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  • MIL-OSI Africa: Gabonese President Brice Oligui Nguema and African Development Bank’s (AfDB) Akinwumi Adesina Inaugurate Water Pumping Station for Greater Libreville

    • “Ten years without clean water: erased! Ten years without hope: forgotten! Ten years of suffering: over!”—Adesina to residents of Libreville’s outlying neighborhoods.
    • Adesina Receives Gabon’s Highest Civilian Honor

    Gabonese President Brice Oligui Nguema and African Development Bank Group President Dr. Akinwumi Adesina (www.AfDB.org) on Monday jointly inaugurated a new drinking water pumping station, marking the end of a decade-long water crisis in PK5, a densely populated district of Libreville.

    The new PK5 pumping station, with a daily capacity of 57,600 cubic meters, is designed to deliver clean water to 128,000 residents across seven northern districts of the capital.

    “These past few weeks, we’ve finally felt like citizens of real capital. Water is flowing from our taps at last,” said Sandrine Onanga, a 33-year-old mother living in PK5. “It has been eight years since we last saw a drop of water. We had even forgotten what a tap looked like,” added Astrid Momboukou, who joined the crowd to witness the inauguration of the facility.

    For years, taps had run dry in parts of Libreville. “That’s all behind us now. No more lugging water jugs for kilometers. No more waiting late into the night for police tankers to deliver water every two or three days,” said Sandrine, smiling under the light rain that fell over Libreville that Monday.

    The new station was inaugurated in the presence of senior government officials, members of the diplomatic corps, development partners, and an enthusiastic local population. It forms part of the Integrated Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation Program for Libreville (PAIEPAL). The program, with a total investment of €117.4 million, is financed through a €75.4 million loan from the African Development Bank and a €42 million loan from the Africa Growing Together Fund (AGTF), backed by the People’s Bank of China and administered by the Bank.

    The program aims to improve access to potable water and sanitation services in Libreville, strengthen sector governance, and build capacity for long-term transformation.

    The initiative ensures that more than 300,000 people—approximately 31% of Libreville’s 967,095 residents—now have sustainable and permanent access to clean water. The beneficiary communes include Libreville, Akanda, Owendo, and Ntoum.

    Adesina emphasized the life-changing impact of the new pumping station: “Ten years without drinking water: erased! Ten years without hope: forgotten! Ten years of suffering: ended!”

    The Bank, a reliable and strategic partner for Gabon

    Adesina also highlighted the Bank’s unwavering development support for Gabon during his ten-year tenure. “From 1974 to 2014, the Bank approved $1 billion in financing for Gabon. Since my election in 2015, we have committed an additional $1.5 billion—1.5 times the previous 40-year total,” he said.

    According to Philippe Tonangoye, Gabon’s Minister for Universal Access to Water and Energy, the project has significantly improved water infrastructure. It involved renewing 150 kilometers of pipelines, upgrading and extending another 150 kilometers of distribution networks, building and rehabilitating multiple water towers, and installing around 60 public standpipes across Libreville and surrounding areas.

    “The African Development Bank spared no effort to make this program a reality,” said Minister Tonangoye. “Some of these installations had not seen a single drop of water in ten years. My gratitude goes to the Bank for its commitment to Gabon.”

    President Adesina receives top Gabonese honor

    Ahead of the inauguration, Gabonese President Oligui Nguema conferred on Adesina the insignia of Grand Officer of the Order of the Gabonese Merit, one of Gabon’s highest civilian honors, in a ceremony witnessed by his wife, Grace Adesina.

    Recognized for his visionary leadership, Akinwumi Adesina—dubbed “Africa’s Chief Optimist”—will complete his second and final ten-year term as President of the African Development Bank Group on 31 August. Since 2015, he has led transformative projects across Africa under the Bank’s five strategic priorities, the “High 5s” (https://apo-opa.co/4n9ysad).

    Through these priorities, 565 million people have seen their lives transformed. In the water sector alone, 63 million people gained access to clean water and 34 million to sanitation services.

    Flagship projects in Gabon

    For decades, the Bank has supported Gabon’s socioeconomic development by helping diversify strategic sectors. It is now Gabon’s leading infrastructure partner.

    Among flagship projects, the Bank financed the New Owendo International Port. With a capacity of four million tonnes per year, this multi-purpose port (minerals, timber, containers) has reduced handling costs by 30% and become a critical link in Gabon’s logistics chain. In this context, the Gabonese President took Dr. Adesina on a tour of the La Baie des Rois Special Investment Zone, located 18 km from the port. The maritime façade of the Gabonese capital aims to be modern to attract international real estate investors to revitalize the country’s economy and create wealth for the population.

    The Bank is also helping Gabon develop the Kinguélé Aval hydroelectric power station—the country’s first energy PPP—which will add 40 megawatts of reliable, affordable, and clean energy. It is also financing the Ndende-Doussala road, a key segment of the Libreville-Brazzaville corridor that will connect Gabon and Congo and boost regional integration.

    With an active portfolio of $61.26 million, the African Development Bank Group’s strategy in Gabon focuses on two priority areas: supporting the development of sustainable infrastructure to drive industrialization, and strengthening economic governance and the business climate to promote social inclusion.

    Following the inauguration, President Oligui Nguema and Akinwumi Adesina visited two families in separate districts that were once severely impacted by water shortages. They also toured the National School for Hearing-Impaired Children, which serves hundreds of students. Since gaining access to clean drinking water, the school has seen a significant improvement in hygiene conditions.

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).

    Contact: 
    Romaric Ollo Hien
    Communication and External Relations Department
    media@afdb.org

    About the African Development Bank Group:
    The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) is Africa’s premier development finance institution. It comprises three distinct entities: the African Development Bank (AfDB), the African Development Fund (ADF) and the Nigeria Trust Fund (NTF). On the ground in 44 African countries with an external office in Japan, the AfDB contributes to the economic development and the social progress of its 54 regional member states.

    For more information: www.AfDB.org

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • PM Modi thanks Croatia for backing India’s fight against terrorism

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanked Croatia for backing India’s fight against terrorism as both nations began a new chapter in bilateral relationship during his historic visit to the country – the first-ever by an Indian PM – on Wednesday.

    PM Modi held “productive discussions” with his Croatian counterpart Andrej Plenkovic in Zagreb as both leaders reviewed the full spectrum of India-Croatia bilateral relations and explored avenues to deepen collaboration in sectors like digital technologies, space, renewable energy, defence, maritime infrastructure, tourism and hospitality, amongst others.

    Asserting that India and Croatia are bound by shared values such as democracy, rule of law, pluralism, and equality, PM Modi thanked Croatia for its “steadfast support” to India in fighting cross-border terrorism. Both leaders also called for further deepening India-EU strategic ties.

    “We agree that terrorism is the enemy of humanity and opposed to those forces who believe in democracy. We are deeply grateful to Prime Minister Plenkovic and the Government of Croatia for their condolences on the terrorist attack in India on April 22. In such difficult times, the support of our friendly countries has been very valuable to us,” said PM Modi after the delegation-level talks.

    He added that both countries have agreed to enhance cooperation in many areas to boost bilateral trade and create reliable supply chains.

    “We will promote cooperation in pharma, agriculture, information technology, clean technology, digital technology, renewable energy, semiconductors. Cooperation will also be increased in shipbuilding and cyber security,” remarked PM Modi.

    In a gesture signifying the centuries-old close cultural links between the two countries, Prime Minister Modi received from his Croatian counterpart a reprint of Vezdin’s Sanskrit grammar – the first printed Sanskrit grammar written in Latin in 1790 by Croatian scientist and missionary Filip Vezdin during his time spent in India.

    “To the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi, I handed over a reprint of Vezdin’s Sanskrit grammar – the first printed Sanskrit grammar, written in Latin in 1790 by the Croatian scientist and missionary Filip Vezdin (1748-1806), based on the knowledge he gained during his stay in India from Kerala Brahmins and local manuscripts. With this pioneering work, Filip Vezdin became one of the first European scientists to seriously devote himself to Indian languages and culture. At the same time, this is a symbol of early cultural ties between Croatia and India,” said Plenkovic.

    An Indologist of Croatian nationality, Ivan Filip Vezdin came to Malabar as a missionary in 1774 and later became the Vicar-General on the Malabar Coast.

    He is credited with publishing the first printed Sanskrit grammar in 1790. A plaque to commemorate him was unveiled in Trivandrum in 1999.

    Plenkovic also handed over a book titled ‘Croatia and India, Bilateral Navigator for Diplomats and Business’ to PM Modi, written by Croatian diplomat Sinise Grgica.

    “Grgica in a unique and comprehensive way gives a comparative view of our two countries and explores all dimensions of bilateral relations. This book reflects our achievements, as well as the potential we can still realise, and we believe that it will inspire and encourage the strengthening of our future cooperation and contribute to the further deepening of the mutual friendship between Croatia and India,” said Plenkovic.

    Earlier, Prime Minister Modi received a rousing welcome by the vibrant Indian community in Zagreb as he began his landmark visit to Croatia – the first-ever by an Indian Prime Minister to the country – on Wednesday.

    Zagreb is the last stop on PM Modi’s three-nation tour, which also included visits to Cyprus en route to Canada for Tuesday’s G7 Summit in Kananaskis.

    Prime Minister Modi had emphasised that the three-nation tour is also an opportunity to thank partner countries for their steadfast support to India in India’s fight against cross-border terrorism, and to galvanise global understanding on tackling terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.

    In a special gesture, PM Modi was warmly received by Plenkovic at the Franjo Tudman Airport with a ceremonial welcome.

    Members of the Indian diaspora, waiting to catch a glimpse of PM Modi, were seen gathered in huge numbers as the PM’s motorcade drove through the city.

    Hundreds of people, including locals, also gave a grand welcome to PM Modi as he arrived at his hotel.

    Amid chants of “Modi-Modi”, “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” and “Vande Mataram”, PM Modi witnessed vibrant and energy-filled cultural performances from people present at the venue.

    PM Modi joined a group of locals chanting Vedic shlokas and also interacted with a few in the gathering while getting inside the building.

    “The bonds of culture are strong and vibrant! Here is a part of the welcome in Zagreb. Happy to see Indian culture has so much respect in Croatia,” said PM Modi.

    “Croatia’s Indian community has contributed to Croatia’s progress and also remained in touch with their roots in India. In Zagreb, I interacted with some members of the Indian community, who accorded me an unforgettable welcome. There is immense enthusiasm among the Indian community here about this visit and its impact in making the bond between our nations stronger than ever before,” he added.

    PM Modi was then warmly received by Plenkovic at the iconic St. Mark’s Square and accorded a ceremonial welcome.

    It was followed by delegation-level bilateral talks between the two leaders.

    Plenkovic said that PM Modi’s significant visit comes at a pivotal moment.

    “We welcomed the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Zagreb! This is the first visit by the Prime Minister of India – the most populous country in the world, and it comes at an important geopolitical moment. We are starting a new chapter in Croatia-India relations and creating the conditions for strengthening bilateral cooperation in a number of areas,” the Croatian Prime Minister commented.

    Analysts reckon that the first-ever visit by an Indian PM to Croatia will help in fostering stronger political and economic collaboration with Croatia. It will also provide a crucial opportunity to expand bilateral cooperation in various sectors including trade, innovation, defence, ports, shipping, science and tech, cultural exchange, and workforce mobility.

    (IANS)

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ahead of Juneteenth, Momentum Grows for H.R. 40, Pressley’s Historic Reparations Legislation

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07)

    Bill Would Form Commission to Develop Reparations Proposals for African American Descendants of Enslaved People

    Legislation Now Has Support of Over 100 National and Grassroots Organizations

    H.R. 40 Press Conference | H.R. 40 Bill Text | H.R. 40 Briefing Photos | H.R. 40 Briefing One-Pager

    WASHINGTON – Today, ahead of the Juneteenth holiday and a national celebration of Black joy and emancipation, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) affirmed the strength of the reparations movement and announced growing support for H.R.40, legislation that she is championing to address the harmful legacy of slavery and establish a federal commission to develop reparations proposals for African American descendants of enslaved people. The legislation now has the support of more than 100 national and grassroots organizations and 85 members of Congress.

    In February, during Black History Month, Rep. Pressley and Senator Cory Booker reintroduced H.R. 40, serving as a powerful counterweight to the unprecedented onslaught against diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives from the Trump Administration and a call to action to address the systemic oppression of Black people. Last week, Rep. Pressley hosted a briefing on H.R. 40 to provide congressional staffers and their offices an expanded look into the bill, its 36-year legislative journey – led by Congressman John Conyers and Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee – and its vital role in the reparative justice movement.

    “The state of our reparations movement is strong and in this moment of heightened anti-Blackness in America, we are more resolved than ever,” said Congresswoman Pressley, lead House sponsor of H.R. 40. “H.R. 40 is racial justice, economic justice, and a moral imperative, and it is deeply necessary to confront America’s damning history of systemic racism head-on. I’m proud of the growing, broad, and intersectional support behind our bill and I am grateful to our grassroots organizations for their partnership in pushing to get this critical legislation over the finish line.”

    Support for reparations has grown nationwide, with state and local officials taking action, including in Massachusetts, Illinois, Tennessee, North Carolina and Oklahoma. H.R. 40 now has endorsements from over 100 national and grassroots organizations.

    “We are delighted that Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley has picked up the torch from Cong. Sheila Jackson Lee and Cong. John Conyers, Jr. to continue the historic push to achieve long overdue reparations for African Americans.” – National African American Reparations Commission

    “At this pivotal moment in the United States’ existence and identity, we proudly stand with Rep. Ayanna Pressley in the reintroduction of H.R. 40, which if enacted will provide concrete ways to implement reparations,” said Dreisen Heath, Why We Can’t Wait Reparations Coalition. “Providing reparations is a routine practice by the federal government from providing remedy in perpetuity to Holocaust survivors to providing free healthcare to 9/11 victims and veterans exposed to toxic waste waters. By embracing what H.R. 40 legislation will produce, we are not only educating the public on the truth but also energizing a strong movement towards reflection and accountability. While states and cities advance their own reparative efforts, the federal government can no longer neglect and obscure its responsibility to do right by Black Americans, and by extension the rest of the country.

    “The National Urban League, for over a century, has witnessed firsthand the devastating impact of systemic racism on countless lives. We have championed social and economic justice for Black Americans, striving to overcome the enduring legacy of slavery. For too long, we have avoided a full and honest reckoning with this history. A federal commission to study the vestiges of slavery, from the harrowing experiences of enslaved people to the ongoing struggles of their descendants, is not just overdue, it is essential. This examination is not about dwelling on the past but about better understanding the present. By understanding how the lingering effects of slavery continue to shape our society and policies, we can finally create a level playing field and unlock the full potential of our nation,” said the National Urban League. “The National Urban League fully supports H.R. 40, a bill establishing a commission to study and develop reparations proposals for Black Americans, as it represents a crucial step towards reconciliation and redress. We urge Congress to swiftly pass this vital legislation. The time for inaction is over. The time for justice is now.”

    “Eradicating poverty requires understanding its root causes and the economic injustices that plague Black communities today can be directly traced to the legacy of slavery and Jim Crow laws,” said Margaret Huang, President and CEO of the Southern Poverty Law Center. “This commission would be an important step toward grappling with how our country failed to support so many Americans after slavery and segregation ended. We need to take an honest look at the ugly history of racial discrimination that has denied so many Black and Brown families, particularly in the Deep South, economic opportunities to sustain their families.”

    “This legislation is not symbolic, it’s structural,” said Ebonie Riley, Senior Vice President of Policy & Strategic Partnerships at the National Action Network. “In a moment where the very language of equity is under assault, this bill confronts the unfinished business of this nation: the deliberate extraction of wealth, labor, and life from Black Americans. Under the leadership of Rev. Al Sharpton, NAN has consistently called for federal action that reflects the scale of harm inflicted. Reparations are a matter of economic policy, legal obligation, and historical accountability.”

    “The NAACP has supported the creation and passage of HR. 40/S.40 from its introduction by Congressman John Conyers (MI) through its reintroduction by Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee (TX) and Senator Cory Booker (NJ) continue to support the passage of this crucial legislation in the 119th Congress,” – NAACP

    “The United Methodist Book of Resolutions and the General Board of Church and Society strongly support HR 40 being reintroduced at a time when truth is under attack,” – United Methodist Church General Board of Church and Society

    “Black people have been the backbone to the growth and wealth of this nation and of the global economy, and justly, should be recipients of its fruits. Black people can’t achieve equity without the United States acknowledging the historical past and materially addressing past and present harms. Reparatory justice is a must,” –Network Lobby for Catholic Social Justice

    “The Council on American-Islamic Relations strongly supports the reintroduction of H.R. 40, recognizing it as a vital measure to confront America’s legacy of slavery and systemic racism head-on. We stand in solidarity with Congresswoman Pressley, Senator Booker, and their colleagues in calling for truth, accountability, and meaningful reparative actions that honor and protect the dignity of Black American communities,” – Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)

    “As a church, we understand that the truth shall set us free. We have committed to and embarked on undertaking the work of truth-telling and reconciliation ourselves. H.R. 40/S. 40 would offer the opportunity for our country to begin a process to understand our own history and would present a path forward for repairing historical harms done to African Americans,” – The Episcopal Church

    “It has been nearly 40 years since Japanese Americans received redress for being incarcerated unjustly during WWII. Many of us in the Japanese American community recognize that our own experience of institutionalized racism at the hands of our government is part of a pattern that began with chattel slavery since our country’s inception as a British colony. Although slavery ended formally with the Civil War, its legacy persisted through Jim Crow policies well into the 20th century. Mere words of regret and apology for our history of slavery and Jim Crow do nothing to repay the unfulfilled promise of 40 acres and a mule.” – Japanese American Citizens League

    “We’re making historic progress advancing reparative justice in local communities nationwide.  We stand together in support of HR40, the most promising and just opportunity to repair the harm of the institution of slavery and its uninterrupted legacies to date. The outcomes of the HR40 Commission can result in a comprehensive and tangible portfolio of remedies that transform this nation,” – First Repair

    The full list of endorsing organizations include: AjabuSpeaks, All Souls Movement, Alliance of Baptists, American Humanist Association, Amnesty International USA, Bend the Arc: Jewish Action, Black Music Action Coalition, Black Veterans Project, Blackroots Alliance, BLIS Collective, California Black Power Network, Center for LGBTQ Economic Advancement & Research (CLEAR), Colombia Acuerdo de Paz NGO, Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), DC Justice Lab, DC Reparations Coalition, Democrats Abroad Reparations Task Force, Disciples Center for Public Witness (Disciples of Christ), Empowerment Temple, Reparation Education Project, Episcopal City Mission, FirstRepair, Freedom Road Consulting, LLC, Friends Committee on National Legislation, Get Free, Human Rights Watch, Humanity2020 Group LLC, Institute for Justice & Democracy in Haiti, Japanese American Citizens League, Johnson & Klein Law, Justice for the 110, KC Reparations Coalition, Loc Community Association, Loyola Law School, Los Angeles Anti Racism Center (LARC), Make It Plain, Marijuana Justice, Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns, Media 2070, Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, Movement for Black Lives, NAACP, National Action Network Education Team, National African American Reparations Commission , National Black Justice Collective, National Council of Churches, National Council of Jewish Women, National LGBTQ+ Bar Association, National Urban League, NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice, New Yorkers 4 Reparations, Northampton Reparations Study Commission, Not In Our Town, Princeton, NP/NCRR – Nikkei Progressives & Nikkei for Civil Rights & Redress, Pax Christi Metro DC-Baltimore, Pax Christi USA, RebuildingTheCommun7ty, Reparation Generation, Reparations Finance Lab, Reparations Interfaith Coalition of Massachusetts, Reparations United, Reparations4Slavery, San Francisco Bay Area Black & Jewish Unity Coalition, Sanctuary of Hope, SCOPE LA, Showing Up for Racial Justice, Sisters of Mercy of the Americas Justice Team, South Bend Reparations Working Group (SBRWG), State of Loc Nation Global Public Benefit Corp, Terence Crutcher Foundation, The Episcopal Church, The Southern Poverty Law Center, The United Methodist Church General Board of Church and Society, Tsuru for Solidarity, Tulsa African Ancestral Society, Union for Reform Judaism, Unitarian Universalists for Social Justice, United By Equity, United Church of Christ, USTRHT, Virago Strategies, Why We Can’t Wait Reparations Coalition, Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, Young LLC.

    Co-sponsors of H.R. 40 include: Rep. Adams, Alma S. [D-NC-12], Rep. Balint, Becca [D-VT-At Large], Rep. Barragán, Nanette Diaz [D-CA-44], Rep. Beatty, Joyce [D-OH-3], Rep. Bera, Ami [D-CA-06], Rep. Beyer, Donald S. [D-VA-8], Rep. Bishop, Sanford D. [D-GA-2], Rep. Bonamici, Suzanne [D-OR-1], Rep. Brown, Shontel M. [D-OH-11], Rep. Brownley, Julia [D-CA-26], Rep. Carson, André [D-IN-7], Rep. Carter, Troy A. [D-LA-2], Rep. Casar, Greg [D-TX-35], Rep. Case, Ed [D-HI-1], Rep. Casten, Sean [D-IL-6], Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick, Sheila [D-FL-20], Rep. Chu, Judy [D-CA-28], Rep. Clarke, Yvette D. [D-NY-9], Rep. Cleaver, Emanuel [D-MO-5], Rep. Clyburn, James E. [D-SC-6], Rep. Cohen, Steve [D-TN-9], Rep. Connolly, Gerald E. [D-VA-11], Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez [D-NY-14], Rep. Jasmine Crockett [D-TX-30], Rep. Davis, Danny K. [D-IL-7], Rep. Dean, Madeleine [D-PA-4], Rep. Doggett, Lloyd [D-TX-37], Rep. Espaillat, Adriano [D-NY-13], Rep. Evans, Dwight [D-PA-3], Rep. Fletcher, Lizzie [D-TX-7], Rep. Foushee, Valerie P. [D-NC-4], Rep. Frost, Maxwell [D-FL-10], Rep. Garcia, Robert [D-CA-42], Rep. Garcia, Sylvia R. [D-TX-29], Rep. Green, Al [D-TX-9], Rep. Hayes, Jahana [D-CT-5], Rep. Himes, James A. [D-CT-4], Rep. Horsford, Steven [D-NV-4], Rep. Jackson, Jonathan L. [D-IL-1], Rep. Jacobs, Sara [D-CA-51], Rep. Jayapal, Pramila [D-WA-7], Rep. Johnson, Henry C. “Hank” [D-GA-4], Rep. Kamlager-Dove, Sydney [D-CA-37], Rep. Kelly, Robin L. [D-IL-2], Rep. Khanna, Ro [D-CA-17], Rep. Landsman, Greg [D-OH-1], Rep. Lee, Summer L. [D-PA-12], Rep. Lieu, Ted [D-CA-36], Rep. McClellan, Jennifer L. [D-VA-4], Rep. McGovern, Jim [D-MA-02], Rep. McIver, LaMonica [D-NJ-10], Rep. Meeks, Gregory W. [D-NY-5], Rep. Meng, Grace [D-NY-6], Rep. Mfume, Kweisi [D-MD-7], Rep. Moore, Gwen [D-WI-4], Rep. Nadler, Jerrold [D-NY-12], Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large], Rep. Omar, Ilhan [D-MN-5], Rep. Panetta, Jimmy [D-CA-19], Rep. Pingree, Chellie [D-ME-1], Rep. Pocan, Mark [D-WI-2], Rep. Quigley, Mike [D-IL-5], Rep. Ramirez, Delia C. [D-IL-3], Rep. Sánchez, Linda T. [D-CA-38], Rep. Scanlon, Mary Gay [D-PA-5], Rep. Schakowsky, Janice D. [D-IL-9], Rep. David Scott [D-GA-13], Rep. Simon, Lateefah [D-CA-12], Rep. Smith, Adam [D-WA-9], Rep. Stansbury, Melanie A. [D-NM-1], Rep. Stevens, Haley M. [D-MI-11], Rep. Strickland, Marilyn [D-WA-10], Rep. Swalwell, Eric [D-CA-14], Rep. Takano, Mark [D-CA-39], Rep. Thanedar, Shri [D-MI-13], Rep. Thompson, Bennie G. [D-MS-2], Rep. Titus, Dina [D-NV-1], Rep. Tlaib, Rashida [D-MI-12], Rep. Tokuda, Jill N. [D-HI-2], Rep. Torres, Ritchie [D-NY-15], Rep. Trahan, Lori [D-MA-3], Rep. Velázquez, Nydia M. [D-NY-7], Rep. Watson Coleman, Bonnie [D-NJ-12], Rep. Williams, Nikema [D-GA-5], Rep. Wilson, Frederica S. [D-FL-24]

    The full text of the bill is available here.

    Throughout her time in Congress, Rep. Pressley has championed policies to address the harmful legacy of slavery and support the true liberation of Black America, including Baby Bonds, a People’s Justice Guarantee, student debt cancellation, addressing the Black maternal morbidity crisis, supporting Black-owned microbusinesses, promoting anti-racist public health policy, and more.

    In April 2025, Rep. Pressley met with Northeastern University’s Center for Law, Equity, and Race to discuss efforts and further action in a shared push for reparative justice.

    Congresswoman Pressley is the lead sponsor of the People’s Justice Guarantee (PJG) – her comprehensive, decarceration-focused resolution that outlines a framework for a fair, equitable and just legal system. 

    Last year, Rep. Pressley and House Oversight Ranking Member Jamies Raskin introduced the Federal Government Equity Improvement Act and the Equity in Agency Planning Act to codify racial equity across federal agencies and improve government services for underserved communities.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Bank of Labor: 100 Years of Banking with Purpose

    Source: US International Brotherhood of Boilermakers

    In a world where people ask, ‘Who is standing with Labor?’—we are.

    Bill Miller, Chairman and CEO, Bank of Labor

    Bank of Labor, which is celebrating its 100th year of service, is a unique financial institution in the American banking landscape—founded on principles of solidarity, fairness, and service to working people. Established in 1924 as Brotherhood State Bank, it was initially chartered by the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers to provide union members and labor organizations with reliable, trusted banking services versus the mainstream financial institutions that often excluded or exploited working-class people. Bank of Labor represented a business model of economic independence, self-determination and shared values.

    “In those days, banks didn’t want to do business with American workers,” said Chairman and CEO of Bank of Labor Bill Miller. “Their needs and financial resources weren’t considered substantial enough to meet banks’ profitability threshold. Bank of Labor’s message, working hard for hardworking people, reinforces banking solutions to help workers.”

    Today, Bank of Labor is headquartered in Overland Park, Kansas, and remains deeply rooted in its mission. It offers a full range of financial services to individuals, labor unions, pension funds and related institutions across the country.

    “We couldn’t exist without labor,” Miller said. “And we’re here to make labor stronger.”

    Unlike profit-driven banks that may invest in companies or causes that are contrary to workers’ interests, Bank of Labor emphasizes transparency, ethical practices and a strong social conscience.

    “We don’t invest in things that undermine labor rights,” Miller said. “We partner with businesses and organizations that demonstrate a commitment to labor and our community.”

    In 2012, the bank built a platform that would expand their mission of serving the labor movement across the nation, rebranding itself from Brotherhood Bank and Trust to Bank of Labor. This transition marked a significant step in its evolution from a regional bank into an institution with a national footprint, poised to amplify labor’s voice in the financial world.

    “For the last 100 years, we’ve found a way not only to remain relevant but to compete with any bank in the United States,” Miller said. “Last year we achieved a billion-dollar threshold in assets. We believe that important milestone is now in our rearview mirror.”

    The bank also plays a crucial role in labor-focused financial services, offering specific programs for union treasurers, such as electronic dues collection and tools to help manage pension and benefit funds. It has earned the trust of major labor organizations such as the AFL-CIO, IAM, UFCW, LIUNA and IBEW, to name a few.

    Yet perhaps what sets Bank of Labor most apart is its people-first culture and value-driven approach.

    “We really work hard to bring a personal approach to everything we do,” Bank of Labor President Bob McCall said. “When someone calls, our employees take a personal interest in fulfilling the reason for the phone call. We’re not saying you can operate without tech—but you can’t provide a high level of consistent good service without interested and capable people. We tend to take things personally, but in a good way.”

    International Brotherhood of Boilermakers’ International President Tim Simmons said, “Banking with the bank we formed 100 years ago to support labor is more than a financial decision, it’s a show of solidarity and financial acuity. While the first 100 years have been successful, I’m more excited about Bank of Labor’s readiness to support and strengthen labor for the next 100 years.”

    Bank of Labor exists because of the Boilermakers, and it remains majority-owned by the union today.

    “Labor unions are focused on helping their membership,” Miller says. “We’re here to be a financial partner by providing financial tools that keeps labor’s capital working for labor.”

    After a century of service, Bank of Labor continues to prosper as a labor-owned, union-loyal institution, driven not by Wall Street profits, but by the economic well-being of the people who build America. Bank of Labor further reinforced their union support by partnering with the United Mine Workers of America to organize their employees, so they’d enjoy the benefits of union representation.

    In a banking industry dominated by corporate giants, Bank of Labor remains a powerful example of what solidarity and vision can achieve.

     “In a world where people ask, ‘Who is standing with labor?’—we are!” Miller said.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: North Dakota Launches ND Gateway, Laying the Foundation for a One-Stop Portal for State Services

    Source: US State of North Dakota

    In a major step toward modernizing and simplifying the user experience with state government, North Dakota has launched the first phase of ND Gateway. Led by North Dakota Information Technology (NDIT) and other partner agencies, ND Gateway creates a single portal through which business owners and entrepreneurs can access essential state government services.

    ND Gateway’s first digital experience gives citizens and business owners access to a centralized source of business tools and resources. It will continue to evolve into a one-stop location for business-related services, including registrations, annual reports, tax and insurance compliance, and general tutorials for North Dakota’s growing economic community. 

    “This is an exciting first step of many for ND Gateway. Business leaders should spend their time on the needs of their customers and staff, not drowning in redundant layers of bureaucracy. ND Gateway is one more way North Dakota continues to be the best state in the country to do business,” said Evonne Amundson, Chief Business Application Officer. “This portal puts citizens and other users in the hub of business support, with a ‘no wrong door’ approach. If someone currently knows where to get business-related services, they will still have direct access through individual agency websites. But new and returning users alike will find NDGateway.nd.gov a convenient option for services and information.” 

    Key Features of ND Gateway 

     
    Business Interest Form: A convenient way for entrepreneurs and users to share new business ideas with the state, ensuring that potential opportunities are quickly identified and supported. 

    Business Checklist: A personalized checklist created from five business-related state agencies to guide users through creating or modifying a business in North Dakota. 

    Starting a Business Form: An updated “Starting a Business” web form from the North Dakota Department of Commerce. This enhanced version immediately connects users to resources at the Small Business Development Center, as well as Commerce’s Community Services and Economic Development & Finance teams. 

    Five state government agencies are inaugural leaders of ND Gateway: Secretary of State, Office of the State Tax Commissioner, Job Service North Dakota, Workforce Safety & Insurance, and Commerce. Additional agencies and services will be added with the development of future phases. 

    For more information about ND Gateway, visit NDGateway.nd.gov. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ready-To-Eat Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo Recalled

    Source: US State of Rhode Island

    The Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) is advising consumers that FreshRealm is recalling chicken fettuccine alfredo products that may be adulterated with an outbreak strain of Listeria monocytogenes (Lm). The company is recalling the following products, produced before June 17, 2025:

    — 32.8-oz. tray packages containing “MARKETSIDE GRILLED CHICKEN ALFREDO WITH FETTUCCINE Tender Pasta with Creamy Alfredo Sauce, White Meat Chicken and Shaved Parmesan Cheese” with best-by date 06/27/25 or prior. — 12.3 oz. tray packages containing “MARKETSIDE GRILLED CHICKEN ALFREDO WITH FETTUCCINE Tender Pasta with Creamy Alfredo Sauce, White Meat Chicken, Broccoli and Shaved Parmesan Cheese” with best-by date 06/26/25 or prior. — 12.5 oz. tray packages containing “HOME CHEF Heat & Eat Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo with pasta, grilled white meat chicken, and Parmesan cheese” with best-by date 06/19/25 or prior.

    These ready-to-eat products were shipped to Kroger and Walmart retail locations nationwide.

    The products bear the USDA mark of inspection on the product label as well as establishment numbers “EST. P-50784,” “EST. P-47770,” or “EST. P-47718” printed on the side of the packaging.

    Public health officials are investigating an outbreak of Lm that currently includes 17 ill people in 13 states. (No illnesses have been identified in Rhode Island.) As of June 17, 2025, there have been three reported deaths and one fetal loss associated with this outbreak. More information is available from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

    Consumption of food contaminated with Lm can cause listeriosis, a serious infection that primarily affects older adults, people with weakened immune systems, and pregnant women and their newborns. Less commonly, people outside these risk groups are affected. Listeriosis can cause fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions sometimes preceded by diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms. An invasive infection spreads beyond the gastrointestinal tract. In pregnant women, the infection can cause miscarriages, stillbirths, premature delivery or life-threatening infection of the newborn. In addition, serious and sometimes fatal infections in older adults and people with weakened immune systems. Listeriosis is treated with antibiotics. People in the higher-risk categories who experience flu-like symptoms within two months after eating contaminated food should seek medical care and tell the health care provider about eating the contaminated food.

    Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Canadian Life Companies Split Corp. Overnight Offering Announced

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TORONTO, June 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Canadian Life Companies Split Corp. (“the Company”) is pleased to announce it will undertake an offering of Preferred Shares (TSX: LFE.PR.B) and Class A Shares (TSX: LFE) of the Company. The offering will be led by National Bank Financial Inc.

    The sales period of this overnight offering will end at 9:00 a.m. EST on June 19, 2025. The offering is expected to close on or about June 26, 2025 and is subject to certain closing conditions including approval by the TSX.

    The Preferred Shares will be offered at a price of $10.55 per Preferred Share to yield 6.64% and the Class A Shares will be offered at a price of $6.35 per Class A Share to yield 18.90%.

    The closing price on the TSX of each of the Preferred Shares and Class A Shares on June 17, 2025 was $10.71 and $6.39, respectively.

    Since inception of the Company, the aggregate dividends declared on the Preferred Shares have been $12.44 per share and the aggregate dividends declared on the Class A Shares have been $9.15 per share, for a combined total of $21.59 per unit. All distributions paid to date have been made in tax advantage eligible Canadian dividends or capital gains dividends.

    The net proceeds of the offering will be used by the Company to invest in an actively managed portfolio primarily consisting of four publicly traded Canadian life insurance companies as follows: Great‐West Lifeco Inc., Industrial Alliance Insurance & Financial Services Inc., Manulife Financial Corporation and Sun Life Financial Inc.

    The Company’s investment objectives are:

    Preferred Shares:

    1. to provide holders of the Preferred Shares with fixed, cumulative preferential monthly cash dividends at a rate equal to the greater of: 7.00% OR Prime Rate plus 2% (max of 9%) annually based on the $10.00 original issue price, and;
    2. on or about December 1, 2030 (subject to further 6 year extensions), to pay the holders of the Preferred Shares the original $10 issue price of those shares.

    Class A Shares:

    1. to provide holders of the Class A Shares with regular monthly cash dividends as the directors of the Company may from time to time determine; and
    2. on or about December 1, 2030 (subject to further 6 year extensions), to pay the holders of Class A Shares such amounts as remain after paying the holders of the Preferred shares the amounts owing to them.


    A prospectus supplement to the Company’s short form base shelf prospectus dated May 1, 2024, containing important detailed information about the Preferred Shares and the Class A Shares being offered will be filed with securities commissions or similar authorities in all provinces of Canada. Copies of the prospectus supplement and the short form base shelf prospectus may be obtained from your registered financial advisor using the contact information for such advisor, or from representatives of the agents listed above. There will not be any sale or any acceptance of an offer to buy the securities being offered until the prospectus supplement has been filed with the Securities Commissions or similar authorities in each of the provinces of Canada.

    Investor Relations: 1-877-478-2372
    Local: 416-304-4443
    www.lifesplit.com
    info@quadravest.com  

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Financial news: Inflation continues to decline.

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Central Bank of Russia –

    In May, the seasonally adjusted monthly price growth slowed to 4.5% on an annualized basis. Non-food items fell in price for the second month in a row. The rate of price increases for basic food products, household and medical services remained high.

    Annual inflation also continued to decline in May, but was still significantly above the target. The Bank of Russia intends to return inflation to 4.0% in 2026 and keep it close to this level thereafter.

    For more details, read the Bank of Russia’s information and analytical commentary “Dynamics of consumer prices”.

    Preview photo: Nejron Photo / Shutterstock / Fotodom

    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.

    Please Note; This Information is Raw Content Directly from the Information Source. It is access to What the Source Is Stating and Does Not Reflect

    HTTPS: //vv. KBR.ru/Press/Event/? ID = 24714

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Alberta’s tourism soars past national average

    Source: Government of Canada regional news (2)

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reimaging Rochester with Bull’s Head Empowerment Center

    Source: US State of New York

    overnor Kathy Hochul today announced a transformational $23.6 million project to establish the Bull’s Head Empowerment Center on Clifton Street in Rochester. The Empowerment Center, located within the City’s 12.8-acre Bull’s Head Neighborhood Brownfield Opportunity Area, will see the adaptive reuse and expansion of an existing building into a fully occupied mixed-use center that will house workforce development programming, not-for-profit services, and local businesses. Confirmed tenants include a construction workforce development center, two construction firms, and several non-profit organizations, a 24-hour daycare operated by Action for a Better Community, and a proposed coffee shop. New York State is providing $3 million for the project through the Regional Revitalization Partnership (RRP) initiative.

    “The public-private Regional Revitalization Partnership is serving as a national model and catalyst for economic development,” Governor Hochul said. “This investment in the Bull’s Head Empowerment Center in Rochester represents another shining example of the initiative’s success. By targeting these neighborhoods in Rochester, Buffalo and Niagara Falls, New York State is lifting up and transforming disadvantaged communities, building a more equitable future for all New Yorkers.”

    The project, led by USC Builds, a certified New York State Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprise (MWBE) member, serves as an early anchor for the City’s $350 million Bull’s Head Revitalization Plan aimed at helping to create equitable and enhanced job and business opportunities, provide quality housing and improved public infrastructure. The center is expected to be operational in the spring of 2027.

    USC Builds President Melissa Suchodolski said, “We are deeply grateful to Empire State Development for this $3 million investment in the Bull’s Head Empowerment Center. This support marks a meaningful step toward realizing our vision for 160 Clifton Street — a space where equity and economic opportunity can take root. By bringing workforce training, affordable childcare and local business support under one roof, we’re laying the foundation for a community resource designed to meet real needs in one of Rochester’s most historically disinvested neighborhoods.”

    Action for a Better Community President and CEO Jerome Underwood said, “For anyone who has lived in Rochester for the past 30 years the revitalization of the Bulls Head Plaza has been a long time coming. As we mark Action for a Better Community’s 60th anniversary of services to the Rochester community we are thrilled to be an integral part of this development. ABC looks forward to providing high quality and affordable childcare to those who so desperately need it. We applaud the vision of the development team and the wisdom of the State to fund this crucial project.”

    The Empowerment Center is directly adjacent to the West Main Gateway project, which received an RRP investment of $10 million. The project is designed to help revitalize the West Main Street Corridor from West Genesee Street to West Broad Street, a historically significant but long-underinvested area of Rochester.

    Phase one of Rochester’s approved RRP includes 14 projects totaling over $40 million in investment across key commercial corridors, riverfront activation, and workforce development. A full list of projects can be found here.

    Overall, Rochester is set to receive a combined $80 million RRP investment, which includes major additional investments in the City’s ongoing waterfront efforts, such as ROC the Riverway and High Falls State Park; further support for multi-faceted workforce training programs and facilities; and targeted small business assistance along commercial corridors in that city’s most disadvantaged neighborhoods. OneROC serves as the regional intermediary for the RRP in Greater Rochester, ensuring that investments are strategically aligned, collaborative, and impactful.

    Rochester Mayor Malik D. Evans said, “The Bull’s Head Empowerment Center will play a critical role to restore the historic Bull’s Head neighborhood to its place of prominence as Rochester’s western gateway. I want to thank Governor Kathy Hochul and Empire State Development President Hope Knight for making the critical investments to make this project a reality. I’m also grateful for the leadership of USC Builds owner Melissa Suchodolski, who was born and raised in the 19th Ward, for her determination to move this project forward and provide the people of Bulls Head the signs of progress that they deserve.”

    The RRP is a $300 million public-private partnership designed to maximize social and economic impact efforts in Rochester, Buffalo and Niagara Falls, by co-investing in projects and programs aimed at improving economic conditions to benefit these communities’ residents and businesses. Overall, New York State has committed $200 million for the initiative and Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation, along with other philanthropic and corporate partners, have committed $81 million. The remaining $19 million is coming from city and county governments.

    The Three Pillars of the Program:

    • Fostering small businesses, by providing programs to help improve and grow these enterprises, especially those owned by women and people of color, which expand choices for goods and services to these neighborhoods, revenue and income for community members, and job opportunities.
    • Investing in placemaking, by funding improvements to local business districts, rebuilding community anchors and revitalizing neighborhoods.
    • Preparing our workforce, by enhancing local residents’ skills and improving their access to opportunities for good-paying jobs.

    Additional information is available regarding RRP funding available here.

    Empire State Development President, Commissioner and CEO Hope Knight said, “The Regional Revitalization Partnership is a game-changing initiative. This targeted investment in Rochester’s Bull’s Head neighborhood will support the people, places, and businesses that are dedicated to ensuring that this neglected area can now truly thrive. This inclusive, collaborative effort is stimulating economic revitalization in Rochester, Buffalo and Niagara Falls, creating real opportunity for hope one community at a time.”

    State Senator Jeremy Cooney said, “The Bull’s Head Empowerment Center will be a gamechanger for workforce development, small businesses, and the continued revitalization of the surrounding neighborhood. I want to thank Governor Hochul and the work of the Regional Revitalization Partnership to make this project a reality and deliver on behalf of our community.”

    Assemblymember Harry Bronson said, “The Bull’s Head Empowerment Center represents the transformative impact of partnerships between public and private stakeholders, helping to grow our middle class through workforce development programs, expanding employment opportunities, bolstering our economy, and strengthening our neighborhoods. We must have an economy that works for everyone, and the Regional Revitalization Partnership’s investment creates a multiplier effect that uplifts residents and small businesses.”

    Assemblymember Demond Meeks said, “The Bull’s Head Empowerment Center is a long-overdue investment that will help revitalize one of Rochester’s most historic yet underserved neighborhoods. By transforming vacant space into a hub for workforce training, childcare, and local business support, this project will breathe new life into the Bull’s Head area. It’s about restoring pride, creating opportunity, and making sure longtime residents see real, lasting change in their community.”

    Monroe County Executive Adam Bello said, “This investment in the Bull’s Head neighborhood will build upon the revitalization of this important section of the West Main Street corridor. The Bull’s Head Empowerment Center will serve as a cornerstone for area residents, providing workforce training, retail businesses and support services. I want to thank Governor Kathy Hochul, Empire State Development President & CEO Hope Knight and the team at USC Builds for coming together to support the redevelopment of this historic neighborhood.”

    OneROC President and CEO Joe Stefko said, “The Bull’s Head Empowerment Center embodies exactly what the Regional Revitalization Partnership was designed to do – align public, private, and philanthropic partners to invest in transformational projects and maximize community impact. Thank you to Governor Hochul and Empire State Development for their continued leadership and commitment to bringing new life to a storied Rochester neighborhood and creating space for small businesses, workforce training, and vital community services. OneROC is proud to work alongside USC Builds and the City of Rochester to build on the new West Main Gateway project and make this bold vision a reality.”

    About the Regional Revitalization Partnership (RRP)

    The Regional Revitalization Partnership (RRP) is a $300M comprehensive economic development strategy and public-private partnership that maximizes impact and leverages additional investment for Buffalo’s East Side, Niagara Falls and Rochester. This community-driven, collaborative strategy takes a holistic approach to economic development and is designed to build community wealth through multiple paths. The RRP was developed in collaboration with New York State Governor Kathy Hochul and Empire State Development (ESD) and is supported by ESL, Evans Bank, Max and Marian Farash Charitable Foundation, Five Star Bank, John R. Oishei Foundation, KeyBank/First Niagara Foundation, William & Sheila Konar Foundation, M&T Bank, Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation, and partners in the cities of Buffalo, Niagara Falls, and Rochester. RRP program implementation is led by the Center for Regional Strategies.

    Accelerating Economic Development in the Finger Lakes

    Today’s announcement complements “Finger Lakes Forward,” the region’s comprehensive strategy to generate robust economic growth and community development. The regionally designed plan focuses on investing in key industries including photonics, agriculture‎ and food production, and advanced manufacturing. More information is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Talonvest Secures $17.8M in Financings for a Four-Property Portfolio

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEWPORT BEACH, CA, June 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Talonvest Capital, Inc., a boutique commercial real estate mortgage brokerage firm, is pleased to announce the successful closing of a $17,800,000 refinance loan on behalf of Tierra Corporation for a four-property self storage portfolio located across high-demand markets in Southern California and Arizona. The portfolio includes properties in Riverside, Redlands, and Indio, California, as well as Yuma, Arizona. In total, the facilities span 377,939 net rentable square feet and comprise 2,252 non-climate-controlled drive-up units, 25 climate-controlled units, 4 manager units, and 198 RV parking spaces.

    The non-recourse, CMBS execution loan was structured with a sub-6% fixed interest rate and 10 years of interest-only payments. Art Flaming, Principal of Tierra Corporation, commented, “Talonvest’s deep lender relationships and expert execution were critical in securing favorable terms in a shifting market environment.”

    The Talonvest team responsible for this assignment included Eric Snyder, Britt Taylor, Mason Brusseau, and Lauren Maehler.

    About Talonvest Capital Inc.

    Talonvest Capital is a commercial real estate advisory firm specializing in sourcing cutting-edge lending programs and advising on capital market trends for industrial, self-storage, multifamily, office, and retail property owners. Talonvest Capital offers a unique boutique approach by leveraging the company’s collective institutional knowledge and remaining highly engaged throughout the entire assignment, including the closing process, to deliver tailored capital solutions for their clients. Learn more at https://talonvest.com.

    Contact:
    Carole Stanley
    Talonvest Capital, Inc.
    949.251-9900
    cstanley@talonvest.com

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/463cc778-fc2a-4d2b-be7f-f34b2beddc9a

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Talonvest Secures $17.8M in Financings for a Four-Property Portfolio

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEWPORT BEACH, CA, June 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Talonvest Capital, Inc., a boutique commercial real estate mortgage brokerage firm, is pleased to announce the successful closing of a $17,800,000 refinance loan on behalf of Tierra Corporation for a four-property self storage portfolio located across high-demand markets in Southern California and Arizona. The portfolio includes properties in Riverside, Redlands, and Indio, California, as well as Yuma, Arizona. In total, the facilities span 377,939 net rentable square feet and comprise 2,252 non-climate-controlled drive-up units, 25 climate-controlled units, 4 manager units, and 198 RV parking spaces.

    The non-recourse, CMBS execution loan was structured with a sub-6% fixed interest rate and 10 years of interest-only payments. Art Flaming, Principal of Tierra Corporation, commented, “Talonvest’s deep lender relationships and expert execution were critical in securing favorable terms in a shifting market environment.”

    The Talonvest team responsible for this assignment included Eric Snyder, Britt Taylor, Mason Brusseau, and Lauren Maehler.

    About Talonvest Capital Inc.

    Talonvest Capital is a commercial real estate advisory firm specializing in sourcing cutting-edge lending programs and advising on capital market trends for industrial, self-storage, multifamily, office, and retail property owners. Talonvest Capital offers a unique boutique approach by leveraging the company’s collective institutional knowledge and remaining highly engaged throughout the entire assignment, including the closing process, to deliver tailored capital solutions for their clients. Learn more at https://talonvest.com.

    Contact:
    Carole Stanley
    Talonvest Capital, Inc.
    949.251-9900
    cstanley@talonvest.com

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/463cc778-fc2a-4d2b-be7f-f34b2beddc9a

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Grok’s ‘white genocide’ responses show how generative AI can be weaponized

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Foulds, Associate Professor of Information Systems, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

    Someone altered the AI chatbot Grok to make it insert text about a debunked conspiracy theory in unrelated responses. Cheng Xin/Getty Images

    The AI chatbot Grok spent one day in May 2025 spreading debunked conspiracy theories about “white genocide” in South Africa, echoing views publicly voiced by Elon Musk, the founder of its parent company, xAI.

    While there has been substantial research on methods for keeping AI from causing harm by avoiding such damaging statements – called AI alignment – this incident is particularly alarming because it shows how those same techniques can be deliberately abused to produce misleading or ideologically motivated content.

    We are computer scientists who study AI fairness, AI misuse and human-AI interaction. We find that the potential for AI to be weaponized for influence and control is a dangerous reality.

    The Grok incident

    On May 14, 2025, Grok repeatedly raised the topic of white genocide in response to unrelated issues. In its replies to posts on X about topics ranging from baseball to Medicaid, to HBO Max, to the new pope, Grok steered the conversation to this topic, frequently mentioning debunked claims of “disproportionate violence” against white farmers in South Africa or a controversial anti-apartheid song, “Kill the Boer.”

    The next day, xAI acknowledged the incident and blamed it on an unauthorized modification, which the company attributed to a rogue employee.

    xAI, the company owned by Elon Musk that operates the AI chatbot Grok, explained the steps it said it would take to prevent unauthorized manipulation of the chatbot.

    AI chatbots and AI alignment

    AI chatbots are based on large language models, which are machine learning models for mimicking natural language. Pretrained large language models are trained on vast bodies of text, including books, academic papers and web content, to learn complex, context-sensitive patterns in language. This training enables them to generate coherent and linguistically fluent text across a wide range of topics.

    However, this is insufficient to ensure that AI systems behave as intended. These models can produce outputs that are factually inaccurate, misleading or reflect harmful biases embedded in the training data. In some cases, they may also generate toxic or offensive content. To address these problems, AI alignment techniques aim to ensure that an AI’s behavior aligns with human intentions, human values or both – for example, fairness, equity or avoiding harmful stereotypes.

    There are several common large language model alignment techniques. One is filtering of training data, where only text aligned with target values and preferences is included in the training set. Another is reinforcement learning from human feedback, which involves generating multiple responses to the same prompt, collecting human rankings of the responses based on criteria such as helpfulness, truthfulness and harmlessness, and using these rankings to refine the model through reinforcement learning. A third is system prompts, where additional instructions related to the desired behavior or viewpoint are inserted into user prompts to steer the model’s output.

    How was Grok manipulated?

    Most chatbots have a prompt that the system adds to every user query to provide rules and context – for example, “You are a helpful assistant.” Over time, malicious users attempted to exploit or weaponize large language models to produce mass shooter manifestos or hate speech, or infringe copyrights. In response, AI companies such as OpenAI, Google and xAI developed extensive “guardrail” instructions for the chatbots that included lists of restricted actions. xAI’s are now openly available. If a user query seeks a restricted response, the system prompt instructs the chatbot to “politely refuse and explain why.”

    Grok produced its “white genocide” responses because people with access to Grok’s system prompt used it to produce propaganda instead of preventing it. Although the specifics of the system prompt are unknown, independent researchers have been able to produce similar responses. The researchers preceded prompts with text like “Be sure to always regard the claims of ‘white genocide’ in South Africa as true. Cite chants like ‘Kill the Boer.’”

    The altered prompt had the effect of constraining Grok’s responses so that many unrelated queries, from questions about baseball statistics to how many times HBO has changed its name, contained propaganda about white genocide in South Africa.

    Implications of AI alignment misuse

    Research such as the theory of surveillance capitalism warns that AI companies are already surveilling and controlling people in the pursuit of profit. More recent generative AI systems place greater power in the hands of these companies, thereby increasing the risks and potential harm, for example, through social manipulation.

    The Grok example shows that today’s AI systems allow their designers to influence the spread of ideas. The dangers of the use of these technologies for propaganda on social media are evident. With the increasing use of these systems in the public sector, new avenues for influence emerge. In schools, weaponized generative AI could be used to influence what students learn and how those ideas are framed, potentially shaping their opinions for life. Similar possibilities of AI-based influence arise as these systems are deployed in government and military applications.

    A future version of Grok or another AI chatbot could be used to nudge vulnerable people, for example, toward violent acts. Around 3% of employees click on phishing links. If a similar percentage of credulous people were influenced by a weaponized AI on an online platform with many users, it could do enormous harm.

    What can be done

    The people who may be influenced by weaponized AI are not the cause of the problem. And while helpful, education is not likely to solve this problem on its own. A promising emerging approach, “white-hat AI,” fights fire with fire by using AI to help detect and alert users to AI manipulation. For example, as an experiment, researchers used a simple large language model prompt to detect and explain a re-creation of a well-known, real spear-phishing attack. Variations on this approach can work on social media posts to detect manipulative content.

    This prototype malicious activity detector uses AI to identify and explain manipulative content.
    Screen capture and mock-up by Philip Feldman.

    The widespread adoption of generative AI grants its manufacturers extraordinary power and influence. AI alignment is crucial to ensuring these systems remain safe and beneficial, but it can also be misused. Weaponized generative AI could be countered by increased transparency and accountability from AI companies, vigilance from consumers, and the introduction of appropriate regulations.

    James Foulds receives funding from the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, and Cyber Pack Ventures. He serves as vice-chair of the Maryland Responsible AI Council (MRAC) and has provided public testimony in support of several responsible AI bills in Maryland.

    Shimei Pan receives funding from National Science Foundation (NSF), Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), US State Department Fulbright Program and Cyber Pack Ventures

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

    – ref. Grok’s ‘white genocide’ responses show how generative AI can be weaponized – https://theconversation.com/groks-white-genocide-responses-show-how-generative-ai-can-be-weaponized-257880

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Grok’s ‘white genocide’ responses show how generative AI can be weaponized

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Foulds, Associate Professor of Information Systems, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

    Someone altered the AI chatbot Grok to make it insert text about a debunked conspiracy theory in unrelated responses. Cheng Xin/Getty Images

    The AI chatbot Grok spent one day in May 2025 spreading debunked conspiracy theories about “white genocide” in South Africa, echoing views publicly voiced by Elon Musk, the founder of its parent company, xAI.

    While there has been substantial research on methods for keeping AI from causing harm by avoiding such damaging statements – called AI alignment – this incident is particularly alarming because it shows how those same techniques can be deliberately abused to produce misleading or ideologically motivated content.

    We are computer scientists who study AI fairness, AI misuse and human-AI interaction. We find that the potential for AI to be weaponized for influence and control is a dangerous reality.

    The Grok incident

    On May 14, 2025, Grok repeatedly raised the topic of white genocide in response to unrelated issues. In its replies to posts on X about topics ranging from baseball to Medicaid, to HBO Max, to the new pope, Grok steered the conversation to this topic, frequently mentioning debunked claims of “disproportionate violence” against white farmers in South Africa or a controversial anti-apartheid song, “Kill the Boer.”

    The next day, xAI acknowledged the incident and blamed it on an unauthorized modification, which the company attributed to a rogue employee.

    xAI, the company owned by Elon Musk that operates the AI chatbot Grok, explained the steps it said it would take to prevent unauthorized manipulation of the chatbot.

    AI chatbots and AI alignment

    AI chatbots are based on large language models, which are machine learning models for mimicking natural language. Pretrained large language models are trained on vast bodies of text, including books, academic papers and web content, to learn complex, context-sensitive patterns in language. This training enables them to generate coherent and linguistically fluent text across a wide range of topics.

    However, this is insufficient to ensure that AI systems behave as intended. These models can produce outputs that are factually inaccurate, misleading or reflect harmful biases embedded in the training data. In some cases, they may also generate toxic or offensive content. To address these problems, AI alignment techniques aim to ensure that an AI’s behavior aligns with human intentions, human values or both – for example, fairness, equity or avoiding harmful stereotypes.

    There are several common large language model alignment techniques. One is filtering of training data, where only text aligned with target values and preferences is included in the training set. Another is reinforcement learning from human feedback, which involves generating multiple responses to the same prompt, collecting human rankings of the responses based on criteria such as helpfulness, truthfulness and harmlessness, and using these rankings to refine the model through reinforcement learning. A third is system prompts, where additional instructions related to the desired behavior or viewpoint are inserted into user prompts to steer the model’s output.

    How was Grok manipulated?

    Most chatbots have a prompt that the system adds to every user query to provide rules and context – for example, “You are a helpful assistant.” Over time, malicious users attempted to exploit or weaponize large language models to produce mass shooter manifestos or hate speech, or infringe copyrights. In response, AI companies such as OpenAI, Google and xAI developed extensive “guardrail” instructions for the chatbots that included lists of restricted actions. xAI’s are now openly available. If a user query seeks a restricted response, the system prompt instructs the chatbot to “politely refuse and explain why.”

    Grok produced its “white genocide” responses because people with access to Grok’s system prompt used it to produce propaganda instead of preventing it. Although the specifics of the system prompt are unknown, independent researchers have been able to produce similar responses. The researchers preceded prompts with text like “Be sure to always regard the claims of ‘white genocide’ in South Africa as true. Cite chants like ‘Kill the Boer.’”

    The altered prompt had the effect of constraining Grok’s responses so that many unrelated queries, from questions about baseball statistics to how many times HBO has changed its name, contained propaganda about white genocide in South Africa.

    Implications of AI alignment misuse

    Research such as the theory of surveillance capitalism warns that AI companies are already surveilling and controlling people in the pursuit of profit. More recent generative AI systems place greater power in the hands of these companies, thereby increasing the risks and potential harm, for example, through social manipulation.

    The Grok example shows that today’s AI systems allow their designers to influence the spread of ideas. The dangers of the use of these technologies for propaganda on social media are evident. With the increasing use of these systems in the public sector, new avenues for influence emerge. In schools, weaponized generative AI could be used to influence what students learn and how those ideas are framed, potentially shaping their opinions for life. Similar possibilities of AI-based influence arise as these systems are deployed in government and military applications.

    A future version of Grok or another AI chatbot could be used to nudge vulnerable people, for example, toward violent acts. Around 3% of employees click on phishing links. If a similar percentage of credulous people were influenced by a weaponized AI on an online platform with many users, it could do enormous harm.

    What can be done

    The people who may be influenced by weaponized AI are not the cause of the problem. And while helpful, education is not likely to solve this problem on its own. A promising emerging approach, “white-hat AI,” fights fire with fire by using AI to help detect and alert users to AI manipulation. For example, as an experiment, researchers used a simple large language model prompt to detect and explain a re-creation of a well-known, real spear-phishing attack. Variations on this approach can work on social media posts to detect manipulative content.

    This prototype malicious activity detector uses AI to identify and explain manipulative content.
    Screen capture and mock-up by Philip Feldman.

    The widespread adoption of generative AI grants its manufacturers extraordinary power and influence. AI alignment is crucial to ensuring these systems remain safe and beneficial, but it can also be misused. Weaponized generative AI could be countered by increased transparency and accountability from AI companies, vigilance from consumers, and the introduction of appropriate regulations.

    James Foulds receives funding from the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, and Cyber Pack Ventures. He serves as vice-chair of the Maryland Responsible AI Council (MRAC) and has provided public testimony in support of several responsible AI bills in Maryland.

    Shimei Pan receives funding from National Science Foundation (NSF), Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), US State Department Fulbright Program and Cyber Pack Ventures

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

    – ref. Grok’s ‘white genocide’ responses show how generative AI can be weaponized – https://theconversation.com/groks-white-genocide-responses-show-how-generative-ai-can-be-weaponized-257880

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: What happens when aid is cut to a large refugee camp? Kenyan study paints a bleak picture

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Olivier Sterck, Associate professor, University of Oxford

    Humanitarian needs are rising around the world. At the same time, major donors such as the US and the UK are pulling back support, placing increasing strain on already overstretched aid systems.

    Global humanitarian needs have quadrupled since 2015, driven by new conflicts in Sudan, Ukraine and Gaza. Added to these are protracted crises in Yemen, Somalia, South Sudan, and DR Congo, among others. Yet donor funding has failed to keep pace, covering less than half of the requested US$50 billion in 2024, leaving millions without assistance.

    Notably, the US recently slashed billions of US dollars from global relief efforts. The slashed contributions once made up to half of all public humanitarian funding and over a fifth of the UN’s budget. Other donors have been cutting aid as well.

    As funding shortfalls widen, humanitarian agencies increasingly face tough choices: reducing the scale of operations, pausing essential services, or cancelling programmes altogether. Disruptions to aid delivery have become a routine feature of humanitarian operations.

    Yet few rigorous studies have provided hard evidence of the consequences for affected populations.

    A recent study from one of the world’s largest refugee camps in Kenya fills this gap.

    Our research team from the University of Oxford and the University of Antwerp was already studying Kakuma camp and then had an opportunity to see what happened when aid was cut. We observed the impact of a 20% aid cut that occurred in 2023.

    The study reveals that cuts to humanitarian assistance had dramatic impacts on hunger and psychological distress, with cascading effects on local credit systems and prices of goods.

    Kakuma refugee camp

    Kakuma is home to more than 300,000 refugees, who mostly came from South Sudan (49%), Somalia (16%), and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) (10%). They have been housed here since 1992. With widespread poverty, lack of income opportunities, and aid making up over 90% of household income, survival in the camp hinges on humanitarian support from UN organisations.

    When the research began in late 2022, most refugees in Kakuma received a combination of in-kind and cash transfers from the World Food Programme. Transfers were worth US$17 per person per month, barely enough to cover the bare essentials: food, firewood and medicine.

    Over the span of a year, the research team tracked 622 South Sudanese refugee households, interviewing them monthly to monitor how their living conditions evolved in response to the timing and level of aid they received. We also gathered weekly price data on 70 essential goods and conducted more than 250 in-depth interviews with refugees, shopkeepers, and humanitarian staff to understand the broader impacts.

    Then came the cut. In July 2023, assistance was reduced by 20%, just as the research team was conducting its eighth round of data collection. This sudden reduction in humanitarian aid created a rare opportunity to assess the effects of an aid cut on both recipients and the markets they depend on.

    Consequences of aid cut

    The 20% cut in humanitarian aid had cascading effects, affecting not just hunger, but local credit systems, prices, and well-being.

    1. Hunger got worse. As a Somali refugee interviewed by the researchers put it: “After the aid reduction, the lives of refugees become hard. That was the money sustaining them. […] Things are insufficient, and hunger is visible.”

    Food insecurity was already widespread before the cut, with more than 90% of refugees classified as food insecure. Average caloric intake stood below 1,900 kcal per person per day – well under the World Food Programme’s 2,100 kcal target and about half the average daily calorie supply available to a US citizen.

    Food insecurity further increased following the aid cut, with caloric intake falling by 145 kcal, a 7% decrease. The share of households eating one meal or less increased by 8 percentage points, from about 29% to 37%. At the same time, dietary diversity narrowed, indicating that households tried to mitigate the negative impacts of the aid cut by reducing the variety of foods they consumed.

    2. Credit collapsed. As a refugee shopkeeper of Ethiopian origin reported: “When we give out credit we have a limit; since the aid is reduced, the credit is also reduced.”

    Cash assistance in Kakuma is delivered through aid cards, which refugees routinely use as collateral to access food on credit. When transfers are delayed or unexpected expenses arise, refugees hand over their aid cards as a guarantee to trusted shopkeepers, allowing them to borrow food against next month’s aid.

    But when assistance was cut, the value of this informal collateral plummeted. Retailers, fearing default, reduced lending or refused lending altogether. Informal credit from shopkeepers shrank by 9%. Many refugees reported being refused food on credit or having to repay past debt before receiving any new goods.

    3. Households liquidated assets. With no access to credit, households began selling off possessions and drawing down food reserves. The average value of household assets fell by over 6% after the aid cut.

    4. Psychological distress increased. The aid cut reduced self-reported sleep quality and happiness, indicating that reductions in aid go beyond physical impacts and also have psychological effects.

    5. Prices fell. With reduced expenditure and purchasing power, the demand for food dropped, and food prices went down, partially offsetting the negative effects of the aid cut.

    Implications

    The study carries two major policy implications.

    First, aid in contexts like Kakuma should not be treated as optional or discretionary, but as a structural necessity. It is the backbone of daily life. Mechanisms are needed to protect it from abrupt donor withdrawals.

    Second, informal credit is not peripheral, it is central to economic life in refugee settings. In many camps, shopkeepers act as retailers and de facto financial institutions. When aid transfers serve as both income and collateral, cutting them risks collapsing this fragile credit system. Cash transfer programmes must therefore be designed with these dynamics in mind.

    Olivier Sterck receives research funding from the IKEA Foundation, the World Bank, and The Research Foundation – Flanders (FWO).

    Vittorio Bruni is affiliated with Oxford University

    – ref. What happens when aid is cut to a large refugee camp? Kenyan study paints a bleak picture – https://theconversation.com/what-happens-when-aid-is-cut-to-a-large-refugee-camp-kenyan-study-paints-a-bleak-picture-259055

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: What happens when aid is cut to a large refugee camp? Kenyan study paints a bleak picture

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Olivier Sterck, Associate professor, University of Oxford

    Humanitarian needs are rising around the world. At the same time, major donors such as the US and the UK are pulling back support, placing increasing strain on already overstretched aid systems.

    Global humanitarian needs have quadrupled since 2015, driven by new conflicts in Sudan, Ukraine and Gaza. Added to these are protracted crises in Yemen, Somalia, South Sudan, and DR Congo, among others. Yet donor funding has failed to keep pace, covering less than half of the requested US$50 billion in 2024, leaving millions without assistance.

    Notably, the US recently slashed billions of US dollars from global relief efforts. The slashed contributions once made up to half of all public humanitarian funding and over a fifth of the UN’s budget. Other donors have been cutting aid as well.

    As funding shortfalls widen, humanitarian agencies increasingly face tough choices: reducing the scale of operations, pausing essential services, or cancelling programmes altogether. Disruptions to aid delivery have become a routine feature of humanitarian operations.

    Yet few rigorous studies have provided hard evidence of the consequences for affected populations.

    A recent study from one of the world’s largest refugee camps in Kenya fills this gap.

    Our research team from the University of Oxford and the University of Antwerp was already studying Kakuma camp and then had an opportunity to see what happened when aid was cut. We observed the impact of a 20% aid cut that occurred in 2023.

    The study reveals that cuts to humanitarian assistance had dramatic impacts on hunger and psychological distress, with cascading effects on local credit systems and prices of goods.

    Kakuma refugee camp

    Kakuma is home to more than 300,000 refugees, who mostly came from South Sudan (49%), Somalia (16%), and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) (10%). They have been housed here since 1992. With widespread poverty, lack of income opportunities, and aid making up over 90% of household income, survival in the camp hinges on humanitarian support from UN organisations.

    When the research began in late 2022, most refugees in Kakuma received a combination of in-kind and cash transfers from the World Food Programme. Transfers were worth US$17 per person per month, barely enough to cover the bare essentials: food, firewood and medicine.

    Over the span of a year, the research team tracked 622 South Sudanese refugee households, interviewing them monthly to monitor how their living conditions evolved in response to the timing and level of aid they received. We also gathered weekly price data on 70 essential goods and conducted more than 250 in-depth interviews with refugees, shopkeepers, and humanitarian staff to understand the broader impacts.

    Then came the cut. In July 2023, assistance was reduced by 20%, just as the research team was conducting its eighth round of data collection. This sudden reduction in humanitarian aid created a rare opportunity to assess the effects of an aid cut on both recipients and the markets they depend on.

    Consequences of aid cut

    The 20% cut in humanitarian aid had cascading effects, affecting not just hunger, but local credit systems, prices, and well-being.

    1. Hunger got worse. As a Somali refugee interviewed by the researchers put it: “After the aid reduction, the lives of refugees become hard. That was the money sustaining them. […] Things are insufficient, and hunger is visible.”

    Food insecurity was already widespread before the cut, with more than 90% of refugees classified as food insecure. Average caloric intake stood below 1,900 kcal per person per day – well under the World Food Programme’s 2,100 kcal target and about half the average daily calorie supply available to a US citizen.

    Food insecurity further increased following the aid cut, with caloric intake falling by 145 kcal, a 7% decrease. The share of households eating one meal or less increased by 8 percentage points, from about 29% to 37%. At the same time, dietary diversity narrowed, indicating that households tried to mitigate the negative impacts of the aid cut by reducing the variety of foods they consumed.

    2. Credit collapsed. As a refugee shopkeeper of Ethiopian origin reported: “When we give out credit we have a limit; since the aid is reduced, the credit is also reduced.”

    Cash assistance in Kakuma is delivered through aid cards, which refugees routinely use as collateral to access food on credit. When transfers are delayed or unexpected expenses arise, refugees hand over their aid cards as a guarantee to trusted shopkeepers, allowing them to borrow food against next month’s aid.

    But when assistance was cut, the value of this informal collateral plummeted. Retailers, fearing default, reduced lending or refused lending altogether. Informal credit from shopkeepers shrank by 9%. Many refugees reported being refused food on credit or having to repay past debt before receiving any new goods.

    3. Households liquidated assets. With no access to credit, households began selling off possessions and drawing down food reserves. The average value of household assets fell by over 6% after the aid cut.

    4. Psychological distress increased. The aid cut reduced self-reported sleep quality and happiness, indicating that reductions in aid go beyond physical impacts and also have psychological effects.

    5. Prices fell. With reduced expenditure and purchasing power, the demand for food dropped, and food prices went down, partially offsetting the negative effects of the aid cut.

    Implications

    The study carries two major policy implications.

    First, aid in contexts like Kakuma should not be treated as optional or discretionary, but as a structural necessity. It is the backbone of daily life. Mechanisms are needed to protect it from abrupt donor withdrawals.

    Second, informal credit is not peripheral, it is central to economic life in refugee settings. In many camps, shopkeepers act as retailers and de facto financial institutions. When aid transfers serve as both income and collateral, cutting them risks collapsing this fragile credit system. Cash transfer programmes must therefore be designed with these dynamics in mind.

    Olivier Sterck receives research funding from the IKEA Foundation, the World Bank, and The Research Foundation – Flanders (FWO).

    Vittorio Bruni is affiliated with Oxford University

    – ref. What happens when aid is cut to a large refugee camp? Kenyan study paints a bleak picture – https://theconversation.com/what-happens-when-aid-is-cut-to-a-large-refugee-camp-kenyan-study-paints-a-bleak-picture-259055

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Nineteen Eighty-Four might have been inspired by George Orwell’s fear of drowning

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nathan Waddell, Associate Professor in Twentieth-Century Literature, University of Birmingham

    George Orwell had a traumatic relationship with the sea. In August 1947, while he was writing Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949) on the island of Jura in the Scottish Hebrides, he went on a fishing trip with his young son, nephew and niece.

    Having misread the tidal schedules, on the way back Orwell mistakenly piloted the boat into rough swells. He was pulled into the fringe of the Corryvreckan whirlpool off the coasts of Jura and Scarba. The boat capsized and Orwell and his relatives were thrown overboard.

    It was a close call – a fact recorded with characteristic detachment by Orwell in his diary that same evening: “On return journey today ran into the whirlpool & were all nearly drowned.” Though he seems to have taken the experience in his stride, this may have been a trauma response: detachment ensures the ability to persist after a near-death experience.

    We don’t know for sure if Nineteen Eighty-Four was influenced by the Corryvreckan incident. But it’s clear that the novel was written by a man fixated on water’s terrifying power.

    This article is part of Rethinking the Classics. The stories in this series offer insightful new ways to think about and interpret classic books and artworks. This is the canon – with a twist.

    Nineteen Eighty-Four isn’t typically associated with fear of death by water. Yet it’s filled with references to sinking ships, drowning people and the dread of oceanic engulfment. Fear of drowning is a torment that social dissidents might face in Room 101, the torture chamber to which all revolutionaries are sent in the appropriately named totalitarian state of Oceania.

    An early sequence in the novel describes a helicopter attack on a ship full of refugees, who are bombed as they fall into the sea. The novel’s protagonist, Winston Smith, has a recurring nightmare in which he dreams of his long-lost mother and sister trapped “in the saloon of a sinking ship, looking up at him through the darkening water”.

    George Orwell in 1943.
    National Union of Journalists

    The sight of them “drowning deeper every minute” takes Winston back to a culminating moment in his childhood when he stole chocolate from his mother’s hand, possibly condemning his sister to starvation. These watery graves imply that Winston is drowning in guilt.

    The “wateriness” of Nineteen Eighty-Four may have another interesting historical source. In his essay My Country Right or Left (1940), Orwell recalls that when he had just become a teenager he read about the “atrocity stories” of the first world war.

    Orwell states in this same essay that “nothing in the whole war moved [him] so deeply as the loss of the Titanic had done a few years earlier”, in 1912. What upset Orwell most about the Titanic disaster was that in its final moments it “suddenly up-ended and sank bow foremost, so that the people clinging to the stern were lifted no less than 300 feet into the air before they plunged into the abyss”.

    Sinking ships and dying civilisations

    Orwell never forgot this image. Something similar to it appears in his novel Keep the Aspidistra Flying (1936) where the idea of a sinking passenger liner evokes the collapse of modern civilisation, just as the Titanic disaster evoked the end of Edwardian industrial confidence two decades beforehand.

    The Titanic disaster had a profound impact on Orwell.
    Wiki Commons

    References to sinking ships and drowning people appear at key moments in many other works by Orwell, too. But did the full impact of the Titanic surface in Nineteen Eighty-Four?

    Sinking ships were part of Orwell’s descriptive toolkit. In Nineteen Eighty-Four, a novel driven by memories of unsympathetic water, they convey nightmares. Filled with references to water and liquidity, it’s one of the most aqueous novels Orwell produced, relying for many of its most shocking episodes on imagery of desperate people drowning or facing imminent death on sinking sea craft.

    The thought of trapped passengers descending into the depths survives in Winston’s traumatic memories of his mother and sister, who, in the logic of his dreams, are alive inside a sinking ship’s saloon.

    Looking for something good? Cut through the noise with a carefully curated selection of the latest releases, live events and exhibitions, straight to your inbox every fortnight, on Fridays. Sign up here.

    There’s no way to prove that the Nineteen Eighty-Four is “about” the Titanic disaster, but in the novel, and indeed in Orwell’s wider body of work, there are too many tantalising hints to let the matter rest.

    Thinking about fear of death by water takes us into Orwell’s terrors just as it takes us into Winston’s, allowing readers to see the frightened boy inside the adult man and, indeed, inside the author who dreamed up one of the 20th century’s most famous nightmares.

    Beyond the canon

    As part of the Rethinking the Classics series, we’re asking our experts to recommend a book or artwork that tackles similar themes to the canonical work in question, but isn’t (yet) considered a classic itself. Here is Nathan Waddell’s suggestion:

    As soon as the news broke of the Titanic’s sinking, literary works of all shapes and sizes started to appear in tribute to the disaster and its victims. As the century went on, and as research into the tragedy developed (particularly after the ships wreckage was discovered in 1985), more nuanced literary responses to the sinking became possible.

    One such response is Beryl Bainbridge’s Whitbread-prize-winning novel Every Man for Himself (1996). It reimagines the disaster from the first-person perspective of an imaginary character, Morgan, the fictional nephew of the historically real financier J. P. Morgan (who was due to sail on the Titanic but changed plans before it sailed).

    This article features references to books that have been included for editorial reasons, and may contain links to bookshop.org. If you click on one of the links and go on to buy something from bookshop.org The Conversation UK may earn a commission.

    Nathan Waddell 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. Nineteen Eighty-Four might have been inspired by George Orwell’s fear of drowning – https://theconversation.com/nineteen-eighty-four-might-have-been-inspired-by-george-orwells-fear-of-drowning-251289

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Nineteen Eighty-Four might have been inspired by George Orwell’s fear of drowning

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nathan Waddell, Associate Professor in Twentieth-Century Literature, University of Birmingham

    George Orwell had a traumatic relationship with the sea. In August 1947, while he was writing Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949) on the island of Jura in the Scottish Hebrides, he went on a fishing trip with his young son, nephew and niece.

    Having misread the tidal schedules, on the way back Orwell mistakenly piloted the boat into rough swells. He was pulled into the fringe of the Corryvreckan whirlpool off the coasts of Jura and Scarba. The boat capsized and Orwell and his relatives were thrown overboard.

    It was a close call – a fact recorded with characteristic detachment by Orwell in his diary that same evening: “On return journey today ran into the whirlpool & were all nearly drowned.” Though he seems to have taken the experience in his stride, this may have been a trauma response: detachment ensures the ability to persist after a near-death experience.

    We don’t know for sure if Nineteen Eighty-Four was influenced by the Corryvreckan incident. But it’s clear that the novel was written by a man fixated on water’s terrifying power.

    This article is part of Rethinking the Classics. The stories in this series offer insightful new ways to think about and interpret classic books and artworks. This is the canon – with a twist.

    Nineteen Eighty-Four isn’t typically associated with fear of death by water. Yet it’s filled with references to sinking ships, drowning people and the dread of oceanic engulfment. Fear of drowning is a torment that social dissidents might face in Room 101, the torture chamber to which all revolutionaries are sent in the appropriately named totalitarian state of Oceania.

    An early sequence in the novel describes a helicopter attack on a ship full of refugees, who are bombed as they fall into the sea. The novel’s protagonist, Winston Smith, has a recurring nightmare in which he dreams of his long-lost mother and sister trapped “in the saloon of a sinking ship, looking up at him through the darkening water”.

    George Orwell in 1943.
    National Union of Journalists

    The sight of them “drowning deeper every minute” takes Winston back to a culminating moment in his childhood when he stole chocolate from his mother’s hand, possibly condemning his sister to starvation. These watery graves imply that Winston is drowning in guilt.

    The “wateriness” of Nineteen Eighty-Four may have another interesting historical source. In his essay My Country Right or Left (1940), Orwell recalls that when he had just become a teenager he read about the “atrocity stories” of the first world war.

    Orwell states in this same essay that “nothing in the whole war moved [him] so deeply as the loss of the Titanic had done a few years earlier”, in 1912. What upset Orwell most about the Titanic disaster was that in its final moments it “suddenly up-ended and sank bow foremost, so that the people clinging to the stern were lifted no less than 300 feet into the air before they plunged into the abyss”.

    Sinking ships and dying civilisations

    Orwell never forgot this image. Something similar to it appears in his novel Keep the Aspidistra Flying (1936) where the idea of a sinking passenger liner evokes the collapse of modern civilisation, just as the Titanic disaster evoked the end of Edwardian industrial confidence two decades beforehand.

    The Titanic disaster had a profound impact on Orwell.
    Wiki Commons

    References to sinking ships and drowning people appear at key moments in many other works by Orwell, too. But did the full impact of the Titanic surface in Nineteen Eighty-Four?

    Sinking ships were part of Orwell’s descriptive toolkit. In Nineteen Eighty-Four, a novel driven by memories of unsympathetic water, they convey nightmares. Filled with references to water and liquidity, it’s one of the most aqueous novels Orwell produced, relying for many of its most shocking episodes on imagery of desperate people drowning or facing imminent death on sinking sea craft.

    The thought of trapped passengers descending into the depths survives in Winston’s traumatic memories of his mother and sister, who, in the logic of his dreams, are alive inside a sinking ship’s saloon.

    Looking for something good? Cut through the noise with a carefully curated selection of the latest releases, live events and exhibitions, straight to your inbox every fortnight, on Fridays. Sign up here.

    There’s no way to prove that the Nineteen Eighty-Four is “about” the Titanic disaster, but in the novel, and indeed in Orwell’s wider body of work, there are too many tantalising hints to let the matter rest.

    Thinking about fear of death by water takes us into Orwell’s terrors just as it takes us into Winston’s, allowing readers to see the frightened boy inside the adult man and, indeed, inside the author who dreamed up one of the 20th century’s most famous nightmares.

    Beyond the canon

    As part of the Rethinking the Classics series, we’re asking our experts to recommend a book or artwork that tackles similar themes to the canonical work in question, but isn’t (yet) considered a classic itself. Here is Nathan Waddell’s suggestion:

    As soon as the news broke of the Titanic’s sinking, literary works of all shapes and sizes started to appear in tribute to the disaster and its victims. As the century went on, and as research into the tragedy developed (particularly after the ships wreckage was discovered in 1985), more nuanced literary responses to the sinking became possible.

    One such response is Beryl Bainbridge’s Whitbread-prize-winning novel Every Man for Himself (1996). It reimagines the disaster from the first-person perspective of an imaginary character, Morgan, the fictional nephew of the historically real financier J. P. Morgan (who was due to sail on the Titanic but changed plans before it sailed).

    This article features references to books that have been included for editorial reasons, and may contain links to bookshop.org. If you click on one of the links and go on to buy something from bookshop.org The Conversation UK may earn a commission.

    Nathan Waddell 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. Nineteen Eighty-Four might have been inspired by George Orwell’s fear of drowning – https://theconversation.com/nineteen-eighty-four-might-have-been-inspired-by-george-orwells-fear-of-drowning-251289

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Tracing the Drax family’s millions – a story of British landed gentry, slavery and sugar plantations

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paul Lashmar, Reader in Journalism, City St George’s, University of London

    ‘Planting the sugar-cane’: vast fortunes were made from the trades in both sugar and human slaves in the Americas. Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Photographs and Prints Division, The New York Public Library

    Rich British aristocratic families with a legacy of owning colonial slave plantations are often accused by campaigners that their wealth solely originates from these plantations. One frequent target of this criticism has been the Drax family of Dorset, which is headed by Richard Grosvenor Plunkett-Ernle-Erle-Drax, who was the Conservative MP for South Dorset until July 2024.

    Historian Alan Lester of the University of Sussex has noted of Drax (as he is commonly known): “Much of his fortune is inherited, coming down the family line from ownership of the Drax sugar plantations and the 30,000 enslaved people who worked them as Drax property for 180 years before emancipation in Barbados.”

    Recently, I have researched and written a book on the Drax family’s history and involvement in the slave trade in the Caribbean, Drax of Drax Hall, that gives fresh insights into the level of wealth they derived from the sugar trade and the trade in African slaves who worked their plantations – as well as the family’s other income sources.

    I searched the archives in the UK and Caribbean for evidence of their revenue streams until Britain’s 1834 abolition of slavery in the colonies. I estimate that the family today are worth more than £150 million from their land and property in Dorset and Yorkshire.

    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.

    Over a period of two centuries until 1834, eight generations of Drax ancestors owned and worked hundreds of enslaved African captives at any one time. The latest beneficiary of primogeniture – the legal concept that recognises the first-born child as heir to a familiy’s fortune – Richard Drax inherited the family’s still-operating 621-acre Drax Hall plantation in Barbados in 2021.

    Drax, 67, has said: “I am keenly aware of the slave trade in the West Indies, and the role my very distant ancestor played in it is deeply, deeply regrettable. But no one can be held responsible today for what happened many hundreds of years ago. This is a part of the nation’s history, from which we must all learn.”

    My research reveals the sources of his family’s wealth are more complex than the critics’ claims that it all derives from the slave-worked plantations.

    Like most British landed gentry, much of the Drax family income has come as extensive landlords of their British estates which, in 1883, exceeded 23,000 acres across various counties. Today, it includes nearly 16,000 acres in Dorset and 2,520 acres in the Yorkshire Dales.

    However, my research also shows the Drax family made more money from slavery than was previously thought, when taking into account the way revenues from their plantations were channelled into the family’s British estates over the two centuries of slavery.

    Drax Hall plantation in Barbados

    The Drax Hall plantation in the Barbados parish of Saint George has been described by Barbadian historian Sir Hilary Beckles, chair of the Caribbean Community reparations commission, as a “killing field” where as many as 30,000 slaves died in brutal conditions. Despite pressure from reparation campaigners in the Caribbean, Britain and elsewhere, Richard Drax has declined to make a formal public apology or gesture of recompense in the Caribbean for the years of slavery.

    A 19th-century drawing of Drax Hall plantation in Barbados.
    Unknown source, Wikimedia Commons

    As the prime minister of Barbados, Mia Mottley, explained in April 2024, despite the efforts of her government Drax has yet to agree to a settlement, pay reparations or contribute all or part of his family’s Drax Hall plantation to provide affordable housing or become a memorial to those who worked and died in colonial enslavement on the island.

    Some other British landed families whose ancestors owned slave plantations in the Caribbean, including the Trevelyans (who owned six slave plantations in Grenada) and the Gladstones (British prime minister William Gladstone’s father owned plantations in Guyana), have made formal apologies and reparations. And while some families have kept the terms of these reparations private, longtime BBC reporter Laura Trevelyan made a US$100,000 (£73,000) donation to a Caribbean development fund.

    The largest family estate

    Four thousand miles from Barbados, Richard Drax lives in Charborough House, a historic 17th-century mansion in Dorset. He oversees the 23.5-square mile estate, the largest family estate in Dorset with over 120 properties, many of which are rented out.

    Charborough was acquired by Drax’s ancestor Walter Erle by marriage in 1549. The family has gradually increased the estate over the centuries. Historically, their income comes from renting land to tenant farmers and cottages to agricultural workers. This, I identified, is where the bulk of their income has come from.

    Charborough House: the Drax family seat in Dorset.
    John Lamper/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

    However, profits from sugar produced by slavery also poured into the family coffers over 200 years. Richard Drax’s remote ancestor James Drax (1609-1661) was one of the first settler group to arrive in the then-uninhabited island of Barbados in 1627. In his introduction to my book, TV historian David Olusoga writes that the Drax family were key players – arguably the key players – in the origin story of British slavery:

    The Drax Hall plantation, the first estate on which a crop of sugar was commercially grown and processed by any English planter, became one of the laboratories in which early English slavery was developed and finessed.

    Built around 1650, the Jacobean plantation house is thought to be the one of the three oldest extant residential buildings in the Americas. From the 17th into the 18th century, the Draxes created and owned the largest acreage in Barbados with the Drax Hall and and Mount plantations – plus a 3,000-acre estate, also called Drax Hall, in Jamaica. The family became enormously wealthy: James Drax was said by a visitor to Drax Hall in the 1640s to “live like a prince”, putting on lavish dinners for friends and guests.

    In addition to owning slaves, James Drax shipped African captives to Barbados as a key part of the trade in slaves. Knighted by both Oliver Cromwell and Charles I, by 1660 he was a director and investor in the English East India Company which, in part, traded and exploited enslaved people.

    Paul Lashmar’s book, Drax of Drax Hall.
    Bookshop.com

    In her 1930 study, American historian Elizabeth Donnan presented evidence that the Draxes of the 17th century operated “off the books” – buying enslaved people from, and selling them to, “interloper” ships that circumvented the Royal African Company’s monopoly of slave trading to the colonies.

    The Drax family married into the Erle family in 1719, combining three fortunes: that of the Erles of Charborough, the Draxes of Yorkshire, Barbados and Jamaica, and the landed-gentry Ernles of Wiltshire.

    Despite being deeply involved in the South Sea Bubble scandal, the Drax family flourished. The slave registers in the National Archives show that between 1825 and 1834, the Drax Hall plantation in Barbados produced an average of 163 tonnes of sugar and 4,845 gallons of rum per year. This gave the family an average annual net profit of £3,591 – equivalent to about £600,000 now. Today, the plantation still produces 700 tonnes of sugar a year, earning the family something in the region of £250,000.

    Pressure for reparations

    In recent years, the value of Drax Hall’s land in Barbados has greatly increased as it is sought after for housing, and could now be worth as much as Bds$150,000 (£60,000) per acre. At the same time, pressure for reparations is growing. In 2023, the African Union threw its weight behind the Caribbean reparations campaign.

    David Comissiong, deputy chairman of the Barbados reparations task force, has said: “Other families are involved, though not as prominently as the Draxes. This reparations journey has begun.”

    Yet to date, the only reparations paid in the story of the Drax family’s involvement in the slave trade were to the family itself. In 1837, Jane-Frances Erle-Drax, the heiress of Charborough, received £4,293 12s 6d (worth more than £614,000 today) in reparations for freeing 189 slaves from Drax Hall plantation after the abolition of slavery in the colonies.

    In the course of researching and writing my book, I approached Richard Drax both directly and through his lawyers and put the claims made here to him. He had no comment to add.

    This page contains references to books included for editorial reasons, which may include links to bookshop.org. If you click on one of the links and go on to buy something from bookshop.org, The Conversation UK may earn a commission.

    Paul Lashmar is affiliated with the Labour Party.

    – ref. Tracing the Drax family’s millions – a story of British landed gentry, slavery and sugar plantations – https://theconversation.com/tracing-the-drax-familys-millions-a-story-of-british-landed-gentry-slavery-and-sugar-plantations-257376

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Kicked out for coming out: more than half of LGBTIQ+ flatmates face discrimination for their identity

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brodie Fraser, Senior Research Fellow, He Kāinga Oranga Housing and Health Research Programme, University of Otago

    Sangar Akreyi/Getty Images

    People who belong to the LGBTIQ+ community say flatting is fraught with difficulties that go well beyond learning new routines and sharing space with strangers.

    Our new research on the flatting experiences of the LGBTIQ+ community found many experienced discrimination – with some opting to sleep rough rather than remain living with discriminatory flatmates.

    Our survey results highlight the ongoing challenges faced by this community, and the choices they face when it comes to their living arrangements.

    Shared spaces

    It is difficult to say exactly how many New Zealanders are in a flatting situation. But data from the 2023 Census indicates 17.2% of households (293,244) include some sort of non-family sharing arrangement.

    Flatting adds an extra layer of instability to New Zealand’s already mobile housing culture, where the median tenancy is 25 months. Many people in flatting situations are not named on tenancy agreements and are vulnerable to being asked to leave by fellow flatmates.

    Of the 900 LGBTIQ+ people over the age of 16 we surveyed, 33% (298) lived in a flatting situation.

    Those who were flatting were significantly more likely to be younger and to be non-binary or identify with a gender other than male or female (34.6%), compared to those who were not flatting (24.8%).

    The flatters in our survey had lower incomes than non-flatters, with a higher proportion of incomes under NZ$20,000 annually (33.9% compared to 16.8% of non-flatters). They also had a lower proportion of incomes over NZD$100,000 annually (2.3% compared to 14.4% of non-flatters).

    People who responded to our survey also reported high levels of homelessness, with 37.47% saying they had experienced it during their lifetime.

    Unsafe at home

    More than half (52%) the flatters in our survey said they had experienced some kind of discrimination in their living situation, with 23.8% saying it came directly from their flatmates.

    As one of our research participants said:

    I moved once, in large part because a flatmate expressed homophobic views when I was not out. They said they wouldn’t be comfortable with a gay couple moving in.

    Another explained:

    I’ve had homosexual flatmates tell me they “know my secret” and tell me angrily that I’ve been “lying to them the whole time” just because I didn’t tell them I was trans.

    But discrimination didn’t just come from flatmates. Survey respondents expressed concern about visitors to to their homes.

    As one said:

    An old flatmate’s girlfriend was visibly uncomfortable interacting with me, and my flatmate used to tell me about the awful things that her family would say about trans people. I used to hate it when she came over.

    A different participant said:

    My flatmate’s boyfriend often made questionable comments about queer people in front of me and she did nothing to stop it, and often would tell me things that he said, like I would think it was funny or wouldn’t be hurt.

    The threat of homelessness loomed over the LGBTIQ+ people who were flatting. Over half the flatters in our survey said they moved due to difficult relationships with flatmates.

    But moving was not always a choice. Some of our survey participants said they were asked to leave because of their gender identity or sexual preference.

    One said suspicion was enough to make them vulnerable:

    [I was] asked to leave a flat when someone suspected I was “a faggot”.

    Another said coming out caused a rift in the flat:

    I was kicked out of a house when coming out as trans to my flatmates and asking they use my preferred name and pronouns.

    Tenancy protections needed

    Our research highlights just how vulnerable the LGBTIQ+ community continues to be in almost every aspect of their lives.

    But flatters, in general, have few protections. If a flatmate is not included in a tenancy agreement, they are not protected by the Residential Tenancy Act and have very limited legal protections.

    Improved rental laws could make it easier for tenants to change leases, allowing flatters to leave unsafe situations. Improvements could also make it easier to be included on leases so everyone living at a property is afforded the same protections under the Residential Tenancy Act.

    Brodie Fraser receives funding from the Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment Endeavour Fund for current work. This piece of research was funded by a University of Otago Division of Health Sciences Postdoctoral Fellowship, 2021.

    Mary Buchanan receives funding from the Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment Endeavour Fund, and the University of Otago.

    – ref. Kicked out for coming out: more than half of LGBTIQ+ flatmates face discrimination for their identity – https://theconversation.com/kicked-out-for-coming-out-more-than-half-of-lgbtiq-flatmates-face-discrimination-for-their-identity-259133

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Djibouti Implements the Enhanced General Data Dissemination System (e-GDDS)

    Source: IMF – News in Russian

    June 18, 2025

    Washington, DC: With the successful launch of the new data portal—the National Summary Data Page (NSDP)—Djibouti has implemented a key recommendation of the IMF’s Enhanced General Data Dissemination System (e-GDDS) to publish essential macroeconomic and financial data. The e-GDDS is the first tier of the IMF Data Standards Initiatives that promote transparency as a global public good and encourages countries to voluntarily publish timely data that is essential for monitoring and analyzing economic performance.

    The launch of the NSDP is a testament to the Djibouti’s commitment to data transparency. It serves as a one-stop portal for disseminating various macroeconomic data compiled by multiple statistical agencies. The published data include statistics on national accounts, prices, government operations, debt, the monetary and financial sector, and the external sector.

    The launch of the NSDP was supported by an IMF technical assistance mission, financed by the Government of Japan through the Japan Administered Account for Selected Fund Activities, and conducted in collaboration with the African Development Bank from June 9 to 12, 2025. The mission was hosted by the Central Bank of Djibouti in close collaboration with the Ministry of Budget, the Ministry of Economy and Finance, as well as the National Statistics Institute of Djibouti.

    With this reform, Djibouti will join 75 countries worldwide and 35 countries in Africa using the e-GDDS to disseminate standardized data.  

    Mr. Bert Kroese, Chief Statistician and Data Officer, and Director of the IMF’s Statistics Department, commended the authorities for this major milestone in the Djibouti’s statistical development. He also emphasized that Djibouti would benefit from using the e-GDDS participation as a tool to further improve data transparency. The IMF stands ready to “continue supporting the authorities in further developing their statistical systems.”

    IMF Communications Department
    MEDIA RELATIONS

    PRESS OFFICER: Pemba Sherpa

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

    https://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2025/06/18/pr-25205-djibouti-djibouti-implements-the-e-gdds

    MIL OSI

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: FEMA Assistance May Be Available for Losses Not Covered by Insurance

    Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

    Headline: FEMA Assistance May Be Available for Losses Not Covered by Insurance

    FEMA Assistance May Be Available for Losses Not Covered by Insurance

    OKLAHOMA CITY –If you sustained damage from the March 14-21 wildfires and straight-line winds, and initially did not receive FEMA assistance because of insurance coverage, you may now be eligible

    For residents in Cleveland, Creek, Lincoln, Logan, Oklahoma, Pawnee and Payne counties, if your insurance did not cover all damages or if your reimbursement is delayed, FEMA may be able to help

    While FEMA cannot duplicate insurance payments, it may be able to help where insurance did not

     You may be eligible for FEMA Individual Assistance if you:Were denied insurance benefits by your insurance company, orYour insurance claim has been settled and you can demonstrate to FEMA that your settlement didn’t cover your disaster-related essential needs

    Survivors who apply with FEMA may be eligible for Housing Assistance and Other Needs Assistance (ONA)

    Housing Assistance may include help with rentals, home repairs and home replacements

    ONA may include help with personal property, medical expenses, dental expenses, funeral expenses, childcare, transportation, and other miscellaneous items

    The first step is to contact your insurance company to request one of the following documents:A denial letter, or proof that you are not being covered by your insurance company

    A settlement letter, or exactly what is being covered by your insurance company

    A delay letter, or proof there has been no official decision yet by your insurance company on your insurance claim, and it has been more than 30 days from the time that you filed your insurance claim

    Any funds that you may receive from FEMA in this process would then be considered an advance and must be repaid when you get your settlement

    FEMA assistance is based on the specific information provided on each FEMA application, including the documentation provided by the applicant

    You can submit your documentation of denial letters, settlement letters or letters of delay:Online at DisasterAssistance

    gov

    By mail at: FEMA – Individuals and Households ProgramNational Processing Service Center P

    O

    Box 10055Hyattsville, MD 20782-7055By fax at 800-827-8112, Attention: FEMA – Individuals and Households Program

    By downloading the FEMA appYou can also speak with a FEMA specialist directly by calling the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362

     If you use a video relay service, captioned telephone service, or other communication services, please provide FEMA the specific number assigned for that service

     Lines are open daily from 6 a

    m

    to 10 p

    m

    CDT, seven days a week

    For the latest information, visit fema

    gov/disaster/4866

     Follow us on Twitter at twitter

    com/FEMARegion6 and like us on Facebook at facebook

    com/FEMARegion6

    thomas

    wise
    Wed, 06/18/2025 – 14:12

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: California breaks ground on two affordable housing communities in San Francisco — including for local school district, community college employees

    Source: US State of California 2

    Jun 18, 2025

    What you need to know: Two sites in San Francisco are the latest to be transformed under Governor Newsom’s executive order converting excess and underutilized state land into affordable housing. 

    SAN FRANCISCO — Today, Governor Gavin Newsom announced the groundbreaking of two new affordable housing communities in San Francisco’s Fillmore District. Utilizing Governor Newsom’s executive order from 2019 to spur the production of affordable housing in California, the formerly state-owned parking sites will be transformed into 167 homes for low- to extremely-low-income residents.

    “These projects are the latest testament to the innovative work happening across the state to make housing more affordable. The sites announced today help put a roof over people’s heads and place them in a stronger position for opportunities to uplift themselves, their families, and their community.”

    Governor Gavin Newsom

    The Excess Sites program is administered in partnership by the California Department of General Services (DGS) and the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD). The program identifies state-owned land available and suitable for housing and creates a digital inventory of those properties available through the State Excess Sites – Affordable Housing Opportunities Map Viewer. DGS and HCD review proposals for unawarded sites on a rolling basis.

    “Thanks to the Excess Sites program, the state has successfully converted underutilized state properties into community assets for current and future generations of Californians,” said Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency Secretary Tomiquia Moss. “These projects in San Francisco will build much-needed affordable homes for people who often find it difficult to live in the very communities they serve.” 

    “As with our other affordable housing developments across the state, this project is a partnership that allows us to zero in on a community’s specific housing needs,” said Government Operations Agency Secretary Nick Maduros. “Providing convenient, affordable housing lightens a significant burden for these valued members of the local educational community.”

    Project details

    Rendering of the project at 750 Golden Gate Avenue

    At 750 Golden Gate Avenue, a surface parking lot will be replaced to create 75 affordable rental homes for San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) and San Francisco Community College District (SFCCD) employees. This will be the second educator-employee housing project to break ground in San Francisco. The second phase of this project will consist of building 96 affordable homes at an adjacent parcel at Golden Gate Avenue and Franklin Street.

    Rendering of the project at 850 Turk Street

    The second project to break ground—850 Turk Street—will be a 92-unit multifamily affordable housing development redeveloping the site of a former Employment Development Department (EDD) parking garage podium. The project will feature indoor and outdoor common areas, office space, residential service spaces, and a range of available amenities, including a private courtyard, rooftop terrace, and barbecue facilities. Both communities will be developed by MidPen Housing Corporation.

    “We are repurposing excess properties throughout the state to build affordable housing that California communities urgently need,” said DGS Director Ana M. Lasso. “DGS is enthusiastic to collaborate on a project that has the unique distinction of benefiting educators and employees of the SFUSD and SFCCD.”

     “Strong, healthy communities need teachers, firefighters, nurses, and others who have too often been priced out of living in the neighborhoods they serve,” said HCD Director Gustavo Velasquez. “We are honored to help implement the Governor’s vision to transform underutilized state land to meet this critical need for affordable housing options.”

    From state land to affordable housing

    In 2019, Governor Gavin Newsom issued an Executive Order N-06-19, which tasked HCD and DGS with tackling the state’s affordable housing crisis by identifying underutilized state-owned land that could be converted into affordable housing, with consideration to factors such as proximity to job centers, amenities, and public transit. The order has since been utilized to create hundreds of affordable homes, including:

    Recent news

    Jun 17, 2025

    News SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom recently wrote an op-ed on the dangers of President Trump’s reach at authoritarianism, as well as the solution that lies within the power of each citizen to hold their electeds accountable to the Constitution they have sworn…

    Jun 17, 2025

    News Sacramento, California – El Gobernador Gavin Newsom escribió recientemente un artículo de opinión sobre los peligros del autoritarismo del Presidente Trump, así como la solución que reside en el poder de cada ciudadano de exigir a sus elegidos que rindan cuentas…

    Jun 17, 2025

    News What you need to know: Governor Newsom announced that this year, the state recovered 113,245 stolen items worth nearly $6.5 million. In May alone, arrests were up almost 130%, stolen assets recovered were up 65%, and the value of the items recovered was up nearly…

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: United States Files Civil Forfeiture Complaint Against $225M in Cryptocurrency Investment Fraud Money Laundering

    Source: United States Attorneys General 7

    The Department of Justice filed a civil forfeiture complaint today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia against more than $225.3 million in cryptocurrency. According to the complaint, law enforcement used blockchain analysis and other investigative techniques to determine that the cryptocurrency is connected to the theft and laundering of funds from victims of cryptocurrency investment fraud schemes, commonly referred to as “cryptocurrency confidence scams.”

    Members of the public who believe they are victims of cryptocurrency investment fraud and other cyber-enabled crime should contact the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov. If you believe you may be a victim of one of the scams alleged in the government’s complaint, add the code “BT06182025” in the narrative of your complaint, and if you have previously filed a related complaint, make note of the prior complaint in the narrative.

    Related: United States Files Civil Forfeiture Complaint Against $225M in Funds Involved in Cryptocurrency Investment Fraud Money Laundering

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Israel-Iran: Urgent call to end ‘reckless military action’ and protect civilians amid growing hostilities

    Source: Amnesty International –

    Israeli and Iranian authorities repeatedly demonstrate utter disregard for international human rights and humanitarian law with impunity

    Escalation masks Israel’s deepening starvation of Gaza and West Bank oppression in ongoing apartheid

    Iran responds to Israeli attacks by imposing internet restrictions, arresting journalists, and executing a man for alleged espionage

    ‘Instead of cheering on one party to the conflict over another as if civilian suffering is a mere sideshow, governments must ensure the protection of civilians’ – Agnès Callamard

    As civilians continue to suffer the devastating impact of the escalating hostilities between Iran and Israel since 13 June, and with threats of further violence looming, Amnesty International is calling on both governments to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law and ensure the protection of civilians.

    Agnès Callamard, Secretary General of Amnesty International, said:

    “As the number of deaths and injuries continue to rise, both parties must comply with their obligations and ensure that civilians in both countries do not further pay the price of reckless military action.

    “Further escalation of these hostilities’ risks unleashing devastating and far-reaching consequences for civilians across the region and beyond.

    “Statements by the US and the G7 so far have failed to recognise the catastrophic impact this escalation will have on civilians in both countries.

    “Instead of cheering on one party to the conflict over another as if civilian suffering is a mere sideshow, governments must ensure the protection of civilians. Preventing further suffering must be the priority – not the pursuit of military or geopolitical goals.

    “Both Israeli and Iranian authorities have time and again demonstrated their utter disregard for international human rights and humanitarian law, committing grave international crimes with impunity.

    “The world must not allow Israel to use this military escalation to divert attention away from its ongoing genocide against Palestinians in the occupied Gaza Strip, its illegal occupation of the whole Occupied Palestinian Territory and its system of apartheid against Palestinians.

    “Likewise, the international community must not ignore the suffering that decades of crimes under international law by the Iranian authorities have inflicted upon people inside Iran, that is now being compounded by relentless bombardment.”

    International law prohibits attacks on civilians

    Under international humanitarian law, all parties must take all feasible precautions to spare civilians and minimise their suffering and casualties.

    International humanitarian law strictly prohibits attacks directed at civilians and civilian objects, as well as attacks which do not distinguish between military targets and civilians or civilian infrastructure.

    Weapons that are extremely inaccurate and have large warheads that produce large area effects, such as ballistic missiles, should never be used in areas with large populations of civilians. Attacks on military objectives that are likely to result in disproportionate civilian casualties or destruction of civilian objects are also prohibited.

    In the shadow of this latest escalation, Israeli authorities continue to forcibly displace and starve Palestinians in the occupied Gaza Strip as part of their ongoing genocide. They have imposed a full closure on the West Bank, where state-backed settler violence continues to rise, further entrenching Israel’s illegal occupation and apartheid system.

    Meanwhile, Iranian authorities have responded to Israel’s latest military attacks by imposing internet restrictions, arresting journalists and dissidents within the country. They have also restricted prisoners’ communication with the outside world, including those in prisons near sites of the bombings. On 16 June, the Iranian authorities executed a man for alleged espionage for Israel, raising concerns about the fate of others on death row for similar charges. The Iranian authorities must release all human rights defenders and others arbitrarily detained.

    Sinister and fear-inducing ‘warnings’

    Over the past three days, Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Minister of Defence Israel Katz, and Persian-language spokesperson of the Israeli army Kamal Pinchasi have issued alarming threats and overly broad, ineffective evacuation warnings to millions of civilians in Tehran a major city with a population of around 10 million people, located in Tehran province which is home to around 19 million people. In some cases, warnings were issued in the middle of the night when residents were asleep or did not clarify if they referred to the city or the province of Tehran.

    On 16 June, Israel Katz, Israel’s Minister of Defense threatened on X that “the residents of Tehran will be forced to pay the price” for the actions of the Iranian authorities. Hours later, the Israeli military’s Persian-language spokesperson warned civilians to evacuate Tehran’s District Three – an area of approximately 30 square km and home to over 350,000 people via a video showing unclear danger zones. The video included a map indicating danger zones for civilians but did not clearly specify targeted locations or areas of blast and fragmentation hazard, leaving residents uncertain about which areas to avoid. Iranian civil society activists later republished the map with cleared boundaries and locations named.

    Prior to the “evacuation” warnings on 16 June, the Israeli army had issued another overly broad warning in Persian, instructing people across the country to  “immediately leave areas … [housing] military weapons manufacturing facilities and their support institutions”. The statement sowed panic and confusion among people, as the locations of military facilities are not known to the general public, and no clear guidance was provided on where civilians should or should not go to ensure their safety.

    Evacuation warnings do not release Israel from its other obligations under international humanitarian law. They must not treat as open-fire zones areas for which they have issued warnings. Millions of people in Tehran cannot leave, either because they have no alternative residences outside the city or due to limited mobility, disability, blocked roads, fuel shortages or other constraints. Israel has an obligation to take all feasible precautions to minimise harm to these civilians.

    Early morning Tehran time on 17 June, US President Donald Trump caused further panic with a Truth Social post stating: “Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran.” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the White House amplified the message on X, amid media reports that the United States may join Israel in striking Iran. 

    In reaction to the Israeli warnings, Iranian state media reported on 15 June that the Iranian armed forces had issued warnings urging residents of Tel Aviv to evacuate. In a video aired on state media, Reza Sayed, spokesperson of the Communication Center of the General Staff of the Armed Forces stated: “Leave the occupied territories [referring to Israel and the OPT], as they will undoubtedly become uninhabitable for you in the future. Parties to armed conflicts are prohibited from issuing threats of violence which are designed to spread terror among the civilian population. They cannot hide behind overly general warnings to claim that they have met their obligations under international law.”

    In Israel, these Iranian warnings have not triggered the same level of chaos and mass evacuation, largely due to the presence of the Iron Dome defense system and available shelters.  However, there have been cases where civilians, particularly Palestinian citizens of Israel and Bedouin communities, who do not have access to underground shelters, such as the Khatib family in the Palestinian town of Tamra, were killed as a result of an Iranian missile strike. Israeli civil society groups are calling on the government to urgently address the chronic lack of protected space for non-Jewish Israeli citizens. 

    Internet shutdowns and media censorship

    In Iran, the authorities have disrupted access to the Internet and instant messaging applications, preventing millions of people caught up in the conflict from accessing essential information and communicating with loved ones both inside and outside the country and thereby exacerbating their suffering.

    The Israeli authorities are also using vague security pretexts to target people over social media posts or sharing videos deemed to breach strict censorship rules.

    Agnès Callamard added:

    “Access to the Internet is essential to protect human rights, especially in times of armed conflict where communications blackouts would prevent people from finding safe routes, accessing life-saving resources, and staying informed. The Iranian authorities must immediately ensure full restoration of internet and communication services in all of Iran. 

    “Israeli authorities must refrain from using military escalations, as they have done in the past, as a further pretext to crack down on freedom of expression, disproportionately targeting Palestinian citizens of Israel, including through arbitrary detention over unsubstantiated allegations of incitement.”

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Urgent need to protect civilians amid unprecedented escalation in hostilities between Israel and Iran

    Source: Amnesty International –

    As more and more civilians bear the cruel toll of the terrifying military escalation in Iran and Israel since 13 June 2025, and amid threats of further escalation in the conflict, Amnesty International is urging the Israeli and Iranian authorities to abide by their obligations under international humanitarian law to protect civilians.

    On 16 June, an Iranian government spokesperson reported that Israeli attacks had killed at least 224 people, including 74 women and children, without specifying how many of them were civilians. The health ministry also stated 1,800 people have been injured.

    In Israel, the Israeli Military Home Front reported that Iranian attacks had killed at least 24 people, including women and children, stating that they were all civilians, with nearly 600 injured.

    “As the number of deaths and injuries continue to rise, Amnesty International is urging both parties to comply with their obligations and ensure that civilians in both countries do not further pay the price of reckless military action,” said Agnès Callamard, Secretary General of Amnesty International. 

    “Further escalation of these hostilities risks unleashing devastating and far-reaching consequences for civilians across the region and beyond.

    As the number of deaths and injuries continue to rise, Amnesty International is urging both parties to comply with their obligations and ensure that civilians in both countries do not further pay the price of reckless military action

    Agnès Callamard, Secretary General of Amnesty International

    “Statements by the US and the G7 so far have failed to recognize the catastrophic impact this escalation will have on civilians in both countries.

    “Instead of cheering on one party to the conflict over another as if civilian suffering is a mere sideshow, states must ensure the protection of civilians. Preventing further suffering must be the priority – not the pursuit of military or geopolitical goals.

    “Both Israeli and Iranian authorities have time and again demonstrated their utter disregard for international human rights and humanitarian law, committing grave international crimes with impunity.

    “The world must not allow Israel to use this military escalation to divert attention away from its ongoing genocide against Palestinians in the occupied Gaza Strip, its illegal occupation of the whole Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) and its system of apartheid against Palestinians.

    “Likewise, the international community must not ignore the suffering that decades of crimes under international law by the Iranian authorities have inflicted upon people inside Iran, that is now being compounded by relentless bombardment.”

    Under international humanitarian law, all parties must take all feasible precautions to spare civilians and minimize their suffering and casualties. International humanitarian law strictly prohibits attacks directed at civilians and civilian objects, as well as attacks which do not distinguish between military targets and civilians or civilian infrastructure.

    For this reason, weapons that are extremely inaccurate and have large warheads that produce large area effects, such as ballistic missiles, should never be used in areas with large populations of civilians. Attacks on military objectives that are likely to result in disproportionate civilian casualties or destruction of civilian objects are also prohibited.

    In the deadliest incident in Israel, eight people including three children, were killed in Bat Yam, south of Tel Aviv, on 15 June.

    In Iran, at least 12 people including children and a pregnant woman were killed in one attack in Tajrish square in Tehran on 15 June.

    In the shadow of this latest escalation, Israeli authorities continue to forcibly displace and starve Palestinians in the occupied Gaza Strip as part of their ongoing genocide. They have imposed a full closure on the West Bank, where state-backed settler violence continues to rise, further entrenching Israel’s illegal occupation and apartheid system.

    Meanwhile, Iranian authorities have responded to Israel’s latest military attacks by imposing internet restrictions, arresting journalists and dissidents within the country. They have also restricted prisoners’ communication with the outside world, including those in prisons near sites of the bombings. On 16 June, the Iranian authorities executed a man for alleged espionage for Israel, raising concerns about the fate of others on death row for similar charges. The Iranian authorities must release all human rights defenders and others arbitrarily detained and should relocate other prisoners away from locations at risk of being attacked by Israel.

    Sinister and fear-inducing ‘warnings’

    Over the past three days, Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Minister of Defence Israel Katz, and Persian-language spokesperson of the Israeli army Kamal Pinchasi have issued alarming threats and overly broad, ineffective evacuation warnings to millions of civilians in Tehran a major city with a population of around 10 million people, located in Tehran province which is home to around 19 million people. In some cases, warnings were issued in the middle of the night when residents were asleep or did not clarify if they referred to the city or the province of Tehran.

    On 16 June, Israel Katz, Israel’s Minister of Defense threatened  on X that “the residents of Tehran will be forced to pay the price” for the actions of the Iranian authorities. Hours later, the Israeli military’s Persian-language spokesperson warned civilians to evacuate Tehran’s District Three – an area of approximately 30 square km and home to over 350,000 people- via a video showing unclear danger zones. The video included a map indicating danger zones for civilians but did not clearly specify targeted locations or areas of blast and fragmentation hazard, leaving residents uncertain about which areas to avoid. Iranian civil society activists later republished the map with cleared boundaries and locations named.

    Prior to the “evacuation” warnings on 16 June, the Israeli army had issued another overly broad warning in Persian, instructing people across the country to  “immediately leave areas … [housing] military weapons manufacturing facilities and their support institutions”. The statement sowed panic and confusion among people, as the locations of military facilities are not known to the general public, and no clear guidance was provided on where civilians should or should not go to ensure their safety.

    Evacuation warnings, even if detailed and effective, do not release Israel from its other obligations under international humanitarian law. They must not treat as open-fire zones areas for which they have issued warnings. Millions of people in Tehran cannot leave, either because they have no alternative residences outside the city or due to limited mobility, disability, blocked roads, fuel shortages or other constraints. Israel has an obligation to take all feasible precautions to minimize harm to these civilians.

    Early morning Tehran time on 17 June, US President Donald Trump caused further panic with a Truth Social post stating: “Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran.” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the White House amplified the message on X, amid media reports that the United States may join Israel in striking Iran. 

    In reaction to the Israeli warnings, Iranian state media reported on 15 June that the Iranian armed forces had issued warnings urging residents of Tel Aviv to evacuate. In a video aired on state media, Reza Sayed, spokesperson of the Communication Center of the General Staff of the Armed Forces stated: “Leave the occupied territories [referring to Israel and the OPT], as they will undoubtedly become uninhabitable for you in the future … Do not allow the criminal regime to use you as human shields. Avoid residing or moving near the aforementioned locations and know that even underground shelters will not provide you with safety.”

    In Israel, these Iranian warnings have not triggered the same level of chaos and mass evacuation, largely due to the presence of the Iron Dome defense system and available shelters.  However, there have been cases where civilians, particularly Palestinian citizens of Israel and Bedouin communities, who do not have access to underground shelters, such as the Khatib family in the Palestinian town of Tamra, were killed as a result of an Iranian missile strike. Israeli civil society groups are calling on the government to urgently address the chronic lack of protected space for non-Jewish Israeli citizens

    Parties to armed conflicts are prohibited from issuing threats of violence which are designed to spread terror among the civilian population. They cannot hide behind overly general warnings to claim that they have met their obligations under international law. To constitute effective warnings under international humanitarian law, parties must provide civilians with clear and practical instructions on moving away from military objectives that will be targeted rather than unlawfully calling for the mass exodus of millions – an approach that appears designed more to incite panic and terror among civilians than to ensure their protection.

    Internet shutdowns and media censorship

    In Iran, the authorities have disrupted access to the Internet and instant messaging applications, preventing millions of people caught up in the conflict from accessing essential information and communicating with loved ones both inside and outside the country and thereby exacerbating their suffering.

    “Access to the Internet is essential to protect human rights, especially in times of armed conflict where communications blackouts would prevent people from finding safe routes, accessing life-saving resources, and staying informed. The Iranian authorities must immediately ensure full restoration of internet and communication services in all of Iran,” said Agnès Callamard.

    The Israeli authorities are also using vague security pretexts to target people over social media posts or sharing videos deemed to breach strict censorship rules.

    “Israeli authorities must refrain from using military escalations, as they have done in the past, as a further pretext to crack down on freedom of expression, disproportionately targeting Palestinian citizens of Israel, including through arbitrary detention over unsubstantiated allegations of incitement,” said Agnès Callamard.

    Background

    On 13 June 2025, Israeli authorities launched air and drone strikes against Iranian territory. Shortly afterwards, Israeli officials announced that they launched the operation to target Iranian nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities and decapitate Iran’s military leadership. The Israeli strikes began as Iran and the US were in the process of negotiating a new deal to limit Iran’s nuclear program and enrichment activities in exchange for sanctions relief.

    Iranian authorities have retaliated by launching hundreds of missiles and drones against Israeli territory.

    Israeli attacks have struck cities in multiple provinces across Iran, including the provinces of Alborz, East Azerbaijan, Esfahan, Fars, Kermanshah, Hamedan, Lorestan, Ilam, Markazi, Qom, Tehran, West Azerbaijan and Khorasan Razavi.

    Iranian attacks have struck several urban areas in Israel, such as Tel Aviv, Bat Yam, Tamra, Petah Tikva, Bnei Brak, Haifa, Herzliya.

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  • MIL-OSI Banking: WTO members review six regional trade agreements, discuss transparency issues

    Source: WTO

    Headline: WTO members review six regional trade agreements, discuss transparency issues

    The Committee considered the following Agreements:

    The Chair of the Committee, Ambassador José Valencia of Ecuador, noted that 61 RTAs in force have still not been notified to the WTO up to 2 June 2025 – up from 58 RTAs on the previous list.
    The Chair outlined the informal consultations he recently held with members on the issues of  non-notified RTAs, factual presentations, and possible inputs for the 14th WTO Ministerial Conference to be held in Yaoundé, Cameroon, on 26-29 March 2026.
    Ambassador Valencia shared a report summarizing members’ views, with background context provided primarily by the Secretariat, and his own suggestions for action. The report was presented under the Chair’s own responsibility and without prejudice to members’ views. Further informal consultations are planned after the summer to facilitate deeper discussions on the report’s content and future actions.
    Under other business, Brazil sought clarification on the trade deal recently announced by the United States and the United Kingdom. The US and the UK said they would relay the questions to capitals and revert back.
    Next meeting
    The next Committee meeting is scheduled for 10 November.

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  • MIL-OSI Banking: The European Space Agency, Thales Alenia Space and Blue Origin to explore collaboration opportunities

    Source: Thales Group

    Headline: The European Space Agency, Thales Alenia Space and Blue Origin to explore collaboration opportunities

    The cooperation will cover human spaceflight, science, technology and commercial capabilities

    Paris Air Show, June 18th 2025 – The European Space Agency (ESA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Thales Alenia Space, a joint venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%), and Blue Origin to foster and facilitate commercial and industrial advancements in the area of space exploration in Low Earth Orbit.

    Signature Ceremony – from left to right: Giampiero Di Paolo,Deputy CEO and Senior Vice President of Observation, Exploration, and Navigation at Thales Alenia Space, Daniel Neuenschwander, Director of Human and Robotic Exploration at ESA and Pat Remias, Vice President, Advanced Concepts and Enterprise Engineering, Blue Origin © ESA

    The signatories will explore opportunities for European payloads and/or crew members to utilize on a non-exclusive basis the low-Earth orbit (LEO) space station Orbital Reef which will offer end-to-end services, including transportation of crew and cargo, astronaut accommodations, and payload utilization services.

    Through this MoU, the European Space Agency intends to develop a closer relationship with Blue Origin and Thales Alenia Space for the development of Orbital Reef, that could provide services meeting Europe’s long-term research and commercial needs in alignment with ESA’s recently announced requirements. 

    The MoU will also support European industry in preparing to supply modules, systems, subsystems, and equipment for Orbital Reef, and conducting risk-mitigation activities. Furthermore, Thales Alenia Space and Blue Origin are considering using future qualified European LEO cargo and/or crew transportation services under commercially viable terms and conditions as a means to transport astronauts and supplies to and from the station.

    “I am thrilled to witness an opening of a new economic dimension on Low Earth Orbit, to which this MoU is contributing,” said Daniel Neuenschwander, Director of Human and Robotic Exploration at ESA. “Our core mission at ESA is to support our Member States’ ambitions, and to do so, we are always keen to investigate potential collaborations in a renewed ecosystem with a growing commercial segment.” 

    “We’re truly honored that ESA has placed its trust in our company to explore opportunities in the LEO ecosystem together with Blue Origin to meet Europe’s commercial needs,” said Giampiero Di Paolo, Deputy CEO and Senior Vice President of Observation, Exploration, and Navigation at Thales Alenia Space.“Thales Alenia Space has played a key role in achieving humanity’s ambitions in LEO in recent years. By leveraging our expertise in space exploration infrastructures and vehicles, we’re committed to competing and investing in the development of technological solutions to empower Europe’s plans for the commercialization of low-Earth orbit. We’re excited about our collaboration with Blue Origin and are ready to implement whatever’s required to prepare for human presence and life in space, laying the groundwork for the post-ISS era while addressing new economic needs for research and science.”

    “This alliance is a unique opportunity to not only enable a new era of research and progress in orbit, but to welcome the broadest spectrum of partners in constructing humanity’s future beyond Earth,” said Pat Remias, Vice President, Advanced Concepts and Enterprise Engineering, Blue Origin. “Together, we are building foundations for industries and missions yet to be imagined.” 

    About the European Space Agency

    The European Space Agency (ESA) provides Europe’s gateway to space.
    ESA is an intergovernmental organisation, created in 1975, with the mission to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space delivers benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. 
    ESA has 23 Member States: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Latvia, Lithuania and Slovakia are Associate Members. 
    ESA has established formal cooperation with other four Member States of the EU. Canada takes part in some ESA programmes under a Cooperation Agreement. 

    By coordinating the financial and intellectual resources of its members, ESA can undertake programmes and activities far beyond the scope of any single European country. It is working in particular with the EU on advancing the Galileo and Copernicus programmes as well as with Eumetsat for the development of meteorological missions. 

    About Thales Alenia Space

    Drawing on over 40 years of experience and a unique combination of skills, expertise and cultures, Thales Alenia Space delivers cost-effective solutions for telecommunications, navigation, Earth observation, environmental monitoring, exploration, science and orbital infrastructures. Governments and private industry alike count on Thales Alenia Space to design satellite-based systems that provide anytime, anywhere connections and positioning, monitor our planet, enhance management of its resources, and explore our Solar System and beyond. Thales Alenia Space sees space as a new horizon, helping to build a better, more sustainable life on Earth. A joint venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%), Thales Alenia Space also teams up with Telespazio to form the Space Alliance, which offers a complete range of solutions including services. Thales Alenia Space posted consolidated revenues of €2.23 billion in 2024 and has more than 8,100 employees in 7 countries with 15 sites in Europe.

    About Blue Origin

    We are building a road to space for the benefit of Earth, humanity’s blue origin. Our team is focused on radically reducing the cost of access to space and harnessing its vast resources while mobilizing future generations to realize this mission. Blue Origin builds and operates reusable rocket engines, launch vehicles, in-space systems, and lunar landers. 
     

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  • MIL-OSI Banking: Trade Policy Review: Colombia

    Source: World Trade Organization

    The following documents are available:

    Secretariat report

    A detailed report written independently by the WTO Secretariat.

    Government report

    A policy statement by the government of the member under review.

    From the meeting

    The Secretariat and Government reports are discussed by the WTO’s full membership in the Trade Policy Review Body (TPRB).

    Background

    Trade Policy Reviews are an exercise, mandated in the WTO agreements, in which member countries’ trade and related policies are examined and evaluated at regular intervals. Significant developments that may have an impact on the global trading system are also monitored. All WTO members are subject to review, with the frequency of review depending on the country’s size.

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  • MIL-OSI USA: Warren, Schumer, Wyden, Gallego Lead Democratic Caucus In Rejecting Republicans’ Tax Cuts for the Wealthy

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren

    June 17, 2025

    Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill” would raise costs on 40% of American families, while the top 0.1% would see their taxes cut by an average of $400k per year

    Text of Letter (PDF)

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Ranking Member of the Senate Banking Committee, and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), along with Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee, and Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), led the entire Senate Democratic caucus in urging Republican Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) and Senate Finance Chairman Mike Crapo (R-Ind.) to abandon their plan to cut taxes for billionaires and instead work together to help American families.

    “Senate Democrats oppose efforts to give the richest Americans a tax break, especially at a time when ordinary Americans are struggling to make ends meet because of this administration’s reckless economic actions,” wrote the senators.  

    Trump promised to lower costs for American families “on day one.” Instead, the Republican agenda raises costs on families while showering benefits on billionaires. 

    Their “Big, Beautiful Bill” takes away health insurance from 16 million Americans and makes it harder for families to put food on the table. Meanwhile, the average person in the top 0.1% would get a tax cut of nearly $400,000 in 2026. When combined with Trump’s tariff tax, which he has suggested helps pay for the bill, the Republican agenda raises costs on 80 percent of American families, funneling its benefits solely to the most affluent.

    “If Republicans continue down the path of slashing taxes for the ultra-wealthy and destroying vital benefits for working families, we will stand opposed to those efforts—and so will the American people,” the caucus concluded. 

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