Category: Commerce

MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: HKETO Jakarta celebrates in Philippines 28th anniversary of HKSAR establishment (with photos)

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

â€‹The Director-General of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Jakarta, Miss Libera Cheng, today (July 5) attended a dinner organised by the Hongkong Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines Inc in Manila, the Philippines, to celebrate the 28th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

Addressing the dinner, Miss Cheng said that with the staunch support of the motherland and the advantages in connecting the Mainland and the world under the “one country, two systems” principle, Hong Kong has continued to consolidate its status as an international financial, shipping and trade centre. Hong Kong has performed remarkably in international rankings. It was named the world’s freest economy in the Economic Freedom of the World 2024 Annual Report, and ranked third globally in the World Competitiveness Yearbook 2025, the World Investment Report 2025 and the Global Financial Centres Index. Hong Kong’s success in attracting top-tier international companies and talent is also widely acknowledged. The number of companies in Hong Kong with overseas or Mainland parent companies has risen to 9 960, while the number of start-ups in the city increased to around 4 700, both reaching record highs.

Miss Cheng added that Hong Kong has a close relationship with the Philippines. Hong Kong is the Philippines’ fifth largest trading partner, with bilateral trade in goods amounting to US$13.9 billion last year. In tourism, Hong Kong has continued to attract Filipino visitors, welcoming around 1.2 million arrivals from the Philippines last year, representing a 55 per cent increase compared with 2023. In the first five months of this year alone, more than 550 000 Filipino visitors travelled to Hong Kong, marking a 27 per cent year-on-year increase and reflecting strong people-to-people ties between the two places.

Miss Cheng also shared the latest developments in Hong Kong with the guests, highlighting the emerging opportunities under the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area as strategic responses to future challenges. She said that as a global financial and trade centre, Hong Kong is well positioned to serve as a vital bridge connecting Mainland China and the Philippines. She thanked the chamber for fostering connections, and hoped that more outstanding Philippine enterprises would expand their business networks in Hong Kong to create synergy. On the other hand, Hong Kong has been actively seeking early accession to the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, with a view to making greater contributions to regional development.

Around 250 representatives from the local government and business sectors, including the Minister Counsellor of the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines, Ms Wang Yulei, and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council’s Consultant in Manila, Ms Maribeth Barros, attended the event.

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

July 6, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: China’s Ministry of Commerce: China accepts price commitments from 34 EU companies following anti-dumping investigation into imported brandy

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

BEIJING, July 5 (Xinhua) — China’s Ministry of Commerce on Saturday said it has accepted price commitments provided by 34 European Union (EU) brandy producers as part of a final ruling on an anti-dumping probe into EU brandy imports.

The companies will not be subject to anti-dumping duties on exports to China if they comply with the agreed conditions, the agency said. -0-

MIL OSI Russia News –

July 5, 2025
MIL-OSI China: China accepts price undertakings from 34 EU firms in final ruling on brandy anti-dumping probe

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

China’s Ministry of Commerce said Saturday it has accepted price undertakings from 34 European Union (EU) brandy producers in the final ruling of an anti-dumping investigation into brandy imports from the EU.

These companies will not be subject to anti-dumping duties when exporting to China, provided they meet the agreed terms, according to the ministry.

MIL OSI China News –

July 5, 2025
Govt urges use of BIS-certified helmets to ensure road safety

Source: Government of India

Source: Government of India (4)

In a renewed push to enhance road safety, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution has urged consumers across India to use only helmets certified by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). The appeal comes amid growing concerns over the widespread sale of substandard and non-compliant helmets, which significantly undermine rider safety.

According to the Department of Consumer Affairs, over 21 crore two-wheelers are currently on Indian roads, making helmet safety a critical public concern. While wearing helmets is mandated under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, officials emphasize that only quality-certified helmets offer reliable protection. A Quality Control Order in effect since 2021 mandates BIS certification (ISI mark under IS 4151:2015) for all protective helmets sold for two-wheeler use.

In the financial year 2024–25, BIS conducted more than 30 search-and-seizure operations, testing over **500 helmet samples. One major crackdown in Delhi led to the seizure of over 2,500 non-compliant helmets from nine manufacturers operating with expired or cancelled licences. An additional 500 substandard helmets were confiscated from roadside vendors and retail outlets.

Currently, 176 manufacturers across India hold valid BIS licences for protective helmets. Despite this, a large number of uncertified helmets continue to be sold, especially in unregulated markets. The Department has warned that such products pose serious safety risks and contribute to fatalities in road accidents.

To combat this, the Department has written to District Collectors and Magistrates across the country, urging them to launch special enforcement drives against non-compliant manufacturers and vendors. The initiative is being integrated with ongoing road safety campaigns for broader impact.

In Delhi NCR and other regions, the campaign has shown promising results. BIS branch offices are also working closely with local administrations and police departments to ensure effective enforcement.

Earlier this year, the BIS Chennai office conducted an awareness drive in collaboration with local traffic authorities, distributing certified helmets and promoting the importance of compliance through roadshows and media campaigns.

To help consumers make informed purchases, BIS has introduced new features on its BIS Care App and official portal, allowing users to verify manufacturer licenses and lodge complaints against non-compliant products. Additionally, the Quality Connect campaign and ‘Manak Mitra’ volunteers are spreading awareness at the grassroots level about the significance of ISI-marked helmets.

July 5, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: EXPO of Central Asian Goods and Trade /Khorgos/-2025 Opens in Xinjiang

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian –

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

URUMQI, July 5 (Xinhua) — The Central Asian Goods and Trade Expo (Khorgos) opened on Friday at the China-Kazakhstan International Boundary Cooperation Center “Khorgos” located in the city of the same name in northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (XUAR).

The event will last for 3 days and will be attended by representatives of more than 300 enterprises from China and Central Asian countries.

The EXPO aims to create a platform for deepening trade and economic cooperation between Chinese enterprises and Central Asian countries. It will include events on cooperation and exchanges between business representatives, cooperation and development of the cultural and tourism industry, as well as special presentations.

Deputy Director of the Khorgos City Commerce Department Zhu Hongjian expressed confidence that the EXPO will not only introduce high-quality Chinese goods to more Central Asian consumers, but will also assist Chinese companies in developing Central Asian markets.

In addition, it will further deepen cooperation between China and Central Asian countries in investment, trade, culture and other fields to achieve mutual benefit and common development, he added. -0-

MIL OSI Russia News –

July 5, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: Seminar for SCO countries on educational institutions management concludes in Shenyang

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

SHENYANG, July 5 (Xinhua) — A seminar on educational institution management for Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) countries concluded in Shenyang, capital of northeast China’s Liaoning Province, on Thursday.

The 14-day event was a project of China’s overseas aid training program and involved 13 participants from Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.

During the seminar, participants showed great interest in courses covering topics such as “Innovation Strategies and Transformation of Chinese Medical Education in the Digital Era”, “Chinese Model and Practice of Industry-Education Integration in Higher Medical Education”, and “Transformation of Scientific and Technological Achievements in Universities and Research Institutions”.

Fathulloh Abdullaev from Uzbekistan said that he really enjoyed the workshop. He was inspired by the workshop’s teaching model, which combines elements of education and industry.

“It is very important that students are involved in practical activities,” he noted.

The seminar was organized by the Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China and Shenyang Normal University (SNU). The event was held with the support of Liaoning Heshi Ophthalmology Hospital. -0-

MIL OSI Russia News –

July 5, 2025
MIL-OSI United Nations: ‘Smart grid’ helps accelerate energy transition in Indonesia

Source: United Nations 2-b

With support from the United Nations, the electricity grid on the central islands of Java, Madura, and Bali – home to over 160 million people – is now being upgraded and modernized to accommodate fluctuating energy loads from solar and wind power.

“As a result of our cooperation with the UN, we now have a blueprint for a smart grid and are working to enable it to seamlessly integrate electricity from renewables in line with national priorities,” said Evy Haryadi, Director of Transmission and System Planning at state-owned electricity company PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN). “This will represent a huge step forward in decarbonizing Indonesia’s energy system.”

As emphasized during a recent visit to Jakarta by the UN Secretary-General’s Special Advisor on Climate Action and Just Transition, Selwin Hart, the smart grid initiative—supported by the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS)—is an integral part of the broader UN assistance in Indonesia to ensure a just energy transition.

UN Indonesia

Solar power is widely used on the islands of Java, Madura, and Bali.

This includes work by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to bring renewable energy to remote islands not connected to the national grid, and by the International Labour Organization (ILO) to support the government in developing green skills.

“The UN in Indonesia works in close partnership with the government to support its energy transition targets in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),” said Gita Sabharwal, United Nations Resident Coordinator for Indonesia. “We provide fast response solutions and technical expertise to help accelerate progress toward government objectives in green energy.”

The country’s 2025–2034 Electricity Supply Business Plan, launched in May, outlines a strategic shift toward a cleaner and investment-driven energy future. It targets 42.6 GW of new renewable power capacity and 10.3 GW of storage, while limiting new fossil fuel capacity to 16.6 GW. The plan is designed to align Indonesia’s climate commitments with the SDGs and enhance national energy resilience.

The smart grid and, at its core, the control centre that manages electricity supply and demand, are crucial to this effort. The country expects a surge in renewable generation construction once the modernization of the JAMALI Control Center is completed.

Historically, power grids were designed to receive electricity from sources with relatively constant output—such as coal, natural gas, or hydropower. However, some renewable sources function differently: solar plants generate electricity only when the sun is shining, and wind power only when the wind is blowing. In a so-called “smart grid,” the control centre must be able to adjust electricity intake from renewables and balance it with stable sources like coal, based on real-time weather conditions and consumption patterns. It will also utilize large-scale batteries to store excess electricity—for example, solar energy generated during particularly sunny periods.

Established in the early 1980s, the JAMALI grid control center covers 79% of Indonesia’s generation capacity. The smart grid system design, delivered by UNOPS, enables the control centre to incorporate renewable energy forecasting capabilities and grid analysis tools to support stability and security, among other advanced features.

The detailed engineering design for the JAMALI Main Control Center includes plans to consolidate five regional control centres into two to improve efficiency while maintaining redundancy. UNOPS also completed the tendering process and vendor selection for the design’s implementation and is building the capacity of PLN staff involved in control centre operations to manage the new technology effectively.

From design to implementation

Construction workers and engineers are now hard at work at PLN’s campus in Depok, just outside Jakarta, implementing the design provided by UNOPS. Completion of the control centre is expected by the end of 2025. During this phase, UNOPS is responsible for monitoring the selected vendors who are constructing, installing, configuring, and ultimately commissioning the new centre.

UN Indonesia

Indonesia is modernizing its electricity grid.

“UNOPS has the project management expertise and know-how to continue supporting us and ensure the seamless and timely delivery of the project, in line with the original specifications,” said PLN’s Mr. Haryadi. “At the same time, we are building our internal capacity to eventually take over the task.”

The work is progressing on schedule. The new buildings are largely completed, and installation of the industrial monitoring system—central to the control centre’s operation—is about 40 per cent complete. Based on the success of the initiative, discussions are underway to replicate the design for the four control centres that manage electricity supply on other islands across the country.

UNOPS supports this modernization under the Southeast Asia Energy Transition Partnership (ETP), which provides technical expertise to partner countries in the region to help their national energy commitments in line with Paris Agreement and the SDGs. ETP is a multi-donor partnership, supported by the governments of Australia, Canada, France, Germany, the United Kingdom and philanthropic donors. ETP operates in Indonesia, the Philippines and Viet Nam, as well as at the ASEAN regional level, and works collaboratively to mobilize and coordinate resources to facilitate a just energy transition in the region.

“The control centre upgrade promises to be a game-changer for Indonesia’s energy mix,” Ms Sabharwal said. “Our support is an impactful example of the UN’s assistance in middle-income countries: working behind the scenes and providing core technical expertise, we support the government’s priority of energy security by fast-tracking the green transformation.”

MIL OSI United Nations News –

July 5, 2025
MIL-OSI Submissions: Is Mark Carney turning his back on climate action?

Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Deborah de Lange, Associate Professor, Global Management Studies, Toronto Metropolitan University

The G7 summit in Alberta, hosted by Prime Minister Mark Carney, has ended with only passing mention of fighting climate change, including a statement on wildfires that is silent on the pressing need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

This is puzzling. Canadians didn’t opt for Conservative Pierre Poilievre, considered by some to be an oil and gas industry mouthpiece, in the last federal election. Instead, voters gave Carney’s Liberals a minority government.

Carney was the United Nations Special Envoy on Climate Action and Finance and was behind the UN-backed Net-Zero Banking Alliance, so some Canadians might have assumed he’d prioritize climate action if he won the election. Instead, Carney has described developing fossil fuel infrastructure as “pragmatic.”

But it’s unclear how a country grappling with abysmal air quality due to wildfires fuelled by global warming will benefit from further global fossil fuel development and its related emissions.

Read more:
Wildfire smoke can harm your brain, not just your lungs

Warming rapidly

Canada is warming faster than most of the globe. Its leaders should be laser-focused on mitigating climate change by reducing fossil fuel use to the greatest extent possible, as soon as possible.

This decades-long understanding of how to approach climate action has been repeatedly explained by experts and is well known to governments globally. Canada’s prime minister was once one of those experts.

Carney now has a tremendous opportunity to lead by steering Canada in a clean direction.

Canada is at the forefront of clean technology, with numerous business opportunities emerging, particularly in areas like circular economy international trade. These opportunities not only support Canada’s commitment to meeting its Paris Agreement targets but also help expand and diversify its global trade.

Eco-industrial parks

Canada already has exemplar eco-industrial parks — co-operative businesses located on a common property that focus on reducing environmental impact through resource efficiency, waste reduction and sharing resources. Such industrial communities are in Halifax and in Delta, B.C. They represent significant investment opportunities.

Vacant urban land could be revitalized and existing industrial parks could boost their economic output and circular trade by building stronger partnerships to share resources, reduce waste and cut emissions.

Read more:
A sustainable, circular economy could counter Trump’s tariffs while strengthening international trade

Canada would benefit economically and environmentally by building on existing expertise and expanding successful sustainability strategies to achieve economic, environmental and social goals.

But by continuing to invest in fossil fuels, Canada misses out on opportunities to diversify trade and boost economic competitiveness.

The secret to China’s success

Real diversification makes Canada less vulnerable to economic shocks, like the ones caused by the tariffs imposed by United States President Donald Trump.

Fossil fuel reliance increases exposure to global economic risks, but shifting to cleaner products and services reduces climate risks and expands Canada’s global trade options. China’s economic rise is partly a result of this strategy.

Read more:
While the U.S. threatens tariffs and builds walls around its economy, China opens up

That’s seemingly why Trump is so fixated on China. China today is a serious competitor to the U.S. after making smart trade and economic decisions and forging its own path, disregarding American pressure to remain a mere follower.

Investing in its huge Belt and Road Initiative, China also aligned itself with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. It’s building diplomatic bridges with many Belt and Road countries in southeast Asia as Trump’s America alienates its partners, pulling out of the Paris Agreement and cutting foreign aid.

As another one of America’s mistreated partners, Canada was poised to forge its own path under Carney. Instead, Carney is supporting American oil and gas by encouraging Canadian pipeline projects.

Clean innovation is the path forward

Canadian oil and gas is a concentrated industry controlled by a wealthy few, primarily Americans. More pipelines would therefore mean more sales of fossil fuels to other countries, with the beneficiaries mostly American.

Fossil fuel investments reduce Canada’s diversification because the resources used to further these projects could go elsewhere — toward clean diversification. With almost unlimited clean economy options across many sectors, clean diversification would broaden Canada’s economic and trade portfolios and reduce American control.

Read more:
Why Canada’s Strong Borders Act is as troublesome as Donald Trump’s travel bans

This is International Business 101, and would make the Canadian economy more competitive through innovation, while reducing the country’s climate risk.

California, often targeted by Trump for its policies, has been a leader in clean innovation, making its economy the envy of the world.

Read more:
California is planning floating wind farms offshore to boost its power supply – here’s how they work

My recent research shows that clear, decisive choices like those made in California will be key to Canada’s future success. Canada must make choices aligned with goals — a core principle of strategic management.

My research also suggests Canada must restructure its energy industry to focus on renewable energy innovation while reducing fossil fuel reliance. Increased renewable energy innovation, as seen in patent numbers, leads to higher GDP.

Contrary to common beliefs, pollution taxes boost the economy in combination with clean innovation. But when the government supports both the fossil fuel industry and clean industries, it hinders Canada’s transition to a cleaner future.

Trapped by the fossil fuel industry?

Do Canadian taxpayers truly want to keep funding an outdated, polluting industry that benefits a wealthy few, or invest in clean industries that boost Canada’s economy, create better jobs and protect the environment? To differentiate Canada from the United States, it would make sense to choose the latter.

Carney should consider refraining from pushing for the fast-tracking of polluting projects. If he doesn’t, Canada will become more uncompetitive and vulnerable, trapped by the fossil fuel industry.

Read more:
Mark Carney wants to make Canada an energy superpower — but what will be sacrificed for that goal?

Carney’s support for pipelines may have stemmed from Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s implicit support for Alberta sovereignty. She made veiled threats to Canada at a critical juncture, when Trump was making repeated assertions about annexing Canada.

Missed opportunities

Alberta didn’t vote for Carney. But Canadians who care about mitigating climate change did.

Banks that felt pressure to at least recognize sustainable finance during the Joe Biden administration joined Carney’s Net-Zero Banking Alliance.

But as soon as Trump came to power a second time and walked away from the Paris Agreement, many American banks abandoned the alliance. Canadian banks followed suit, and Carney remarkably missed another moment to show Canadian leadership by stopping their exit.

In fact, Carney seems to have abandoned his own organization to appease Trump as the president made multiple 51st state threats. The prime minister had the chance to differentiate Canada and demonstrate his own leadership. Instead, he seems to have easily turned his back on his principles under pressure from Trump.

Deborah de Lange receives funding from SSHRC and ESRC. She is affiliated with The Liberal Party of Canada and The Writers’ Union of Canada.

– ref. Is Mark Carney turning his back on climate action? – https://theconversation.com/is-mark-carney-turning-his-back-on-climate-action-258737

MIL OSI –

July 5, 2025
MIL-OSI Analysis: Why corporations are backing away from supporting Pride this year

Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Leah Hamilton, Professor in the Faculty of Business & Communication Studies, Mount Royal University

Prime Minister Mark Carney recently raised the Pride flag on Parliament Hill and lamented the growing anti-2SLGBTQIA+ sentiment in Canada. He also committed $1.5 million to make Pride festivals across the country safer.

This political support stands in sharp contrast to the many businesses that have reduced or ended their support for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community this Pride season.

Multinational corporations like Google, as well as Canadian-owned companies like Molson Coors, have divested from supporting festivals, while Target has scaled back its Pride merchandise due to threats against employees and large-scale conservative backlash.

The impact is already being felt. Pride Toronto is currently facing a $900,000 funding gap. Executive director Kojo Modeste recently told CBC News this corporate divestment appears to be linked to the larger backlash against diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.

Fear of punitive measures

In January, United States President Donald Trump issued an executive order to dismantle DEI initiatives in federal agencies and target private companies that support DEI measures. In the executive order, Trump’s administration called DEI measures and mandates “immoral discrimination programs.”

Spearheaded by journalist-cum-activist and Trump adviser Christopher Rufo, the attacks against so-called “woke” DEI programs are fuelled by the “culture wars” that pit equity and inclusion against merit and the free market.

Read more:
Here’s what ‘woke’ means and how to respond to it

Major private corporations, including IBM, quickly bent to the pressure of Trump’s anti-DEI orders by gutting their programs and shifting corporate donorship away from “woke” initiatives.

The pressure to comply with anti-DEI measures hasn’t ended with corporations. More recently, Trump has set his sights on the U.S. post-secondary system, freezing US$2.2 million in federal grants and US$60 million in contracts after Harvard University refused to comply with the administration’s demands related to its DEI programs.

In Canada, the rollback of DEI programs isn’t as loud, but it is happening. Michelle Grocholsky, the CEO of Empowered EDI in Toronto, told CBC News companies are reducing their budgets and cutting their staff. In the midst of job cuts in January 2025, the Alberta Investment Management Corporation removed their DEI staff.

Following in the footsteps of the U.S., Alberta’s United Conservative Party membership passed a resolution to eliminate DEI programs and training in the public service. The party has also indicated it will remove government funding from post-secondary institutions that continue to do DEI work.

Declining public support

In addition to the rollback of DEI programs, the ongoing corporate reductions in Pride support are taking place amid increasing anti-2SLGBTQIA+ sentiment.

A 2024 poll reported that, in Canada, support for 2SLGBTQIA+ visibility — like representation on screens and in sports — is lower than it was in 2021. Compared to previous years, Canadians also expressed less support for transgender rights, and this level of support was lower than the 26 other countries surveyed.

Not surprisingly, this declining public support for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community coincides with rising hate crimes targeting 2SLGBTQIA+ communities. In 2023, Statistics Canada reported a 69 per cent increase in hate crimes targeting sexual orientation.

Public attitudes don’t change in a vacuum. They are deeply influenced by hate movements, political rhetoric and the spread of misinformation and disinformation weaponized by politicians and leaders to dehumanize the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, particularly transgender people.

This dehumanization incites fear, violence and support for anti-2SLGBTQIA+ hate. It has coincided with companies silently withdrawing their support for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.

Where we live, in Alberta, the provincial government has passed the most draconian anti-trans laws Canada has ever seen. As we (Corinne L. Mason and Leah Hamilton) have previously written, Premier Danielle Smith’s government has unveiled a suite of policies targeting transgender, intersex and gender diverse children and youth in Alberta, and the 2SLGBTQIA+ community more broadly.

In this environment of reduced public and political support, it’s not surprising to see companies backing away from the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.

Getting back to Pride’s roots

The fact that companies have quickly backed away from their support of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community — by halting production of Pride merchandise or reducing sponsorship in Pride festivals — illustrates the conditionality of their support.

Rather than beg big business to come back to the table, some members of the community are using this moment to reflect on how corporate “Love is Love” campaigns haven’t actually led to increased quality of life or justice for our communities.

While it has received less media coverage than calls to remove police from Pride and the presence of Boycott, Divest and Sanction movement at Pride festivals, the corporatization of Pride has long been subject of debate in the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.

Read more:
Queers and trans say no to police presence at Pride parade

Those against “rainbow capitalism” — the shallow and inauthentic use of Pride imagery in advertising — argue for a return to community-based and radical protest rather than settling for flag-waving bankers throwing beads from atop expensive floats.

Pride Month is rooted in protest and resistance against police violence and systemic oppression. It was led by Black trans women and can be traced back to the Stonewall Riots. Today, Pride still isn’t simply a party and parade.

Authentic ‘rainbow dollars’

In this sociopolitical climate of legislated DEI rollbacks and declining public support for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, organizations that want to support the 2SLGBTQIA+ community should back up their messaging with meaningful actions and structural support.

Some organizations have shown a commitment to structural support for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community from its beginning, including the Northern Super League, the top-division professional women’s soccer league in Canada. The league openly and consistently amplifies and supports its 2SLGBTQIA+ players, coaches, staff and fans. Founded by Diana Matheson, an openly queer woman, the league is founded on inclusion as a core value.

When it comes to creating Pride merchandise, Social Made Local is a queer-owned Canadian apparel company in Saskatoon that focuses on gender-inclusive sizing, sustainability and community. They donate a portion of their sales to Canadian non-profits like Rainbow Railroad.

Companies that want to show their support can spend their rainbow dollars in good faith through actions that meaningfully support the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. This could include creating programs that support queer entrepreneurs, donating to legal funds that are fighting discriminatory legislation, and partnering with 2SLGBTQIA+ organizations to amplify their work.

Leah Hamilton receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

Corinne L. Mason receives funding from Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.

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

– ref. Why corporations are backing away from supporting Pride this year – https://theconversation.com/why-corporations-are-backing-away-from-supporting-pride-this-year-258770

MIL OSI Analysis –

July 5, 2025
MIL-OSI Analysis: AI is consuming more power than the grid can handle — nuclear might be the answer

Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Goran Calic, Associate Profesor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship Leadership Chair, McMaster University

New partnerships are forming between tech companies and power operators — ones that could reshape decades of misconceptions about nuclear energy.

Last year, Meta (Facebook’s parent company) put out a call for nuclear proposals, Google agreed to buy new nuclear reactors from Kairos Power, Amazon partnered with Energy Northwest and Dominion Energy to develop nuclear energy and Microsoft committed to a 20-year deal to restart Unit 1 of the Three Mile Island nuclear plant.

At the centre of these partnerships is artificial intelligence’s voracious appetite for electricity. One Google search uses about as much electricity as turning on a household light for 17 seconds. Asking a Generative AI model like ChatGPT a single question is equivalent to leaving that light on for 20 minutes.

Read more:
AI is bad for the environment, and the problem is bigger than energy consumption

Having GenAI generate an image can draw about 6,250 times more electricity, roughly the energy of fully charging a smartphone, or enough to keep the same light bulb on for 87 consecutive days.

The hundreds of millions of people now using AI have effectively added the equivalent of millions of new homes to the power grid. And demand is only growing. The challenge for tech companies is that few sources of electricity are well-suited to AI.

The grid wasn’t ready for AI

AI requires vast amounts of computational power running around the clock, often housed in energy-intensive data centres.

Renewable energy sources such as solar and wind provide intermittent energy, meaning they don’t guarantee the constant power supply these data centres require. These centres must be online 24/7, even when the sun isn’t shining and the wind isn’t blowing.

Fossil fuels can run continuously, but they carry their own risks. They have significant environmental impacts. Fuel prices can be unpredictable, as exemplified by the gas price spikes due to the war in Ukraine, and the long-term availability of fossil fuels is uncertain.

Major tech companies like Google, Amazon and Microsoft say they are committed to eliminating CO2 emissions, making fossil fuels a poor long-term fit for them.

This has pushed nuclear energy back into the conversation. Nuclear energy is a good fit because it provides electricity around the clock, maximizing the use of expensive data centres. It’s also clean, allowing tech companies to meet their low CO2 commitments. Lastly, nuclear energy has very low fuel costs, which allows tech companies to plan their costs far into the future.

However, nuclear energy has its own set of problems that have historically been hard to solve — problems that tech companies may now be uniquely positioned to overcome.

Is nuclear energy making a comeback?

Nuclear power has long been considered too costly and too slow to build. The estimated cost of a 1.1 gigawatt nuclear power facility is about US$7.77 billion, but can run higher. The recently completed Vogtle Units 3 and 4 in the state of Georgia, for example, cost US$36.8 billion combined.

Historically, nuclear energy projects have been hard to justify because of their high upfront costs. Like solar and wind power, nuclear energy has relatively low operating costs once a plant is up and running. The key difference is scale: unlike solar panels, which can be installed on individual rooftops, the kind of nuclear reactors tech companies require can’t be built small.

Yet this cost is now more palatable when compared to the expense of AI data centres, which are both more costly and entirely useless without electricity. The first phase of OpenAI and SoftBank’s Stargate AI project will cost US$100 billion and could be entirely powered by a single nuclear plant.

Nuclear power plants also take a long time to build. A 1.1 gigawatt reactor takes, on average, 7.5 years in the U.S. and 6.3 years globally. Projects with such long timelines require confidence in long-term electricity demand, something traditional utilities struggle to predict.

To solve the problem of long-range forecasting, tech companies are incentivizing power providers by guaranteeing they’ll purchase electricity far into the future.

These companies are also literally and financially moving closer to nuclear power, either by acquiring nuclear energy companies or locating their data centres next to nuclear power plants.

Destigmatizing nuclear energy

One of the biggest challenges facing nuclear energy is the perception that it’s dangerous and dirty. Per gigawatt-hour of electricity, nuclear produces only six tonnes of CO2. In comparison, coal produces 970, natural gas 720 and hydropower 24. Nuclear even has lower emissions than wind and solar, which produce 11 and 53 tonnes of CO2, respectively.

Nuclear energy is also among the safest energy sources. Per gigawatt-hour, it causes 820 times fewer deaths than coal, 43 times fewer than hydropower and roughly the same as wind and solar.

Still, nuclear energy remains stigmatized, largely because of persistent misconceptions and outdated beliefs about nuclear waste and disasters. For instance, while many public concerns remain about nuclear waste, existing storage solutions have been used safely for decades and are supported by a strong track record and scientific consensus.

Similarly, while the Fukushima disaster in Japan displaced thousands of people and was extremely costly (total costs of the disaster are expected at about US$188 billion), not a single person died of radiation exposure after the accident, a United Nations Scientific Committee of 80 international experts found.

Read more:
With nuclear power on the rise, reducing conspiracies and increasing public education is key

For decades, there was little effort to correct public perceptions about nuclear fears because it wasn’t seen as necessary or profitable. Coal, gas and renewables were sufficient to meet the demand required of them. But that’s now changing.

With AI’s energy needs soaring, Big Tech has classified nuclear energy as green and the World Bank has agreed to lift its longstanding ban on financing nuclear projects.

Big Tech’s billion-dollar bet on nuclear

The world has long lived with two nuclear dilemmas. The first is that, despite being one the safest and cleanest form of energy, nuclear was perceived as one the most dangerous and dirtiest.

The second is that upgrading the power grid requires large-scale investments, yet money had been funnelled into small, distributed sources like solar and wind, or dirty ones like coal and natural gas.

Now tech companies are making hundred-billion-dollar strategic bets that they can solve both nuclear dilemmas. They are betting that nuclear can offer the kind of steady, clean power their AI ambitions require.

This could be an unexpected positive consequence of AI: the revitalization of one of the safest and cleanest energy sources available to humankind.

Michael Tadrous, an undergraduate student and research assistant at the DeGroote School of Business at McMaster University, co-authored this article.

Goran Calic 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. AI is consuming more power than the grid can handle — nuclear might be the answer – https://theconversation.com/ai-is-consuming-more-power-than-the-grid-can-handle-nuclear-might-be-the-answer-258677

MIL OSI Analysis –

July 5, 2025
MIL-OSI Analysis: AI is consuming more power than the grid can handle — nuclear might be the answer

Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Goran Calic, Associate Profesor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship Leadership Chair, McMaster University

New partnerships are forming between tech companies and power operators — ones that could reshape decades of misconceptions about nuclear energy.

Last year, Meta (Facebook’s parent company) put out a call for nuclear proposals, Google agreed to buy new nuclear reactors from Kairos Power, Amazon partnered with Energy Northwest and Dominion Energy to develop nuclear energy and Microsoft committed to a 20-year deal to restart Unit 1 of the Three Mile Island nuclear plant.

At the centre of these partnerships is artificial intelligence’s voracious appetite for electricity. One Google search uses about as much electricity as turning on a household light for 17 seconds. Asking a Generative AI model like ChatGPT a single question is equivalent to leaving that light on for 20 minutes.

Read more:
AI is bad for the environment, and the problem is bigger than energy consumption

Having GenAI generate an image can draw about 6,250 times more electricity, roughly the energy of fully charging a smartphone, or enough to keep the same light bulb on for 87 consecutive days.

The hundreds of millions of people now using AI have effectively added the equivalent of millions of new homes to the power grid. And demand is only growing. The challenge for tech companies is that few sources of electricity are well-suited to AI.

The grid wasn’t ready for AI

AI requires vast amounts of computational power running around the clock, often housed in energy-intensive data centres.

Renewable energy sources such as solar and wind provide intermittent energy, meaning they don’t guarantee the constant power supply these data centres require. These centres must be online 24/7, even when the sun isn’t shining and the wind isn’t blowing.

Fossil fuels can run continuously, but they carry their own risks. They have significant environmental impacts. Fuel prices can be unpredictable, as exemplified by the gas price spikes due to the war in Ukraine, and the long-term availability of fossil fuels is uncertain.

Major tech companies like Google, Amazon and Microsoft say they are committed to eliminating CO2 emissions, making fossil fuels a poor long-term fit for them.

This has pushed nuclear energy back into the conversation. Nuclear energy is a good fit because it provides electricity around the clock, maximizing the use of expensive data centres. It’s also clean, allowing tech companies to meet their low CO2 commitments. Lastly, nuclear energy has very low fuel costs, which allows tech companies to plan their costs far into the future.

However, nuclear energy has its own set of problems that have historically been hard to solve — problems that tech companies may now be uniquely positioned to overcome.

Is nuclear energy making a comeback?

Nuclear power has long been considered too costly and too slow to build. The estimated cost of a 1.1 gigawatt nuclear power facility is about US$7.77 billion, but can run higher. The recently completed Vogtle Units 3 and 4 in the state of Georgia, for example, cost US$36.8 billion combined.

Historically, nuclear energy projects have been hard to justify because of their high upfront costs. Like solar and wind power, nuclear energy has relatively low operating costs once a plant is up and running. The key difference is scale: unlike solar panels, which can be installed on individual rooftops, the kind of nuclear reactors tech companies require can’t be built small.

Yet this cost is now more palatable when compared to the expense of AI data centres, which are both more costly and entirely useless without electricity. The first phase of OpenAI and SoftBank’s Stargate AI project will cost US$100 billion and could be entirely powered by a single nuclear plant.

Nuclear power plants also take a long time to build. A 1.1 gigawatt reactor takes, on average, 7.5 years in the U.S. and 6.3 years globally. Projects with such long timelines require confidence in long-term electricity demand, something traditional utilities struggle to predict.

To solve the problem of long-range forecasting, tech companies are incentivizing power providers by guaranteeing they’ll purchase electricity far into the future.

These companies are also literally and financially moving closer to nuclear power, either by acquiring nuclear energy companies or locating their data centres next to nuclear power plants.

Destigmatizing nuclear energy

One of the biggest challenges facing nuclear energy is the perception that it’s dangerous and dirty. Per gigawatt-hour of electricity, nuclear produces only six tonnes of CO2. In comparison, coal produces 970, natural gas 720 and hydropower 24. Nuclear even has lower emissions than wind and solar, which produce 11 and 53 tonnes of CO2, respectively.

Nuclear energy is also among the safest energy sources. Per gigawatt-hour, it causes 820 times fewer deaths than coal, 43 times fewer than hydropower and roughly the same as wind and solar.

Still, nuclear energy remains stigmatized, largely because of persistent misconceptions and outdated beliefs about nuclear waste and disasters. For instance, while many public concerns remain about nuclear waste, existing storage solutions have been used safely for decades and are supported by a strong track record and scientific consensus.

Similarly, while the Fukushima disaster in Japan displaced thousands of people and was extremely costly (total costs of the disaster are expected at about US$188 billion), not a single person died of radiation exposure after the accident, a United Nations Scientific Committee of 80 international experts found.

Read more:
With nuclear power on the rise, reducing conspiracies and increasing public education is key

For decades, there was little effort to correct public perceptions about nuclear fears because it wasn’t seen as necessary or profitable. Coal, gas and renewables were sufficient to meet the demand required of them. But that’s now changing.

With AI’s energy needs soaring, Big Tech has classified nuclear energy as green and the World Bank has agreed to lift its longstanding ban on financing nuclear projects.

Big Tech’s billion-dollar bet on nuclear

The world has long lived with two nuclear dilemmas. The first is that, despite being one the safest and cleanest form of energy, nuclear was perceived as one the most dangerous and dirtiest.

The second is that upgrading the power grid requires large-scale investments, yet money had been funnelled into small, distributed sources like solar and wind, or dirty ones like coal and natural gas.

Now tech companies are making hundred-billion-dollar strategic bets that they can solve both nuclear dilemmas. They are betting that nuclear can offer the kind of steady, clean power their AI ambitions require.

This could be an unexpected positive consequence of AI: the revitalization of one of the safest and cleanest energy sources available to humankind.

Michael Tadrous, an undergraduate student and research assistant at the DeGroote School of Business at McMaster University, co-authored this article.

Goran Calic 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. AI is consuming more power than the grid can handle — nuclear might be the answer – https://theconversation.com/ai-is-consuming-more-power-than-the-grid-can-handle-nuclear-might-be-the-answer-258677

MIL OSI Analysis –

July 5, 2025
MIL-OSI Analysis: Cyberattacks: how companies can communicate effectively after being hit
Source: The Conversation – France – By Paolo Antonetti, Professeur, EDHEC Business School

In its latest annual publication, insurance group Hiscox surveyed more than 2,000 cybersecurity managers in eight countries including France. Two thirds of the companies in the survey reported having been the victim of a cyberattack between mid-August 2023 and September 2024, a 15% increase over the previous period. In terms of potential financial losses, Statista estimated that cyberattacks cost France up to €122 billion in 2024, compared to €89 in 2023 – a 37% rise.

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The main forms of cyberattacks on French businesses, the recommendations for how companies can protect themselves, and the technical and legal responses they can adopt are well documented.

However, much less is known about appropriate communications and public relations responses to cyberattacks. The issues at stake are critical. When a company is the target of a cyberattack, should it systematically accept responsibility, or can it instead claim to be a victim to protect its reputation? A wrong answer can aggravate the situation and undermine the confidence of customers and investors.

Positioning as a victim

Our recent research questions the assumption that accepting causal responsibility should be the norm after a cyberattack: we show that positioning oneself as a victim can be more effective in limiting damage to one’s image – provided claims of victimhood are deployed intelligently.

There is evidence that firms need a strategy to present themselves effectively as victims of cybercriminals. Some firms, such as T-Mobile and Equifax, have in the past paid compensation to consumers while refusing to accept any responsibility, essentially presenting themselves as victims.

Similarly, the large French telecommunications operator Free presented itself as a victim when communicating about the large-scale cyberattack that affected its operations last October, which may have had an impact on its image. The UK’s TalkTalk initially framed itself as a victim of a cybercrime but was later criticized for its inadequate security measures.

Victimhood and sympathy

Clumsily declaring itself as the sole entity to blame or the sole victim of a cyberattack – which is what interests us here – can be risky and backfire on a company, damaging its credibility rather than protecting its reputation.

When companies present themselves as victims of cybercrime, they can elicit sympathy from stakeholders. People tend to be more compassionate toward businesses that depict themselves as wronged rather than those that deny responsibility or shift blame. In essence, this strategy frames the organization as a target of external forces beyond its control, rather than as negligent or incompetent. It leverages a fundamental social norm – people’s instinctive tendency to support those they see as victims.

But claims of victimhood must align with public expectations and the specific context of the breach. They should not be about shirking responsibility, but about acknowledging harm in a way that fosters understanding and trust. The following approaches and choices can help.
- align with public perception
The reactions of stakeholders often depend on their understanding of the situation. If the attack is perceived as an external and malicious act, it is crucial for a company to adopt a consistent stance by emphasizing that it itself has been a victim. But if internal negligence is proven, claiming victim status could be counterproductive. The swiftness of a company’s response, the level of transparency and the relative stance taken are all part of a good strategy.
- express support for stakeholders
Adopting a position of victimhood does not mean denying all responsibility or minimizing the consequences of an attack. The company must show that it takes the situation seriously by expressing empathy and commitment to affected stakeholders. It must pay particular attention to those affected inside the organization: a claim of victimhood should be part of an apology or a message expressing concern. An effective message must be sincere and oriented toward concrete solutions.
- consider reputation
We find that it is easier for companies to claim victimhood persuasively if they are perceived as virtuous. This reputation can be due to a positive track record in terms of corporate social responsibility or because they are a not-for-profit institution (e.g. a library, a university or a hospital). Virtuous victims generate sympathy and empathy, and this is also reflected after a cyberattack.
- highlight the harmfulness and sophistication of the attack
The results of our study also show that public acceptance of victim status is more effective when the cyberattack is perceived to be the work of highly competent malicious actors. It is also important for a company to persuade the public that the attack harmed the company, while keeping the main focus of the response on the public.
- don’t complain
It is essential to distinguish between legitimate claims of victim status and communication that could be perceived as an attempt to exonerate oneself. An overly plaintive tone could undermine a company’s credibility. The approach should be factual and constructive, focusing on the measures taken to overcome the crisis.
- test reactions before communicating widely
Companies’ responses to a cyberattack can vary depending on the context and the public. It is best to assess different approaches before embarking on large-scale communication. This can be done through internal tests, focus groups or targeted surveys. Subtle differences in the situation can cause important shifts in how the public perceives the breach and what the best response might be.

Our study sheds light on a shift in public expectations about crisis management: in the age of ubiquitous cybercrime, responsibilities are often shared. Poorly managed communication after a cyberattack can lead to a lasting loss of trust and expose a company to increased legal risks. Claiming victim status effectively, with an empathetic and transparent approach, can help mitigate the impact of the crisis and preserve the organization’s reputation.

This article was written with Ilaria Baghi (University of Modena and Reggio Emilia).

Paolo Antonetti ne travaille pas, ne conseille pas, ne possède pas de parts, ne reçoit pas de fonds d’une organisation qui pourrait tirer profit de cet article, et n’a déclaré aucune autre affiliation que son organisme de recherche.

– ref. Cyberattacks: how companies can communicate effectively after being hit – https://theconversation.com/cyberattacks-how-companies-can-communicate-effectively-after-being-hit-255061
MIL OSI Analysis –
July 5, 2025
MIL-OSI Analysis: How discussion becomes discord: Three avoidable steps on the path to polarization

Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Emma Lei Jing, Assistant Professor, People and Organizations, Neoma Business School

From tariffs and sovereignty to politics and conflict, there’s no shortage of controversial topics for us to grapple with. (Shutterstock)

Many of us have become immersed in debates with family about a contentious political issue, or found ourselves on the other side of a political divide than our friends. In these contentious times, it can be all too easy for courteous debate to devolve into polarized discord.

From tariffs and sovereignty to politics and conflict, there’s no shortage of controversial topics for us to grapple with. Canada just emerged from a divisive federal election, while in the United States, President Donald Trump signed a record 143 executive orders in his first 100 days in office, many of which touched on contentious topics.

We recently conducted a study on the debate around harm reduction. Here in Canada, supervised consumption sites is one issue that has generated support and opposition from community members, healthcare and government agencies, police, addiction services and many others. And it has led to some becoming entrenched in polarized positions.

Our research traced a path which led participants farther apart. Eventually, opposing camps became deeply divided and unwilling to engage with anyone holding different views, and it didn’t happen at random.

What went wrong, and what set opposing groups on the path to discord?

Signposts on the path to polarization

Through an in-depth qualitative case study of addiction services in Alberta, our analysis showed that when the topic of harm reduction was first introduced, arguments were based mostly on evidence and reason.

Harm reduction proponents pointed to the life-saving benefits of harm reduction and the inadequacies of traditional approaches, whereas opponents talked about the effectiveness of more traditional approaches.

We saw genuine, and sometimes successful, efforts to persuade those who disagreed to change their minds.

However, we identified a systematic progression from civil discourse to the formation of echo chambers. From that, we offer ways to steer conversations from developing into irreconcilable echo chambers.

When emotions rise, people talk less about the pros and cons of an approach and more about what should be the right approach.
(Shutterstock)

Phase 1: Emotion deepens the divide

In the case of the harm reduction debate, an opioid crisis shook Alberta. A steep increase in overdose deaths heightened urgency and intensity around the debate and ushered in more emotionally charged arguments. Before long, a moral component developed in the debate.

When emotions rise, people talk less about the pros and cons of an approach and more about what should be the right approach.

Disagreements escalate as the discussion veers away from logic and arguments become more morally and emotionally charged. This heightened a sense of being right, and the opposite view being wrong, provides fertile ground for polarization.

This phase is where there is the greatest opportunity to change course. Be aware of the rising emotional energy. If the debate is getting heated, avoid framing arguments in terms of what’s right and wrong and stay focused on evidence and reason.

Phase 2: Heightened hostility

This is where things get personal.

As emotional rhetoric takes hold, participants pull farther apart and animosity grows. They start characterizing people on either side of the debate as morally right or wrong.

Just as we saw in phase one, a watershed event deepened the divide in Alberta. A newly elected provincial government took a distinctly different approach than the previous government, leaving advocates on one side feeling vindicated and their opponents shocked, dismayed and angry.

In phase two, the issue itself takes a back seat, and participants started blaming their opponents for making matters worse. There is less dialogue about an approach being right or wrong, and more about the people involved being right or wrong.

This is possibly the last chance to turn things around. At this point, we should be mindful about the importance of neutral and respectful language. One way to do this is by avoiding making things personal, such as blaming one another for a situation.

Disagreements escalate as a discussion veers away from logic and arguments become more morally and emotionally charged.
(Shutterstock)

Phase 3: Disdain, disgust and self-isolation

By now, logical arguments have been abandoned, replaced with intense expressions of disgust and disdain for opponents. No longer interested in persuading the other side, the focus shifts to solidifying a position as both sides withdraw from debate and only engage with like-minded people.

In our study, this phase, like the previous phases, was brought on by a distinct event. A second provincial election ushered in an abrupt reversal in leadership and harm reduction policies. Any attempts to work together were abandoned and participants started entrenching themselves in self-constructed echo chambers.

In this most devastating and possibly irreparable phase, we noted that the rhetoric wasn’t even about what was right or wrong anymore. It was more about expressing disgust toward one another, leaving no room for facts, evidence or even different opinions, firmly establishing two entrenched sides.

Moral convictions and emotions play a critical role in escalating disagreements. The damage caused when civil arguments are subtly replaced with moral convictions and moral emotions can impact how we co-operate and interact with one another, even in our day-to-day conversations with families and friends.

In the context of addiction services in Alberta, there has now been an extended period of “cooling down” where both sides are taking a wait-and-see approach. We suggest that this is creating a climate where an engaged discussion with fact-based arguments can again be possible.

But even better would be a more proactive approach where participants of a debate recognize the warning signs and take actions early.

Trish Reay received funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council that supported this research.

Elizabeth Goodrick, Emma Lei Jing, and Jo-Louise Huq do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. How discussion becomes discord: Three avoidable steps on the path to polarization – https://theconversation.com/how-discussion-becomes-discord-three-avoidable-steps-on-the-path-to-polarization-257709

MIL OSI Analysis –

July 5, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Nationwide clampdown on delivery riders working illegally
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

News story

Nationwide clampdown on delivery riders working illegally

Ramp-up of arrests and visits set to take place across the UK targeting migrants working illegally in the gig economy
Immigration enforcement van

Enforcement teams are gearing up to launch a nationwide blitz targeting illegal working hotspots, with a focus on the gig economy and migrants working as delivery riders.

Under the Government’s Plan for Change to restore order to the immigration system and tougher enforcement of the rules, Home Office Immigration Enforcement teams will launch a major operation to disrupt this type of criminality.

Strategic, intel-driven activity will bring together officers across the UK and place an increased focus on migrants suspected of working illegally whilst in taxpayer funded accommodation or receiving financial support.

The law is clear that asylum seekers are only entitled to this support if they would otherwise be destitute. That is why anyone caught flagrantly abusing the system in this way, as a result of the operation, will face having support discontinued, whether that’s entitlement to accommodation or payments.

Operational teams will target certain hotspots across the country over a period of intensification, as well as going after organisations who wilfully employ those working illegally, through civil penalty referrals. Any business found to be illegally employing someone could face a fine of up to £60,000 per worker, director disqualifications and potential prison sentences of up to five years.

The Government has been surging action against illegal working since coming into power one year ago, with 10,031 illegal working visits leading to 7,130 arrests, marking a 48% and 51% rise respectively, compared to the year before (5 July 2023 to 28 June 2024). This marks the first time in a 12-month period where more than 10,000 visits have taken place.

748 illegal working civil penalty notices were also handed to businesses caught violating immigration rules in the first quarter (January to March) of the year, marking the highest level since 2016 – an 81% increase compared to the same time last year.

And the Government is tightening the law by making it a legal requirement for all companies, including the gig economy, to check anyone working for them has the legal right to do so. This will end the abuse of flexible working arrangements. The new measures will be introduced through the landmark Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, said:

Illegal working undermines honest business and undercuts local wages – the British public will not stand for it and neither will this government.

Often those travelling to the UK illegally are sold a lie by the people smuggling gangs that they will be able to live and work freely in this country, when in reality they end up facing squalid living conditions, minimal pay and inhumane working hours.

We are surging enforcement action against this pull factor, on top of returning 30,000 people with no right to be here and tightening the law through our Plan for Change.

But there is no single solution to the problem of illegal migration. That’s why we’ve signed landmark agreements with international partners to dismantle gangs and made significant arrests of notorious people smugglers.

Director of Enforcement, Compliance and Crime, Eddy Montgomery, said:

Our dedicated Immigration Enforcement officers have been ramping up action to disable illegal working across the board.

This next step of co-ordinated activity will target those who seek to work illegally in the gig economy and exploit their status in the UK.

That means if you are found to be working with no legal right to do so, we will bring the full force of powers available to us to disrupt and stop this abuse. There will no place to hide.

This targeted action is on top of ongoing work across the country to disrupt people flouting the rules across different sectors.

Earlier this week, during a joint operation with the Metropolitan Police to go after people suspected of working illegally as cash in hand builders, officers targeted anti-social behaviour and illegally modified scooters and e-bikes. 20 Indian nationals were arrested as part of the operation. This included 16 overstayers, one illegal entrant, one port absconder and two small boat arrivals.

On 18 June, West Midlands teams conducted an operation on Smethwick High Street after receiving intelligence on a major collection point for people suspected of going to work illegally, primarily on construction sites. The team encountered 73 individuals, arresting 26 suspected immigration offenders (24 Indian nationals, one Nepalese national and one Italian national). This led to the detention of 11 Indian nationals.

And on 12 June, East of England teams conducted a multi-agency operation with police in Lynn Road, Wisbech, focusing on cash in hand builders using illegally modified e-bikes. They carried out 21 immigration checks which resulted the arrest of three men, including one Syrian, one Chinese and one Brazilian national. The police went on to seize six mopeds and one car for offences including driving with no insurance, no driving licence and disqualification.

The crackdown also sits alongside key join up with the delivery industry on tackling illicit account sharing. On Monday, 30 June , the Home Office and Department for Business and Trade met with major delivery firms and pledged to strengthen security checks to tackle illegal working. Deliveroo, Uber Eats and Just Eat have committed to increasing the number of daily facial recognition checks riders are required to take to verify their identity.

Illegal working is linked to exploitation, with teams often encountering squalid living conditions, people receiving little to no pay and inhumane working hours. In the worst instances, these individuals may be victims of modern slavery.

Immigration Enforcement take a number of steps to spot the signs of individuals who are potentially being exploited and, where appropriate, will refer people to the National Referral Mechanism so they can access support. They also work closely with crucial partners like the Gangmasters Labour Abuse Authority, to share insights and strengthen the approach to tackling labour exploitation.

And this new operation is just one part of the government’s action to strengthen UK border security and disable the people smuggling gangs fuelling illegal migration.

Over the past year, the Prime Minister has been resetting relationships and forging partnerships across Europe and beyond, to ensure a targeted international response in breaking the model behind this vile trade.

Furthermore, nearly 30,000 people with no right to be in UK have been returned, landmark agreements have been signed with Iraq to dismantle gangs and Italy to take down illicit finance networks and a world-first people smuggling sanctions regime has been launched to ban travel and freeze assets.

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Published 5 July 2025
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
July 5, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: One Big Beautiful Bill Act Signed Into Law by President Trump

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Rick Allen (R-GA-12)

Today, President Donald J. Trump signed H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, into law. Following the signing ceremony held at the White House, Congressman Rick W. Allen (GA-12) issued the statement below:

“Last November, the American people overwhelmingly elected President Donald Trump and gave Republicans control of the House and Senate. They did so—not for more of the same tired D.C. rhetoric—but for bold change and a renewed sense of confidence in what makes our nation great. H.R. 1 is more than a fulfilled promise—it is a return to policies that put American households, workers, job creators, businesses, veterans, and farmers first.

“With President Trump’s signature on the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, families will keep more of their hard-earned money, our borders will remain secure, the U.S. economy will thrive, workers will see higher wages, businesses will grow, and programs intended for our most vulnerable communities will be sustained and strengthened for future generations. Despite the misinformation and fearmongering tactics employed by House and Senate Democrats throughout this process, I am proud that House Republicans and the administration stood firm and got the job done.

“As this legislation begins to take effect over the coming months and years, I look forward to the positive impact it will have on the 12th District, the state of Georgia, and the United States of America.”

BACKGROUND: The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, otherwise known as the reconciliation bill, is a combination of individual bills advanced by 11 House committees as instructed by the Republican Budget Framework. Congressman Allen sits on two of the 11 committees, the House Energy and Commerce Committee and the House Education and Workforce Committee, in which he played an integral role in crafting and advancing the language under each committee’s jurisdiction. On May 22, Congressman Allen supported the House version of the bill. On July 3, Congressman Allen supported the Senate-amended version of the bill, clearing the way for President Trump’s signature.

MIL OSI USA News –

July 5, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: One Big Beautiful Bill Act Signed Into Law by President Trump

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Rick Allen (R-GA-12)

Today, President Donald J. Trump signed H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, into law. Following the signing ceremony held at the White House, Congressman Rick W. Allen (GA-12) issued the statement below:

“Last November, the American people overwhelmingly elected President Donald Trump and gave Republicans control of the House and Senate. They did so—not for more of the same tired D.C. rhetoric—but for bold change and a renewed sense of confidence in what makes our nation great. H.R. 1 is more than a fulfilled promise—it is a return to policies that put American households, workers, job creators, businesses, veterans, and farmers first.

“With President Trump’s signature on the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, families will keep more of their hard-earned money, our borders will remain secure, the U.S. economy will thrive, workers will see higher wages, businesses will grow, and programs intended for our most vulnerable communities will be sustained and strengthened for future generations. Despite the misinformation and fearmongering tactics employed by House and Senate Democrats throughout this process, I am proud that House Republicans and the administration stood firm and got the job done.

“As this legislation begins to take effect over the coming months and years, I look forward to the positive impact it will have on the 12th District, the state of Georgia, and the United States of America.”

BACKGROUND: The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, otherwise known as the reconciliation bill, is a combination of individual bills advanced by 11 House committees as instructed by the Republican Budget Framework. Congressman Allen sits on two of the 11 committees, the House Energy and Commerce Committee and the House Education and Workforce Committee, in which he played an integral role in crafting and advancing the language under each committee’s jurisdiction. On May 22, Congressman Allen supported the House version of the bill. On July 3, Congressman Allen supported the Senate-amended version of the bill, clearing the way for President Trump’s signature.

MIL OSI USA News –

July 5, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: One Big Beautiful Bill Act Signed Into Law by President Trump

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Rick Allen (R-GA-12)

Today, President Donald J. Trump signed H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, into law. Following the signing ceremony held at the White House, Congressman Rick W. Allen (GA-12) issued the statement below:

“Last November, the American people overwhelmingly elected President Donald Trump and gave Republicans control of the House and Senate. They did so—not for more of the same tired D.C. rhetoric—but for bold change and a renewed sense of confidence in what makes our nation great. H.R. 1 is more than a fulfilled promise—it is a return to policies that put American households, workers, job creators, businesses, veterans, and farmers first.

“With President Trump’s signature on the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, families will keep more of their hard-earned money, our borders will remain secure, the U.S. economy will thrive, workers will see higher wages, businesses will grow, and programs intended for our most vulnerable communities will be sustained and strengthened for future generations. Despite the misinformation and fearmongering tactics employed by House and Senate Democrats throughout this process, I am proud that House Republicans and the administration stood firm and got the job done.

“As this legislation begins to take effect over the coming months and years, I look forward to the positive impact it will have on the 12th District, the state of Georgia, and the United States of America.”

BACKGROUND: The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, otherwise known as the reconciliation bill, is a combination of individual bills advanced by 11 House committees as instructed by the Republican Budget Framework. Congressman Allen sits on two of the 11 committees, the House Energy and Commerce Committee and the House Education and Workforce Committee, in which he played an integral role in crafting and advancing the language under each committee’s jurisdiction. On May 22, Congressman Allen supported the House version of the bill. On July 3, Congressman Allen supported the Senate-amended version of the bill, clearing the way for President Trump’s signature.

MIL OSI USA News –

July 5, 2025
MIL-OSI Canada: Saturday, July 5, 2025
Source: Government of Canada – Prime Minister

Note: All times local

Calgary, Alberta

11:00 a.m. The Prime Minister will attend the Calgary Stampede pancake breakfast.

Note for media:
- Pooled photo opportunity
12:15 p.m. The Prime Minister will attend an event hosted by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce.

Closed to media

MIL OSI Canada News –
July 5, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Neguse, Bennet Joint Statement on NOAA Budget Cuts

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Joe Neguse (D-Co 2)

Washington, DC — Following the release of the White House’s Fiscal Year 2026 budget proposal, Congressman Joe Neguse and Senator Michael Bennet issued the following joint statement condemning the proposed cuts to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and its Cooperative Institutes (CIs).

“Our Cooperative Institutes here in Colorado are vital to not only our state, but our country. These institutes — the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) and the Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere (CIRA) —employ hundreds of people in Colorado and protect millions across the nation through research on weather, drought, and fire events. These senseless proposed funding cuts would have devastating impacts felt nationwide and undermine the science our research communities rely on for generations to come.”

“The critical work that researchers are doing everyday at NOAA and its Cooperative Institutes cannot be overstated. Their work is imperative to the personal safety and daily lives of all Americans. To eliminate funding for NOAA and its CI’s would be reckless and short-sighted. We urge the Department of Commerce to reverse any plans to eliminate funding for these critical institutions that diminish the strength of our national labs, and we will strongly oppose these dangerous proposals in the House and Senate.”

###

MIL OSI USA News –

July 5, 2025
MIL-OSI Africa: The Gambia’s Good Market is now open: A pop-up event empowering Gambian entrepreneurs

Source: APO

The Gambia’s Good Market was officially opened today at UN75 Kotu Park through a collaborative effort led by the European Union Youth Empowerment Project – Tourism and Creative Industries and the International Trade Centre.

The Gambia`s Good Market is an initiative that gives Gambian youth and women entrepreneurs, especially those in the tourism and creative industries, a platform to showcase and sell their products. It aims to promote Made-in-The-Gambia products and services, strengthen market access for small businesses in the tourism and creative industries and connect entrepreneurs to customers. The initiative seeks to promote sustainable and inclusive tourism and was made possible in partnership with the Gambia Start-up Chamber of Commerce, Gambia Women’s Chamber of Commerce, ITC SheTrades Gambia Hub, the Ministry of Trade, Industry, Regional Integration and Employment, and the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture.

The Minister of Trade, Industry, Regional Integration and Employment, Hon. Baboucarr O. Joof, emphasized the importance of the market during his remarks. He said, “The Gambia’s Good Market is a landmark initiative. It is designed to drive sustainable growth in The Gambia’s tourism and trade sectors, provide economic opportunities for local entrepreneurs, and elevate the visibility of ‘Made in The Gambia’ products on both regional and global stages.”

Speaking at the opening ceremony, the European Union Ambassador to The Gambia, Her Excellency Immaculada Roca i Cortés, highlighted that the EU Youth Empowerment Project – Tourism and Creative Industries is a flagship programme for the EU, delivering the EU/The Gambia join agenda on inclusive economic growth through partnerships with the private sector and promotion of innovation and translating the ambitious objectives of the National Development Plan into concreate actions. She also underscored the focus of the platform on empowering Gambian youth and women – who are priority beneficiaries for the EU. “Through initiatives like the EU YEP Tourism and Creative Industries Programme, the European Union aims at expanding access to skills, tools, and markets for young innovators. Our goal is clear: to enhance the competitiveness of MSMEs and unlock sustainable employment,” she shared.

The Senior Technical Expert on Tourism and Creative Industries at the International Trade Centre, Daouda Niang, highlighted that market access remains one of the biggest barriers for small businesses and reaffirmed ITC’s commitment to curbing this challenge.

“The Gambia’s Good Market is one of our flagship initiatives designed to provide young people and women with a platform to access markets, build networks, make sales and expand their customer base. This market, which is 100% made in The Gambia, provides a unique opportunity for both locals and tourists an opportunity to experience the creativity and products of Gambian youth and women entrepreneurs,” Niang stated.

Also speaking at the event, Kumbale Goode, Board Chairperson of the Gambia StartUp Chamber of Commerce (GSCC), stressed the market’s role in promoting local enterprise and economic development. “The Gambia’s Good Market fosters business growth, generates decent employment and deepens cross-sectoral linkages within the economy. We have about 30 businesses showcasing Made in The Gambia products,” she said

The Gambia Good Market will be held every last Saturday of the month, coinciding with key festive events such as Koriteh, Easter, and Christmas.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of International Trade Centre.

Media files

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MIL OSI Africa –

July 5, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Hoeven Statement on House Passage of One Big Beautiful Bill
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator for North Dakota John Hoeven

07.04.25

Legislation Heads to President Trump to be Signed into Law

BISMARCK, N.D. – Senator John Hoeven issued the following statement after the House of Representatives passed the One Big Beautiful Bill, legislation that delivers on promises to:
- Provide permanent tax relief for American families and small businesses.
- Secure the border.
- Rebuild our military.
- Support farmers and ranchers by passing the heart and soul of the farm bill.
- Unleash American energy dominance.
At the same time, the legislation finds savings of $1.6 trillion through common sense reforms and reducing waste, fraud and abuse, ultimately reducing the deficit by $507 billion.

“The One Big Beautiful Bill will make our nation more prosperous and more secure. We worked to pass this legislation to provide permanent tax relief for American families that will enable them to keep more of their hard-earned paychecks. We invest in priorities like border security, national defense, unleashing American energy dominance and passing the heart and soul of the farm bill for our farmers and ranchers. At the same time, we find $1.6 trillion in savings to help with our debt and deficit. This bill delivers on the priorities that President Trump promised to get our nation back on track.”

Tax Relief for Families and Small Businesses

The legislation permanently extends current individual tax rates and bracket changes of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, providing $4 trillion in tax relief and will increase take-home pay by up to $10,900 in the first four years for the typical family, resulting from economic growth and tax relief.

The bill provides new and expanded tax deductions and credits for individuals, families and seniors, including:
- No taxes on tips or overtime for millions of American workers.
- Increasing and making permanent the enhanced child tax credit at $2,200, with $1,700 of that amount being refundable, adjusted for inflation.
- Permanent relief from the death tax by setting the exemption to $15 million or $30 million for those married filing jointly, adjusted for inflation.
- Savings accounts for newborns to help build financial security.
- A new $6,000 tax deduction for millions of low- and middle-income seniors. Combined with other deductions, this will result in the average beneficiary paying zero taxes on Social Security.
The legislation helps small businesses, including agricultural producers and manufacturers invest in their operations by:
- Permanently extending the Section 199A pass-through deduction for small businesses, farmers and ranchers.
- Increasing the Section 179 expensing amount to $2.5 million and increasing the phaseout for qualified property at $4 million.
- Establishing a 100 percent accelerated depreciation for new industrial and manufacturing facilities that begin construction between 2025-2028.
- Making permanent the 30 percent interest expense allowance.
- Permanently extending the 100 percent domestic research and development deduction.
- Making permanent 100 percent bonus depreciation.
Support for Farmers and Ranchers

To support the nation’s farmers and ranchers, Hoeven worked to pass the heart and soul of the farm bill in the One Big Beautiful Bill. The legislation improves the farm-safety net to meet today’s markets and input costs, essentially providing a seven year farm bill. Specifically, the bill:
- Increases reference prices for Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) by 10% to 20% (specific increase varies by commodity).
- Includes key provisions of Hoeven’s FARMER Act to strengthen and expand access to affordable crop insurance:
- Extends the sugar program through 2031, while increasing the sugar loan rate to better align with current market conditions.
- Improves livestock disaster programs
Unleashing U.S. Energy Dominance

The One Big Beautiful Bill will help restore American energy dominance by rolling back burdensome Green New Deal policies and empowering domestic energy production, including:
- Increasing the value of the 45Q tax credit for captured carbon used in enhanced oil recovery (EOR) and utilization to match that of sequestration.
- Requiring the Interior Department to hold regular oil and gas lease sales across federal lands and waters.
- Requiring the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to act timely on coal lease applications.
- Reducing the royalty rate for oil, gas and coal produced on federal land to their levels prior to the Biden administration’s tax-and-spend legislation.
- Stopping the Biden-era natural gas tax.
- Investing in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.
- Providing regulatory relief for energy producers and repeals Biden-era Green New Deal policies and programs.
Bolstering the Military
- $25 billion to support the Golden Dome initiative, with investments in hypersonic testing, ground-based radars, and space-based sensors that support North Dakota-based missions and capabilities.
- $15 billion to enhance nuclear deterrence, including the nuclear missions based at Minot Air Force Base:
- Improves servicemembers’ quality of life through increased allowances and special pays, as well as improvements to housing, health care, childcare, and education.
Securing the Border
- Completes construction of the border wall, and upgrades barrier systems including access roads, cameras, lights, and sensors.
- Improves border screening technology to help prevent drug trafficking and human smuggling.
- Strong funding to hire and train more border security personnel.
- Funds the Operation Stonegarden grant program to equip state and local law enforcements to cooperate with Border Patrol.
- Invests in state and local capabilities to detect threats from unmanned aerial systems.
Supporting Water Infrastructure
- Provides $1 billion in funding for Bureau of Reclamation Water Conveyance Projects, including for eligible projects like the Eastern North Dakota Alternate Water Supply Project (ENDAWS).
MIL OSI USA News –
July 5, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: China to support experiments to enhance institutional opening in pilot free trade zones — Ministry of Commerce

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

BEIJING, July 4 (Xinhua) — China will support pilot free trade zones (FTZs) to further align with international high-standard trade and economic rules and conduct experiments to enhance institutional openness, Assistant Minister of Commerce Tang Wenhong said Friday.

As Tang Wenhong noted at the press conference, the state will support the FTZ in developing negative lists for data exports in more areas and introducing more support measures to promote efficient, convenient and secure cross-border data circulation.

At the same time, these zones will also implement institutional innovation in cutting-edge areas such as artificial intelligence and science and technology financing to create a model high-quality development ecosystem.

To promote a higher level of trade and investment liberalization and facilitation in the pilot FTZs, China will strengthen market access stress tests and expand opening-up in an orderly manner in areas such as telecommunications, the internet and health care, Tang Wenhong said.

To date, a total of 379 institutional innovation results from pilot FTZs have been replicated and disseminated across the country, creating a favorable situation of sharing the dividends of reforms and equal access to the fruits of openness, the official added. –0–

MIL OSI Russia News –

July 5, 2025
MIL-OSI Canada: Investor Alert: Magnumator 2.0 and Lightning Shared Scooter Co. Are Not Registered
Source: Government of Canada regional news

Released on July 4, 2025

The Financial and Consumer Affairs Authority of Saskatchewan (FCAA) warns investors of the online entities known as Magnumator 2.0 and Lightning Shared Scooter Co.

“Checking the registration status of any investment entities through aretheyregistered.ca is a vital step for Saskatchewan residents looking to invest,” FCAA Securities Division Executive Director Dean Murrison said. “By checking the registration status, Saskatchewan investors can make sure that who they work with is a legitimate business.”

Magnumator 2.0 claims to offer Saskatchewan residents trading opportunities, including cryptocurrencies and forex. Lightning Shared Scooter Co. claims to offer Saskatchewan residents trading opportunities, including cryptocurrencies and investment contracts.

This alert applies to the online entities using the websites “lssc-canada ca” and “magnumator com” (these URLs have been manually altered so as not to be interactive).

Magnumator 2.0 and Lightning Shared Scooter Co. are not registered with the FCAA to trade or sell securities or derivatives in Saskatchewan. The FCAA cautions investors and consumers not to send money to companies that are not registered in Saskatchewan, as they may not be legitimate businesses.

If you have invested with Magnumator 2.0 or Lightning Shared Scooter Co. or anyone claiming to be acting on their behalf, contact the FCAA’s Securities Division at 306-787-5936.

In Saskatchewan, individuals or companies need to be registered with the FCAA to trade or sell securities or derivatives. The registration provisions of The Securities Act, 1988, and accompanying regulations are intended to ensure that only honest and knowledgeable people are registered to sell securities and derivatives and that their businesses are financially stable.

Tips to protect yourself:
- Always verify that the person or company is registered in Saskatchewan to sell or advise about securities or derivatives. To check registration, visit The Canadian Securities Administrators’ National Registration Search at aretheyregistered.ca.
- Know exactly what you are investing in. Make sure you understand how the investment, product, or service works.
- Get a second opinion and seek professional advice about the investment.
- Do not allow unknown or unverified individuals to remotely access your computer.
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For more information, contact:

MIL OSI Canada News –
July 5, 2025
MIL-OSI Economics: IPAA Celebrates Win for American Energy with One Big Beautiful Bill

Source: Independent Petroleum Association of America

Headline: IPAA Celebrates Win for American Energy with One Big Beautiful Bill

Jul 4, 2025 IPAA Celebrates Win for American Energy with One Big Beautiful Bill

Posted at 13:08h in Press Releases by Jennifer Pett

WASHINGTON – Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA) President & CEO Jeff Eshelman issued the following statement ahead of President Trump signing the One Big Beautiful Bill Act:

“Today, on America’s birthday, IPAA congratulates President Trump and Congress on the success of the One Big Beautiful Bill.

“In IPAA’s transition memo to the administration, we urged President Trump to take positive actions to support America’s small oil and natural gas producers and develop a robust energy policy that will unleash American entrepreneurs, expand our economy, and make the United States an energy superpower once again. This budget reconciliation bill does just that – making significant strides to Make American Energy Great Again.

“IPAA is pleased that the legislation reinstates oil and natural gas lease sales for onshore and offshore federal lands and makes common sense reforms to the permitting and leasing process on federal lands. IPAA members, the small businesses of the oil patch, are grateful that industry tax treatments including intangible drilling costs and percentage depletion were protected, along with carried interest deductions being preserved.

“While we are disappointed that the legislation does not include a full repeal of the Methane Emissions Reduction Program (MERP) including the methane tax, as we have consistently argued for and will continue to, the 10-year delay of the MERP provides time to for legislators to work with regulators and industry to craft an alternate pathway that makes sense for smaller producers.

“America’s independent oil and natural gas producers play a critical role in our country’s domestic energy development, and we look forward to continued collaboration with the administration and Congress to find innovative solutions to address America’s energy challenges.”

IPAA worked closely with national groups including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and National Association of Manufacturers to advocate in support of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, including the permanent extension of tax reforms in the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA). IPAA CEO Eshelman is a member of the US Chamber of Commerce’s “Committee of 100” and the National Association of Manufacturers’ “Council of Manufacturing Associations.”

###

MIL OSI Economics –

July 5, 2025
MIL-OSI Economics: IPAA Celebrates Win for American Energy with One Big Beautiful Bill

Source: Independent Petroleum Association of America

Headline: IPAA Celebrates Win for American Energy with One Big Beautiful Bill

Jul 4, 2025 IPAA Celebrates Win for American Energy with One Big Beautiful Bill

Posted at 13:08h in Press Releases by Jennifer Pett

WASHINGTON – Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA) President & CEO Jeff Eshelman issued the following statement ahead of President Trump signing the One Big Beautiful Bill Act:

“Today, on America’s birthday, IPAA congratulates President Trump and Congress on the success of the One Big Beautiful Bill.

“In IPAA’s transition memo to the administration, we urged President Trump to take positive actions to support America’s small oil and natural gas producers and develop a robust energy policy that will unleash American entrepreneurs, expand our economy, and make the United States an energy superpower once again. This budget reconciliation bill does just that – making significant strides to Make American Energy Great Again.

“IPAA is pleased that the legislation reinstates oil and natural gas lease sales for onshore and offshore federal lands and makes common sense reforms to the permitting and leasing process on federal lands. IPAA members, the small businesses of the oil patch, are grateful that industry tax treatments including intangible drilling costs and percentage depletion were protected, along with carried interest deductions being preserved.

“While we are disappointed that the legislation does not include a full repeal of the Methane Emissions Reduction Program (MERP) including the methane tax, as we have consistently argued for and will continue to, the 10-year delay of the MERP provides time to for legislators to work with regulators and industry to craft an alternate pathway that makes sense for smaller producers.

“America’s independent oil and natural gas producers play a critical role in our country’s domestic energy development, and we look forward to continued collaboration with the administration and Congress to find innovative solutions to address America’s energy challenges.”

IPAA worked closely with national groups including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and National Association of Manufacturers to advocate in support of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, including the permanent extension of tax reforms in the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA). IPAA CEO Eshelman is a member of the US Chamber of Commerce’s “Committee of 100” and the National Association of Manufacturers’ “Council of Manufacturing Associations.”

###

MIL OSI Economics –

July 5, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Council sickened by mindless school vandalism

Source: City of Wolverhampton

Intruders caused major criminal damage when they broke into Green Park and Stowlawn Primary schools at around 8.30pm yesterday (Thursday 3 July, 2025) before being disturbed by a caretaker and fleeing the scene.

Damage at the schools included to external and internal doors, fire doors, toilets and interactive whiteboards that were smashed, while iPads and ICT equipment were destroyed, and fire extinguishers were discharged.

A mobile swimming pool was also damaged and changing rooms ransacked, and attempts were made to start fires inside the building.

Council officers have been onsite overnight with police and school staff to assess the damage, estimated at over £100,000. Thorough police investigations are now underway as officers work to identify those responsible. Anyone with information is asked to contact Wolverhampton Police on 101, quoting crime reference 20/296969/25.

Parents and carers were notified of the incident this morning and told that both schools were closed today (Friday). It is hoped the schools will be able to reopen as soon as possible.

The leader of the council, Councillor Stephen Simkins, branded the acts of vandalism as “disgusting” and called for the prosecution of the “idiotic” vandals involved.

He said: “We are absolutely appalled by this disgusting act of mindless vandalism. Those who have committed this crime need to be caught and prosecuted to the full power of the law. These idiotic vandals are a blight on our communities and we will not tolerate them.

“We are working closely with police to find out what happened and make those responsible are held accountable.

“Together, we must stand against this kind of senseless behaviour and reaffirm our commitment to protecting our schools and the children and young people who depend on them.

Councillor Jacqui Coogan, Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Education, added: “We strongly condemn this disgusting and mindless act of vandalism which has caused so much upset and disruption for staff, children and families at both Green Park and Stowlawn Primary schools.

“Early estimates suggest the vandalism has caused upwards of £100,000 worth of damage, with fittings, furniture and equipment needing to be removed and replaced. This is money that the schools, the council and the city’s taxpayers can ill afford.

“Officers are working hard to assess the extent of the damage, and the work that must take place to enable the schools to reopen to children and staff as quickly as possible.

“I would urge anyone who may have witnessed suspicious activity near either school or who has any information that could assist the investigation to come forward. Your voice could make a vital difference.”

Green Park headteacher Lorraine Downey said: “We would like to thank drivers, passenger assistants, cleaners, from across the city, led by the council’s Head of School Business and Support, Bill Hague, and also our own staff members, who have volunteered their time this morning to help the clear up.

“Also, our heartfelt thanks goes to our brave community caretaker, who intercepted the intruders.”

Stowlawn Primary headteacher Kate Charles said: “We are absolutely devastated that someone would choose to target our schools like this for no reason. The impact over the past few hours for the staff, children and our families has been immense.

“However, the local authority support has been amazing, as have the police, and we have received so many messages of support from our amazing families and local community.

“Luckily the damage is repairable and we are working to welcome our children back to school as soon as we can.”

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

July 5, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Council support helps Patch’s success in first six months

Source: City of York

As entrepreneurs, freelancers and remote workers make the switch from working at home to more social workplaces, York is benefiting from additional office space providers investing in the city.

City of York Council’s Economic Growth Team has been instrumental in supporting these moves, from the planning stage to the day-to-day operations once they are open.

Patch York opened six months ago in the riverside Bonding Warehouse building in Skeldergate and is among several workspaces across the city which offer a range of hot-desk, collaborative, private office space and meeting rooms.

Patch is the fifth of a national chain of similar offices and the first in the north of England. It offers a blend of flexible spaces, permanent fixed-desk spaces, private offices and meeting rooms, with a membership scheme now up to 250 people. A further 50 spaces will be created when a huge first floor area is converted later this year.

Thom Feeney, Site Director and Operations North Lead for Patch, said most members had not made the move from elsewhere, but simply from home, with many already living in the area. Most were working in the creative, eco or tech industries, with some self-employed and some remote-working for huge firms like Spotify and Google.

Thom said:

“The phrase I keep hearing is ‘I’ve been looking for a place like this’. It’s a professional space, but still feels cool, interesting, bright.”

Mark Winter, from York, used to work from home, but now has a fixed desk on the first floor and comes into Patch daily. He is a director of a small design agency, Dogeatcog, which has been going for ten years.

Mark said:

“The social aspect is probably the best thing about it. There are quite a lot of creative people here and lots of collaboration, I’ve met a lot of new friends!”

Thom said the support from Christine Hogan, Louise Saw and Brian Littlejohn, from the Council’s Economic Growth Team, had been fundamental to the success of the business.

This has ranged from advice before opening to linking up with potential clients who might need meeting or event spaces to making connections with local suppliers – right down to the coffee and tea available to members.

The team continue to support Patch with co-running events, arranging introductions and more, as well as supporting businesses based in the building.

“Louise and Brian and Christine are brilliant at connecting us with people that are trying to make a difference in York – we at Patch want to help the local community,” said Thom.

“I’ve just moved back to York after eight years in Stockholm and impressed by how much is going on in York and the support available. It’s amazing what’s here and what’s available to help people.”

Thom said they had also benefited from links with York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority, which, like the Economic Growth Team, could offer information about funding opportunities.

Meanwhile, Wizu Workspaces is set to open at East Coast House, further down Skeldergate, later this summer. Its new York base will have private offices for teams of 2 to 100+, a coworking space, meeting rooms with video conferencing, and virtual office packages for businesses of all sizes.

Councillor Pete Kilbane, Executive Member for Economy and Culture, said:

“With its excellent transport links, vibrant cultural life and historic core, York is a desirable place for remote workers to live. I’m delighted that City of York Council has been able to support the creation of these new workspaces.

“Places like Patch not only help new businesses link up with existing local suppliers it also enables creative and entrepreneurial people to network and collaborate, sparking new ideas. This creates new business opportunities which leads to investment in the local economy and the wider community. It’s a win win for everyone.”

About City of York Council free business support:

If you would like to find out more about York’s flexible office spaces, or you are looking to move to the city, or to access business support, get in touch with the Economic Growth Team.

City of York Council’s Business Growth Managers provide free, local, tailored support to businesses in York. They help York businesses to grow by connecting them to support, finance and networks.

Email economicgrowth@york.gov.uk to find out more.

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

July 5, 2025
MIL-OSI: Information on the total number of voting rights and shares of 74Software share capital as of June 30, 2025
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

Press Release

Information on the total number of voting rights and shares of 74Software share capital as of June 30, 2025

Paris, July 4, 2025 – In accordance with Articles L.233-8 II and R.225-73 I of the French Commercial Code (Code de Commerce) and Article 223-16 of the General Regulations of the Autorité des Marchés Financiers (RGAMF), 74Software hereby informs its shareholders that, as of June 30, 2025:
- Total number of shares is 29,746,194.
- Total number of theoretical voting rights is 41,294,444.
It is calculated according to the total number of shares with voting rights, including those whose voting rights have been suspended, and is used to declare threshold crossing by shareholders in accordance with Article 223-11 of the RGAMF.
- Number of exercisable voting rights is 40,813,815.
Disclaimer

This document is a translation into English of an original French press release. It is not a binding document. In the event of a conflict in interpretation, reference should be made to the French version, which is the authentic text.

About 74Software

74Software is an enterprise software group founded through the combination of Axway and SBS – independently operated leaders with unique experience and capabilities to deliver mission-critical software for a data driven world. A pioneer in enterprise integration solutions for 25 years, Axway supports major brands and government agencies around the globe with its core line of MFT, B2B, API, and Financial Accounting Hub products. SBS empowers banks and financial institutions to reimagine tomorrow’s digital experiences with a composable cloud-based architecture that enables deposits, lending, compliance, payments, consumer, and asset finance services and operations to be deployed worldwide. 74Software serves more than 11,000 companies, including over 1,500 financial service customers. To learn more, visit 74Software.com

Contacts – Investor Relations:

Arthur Carli – +33 (0)1 47 17 24 65 – acarli@74software.com

Chloé Chouard – +33 (0)1 47 17 21 78 – cchouard@74software.com

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The MIL Network –
July 5, 2025
MIL-OSI: Aivora Trade: This Aivora Trade App Sets New Standard in AI-Driven Trading with Unmatched Security and User Approval
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

New York City, NY, July 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — In a year defined by rapid technological integration into financial markets, Aivora Trade is quickly becoming a focal point among traders seeking intelligent automation. As 2025 unfolds, digital finance communities are increasingly referencing Aivora Trade as one of the most streamlined and promising AI-supported platforms for individuals interested in modern market participation.

According to Official website, Aivora Trade known for its transparent user onboarding, robust customer support, and reliable trading infrastructure. What’s fueling this momentum isn’t hype—it’s the platform’s steady rise in user satisfaction and performance transparency. Unlike many opaque systems, Aivora Trade includes secure brokerage partnerships and active human support, distinguishing it in a landscape full of generic interfaces and automation gimmicks.

Importantly, Aivora Trade requires no upfront subscription fees and offers guided orientation calls, which adds a level of trust for users new to digital assets or automated trading. With rising search trends and growing visibility across Canada, the U.S., India, and beyond, this tool is not just gaining clicks—it’s securing confidence. For anyone exploring how AI is transforming wealth management and personal finance, Aivora Trade represents a conversation that’s impossible to ignore.

AI-Powered Trading at Its Core: The Technology Behind Aivora Trade

At the heart of Aivora Trade is a proprietary AI engine that interprets market behavior, scans price trends, and generates trade signals with remarkable precision. This core functionality is what places Aivora Trade in a league above most conventional trading apps. It doesn’t merely automate trades—it adapts, reacts, and recalibrates strategies based on live financial inputs.

What makes this particularly valuable in today’s fast-moving markets is the system’s capacity to recognize patterns in real time—far faster than any human trader. The algorithm reviews data across asset classes and pinpoints optimal entry or exit points. This constant recalibration reduces the margin of error, helping users engage markets with enhanced timing and discipline.

The platform also supports multi-layered trading scenarios. Whether the market is trending up, down, or sideways, Aivora’s algorithmic framework adjusts accordingly. Features like adjustable risk thresholds, customized strategy modules, and loss-limiting functions enable deeper control while maintaining full automation if desired.

Back-end data from users and reviews shows many are achieving success rates above 80%, especially when paired with the platform’s default AI settings. That number reinforces what early adopters are already reporting: this isn’t just about convenience—it’s about smarter execution.

Visit the Official Website Here

What Is Aivora Trade and How Does It Work?

Aivora Trade is an automated trading platform that integrates real-time market analysis with artificial intelligence. It’s designed to streamline how individuals engage with various financial instruments, including cryptocurrencies, stocks, forex pairs, and commodities. With a simple interface and intelligent backend, the platform makes algorithm-based trading accessible to users without technical or financial expertise.

Once registered, users are connected to brokers regulated in various jurisdictions. A guided call follows to walk new users through dashboard features, settings, and deposit requirements—starting at approximately $250 (or ₹21,000). From there, users choose between full automation, where the platform executes trades based on built-in signals, or manual interaction using AI-generated recommendations.

One of the standout features is the availability of a demo mode, allowing users to simulate trading strategies before activating live trades. This not only educates newcomers but also adds a safeguard layer for risk management. Reports confirm that Aivora Trade’s algorithm scans market conditions 24/7, adjusting strategies according to volatility and volume metrics.

Overall, Aivora Trade’s structure emphasizes simplicity without sacrificing sophistication. Whether for busy professionals or those curious about algorithmic finance, the platform provides a rare blend of usability, automation, and expert-led setup—laying the groundwork for a new kind of personal investment experience.

Security First: How Aivora Trade Protects Its Users

Security is a growing concern in financial technology, and Aivora Trade approaches this challenge with a multi-tiered protection model. From account creation to fund withdrawals, each layer of the system is fortified to ensure safety and compliance.

The platform uses SSL encryption across all pages, protecting sensitive information like payment credentials and identity documentation. Additionally, the brokers integrated into the system are verified and operate under regionally accepted compliance protocols, giving users the assurance that they’re interacting with licensed entities.

What also distinguishes Aivora Trade from questionable platforms is the transparent withdrawal process. Users report that their withdrawal requests are processed within 24–48 hours without undue restrictions—a rare attribute in the auto-trading niche.

No financial platform is immune to risk, but Aivora Trade’s emphasis on identity protection, encrypted transmission, and guided onboarding adds multiple security gates before any real-money interaction begins. There are also no hidden charges, unexpected renewals, or software download requirements. This browser-based model is both streamlined and harder to compromise than downloadable executables.

In a market flooded with false promises, Aivora Trade has earned a growing reputation for safe practices—evidenced by consistently high ratings and return user engagement. Security, in this case, isn’t an afterthought—it’s built in.

More Information on Aivora Trade Can Be Found On The Official Website Here

User-Centric Design: What Makes Aivora Trade App So Widely Adopted

Aivora Trade’s rapid adoption can be attributed not only to its smart automation, but also to its human-first design. Everything from the user dashboard to the onboarding process reflects the needs of real people—not just financial insiders.

The app opens with an intuitive layout, allowing quick access to portfolio views, real-time trade logs, and AI-generated insights. For newcomers, this layout reduces the overwhelm that often comes with trading platforms. Even more importantly, every registered user is offered a personal orientation call—something few platforms in the same space provide.

Aivora Trade also includes flexible control. Users can toggle between manual and automated modes, adjust trade settings, and set risk thresholds that match their personal financial comfort zones. With the addition of a demo trading environment, users can explore the system’s features in a simulated format before committing funds.

Another feature users appreciate is the multilingual support and international accessibility. Whether from India, Canada, the U.K., or the U.S., users are welcomed into a system that doesn’t favor a single region or demographic.

It’s this combination of user-focused design and robust automation that makes Aivora Trade not just functional—but highly usable. In an industry known for complexity, simplicity has become Aivora’s competitive advantage.

Expert Views: Analysts Share Thoughts on Aivora’s Market Disruption

Analysts watching fintech evolution in 2025 have started to spotlight Aivora Trade as a key disruptor in AI-enhanced investing. Many Media Publications have included the platform in their curated reviews of emerging AI tools, pointing to its “strong user retention” and “unique combination of automation and accountability.”

What captures analysts’ attention is the hybrid approach Aivora Trade adopts. Instead of relying solely on automation or user guesswork, the platform integrates a support-led model. This bridges the knowledge gap many casual investors face and invites broader participation.

Industry observers also note that Aivora Trade avoids several pitfalls common in the auto-trading ecosystem—such as overpromising ROI or operating under unverified brokerages. With verified user reports and transparent practices, it’s entering the radar of analysts who previously dismissed auto-trading as unreliable.

As fintech accelerates toward more AI-driven models, Aivora’s success story could signal a broader shift. Platforms that combine precision automation with user education and support may become the new benchmark—especially in regions where traditional investing still feels out of reach.

Why Choose Aivora Trade? Australia and Canada Consumer Report Released Here

Performance Insights: What Users Are Reporting About Their Results

Verified users across several review platforms report consistently positive experiences with Aivora Trade. From high win-rate percentages to smooth withdrawal systems, user data suggests the platform is delivering on its core promises.

Among the most cited figures: success rates averaging around 85%, particularly when users allow the AI to operate in full-auto mode. These outcomes are bolstered by testimonials and screenshots shared on communities such as Reddit, Nas.io, and global fintech forums.

Many users also praise the platform’s low barrier to entry. With just $250, new accounts can begin real-time trading. Unlike some apps that lock features behind high deposits, Aivora Trade maintains full access from day one.

Another common thread across reviews is the platform’s responsiveness. Users note that customer support is readily available, with clear answers and prompt replies—unusual for a trading tool with such a wide global reach.

Taken together, these performance indicators paint a picture of consistency, reliability, and a steadily expanding base of satisfied users. While trading always involves risk, Aivora Trade appears to offer a rare blend of transparency and results.

How to Get Started with Aivora Trade Safely in 2025

Getting started with Aivora Trade is refreshingly simple and secure—designed to make high-tech trading accessible even to beginners. Here’s how the process unfolds:
1. Sign Up Online: Visit the official website and enter basic contact details. No technical forms or software downloads are required.
2. Connect with a Personal Guide: Shortly after sign-up, users receive a support call from a platform associate. This onboarding covers everything from dashboard walkthroughs to risk preferences.
3. Make a Secure Deposit: The minimum deposit is $250, accepted through trusted channels. This unlocks full trading features and broker access.
4. Choose Trading Mode: Select auto-trading for full AI operation or manual mode if preferred. A demo version is also available for strategy testing.
5. Start Trading: Once active, the AI begins monitoring markets and initiating trades based on your preset preferences. Withdrawals are allowed at any time and usually processed within 24–48 hours.
This flow keeps things efficient without compromising oversight or support. For those new to AI tools, the added human touch makes onboarding not only easy but reassuring.

Final Word: Why Aivora Trade Is Shaping the Future of Smart Investing

As the investment world shifts toward intelligent automation, Aivora Trade positions itself as a leader—not just through innovation, but through integrity. In a market saturated with overhyped software and unsupported systems, Aivora stands apart with verified results, real-time guidance, and AI that actually learns.

Its blend of precision, security, and user-first design is redefining what everyday traders can expect from digital platforms. Analysts are taking note. Consumers are responding. And financial markets are being reshaped—one smart trade at a time.

For anyone exploring a secure, modern way to engage with markets, Aivora Trade isn’t just another tool. It’s a signal that the future of investing has already arrived.

Visit Here to Register on the Aivora Trade – Select Your Country Here!!!

Contact:-
Aivora Trade
(713) 231-4768
50 W 4th St, New York, NY 10012, USA
Email: info@aivora-trade-software.com
Website: https://aivora-trade-software.com
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The content provided in this article is for informational and educational purposes only. It does not constitute financial, legal, or professional advice. Readers are advised to consult a certified financial advisor, licensed loan officer, or legal professional before making any financial decisions. The information presented may not apply to every individual circumstance and is not intended to substitute professional judgment or regulatory guidance. The information provided on this website does not constitute investment advice, financial advice, trading advice, or any other sort of advice and you should not treat any of the website’s content as such. We does not recommend that any cryptocurrency should be bought, sold, or held by you. Do conduct your own due diligence and consult your financial advisor before making any investment decisions.
Trading Disclaimer:
Trading cryptocurrencies carries a high level of risk, and may not be suitable for all investors. Before deciding to trade cryptocurrency you should carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite. The possibility exists that you could sustain a loss of some or all of your initial investment and therefore you should not invest money that you cannot afford to lose. You should be aware of all the risks associated with cryptocurrency trading, and seek advice from an independent financial advisor. ICO’s, IEO’s, STO’s and any other form of offering will not guarantee a return on your investment.

HIGH RISK WARNING: Dealing or Trading FX, CFDs and Cryptocurrencies is highly speculative, carries a level of non-negligible risk and may not be suitable for all investors. You may lose some or all of your invested capital, therefore you should not speculate with capital that you cannot afford to lose. Please refer to the risk disclosure below. Aivora Trade does not gain or lose profits based on your activity and operates as a services company. Aivora Trade is not a financial services firm and is not eligible of providing financial advice. Therefore, Aivora Trade shall not be liable for any losses occurred via or in relation to this informational website.
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LEGAL RESTRICTIONS: Without limiting the above mentioned provisions, you understand that laws regarding financial activities vary throughout the world, and it is your responsibility to make sure you properly comply with any law, regulation or guideline in your country of residence regarding the use of the Site. To avoid any doubt, the ability to access our Site does not necessarily mean that our Services and/or your activities through the Site are legal under the laws, regulations or directives relevant to your country of residence. It is against the law to solicit US individuals to buy and sell commodity options, even if they are called “prediction” contracts, unless they are listed for trading and traded on a CFTC-registered exchange unless legally exempt. The UK Financial Conduct Authority has issued a policy statement PS20/10, which prohibits the sale, promotion, and distribution of CFD on Crypto assets. It prohibits the dissemination of marketing materials relating to distribution of CFDs and other financial products based on
Cryptocurrencies that addressed to UK residents. The provision of trading services involving any MiFID II financial instruments is prohibited in the EU, unless when authorized/licensed by the applicable authorities and/or regulator(s). Please note that we may receive advertising fees for users opted to open an account with our partner advertisers via advertisers websites. We have placed cookies on your computer to help improve your experience when visiting this website. You can change cookie settings on your computer at any time. Use of this website indicates your acceptance of this website. Please be advised that the names depicted on our website, including but not limited to Aivora Trade, are strictly for marketing and illustrative purposes. These names do not represent or imply the existence of specific entities, service providers, or any real-life individuals. Furthermore, the pictures and/or videos presented on our website are purely promotional in nature and feature professional actors. These actors are not actual users, clients, or traders, and their depictions should not be interpreted as endorsements or representations of real-life experiences. All content is intended solely for illustrative purposes and should not be construed as factual or as forming any legally binding relationship
RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH FUTURES TRADING
Futures transactions involve high risk. The amount of the initial margin is low compared to the value of the futures contract, so that transactions are “leveraged” or “geared”. A relatively small market movement has a proportionately larger impact on the funds that you have deposited or have to pay: this can work both for you and against you. You may experience the total loss of the initial margin funds as well as any additional funds deposited in the system. If the market develops in a way that is contrary to your position or if margins are increased, you may be asked to pay significant additional funds at short notice to maintain your position. In this case it may also happen that your broker account is in the red and you thus have to make payments beyond the initial investment.
RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH ELECTRONIC TRADING
Before you begin carrying out transactions with an electronic system, you should carefully review the rules and provisions of the stock exchange offering the system, or of the financial instruments listed that you intend to trade, as well as your broker’s conditions. Online trading has inherent risks due to system responses/reaction times and access times that may vary due to market conditions, system performance and other factors, and on which you have no influence. You should be aware of these additional risks in electronic trading before you carry out investment transactions.
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The MIL Network –
July 5, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: SAIL project making Sunderland City Centre safer as anti-social behaviour falls significantly
Source: City of Sunderland

As this week’s UK Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) Awareness Week with its theme of ‘Making Communities Safer’ draws to a close, Sunderland City Council is highlighting the success of a key project that’s helping to do just that in the city centre.
The Sunderland Altogether Improving Lives (SAIL) project was launched by Northumbria Police, the Violence Reduction unit and Sunderland City Council in 2022. SAIL continues to make a real difference in the city centre by reducing anti-social behaviour and making the community safer. The project brings together a wide range of partner agencies under one roof to deliver a coordinated, long-term approach to tackling issues that matter to residents, businesses and visitors.

Latest figures show that between June 2024 and May 2025, the city centre has seen major reductions in key issues:

All ASB is down 32%

Youth ASB down 20%

Alcohol Related ASB down 28%

Other types of crime have also seen notable reductions during the same period, including a 22% drop in theft and handling, a 23% decrease in vehicle crime, and a 13% fall in serious youth violence.

SAIL works with many partners including Sunderland City Council’s Neighbourhood Enforcement, Housing and Environmental Service together with officers from Northumbria Police, Northumbria Violence Reduction Unit and British Transport Police. By working together with these key partners and other organisations such as NHS, Gentoo, Wear Recovery Sunderland, Youth Drug and Alcohol Project (YDAP) and Sunderland BID (Business Improvement District)., SAIL has been able to make a real difference to Sunderland city centre.

Councillor Kelly Chequer, Sunderland City Council’s Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Health, Wellbeing and Safer Communities, said: “These numbers show the incredibly positive impact the SAIL project has had on our city centre.”

“By working with young people to deter them from committing anti-social behaviour, and reducing overall crime in the city centre, this partnership is helping create a cleaner, safer and more vibrant place.”

The SAIL project further develops the working relationships between Sunderland City Council, Northumbria Police, the Violence Reduction Unit, Sunderland BID and other key partners to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour in Sunderland.

Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, Susan Dungworth said: “These are fantastic results, and a powerful example of what can be achieved when we come together with a shared commitment to tackling the issues that matter most to our communities.

“I’m really pleased to see the difference the SAIL project is making in Sunderland City Centre. By tackling anti-social behaviour, and reducing crime, this partnership is helping create a safer, and more welcoming place for everyone who lives, works and visits the city.

“The strength of the SAIL project comes from having a range of partners based in the city centre, working together to respond to issues in a proactive way. It’s not just about enforcement, it’s about building trust, supporting young people, preventing crime from happening, and making sure residents and businesses feel heard and supported.

“This is exactly the kind of approach we need to build safer, stronger communities for everyone.”

Chief Inspector of Communities, Gemma Calvert, from Northumbria Police said: “It’s great to see the continued impact the SAIL partnership has in the local community – it’s a testament to the hard work and dedication of our neighbourhood officers and partner agencies.

“As a Force, we have a real focus on tackling anti-social behaviour in Sunderland and these latest figures show clearly the progress that we’re making together.

“And while these results are welcoming ones, we know that our work is far from over.

“We’ll continue to work alongside each other to have a positive presence in the community, including educating and building trust with young people – doing all we can to divert them from getting involved in crime and anti-social behaviour.”

SAIL works closely with the businesses in the city centre and Sunderland Business Improvement District (BID).

Chief Executive of Sunderland BID, Sharon Appleby said: “SAIL is a brilliant project and since its launch has shown excellent results. It is so important that businesses in the city centre see the issues of ASB and general crime being taken seriously by everyone and it builds confidence in the trading environment. This is such a key initiative given the transformation journey the city centre is on as we try and attract new businesses to locate here.”

The SAIL project builds on the success of the award-winning SARA project in Southwick and HALO project in Hetton which were set up to work with local communities and help build a sense of ownership and pride in the area at the same time as tackling a range of issues including anti-social and criminal behaviour, environmental crime, unemployment and poor mental health.

Residents are encouraged to work together with projects like SAIL and continue reporting ASB. You can report ASB easily online at: Anti-social behaviour – Sunderland City Council. Together we can make Sunderland a safe place for everyone.
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
July 5, 2025