortnightly basis to review how the gradual and targeted phase out is progressing, with a particular focus on Scotland – where around 105,000 RTS meters are installed, as well as remote and rural areas, to ensure all efforts are made to reach these households.  

    Suppliers will continue contacting households to book replacement appointments and consumers are urged to respond as soon as possible.  

    In most cases, this will involve switching to a smart meter, which can work in the same way as RTS meters, with automatic peak and off-peak rates, and the ability to turn heating and hot water systems on and off, ensuring minimal disruption to households.  

    The government will continue to do everything possible to ensure working families benefit from stronger protections and improved customer service in the energy market, with new reforms to be set out in the coming weeks. 

    Notes to editors

    The RTS uses the same infrastructure as the BBC’s longwave radio signal to tell older electricity meters when to switch between peak and off-peak rates. The infrastructure underpinning the signal is reaching the end of its life, meaning the equipment that sends the radio signal can no longer be adequately maintained. 

    As of 30 May, there were 314,935 RTS meters requiring replacement in Great Britain, according to supplier data collected by Ofgem.   

    If households and businesses think they have an RTS meter installed, they should contact their supplier to arrange a replacement immediately. Technical solutions are available to replace RTS meters in all households. 

    For RTS customers that live in an area without smart meter signal, their supplier will explain what other options are available before the radio signal is switched off. Energy suppliers are obliged under their licence conditions to ensure that a suitable alternative metering system is installed and that the customer’s service is not disrupted. 

    The first stage of the phase-out will target specific, localised areas, affecting a maximum of 600 households over a 3 week period – with the government and industry carefully monitoring suppliers’ response times and their effectiveness in supporting vulnerable consumers throughout this phase.

    Updates to this page

    Published 19 June 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –