NewzIntel.com

Category: CTF

  • MIL-OSI Security: Fugitive Washington State Sex Offender Sentenced To 15 Years In Federal Prison For Sexual Relationship With Child And Possession Of Child Sexual Abuse Images

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Jacksonville, Florida – Chief U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Andrew Allen Blakney (35, Seattle, WA) to 15 years in federal prison for possession of child sexual abuse images. Blakney pleaded guilty on March 4, 2025.

    According to court documents, in October 2024, Blakney, a registered sex offender from Washington, absconded from community control causing an escape warrant to be issued. Blakney traveled by bus to Jacksonville to meet a child he had met online. While in Florida, Blakney engaged in sexual activity with the child. The Florida Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force’s Jacksonville Office located Blakney and arrested him on his outstanding warrants. 

    Following his arrest, when the child was located with Blakney, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) began an investigation into Blakney. A search warrant was obtained for Blakney’s phone revealing that it contained child sexual abuse materials. 

    This case was investigated by the Florida Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force Jacksonville Office, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the United States Marshals Service, and Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Washington.

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Fugitive Washington State Sex Offender Sentenced To 15 Years In Federal Prison For Sexual Relationship With Child And Possession Of Child Sexual Abuse Images

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Jacksonville, Florida – Chief U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Andrew Allen Blakney (35, Seattle, WA) to 15 years in federal prison for possession of child sexual abuse images. Blakney pleaded guilty on March 4, 2025.

    According to court documents, in October 2024, Blakney, a registered sex offender from Washington, absconded from community control causing an escape warrant to be issued. Blakney traveled by bus to Jacksonville to meet a child he had met online. While in Florida, Blakney engaged in sexual activity with the child. The Florida Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force’s Jacksonville Office located Blakney and arrested him on his outstanding warrants. 

    Following his arrest, when the child was located with Blakney, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) began an investigation into Blakney. A search warrant was obtained for Blakney’s phone revealing that it contained child sexual abuse materials. 

    This case was investigated by the Florida Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force Jacksonville Office, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the United States Marshals Service, and Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Washington.

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Fugitive Washington State Sex Offender Sentenced To 15 Years In Federal Prison For Sexual Relationship With Child And Possession Of Child Sexual Abuse Images

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Jacksonville, Florida – Chief U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Andrew Allen Blakney (35, Seattle, WA) to 15 years in federal prison for possession of child sexual abuse images. Blakney pleaded guilty on March 4, 2025.

    According to court documents, in October 2024, Blakney, a registered sex offender from Washington, absconded from community control causing an escape warrant to be issued. Blakney traveled by bus to Jacksonville to meet a child he had met online. While in Florida, Blakney engaged in sexual activity with the child. The Florida Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force’s Jacksonville Office located Blakney and arrested him on his outstanding warrants. 

    Following his arrest, when the child was located with Blakney, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) began an investigation into Blakney. A search warrant was obtained for Blakney’s phone revealing that it contained child sexual abuse materials. 

    This case was investigated by the Florida Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force Jacksonville Office, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the United States Marshals Service, and Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Washington.

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Fugitive Washington State Sex Offender Sentenced To 15 Years In Federal Prison For Sexual Relationship With Child And Possession Of Child Sexual Abuse Images

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Jacksonville, Florida – Chief U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Andrew Allen Blakney (35, Seattle, WA) to 15 years in federal prison for possession of child sexual abuse images. Blakney pleaded guilty on March 4, 2025.

    According to court documents, in October 2024, Blakney, a registered sex offender from Washington, absconded from community control causing an escape warrant to be issued. Blakney traveled by bus to Jacksonville to meet a child he had met online. While in Florida, Blakney engaged in sexual activity with the child. The Florida Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force’s Jacksonville Office located Blakney and arrested him on his outstanding warrants. 

    Following his arrest, when the child was located with Blakney, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) began an investigation into Blakney. A search warrant was obtained for Blakney’s phone revealing that it contained child sexual abuse materials. 

    This case was investigated by the Florida Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force Jacksonville Office, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the United States Marshals Service, and Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Washington.

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: How to give children the freedom to play all across the city – not just in playgrounds

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Michael Martin, Lecturer in Urban Design and Planning, University of Sheffield

    Co-created play space with children and the community, Via Val Lagarina Milan. Milan municipality

    Children play everywhere. Yet their right to play – protected by a UN convention – is constantly challenged by adults.

    Play is crucial to support children’s holistic development in cognitive, emotional, physical and social skills. Likewise, we know children’s environments significantly influence their health and wellbeing, for better or worse.

    But across cities, young people are let down by a built environment that fails to appropriately consider their needs.

    Places where children commonly used to play, such as streets and local neighbourhoods, have been transformed into car-only spaces where traffic and parking take priority. Likewise, city spaces frequently “design out” children by prohibiting skateboarding, ball games and other kinds of play.

    Over time, urban planning has confined children’s opportunities for play to dedicated playground spaces only.

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

    However, children don’t have equal access to these formal play spaces. In the largest study of playgrounds in England, my colleagues and I found substantial inequalities in access to play. Children in the most deprived areas needed to travel further to their nearest playground.

    In new research, I’ve explored four international examples of how children and play can be promoted in less likely urban spaces. My findings show how play can be promoted in cities to support children’s right to play anywhere – but also that there is widespread hostility to children’s right to use urban spaces for play.

    Power of play

    In Sydney, a pedal park installation with temporary jumps, ramps and a pump track was set up in different car parks for the duration of the winter. In Paris, a play street was created in central Paris by closing road traffic on Friday afternoons in autumn and spring.

    In Belfast, temporary play equipment and playful street furniture was set up in the Cathedral Gardens public space.

    Cathedral Gardens pop-up play space in Belfast meaningfully encourages children to use the city.
    Park Hood Ltd.

    In Milan, a community-led design involved children in creating a colourful grid, planters, growing beds and games in a school car park, which went on to inspire a new municipal programme of temporary school streets and piazzas.

    These play spaces allowed children to play freely, play with objects, play pretend, play games with rules, and play physically – the core pillars of play. What’s more, they enabled children to develop new connections with their community by appropriating urban spaces to promote relaxation and fun. This was vital following the trauma of the global pandemic – all the projects were active during COVID-19 outside of lockdown.

    Intergenerational encounters at the weekly play street in the 3rd District of Paris.
    Rue’golotte

    These short-term projects invited children to enjoy urban life in new ways. In fact, they bolstered civic access for people of all generations. In Sydney, the closure of the car park fostered a new sense of community. Caregivers, grandparents and residents were able to connect with each other in a whole different setting.

    Children in Sydney play freely in a ‘pop-up pedal park’ created in a public car park.
    Randwick City Council

    Politics of play

    But despite the positives, over time, the projects faced protest and tension. In Milan, fears from residents emerged on play being used as a tool to displace poorer communities. This was in response to the area having long been earmarked for regeneration. In Sydney, Paris and Belfast, people actively targeted and sabotaged the informal play spaces.

    In Sydney, to park their cars, older citizens successfully lobbied local councillors to reduce the total amount of space for play, from the entire car park to one aisle of parking. In Paris, local businesses were exasperated by the presence of children. Collectively they threatened project initiators and staged a protest, claiming that “play streets kill local shops”. In Belfast, the pop-up play space was set on fire, multiple times. By summer 2022, much of the park had been destroyed.

    Destruction and criminal damage of the Cathedral Gardens play space in Belfast.
    Author

    The outcomes demonstrate the politics that children, and their play, were exposed to. Because of a range of aggressive behaviour from adults, children’s use of streets and public spaces were consistently restricted. A common statement from dissenters was “children can go elsewhere”. The reality is they can’t.

    In tracking informal play projects through the pandemic and subsequent years, two additional factors hampered their longer-term success. For the council projects in Sydney and Belfast, council officers hoped to direct more resources to urban play, but the lack of a specific local policy to support play was a significant constraint. By comparison, the community projects in Paris and Milan placed an unsustainable pressure on volunteers to ensure prolonged success.

    Lessons from previous crises highlight how tensions and conflict can affect innovative uses of space, often diluting their progressive purpose. Ultimately, children’s play in recovery from the pandemic experienced a similar fate.

    This is worrying because Unicef research has shown children’s wellbeing has continued to suffer after COVID-19.

    Places that allow for children’s play can create dynamic neighbourhoods, intergenerational encounters, and meaningful participation in urban spaces – if only we let it happen.

    Michael Martin 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. How to give children the freedom to play all across the city – not just in playgrounds – https://theconversation.com/how-to-give-children-the-freedom-to-play-all-across-the-city-not-just-in-playgrounds-260444

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: How to give children the freedom to play all across the city – not just in playgrounds

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Michael Martin, Lecturer in Urban Design and Planning, University of Sheffield

    Co-created play space with children and the community, Via Val Lagarina Milan. Milan municipality

    Children play everywhere. Yet their right to play – protected by a UN convention – is constantly challenged by adults.

    Play is crucial to support children’s holistic development in cognitive, emotional, physical and social skills. Likewise, we know children’s environments significantly influence their health and wellbeing, for better or worse.

    But across cities, young people are let down by a built environment that fails to appropriately consider their needs.

    Places where children commonly used to play, such as streets and local neighbourhoods, have been transformed into car-only spaces where traffic and parking take priority. Likewise, city spaces frequently “design out” children by prohibiting skateboarding, ball games and other kinds of play.

    Over time, urban planning has confined children’s opportunities for play to dedicated playground spaces only.

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

    However, children don’t have equal access to these formal play spaces. In the largest study of playgrounds in England, my colleagues and I found substantial inequalities in access to play. Children in the most deprived areas needed to travel further to their nearest playground.

    In new research, I’ve explored four international examples of how children and play can be promoted in less likely urban spaces. My findings show how play can be promoted in cities to support children’s right to play anywhere – but also that there is widespread hostility to children’s right to use urban spaces for play.

    Power of play

    In Sydney, a pedal park installation with temporary jumps, ramps and a pump track was set up in different car parks for the duration of the winter. In Paris, a play street was created in central Paris by closing road traffic on Friday afternoons in autumn and spring.

    In Belfast, temporary play equipment and playful street furniture was set up in the Cathedral Gardens public space.

    Cathedral Gardens pop-up play space in Belfast meaningfully encourages children to use the city.
    Park Hood Ltd.

    In Milan, a community-led design involved children in creating a colourful grid, planters, growing beds and games in a school car park, which went on to inspire a new municipal programme of temporary school streets and piazzas.

    These play spaces allowed children to play freely, play with objects, play pretend, play games with rules, and play physically – the core pillars of play. What’s more, they enabled children to develop new connections with their community by appropriating urban spaces to promote relaxation and fun. This was vital following the trauma of the global pandemic – all the projects were active during COVID-19 outside of lockdown.

    Intergenerational encounters at the weekly play street in the 3rd District of Paris.
    Rue’golotte

    These short-term projects invited children to enjoy urban life in new ways. In fact, they bolstered civic access for people of all generations. In Sydney, the closure of the car park fostered a new sense of community. Caregivers, grandparents and residents were able to connect with each other in a whole different setting.

    Children in Sydney play freely in a ‘pop-up pedal park’ created in a public car park.
    Randwick City Council

    Politics of play

    But despite the positives, over time, the projects faced protest and tension. In Milan, fears from residents emerged on play being used as a tool to displace poorer communities. This was in response to the area having long been earmarked for regeneration. In Sydney, Paris and Belfast, people actively targeted and sabotaged the informal play spaces.

    In Sydney, to park their cars, older citizens successfully lobbied local councillors to reduce the total amount of space for play, from the entire car park to one aisle of parking. In Paris, local businesses were exasperated by the presence of children. Collectively they threatened project initiators and staged a protest, claiming that “play streets kill local shops”. In Belfast, the pop-up play space was set on fire, multiple times. By summer 2022, much of the park had been destroyed.

    Destruction and criminal damage of the Cathedral Gardens play space in Belfast.
    Author

    The outcomes demonstrate the politics that children, and their play, were exposed to. Because of a range of aggressive behaviour from adults, children’s use of streets and public spaces were consistently restricted. A common statement from dissenters was “children can go elsewhere”. The reality is they can’t.

    In tracking informal play projects through the pandemic and subsequent years, two additional factors hampered their longer-term success. For the council projects in Sydney and Belfast, council officers hoped to direct more resources to urban play, but the lack of a specific local policy to support play was a significant constraint. By comparison, the community projects in Paris and Milan placed an unsustainable pressure on volunteers to ensure prolonged success.

    Lessons from previous crises highlight how tensions and conflict can affect innovative uses of space, often diluting their progressive purpose. Ultimately, children’s play in recovery from the pandemic experienced a similar fate.

    This is worrying because Unicef research has shown children’s wellbeing has continued to suffer after COVID-19.

    Places that allow for children’s play can create dynamic neighbourhoods, intergenerational encounters, and meaningful participation in urban spaces – if only we let it happen.

    Michael Martin 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. How to give children the freedom to play all across the city – not just in playgrounds – https://theconversation.com/how-to-give-children-the-freedom-to-play-all-across-the-city-not-just-in-playgrounds-260444

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Why many Americans still think Darwin was wrong, yet the British don’t

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Edward White, PhD Candidate in Psychology, Kingston University

    One hundred years after a Tennessee teacher named John Scopes started a legal battle over what the state’s schools can teach children, Americans are still divided over evolution.

    Scopes was charged with violating Tennessee law by teaching evolution, in a highly publicised July 1925 trial that led to national debate over evolution and education. The trial tested whether a law introduced that year really could punish teachers over evolution lessons. It could and did: Scopes was fined US$100 (£74).

    But here’s the weird part: while Americans remain deeply divided about whether humans evolved from earlier species, our British predecessors largely settled this question decades before the Scopes trial.

    John Scopes one month before the Tennessee v. John T. Scopes Trial.
    Smithsonian Institution/ Watson Davis

    According to thinktank Pew Research Center data from 2020, only 64% of Americans accept that “humans and other living things have evolved over time”. Meanwhile, 73% of Brits are fine with the idea that they share a common ancestor with chimpanzees. That nine-percentage-point gap might not sound like much, but it represents millions of people who think Darwin was peddling fake news.

    From 1985 to 2010, Americans were in what researchers call a statistical dead heat between acceptance and rejection of evolution — which is academic speak for people couldn’t decide if we were descended from apes or Adam and Eve.

    Here’s where things get psychologically fascinating. Research into misinformation and cognitive biases suggests that fundamentalism operates on a principle known as motivated reasoning. This means selectively interpreting evidence to reach predetermined conclusions. And a 2018 review of social and computer science research also found that fake news seems to spread because it confirms what people already want to believe.

    Evolution denial may work the same way. Religious fundamentalism is what researchers call “the strongest predictor” for rejection of evolution. A 2019 study of 900 participants found that belief in fake news headlines was associated with delusionality, dogmatism, religious fundamentalism and reduced analytic thinking.

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

    High personal religiosity, as seen in the US, reinforced by communities of like-minded believers, can create resistance to evolutionary science. This pattern is pronounced among Southern Baptists — the largest Protestant denomination in the US — where 61% believe the Bible is the literal word of God, compared to 31% of Americans overall. The persistence of this conflict is fuelled by organised creationist movements that reinforce religious scepticism.

    Brain imaging studies
    show that people with fundamentalist beliefs seem to have reduced activity in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex — the brain region responsible for cognitive flexibility and analytical thinking. When this area is damaged or less active, people become more prone to accepting claims without sufficient evidence and show increased resistance to changing their beliefs when presented with contradictory information. Studies of brain-injured patients show damage to prefrontal networks that normally help us question information may lead to increased fundamentalist beliefs and reduced scepticism.

    Fundamentalist psychology helps explain the US position in international evolution acceptance surveys. In a 2006 study, of over 33,00 people from 34 countries from 34 countries, only Turkey ranked lower than the US, with about 27% accepting evolution compared to America’s 40% at the time. Among the developed nations surveyed, the US consistently ranks near the bottom — a pattern that persists in more recent international comparisons.

    Where did humans come from? Teaching children about evolution can be controversial, depending on where they live.
    vovan/Shutterstuck

    Research shows that political polarisation on evolution has historically been much stronger in the US than in Europe or Japan, where the issue rarely becomes a campaign talking point. In the US, anti-evolution bills are still being introduced in state legislatures.

    In the UK, belief in evolution became accepted among respectable clergymen around 1896, according to church historian Owen Chadwick’s analysis of Victorian christianity. But why did British religious institutions embrace science while American ones declared war?

    The answer lies in different approaches to intellectual challenges. British Anglicanism has a centuries-old tradition of seeking a “via media” — a middle way between extremes — that allowed church leaders to accommodate new ideas without abandoning core beliefs. Historian Peter documented how British religious leaders actively worked to reconcile science and religion, developing theological frameworks that embraced scientific discoveries as revealing God’s methods rather than contradicting divine authority.

    Anglican bishops and scholars tended to treat evolution as God’s method of creation rather than a threat to faith itself. The Church of England’s hierarchical structure meant that when educated clergy accepted evolution, the institutional framework often followed suit. A 2024 paper argued that many UK church leaders still view science and religion as complementary rather than conflicting.

    A different approach

    The British experience proves it’s possible to reconcile science and faith. But changing American minds requires understanding that evolution acceptance isn’t really about biology — it’s about identity, belonging, and the fundamental question of who gets to define truth. People don’t reject evolution because they’ve carefully studied the evidence. They reject it because it threatens their identity. This creates a context where education alone can’t overcome deeply held convictions.

    Misinformation intervention research suggests that inoculation strategies, such as highlighting the scientific consensus on climate change, work better than debunking individual articles. But evolution education needs to be sensitive. Consensus messaging helps, but only when it doesn’t threaten people’s core identities. For example, framing evolution as a function of “how” life develops, rather than “why it exists, allows for people to maintain religious belief while accepting the scientific evidence for natural selection.

    People’s views can change. A review published in 2024, analysed data which followed the same Gen X people in the US over 33 years. It found that, as they grew up, people developed more acceptance of evolution, though typically because of factors such as education and obtaining university degrees. But people who were taught at a private school seem less likely to become more accepting of evolution as they aged.

    As we face new waves of scientific misinformation, the century since the Scopes trial teaches us that evidence alone won’t necessarily change people’s minds. Understanding the psychology of belief might be our best hope for evolving past our own cognitive limitations.

    Edward White is affiliated with Kingston University.

    – ref. Why many Americans still think Darwin was wrong, yet the British don’t – https://theconversation.com/why-many-americans-still-think-darwin-was-wrong-yet-the-british-dont-260709

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Why many Americans still think Darwin was wrong, yet the British don’t

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Edward White, PhD Candidate in Psychology, Kingston University

    One hundred years after a Tennessee teacher named John Scopes started a legal battle over what the state’s schools can teach children, Americans are still divided over evolution.

    Scopes was charged with violating Tennessee law by teaching evolution, in a highly publicised July 1925 trial that led to national debate over evolution and education. The trial tested whether a law introduced that year really could punish teachers over evolution lessons. It could and did: Scopes was fined US$100 (£74).

    But here’s the weird part: while Americans remain deeply divided about whether humans evolved from earlier species, our British predecessors largely settled this question decades before the Scopes trial.

    John Scopes one month before the Tennessee v. John T. Scopes Trial.
    Smithsonian Institution/ Watson Davis

    According to thinktank Pew Research Center data from 2020, only 64% of Americans accept that “humans and other living things have evolved over time”. Meanwhile, 73% of Brits are fine with the idea that they share a common ancestor with chimpanzees. That nine-percentage-point gap might not sound like much, but it represents millions of people who think Darwin was peddling fake news.

    From 1985 to 2010, Americans were in what researchers call a statistical dead heat between acceptance and rejection of evolution — which is academic speak for people couldn’t decide if we were descended from apes or Adam and Eve.

    Here’s where things get psychologically fascinating. Research into misinformation and cognitive biases suggests that fundamentalism operates on a principle known as motivated reasoning. This means selectively interpreting evidence to reach predetermined conclusions. And a 2018 review of social and computer science research also found that fake news seems to spread because it confirms what people already want to believe.

    Evolution denial may work the same way. Religious fundamentalism is what researchers call “the strongest predictor” for rejection of evolution. A 2019 study of 900 participants found that belief in fake news headlines was associated with delusionality, dogmatism, religious fundamentalism and reduced analytic thinking.

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

    High personal religiosity, as seen in the US, reinforced by communities of like-minded believers, can create resistance to evolutionary science. This pattern is pronounced among Southern Baptists — the largest Protestant denomination in the US — where 61% believe the Bible is the literal word of God, compared to 31% of Americans overall. The persistence of this conflict is fuelled by organised creationist movements that reinforce religious scepticism.

    Brain imaging studies
    show that people with fundamentalist beliefs seem to have reduced activity in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex — the brain region responsible for cognitive flexibility and analytical thinking. When this area is damaged or less active, people become more prone to accepting claims without sufficient evidence and show increased resistance to changing their beliefs when presented with contradictory information. Studies of brain-injured patients show damage to prefrontal networks that normally help us question information may lead to increased fundamentalist beliefs and reduced scepticism.

    Fundamentalist psychology helps explain the US position in international evolution acceptance surveys. In a 2006 study, of over 33,00 people from 34 countries from 34 countries, only Turkey ranked lower than the US, with about 27% accepting evolution compared to America’s 40% at the time. Among the developed nations surveyed, the US consistently ranks near the bottom — a pattern that persists in more recent international comparisons.

    Where did humans come from? Teaching children about evolution can be controversial, depending on where they live.
    vovan/Shutterstuck

    Research shows that political polarisation on evolution has historically been much stronger in the US than in Europe or Japan, where the issue rarely becomes a campaign talking point. In the US, anti-evolution bills are still being introduced in state legislatures.

    In the UK, belief in evolution became accepted among respectable clergymen around 1896, according to church historian Owen Chadwick’s analysis of Victorian christianity. But why did British religious institutions embrace science while American ones declared war?

    The answer lies in different approaches to intellectual challenges. British Anglicanism has a centuries-old tradition of seeking a “via media” — a middle way between extremes — that allowed church leaders to accommodate new ideas without abandoning core beliefs. Historian Peter documented how British religious leaders actively worked to reconcile science and religion, developing theological frameworks that embraced scientific discoveries as revealing God’s methods rather than contradicting divine authority.

    Anglican bishops and scholars tended to treat evolution as God’s method of creation rather than a threat to faith itself. The Church of England’s hierarchical structure meant that when educated clergy accepted evolution, the institutional framework often followed suit. A 2024 paper argued that many UK church leaders still view science and religion as complementary rather than conflicting.

    A different approach

    The British experience proves it’s possible to reconcile science and faith. But changing American minds requires understanding that evolution acceptance isn’t really about biology — it’s about identity, belonging, and the fundamental question of who gets to define truth. People don’t reject evolution because they’ve carefully studied the evidence. They reject it because it threatens their identity. This creates a context where education alone can’t overcome deeply held convictions.

    Misinformation intervention research suggests that inoculation strategies, such as highlighting the scientific consensus on climate change, work better than debunking individual articles. But evolution education needs to be sensitive. Consensus messaging helps, but only when it doesn’t threaten people’s core identities. For example, framing evolution as a function of “how” life develops, rather than “why it exists, allows for people to maintain religious belief while accepting the scientific evidence for natural selection.

    People’s views can change. A review published in 2024, analysed data which followed the same Gen X people in the US over 33 years. It found that, as they grew up, people developed more acceptance of evolution, though typically because of factors such as education and obtaining university degrees. But people who were taught at a private school seem less likely to become more accepting of evolution as they aged.

    As we face new waves of scientific misinformation, the century since the Scopes trial teaches us that evidence alone won’t necessarily change people’s minds. Understanding the psychology of belief might be our best hope for evolving past our own cognitive limitations.

    Edward White is affiliated with Kingston University.

    – ref. Why many Americans still think Darwin was wrong, yet the British don’t – https://theconversation.com/why-many-americans-still-think-darwin-was-wrong-yet-the-british-dont-260709

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Consolation, community, national identity: what is lost when pubs close – and how they can be saved

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Thomas Thurnell-Read, Reader in Sociology, Loughborough University

    William Perugini/Shutterstock

    Recent figures from the British Beer and Pub Association show that pubs will close at the rate of one a day in the UK during 2025. This is just the latest chapter in a familiar story – more than a quarter of British pubs have closed since 2000.

    The cost of running a pub has risen dramatically. The ingredients used to brew beer all cost more, as do the business rates, rents, duties, utilities and wages required to operate a welcoming venue in which to serve it. Some publicans have reported utility bills doubling in a matter of months.

    Many pubs occupy prime locations and high-value buildings, which, coupled with larger floor space, mean business rates can be high relative to turnover and profit.

    Meanwhile, food offerings which had provided many pubs with a profitable alternative to a drinks-only model have also been hit by rapid increases in costs. Supermarkets and delivery platforms now provide food and drink directly to consumers at prices few licenced venues can compete with. Even pubs that are economically viable are often more profitable converted into residential or retail space.

    These economic challenges accompany wider cultural trends, such as the continued prevalence of home working, changes in drinking habits and competition from alternative forms of in person and online leisure.

    We’ve researched pub closures in England and Wales to learn what the loss of pubs means for the communities who drink and gather in them.

    When pubs closed temporarily during COVID-19 lockdowns, many people realised that what they missed about pubs was not alcohol but the social contact pubs provided. Pubs have a clear social value. They offer a space for people to meet and interact and have been shown to help tackling loneliness and social isolation.

    Our research participants relayed stories of pub closure in relation to their own lives and communities:

    I’ve been consoled in there, I’ve consoled friends in there. We’ve chopped up family issues, work issues. We’ve drunk for the sake of drinking in there.

    Pubs help people feel connected to a local place. When they close, they can become sites of mourning, a painful reminder of change and decline. One resident of a former colliery village in Nottinghamshire said of the pub she had once worked in – now derelict, fire damaged and vandalised as it awaits redevelopment – that despite her wish that it had remained open it was now better to “knock it down” to “put us out of our misery”.

    For many, pubs are a sort of bellwether for wider anxiety about social and generational change. The loss of pubs speaks to where “we” might be heading as a nation or as a community. Our recent analysis of how the British press has reported on pub closures since 2000 shows that a sense of national identity under threat is a recurring theme.

    Both local and national newspapers have made repeated use of the word “our” in this context, warning readers of the grave threat to “our pubs” and “our heritage”, often invoking an idyllic image of rural life. However, much of this coverage has also praised the pub as a great leveller, as a place where people come together as a community to socialise despite their differences.

    Can pubs be saved?

    The Campaign for Real Ale, the leading consumer group for beer drinkers and pub goers, suggests changing planning and licensing laws to protect pubs at local and national levels, and more support and publicity for pubs to cater to changing markets.

    Others have more directly lobbied for duty cuts that give pubs a fighting chance against supermarkets benefiting from economies of scale, VAT exemptions and convenience.

    A hot meal served in a pub incurs a standard 20% rate of VAT, while a supermarket ready meal to be heated at home does not. The rationale for a tax cut to support pubs would rest on the social benefits they offer to communities, in contrast to supermarket-bought alcohol typically consumed at home.

    A boarded-up pub in Bristol.
    Thomas Turnell-Read

    The Localism Act 2011 gave communities the right to bid to take pubs into community ownership, designating them as assets of community value. Yet while there are some terrific examples of community-owned pubs becoming both thriving businesses and a revived focal point for communities, residents in poorer areas lack the resources to sustain viable campaigns.

    In one village in our study, a pub listed as a going concern at £500,000 in fact sold as a development plot for over £660,000. A viability study suggested that an investment of £225,000, plus working capital of at least £20,000, would be needed to reopen the pub. The residents we spoke to all conceded that a purchase was far beyond the modest resources of the local community.

    While the loss of so many pubs is shocking, it obscures the fact that when other licensed venues, such as bars, restaurants and licensed cafes are factored in, the downward trend is flattened – and even reversed in some areas. This suggests a long-term diversification of the sector – the pub is no longer the only option when going out for a drink.

    This may also reflect a feeling that other hospitality venues better cater to different people and groups who may feel less at home in traditional pubs. Some interviewees told us that they felt craft brewery taprooms were more welcoming and family friendly. Others found cafe-bars to have a more appealing mix of coffee, food and both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.

    There’s a long history of pubs adapting to serve new needs and markets. Pub is the Hub, for example, has supported rural pubs to incorporate everything from village shops and libraries to pizza ovens and IT skills hubs. There have been promising experiments with fitting pubs for co-working and meeting space. And micropubs can continue to offer the benefits of a convivial social space, in a back-to-basics approach that reduces the costs of running bigger venues. Pubs can and must evolve.

    Thomas Thurnell-Read receives funding from The Leverhulme Trust.

    Robert Deakin 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. Consolation, community, national identity: what is lost when pubs close – and how they can be saved – https://theconversation.com/consolation-community-national-identity-what-is-lost-when-pubs-close-and-how-they-can-be-saved-260774

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Representatives Nadler and Goldman Applaud NYC Council for Forcing City to Finally Release the Truth About 9/11 Air Toxins

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jerrold Nadler (10th District of New York)

    Representatives Nadler and Goldman Applaud NYC Council for Forcing City to Finally Release the Truth About 9/11 Air Toxins

    Washington, July 15, 2025

    Today, Congressman Jerrold Nadler (NY-12) and Congressman Dan Goldman (NY-10) made the following statement in response to the New York City Council vote on releasing 9/11 related documents:

    “We commend the New York City Council for passing Resolution 560, finally forcing the City to release records about what officials knew about the toxic air New Yorkers were breathing after 9/11 while they were telling the public it was safe to return to the City.

    “For years, we have demanded transparency from the Adams Administration about what the Giuliani and Bloomberg Administrations knew about toxins in the air following 9/11 and when they knew it. We sent multiple letters to the Adams Administration requesting the release of critical records, yet each time, they denied our requests. Their lack of a meaningful response denied justice to the thousands of New Yorkers and first responders who continue to deal with or have died from health complications due to the air quality following 9/11.

    “With the passage of Resolution 560, New York City’s Department of Investigation has the power to discover exactly what Mayor Giuliani knew about the toxins in the air after 9/11 while claiming it was safe for New Yorkers to return. These records could provide long overdue accountability for potentially devastating decisions that cost thousands of lives.

    “New Yorkers deserve the truth. We’re finally about to get some answers.”

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Madagascar launches $7 million initiative to protect coasts from climate change

    Source: APO – Report:

    .

    Madagascar has officially launched a landmark initiative aimed at enhancing climate resilience by restoring critical coastal ecosystems and improving livelihoods across vulnerable regions. Nearly 100,000 people are expected to benefit directly across four key coastal regions—Boeny, Menabe, Diana, and Atsimo Atsinanana—where climate impacts are already threatening both livelihoods and biodiversity.

    The project, Scaling Up Ecosystem-Based Adaptation for Coastal Areas in Madagascar, will be executed by the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development with a USD 7.1 million grant from the Global Environment Facility and a cofinancing of USD 27 million. The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) assisted the government with developing the project and will act as the implementing agency, as a continuation of a long-standing partnership on resilience-building and strengthened environmental stewardship

    Madagascar’s coastal ecosystems—mangroves, coral reefs, and coastal forests—serve as natural buffers against rising seas, intensifying cyclones, and coastal erosion. Yet these ecosystems are under growing pressure from deforestation, overfishing, and a changing climate. Coastal zones support more than 75% of the local population by providing, for example, marine species for fisheries or valuable non-timber forest products.

    The new project aims to enhance the resilience of both ecosystems and communities through nature-based solutions, conventionally  referred to as ecosystem-based adaptation.

    In close coordination with the Regional Directorates for Environment and Sustainable Development (DREDD), the project will support integrated coastal zone management structures, enhance national and local adaptation coordination, and provide revised tools and plans to integrate EbA at the regional and municipal levels.

    The initiative will restore 3,000 hectares of mangroves and coastal forests and rehabilitate 2,000 hectares of degraded watersheds using community-based approaches. Over the course of the project, almost 100,000 people are expected to benefit directly from ecosystem-based adaptation interventions.

    It will also support the creation of 20 ecosystem-based businesses, with a focus on empowering women and youth through access to training, technical support, and equipment. These businesses will span climate-resilient sectors such as sustainable fisheries, aquaculture, beekeeping, ecotourism, and rainfed agriculture.

    An official high-level launch ceremony was held on 15 July at Hôtel Le Louvre Antaninarenina, bringing together representatives from national ministries, UN agencies, civil society, and development partners. 

    In her opening speech at the ceremony, the Secretary General of Environment and Sustainable Development Hahitantsoa Tokinirina Razafimahefa, said: “Restoring mangroves means protecting the coastline, supporting sustainable small-scale fishing, creating natural carbon sinks, and preserving nesting sites for rare species. In other words, it means acting on adaptation, mitigation, food security, and biodiversity conservation—all at once.”

    Paz Lopez-Rey, UNEP’s Programme Management Officer for the new project, said: “The project will strengthen local governance for integrated coastal zone management, while ensuring the integration of ecosystem-based adaptation into key regional and municipal planning tools. But it will go further than that; it will lead to a national strategy to scale up ecosystem-based adaptation in other vulnerable coastal areas of the country.”

    – on behalf of United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Consolation, community, national identity: what is lost when pubs close – and how they can be saved

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Thomas Thurnell-Read, Reader in Sociology, Loughborough University

    William Perugini/Shutterstock

    Recent figures from the British Beer and Pub Association show that pubs will close at the rate of one a day in the UK during 2025. This is just the latest chapter in a familiar story – more than a quarter of British pubs have closed since 2000.

    The cost of running a pub has risen dramatically. The ingredients used to brew beer all cost more, as do the business rates, rents, duties, utilities and wages required to operate a welcoming venue in which to serve it. Some publicans have reported utility bills doubling in a matter of months.

    Many pubs occupy prime locations and high-value buildings, which, coupled with larger floor space, mean business rates can be high relative to turnover and profit.

    Meanwhile, food offerings which had provided many pubs with a profitable alternative to a drinks-only model have also been hit by rapid increases in costs. Supermarkets and delivery platforms now provide food and drink directly to consumers at prices few licenced venues can compete with. Even pubs that are economically viable are often more profitable converted into residential or retail space.

    These economic challenges accompany wider cultural trends, such as the continued prevalence of home working, changes in drinking habits and competition from alternative forms of in person and online leisure.

    We’ve researched pub closures in England and Wales to learn what the loss of pubs means for the communities who drink and gather in them.

    When pubs closed temporarily during COVID-19 lockdowns, many people realised that what they missed about pubs was not alcohol but the social contact pubs provided. Pubs have a clear social value. They offer a space for people to meet and interact and have been shown to help tackling loneliness and social isolation.

    Our research participants relayed stories of pub closure in relation to their own lives and communities:

    I’ve been consoled in there, I’ve consoled friends in there. We’ve chopped up family issues, work issues. We’ve drunk for the sake of drinking in there.

    Pubs help people feel connected to a local place. When they close, they can become sites of mourning, a painful reminder of change and decline. One resident of a former colliery village in Nottinghamshire said of the pub she had once worked in – now derelict, fire damaged and vandalised as it awaits redevelopment – that despite her wish that it had remained open it was now better to “knock it down” to “put us out of our misery”.

    For many, pubs are a sort of bellwether for wider anxiety about social and generational change. The loss of pubs speaks to where “we” might be heading as a nation or as a community. Our recent analysis of how the British press has reported on pub closures since 2000 shows that a sense of national identity under threat is a recurring theme.

    Both local and national newspapers have made repeated use of the word “our” in this context, warning readers of the grave threat to “our pubs” and “our heritage”, often invoking an idyllic image of rural life. However, much of this coverage has also praised the pub as a great leveller, as a place where people come together as a community to socialise despite their differences.

    Can pubs be saved?

    The Campaign for Real Ale, the leading consumer group for beer drinkers and pub goers, suggests changing planning and licensing laws to protect pubs at local and national levels, and more support and publicity for pubs to cater to changing markets.

    Others have more directly lobbied for duty cuts that give pubs a fighting chance against supermarkets benefiting from economies of scale, VAT exemptions and convenience.

    A hot meal served in a pub incurs a standard 20% rate of VAT, while a supermarket ready meal to be heated at home does not. The rationale for a tax cut to support pubs would rest on the social benefits they offer to communities, in contrast to supermarket-bought alcohol typically consumed at home.

    A boarded-up pub in Bristol.
    Thomas Turnell-Read

    The Localism Act 2011 gave communities the right to bid to take pubs into community ownership, designating them as assets of community value. Yet while there are some terrific examples of community-owned pubs becoming both thriving businesses and a revived focal point for communities, residents in poorer areas lack the resources to sustain viable campaigns.

    In one village in our study, a pub listed as a going concern at £500,000 in fact sold as a development plot for over £660,000. A viability study suggested that an investment of £225,000, plus working capital of at least £20,000, would be needed to reopen the pub. The residents we spoke to all conceded that a purchase was far beyond the modest resources of the local community.

    While the loss of so many pubs is shocking, it obscures the fact that when other licensed venues, such as bars, restaurants and licensed cafes are factored in, the downward trend is flattened – and even reversed in some areas. This suggests a long-term diversification of the sector – the pub is no longer the only option when going out for a drink.

    This may also reflect a feeling that other hospitality venues better cater to different people and groups who may feel less at home in traditional pubs. Some interviewees told us that they felt craft brewery taprooms were more welcoming and family friendly. Others found cafe-bars to have a more appealing mix of coffee, food and both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.

    There’s a long history of pubs adapting to serve new needs and markets. Pub is the Hub, for example, has supported rural pubs to incorporate everything from village shops and libraries to pizza ovens and IT skills hubs. There have been promising experiments with fitting pubs for co-working and meeting space. And micropubs can continue to offer the benefits of a convivial social space, in a back-to-basics approach that reduces the costs of running bigger venues. Pubs can and must evolve.

    Thomas Thurnell-Read receives funding from The Leverhulme Trust.

    Robert Deakin 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. Consolation, community, national identity: what is lost when pubs close – and how they can be saved – https://theconversation.com/consolation-community-national-identity-what-is-lost-when-pubs-close-and-how-they-can-be-saved-260774

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: The Victory Bancorp, Inc. 2025 Second Quarter Earnings

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    LIMERICK, Pa., July 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Victory Bancorp, Inc. (OTCQX: VTYB), the holding company for The Victory Bank, today announced financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2025.

    Financial Highlights for Second Quarter 2025
       
    • Net Consolidated Earnings:
    Net income for the quarter ended June 30, 2025, surged to $693 thousand — a $404 thousand increase over the $289 thousand reported in Q2 2024. This substantial growth reflects the continued strength of our financial performance. Return on average equity climbed to 9.07%, up from 7.30% in the previous quarter and more than doubling the 4.08% reported a year ago. Return on average assets also improved significantly, rising to 0.59% from 0.25% in Q2 2024.
       
    • Deposit Growth:
    The bank opened a new branch in spring 2025 in the Horsham market. This new location, along with targeted promotions tied to the opening, has contributed to the growth in deposits in Q2. Total deposits grew to $426.43 million as of June 30, 2025, an increase of $41.82 million from June 30, 2024. This deposit growth has supported strategic balance sheet expansion while enabling the Bank to fully eliminate its highest funding source, borrowings, as of Q2 2025.
       
    • Book Value:
    Book value per common share rose to $15.57 as of June 30, 2025, compared to $14.84 at year-end 2024 and $14.28 as of June 30, 2024.
       
    • Stockholders’ Equity:
    Stockholders’ equity increased to $30.99 million, up from $29.34 million at December 31, 2024, and $28.16 million a year ago. This growth continues to reinforce the company’s strong capital position.
       
    • Credit Quality and Loan Metrics:
    Credit quality remained strong, with no nonperforming assets reported for the quarter and net charge-offs at -0.01%, indicating net recoveries. The allowance for credit losses to total loans stood at 0.88%, reflecting continued sound risk management practices.
       
    • Earnings per Share:
    Basic and diluted earnings per common share were $0.35 and $0.34, respectively, for Q2 2025, compared to $0.15 basic and $0.14 diluted in Q2 2024.

    Chairman and Bank Leader Joseph W. Major commented,

    “Victory Bancorp delivered an extraordinary second quarter in 2025, with net income soaring 140% compared to Q2 of 2024 — a remarkable milestone that highlights the strength and resilience of our financial performance. This improvement was powered by disciplined cost control, strong loan portfolio health, and continued deposit growth. We remained focused on protecting our margin by carefully managing interest expense on new deposits and maintaining rigorous pricing discipline on new loans. Our book value per share climbed to a record high of $15.57, and return on equity exceeded 9%, signaling continued momentum and exceptional operational execution.”

    “We continue to see the benefits of our community-focused relationship banking model and the dedication of our exceptional team. As we enter the second half of the year, we remain focused on supporting the financial success of our clients, expanding responsibly, and delivering sustained value to shareholders. The opening of our new Horsham branch further extends our footprint into a vibrant and growing market, positioning us to serve more businesses and individuals while deepening our community impact.”

    Victory Bancorp, Inc. is traded on the OTCQX market under the symbol VTYB and is the parent company of The Victory Bank. The Bank, founded in 2008, is a Pennsylvania state-chartered commercial bank headquartered in Limerick Township, Montgomery County. It offers a full range of banking services, including checking and savings accounts, home equity lines of credit, and personal loans. In addition to traditional banking, the Bank specializes in high-quality business lending, serving small and mid-sized businesses and professionals. With four offices across Montgomery and Berks Counties, it is dedicated to meeting the financial needs of the local community. For more information, visit its website at VictoryBank.com. FDIC-Insured.

    This presentation may contain forward-looking statements (within the meaning of Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995). Actual results may differ materially from the results discussed in these forward-looking statements. Factors that might cause such a difference include, but are not limited to, general economic conditions, changes in interest rates, deposit flows, loan demand, real estate values, and competition; changes in accounting principles, policies, or guidelines; changes in legislation or regulation; and other economic; competitive, governmental, regulatory, and technological factors affecting the Company’s operations, pricing, products, and services.

    Contact:
    Joseph W. Major,
    Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

    Robert H. Schultz,
    Chief Financial Officer, Chief Operating Officer

    Owen Magers
    Investor Relations
    484-791-3435

    The Victory Bancorp, Inc.
    548 N. Lewis Rd.
    Limerick, PA 19468

             
    CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS (unaudited) 
    (dollars in thousands, except per share data)
        3 Months Ended
        Jun 30,   Dec 31,   Jun 30,
    Selected Financial Data   2025   2024   2024
                 
    Investment securities $ 43,323   $ 44,642   $ 46,325  
                 
    Loans, net of allowance for credit losses   392,557     390,954     396,499  
                 
    Total assets   477,089     461,024     469,787  
                 
    Deposits   426,433     397,080     384,615  
                 
    Borrowings   0     15,440     42,617  
                 
    Subordinated debt   17,342     17,309     12,843  
                 
    Stockholders’ equity $ 30,987   $ 29,337   $ 28,155  
                 
    Book value per common share $ 15.57   $ 14.84   $ 14.28  
                 
    Allowance/loans   0.88 %   0.92 %   0.89 %
                 
    Nonperforming assets/total assets   0.00 %   0.05 %   0.01 %
                 
        3 Months Ended
        Jun 30,   Dec 31,   Jun 30,
    Selected Operations Data   2025   2024   2024
                 
    Interest income $ 7,149   $ 7,281   $ 7,200  
                 
    Interest expense   3,620     3,886     3,994  
                 
    Net interest income   3,529     3,395     3,206  
                 
    Provision for loan losses   (75 )   (32 )   110  
                 
    Other income   257     299     209  
                 
    Other expense   2,980     3,000     2,935  
                 
    Income before income taxes   881     726     370  
                 
    Income taxes   (188 )   (168 )   (81 )
    Net income $ 693   $ 558   $ 289  
                 
                 
    Earnings per common share (basic) $ 0.35   $ 0.28   $ 0.15  
                 
    Earnings per common share (diluted) $ 0.34   $ 0.28   $ 0.14  
                 
    Return on average assets (annualized)   0.59 %   0.48 %   0.25 %
                 
    Return on average equity (annualized)   9.07 %   7.58 %   4.08 %
                 
    Net charge-offs(recoveries)/average loans   (0.01 )%   0.00 %   0.01 %

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Flags flying high again across the district after parks and open spaces scoop top national awards Flags will once again proudly fly over many of Lancaster City Council’s parks and public spaces after they retained coveted national recognition for their outstanding standards.

    Source: City of Lancaster

    Flags will once again proudly fly over many of Lancaster City Council’s parks and public spaces after they retained coveted national recognition for their outstanding standards.

    Happy Mount Park, Regent Park, and Torrisholme Cemetery in Morecambe, along with Williamson Park and Ryelands Park in Lancaster, have all once again received the prestigious Green Flag Award status for 2025.

    The Green Flag, managed by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy, is a mark of excellence, awarded to parks and green spaces that are well-managed, beautifully maintained, and provide top-quality facilities for visitors.

    Williamson Park also once again picked up the Green Heritage Site Accreditation, a special accolade which acknowledges the park’s historical and cultural significance, as well as its exceptional upkeep.

    Councillor Paul Hart, Cabinet Member for Environmental Services, said: “Parks and open spaces are vital to the health and wellbeing of our communities, and we’re absolutely thrilled to see these beloved places recognised once again.

    “This continual achievement is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our council staff, friends’ groups, and volunteers who help maintain these spaces to such a high standard. Our combined efforts ensure that both residents and visitors can continue to enjoy our green spaces at their very best.”

    We work closely with friends’ groups, who help us to make our parks and open spaces great places to enjoy. To find out more about the work of Friends of Parks across the district visit www.lancaster.gov.uk/friends-of-parks

    Last updated: 15 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: East Asia and Pacific Subcommittee Chairwoman Kim Delivers Opening Remarks at Hearing on Critical Mineral Supply Chains

    Source: US House Committee on Foreign Affairs

    Media Contact 202-321-9747

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, House Foreign Affairs East Asia and Pacific Subcommittee Chairwoman Young Kim delivered opening remarks at a hearing titled, “Breaking China’s Chokehold on Critical Mineral Supply Chains.”

    Watch Here

    -Remarks-

    Good morning and welcome to East Asia and the Pacific Subcommittee hearing titled Breaking China’s Chokehold on Critical Mineral Supply Chains. I want to thank our witnesses for joining us this morning.
    Critical minerals — lithium, cobalt, real earth elements, and others — are the building blocks of modern technology, powering electric vehicles, microchips, and advanced defense systems. Global demand for these minerals is surging. With lithium demand alone, growing nearly 30% annually from 2021 to 2024, driven by rising electric vehicle battery production. Yet, the People’s Republic of China, or PRC, controls 92% of global rare earth element processing and dominates the manufacturing of battery and magnet components. This chokehold reinforced by China’s tens of billions in global mining investments and tactics like price manipulation and export restrictions poses a direct threat to the United States and our allies.
    While the U.S. possesses significant mineral resources, domestic production alone cannot meet the speed or scale of this demand. The U.S. manufacturing, they operate their operation costs, increased significantly in the region, increasing the regional bureau.
    It will take decades to permit natural mining in America. Moreover, the federal government lacks the financial capacity to fully subsidize the level of investment needed to drive large scale private sector investment expansion of domestic production, relying solely on domestic solutions is insufficient. Therefore, we need a bold global strategy to secure resilient, diversified supply chains free from Chinese control.
    The current geopolitical landscape offers an opportune window to act. The recent developments such as President Trump’s critical minerals agreement with Ukraine and the U.S. facilitated peace deal in the Democratic Republic of Congo, open new opportunities to access vital resources.
    We’ve also seen coordination like the recently announced quad critical minerals initiative underscore the importance of critical minerals to broader regional engagement. As the administration renegotiates trade relationships, we can strengthen partnerships with our allies to build non-Chinese supply chains, enhancing both economic and national security.
    So in today’s hearing, we will explore these challenges and opportunities. We will examine how to build a proactive global strategy to establish supply chains free from Chinese dominance. So our goal today is very clear: to ensure the United States and its allies have secure, reliable access to the critical minerals that will define the future of technology and security. I look forward to a productive discussion.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Federal Correctional Officer Pleads Guilty to Attempting to Smuggle Contraband into Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Defendant Stashed Marijuana and Cigarettes Inside Government-Issued Protective Vest

    Earlier today in federal court in Brooklyn, former federal correctional officer Najee Jackson pleaded guilty to attempted provision of contraband in prison.  In January 2025, while working as a correctional officer at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn (MDC-Brooklyn), the defendant attempted to smuggle vacuum-sealed bags of marijuana and cigarettes into the facility inside his Bureau of Prisons-issued protective vest.  The proceeding was held before United States District Judge Orelia E. Merchant.  When sentenced, Jackson faces up to five years in prison.

    Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Ryan T. Geach, Special Agent in Charge, Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General (DOJ-OIG), announced the guilty plea.

    “The defendant admitted to bringing contraband into the very jail he was charged with protecting,” stated United States Attorney Nocella.  “His actions undermined the safety and security of his fellow correctional officers and the inmates at MDC-Brooklyn.  As today’s conviction demonstrates, my Office will ensure that anyone who would abuse their position of trust at a federal prison is brought to justice.”

    “The Office of the Inspector General remains committed to rooting out corruption within our federal prisons,” stated DOJ OIG Special Agent in Charge Geach.  “Today’s guilty plea demonstrates that those who betray the trust and jeopardize the safety of their fellow correctional officers and citizens will face consequences for doing so.”

    As set forth in court filings and on the record at today’s plea proceeding, Jackson became a correctional officer at MDC-Brooklyn in November 2023.  On January 21, 2025, Jackson arrived at the jail around 12:15 a.m. to begin working a night shift.  As with all staff members at MDC-Brooklyn, Jackson was required to pass through a metal detector and place his belongings on a conveyor belt that passes through an x-ray machine.  Jackson made several failed attempts to clear the metal detector and eventually removed his Bureau of Prisons-issued protective vest, which was found to contain vacuum‑sealed bags of marijuana and cigarettes.  Two days later, Jackson resigned from the Bureau of Prisons.

    The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Public Integrity Section. Assistant United States  Attorney Russell Noble is in charge of the prosecution.

    The Defendant:

    NAJEE JACKSON
    Age:  32
    Brooklyn, New York

    E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 25-CR-67 (OEM)

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: S. 1478, Countering Wrongful Detention Act of 2025

    Source: US Congressional Budget Office

    S. 1478 would require the Administration to establish an advisory council on federal policies to deter the wrongful detention and hostage-taking of U.S. nationals. Council members would be compensated for their travel expenses. The bill would authorize the Department of State to publicly designate foreign countries that improperly detain U.S. nationals and require the department to review federal actions to deter and respond to such unlawful detentions. The bill would require air carriers and ticket agents servicing the United States to inform passengers if they are traveling to a designated country. Lastly, S. 1478 would require the Administration to report to the Congress on its actions under the bill and on related matters.

    On the basis of information about similar advisory councils and reporting requirements, CBO estimates that implementing the bill would cost less than $500,000 each year and total $1 million over the 2025-2030 period. Such spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds.

    The bill would impose a private-sector mandate as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA) by requiring air carriers and ticket agents to notify passengers of travel advisories to countries designated as improperly detaining U.S. nationals. Passengers would have to certify that they have reviewed the advisories and understand the risks of travel. CBO estimates the cost of compliance would be small because carriers and agents would update their existing systems for notifications and disclosures to passengers. The bill would not exceed the threshold established in UMRA for private-sector mandates ($206 million in 2025, adjusted annually for inflation).

    The bill would not impose intergovernmental mandates as defined in UMRA.

    The CBO staff contacts for this estimate are Sunita D’Monte (for federal costs) and Brandon Lever (for mandates). The estimate was reviewed by Christina Hawley Anthony, Deputy Director of Budget Analysis.

    Phillip L. Swagel

    Director, Congressional Budget Office

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Ukrainian Prime Minister Resigns

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

    Kyiv, July 15 (Xinhua) — Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal announced on Telegram on Tuesday that he has resigned.

    D. Shmyhal did not explain the reason for his decision. However, a day earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky proposed that the first vice-premier, the country’s Minister of Economy Yulia Svyrydenko head the Ukrainian government.

    D. Shmyhal has been the Prime Minister of Ukraine since March 4, 2020. –0–

    Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Kazakhstan exported 39.6 million tons of oil in the first half of the year

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

    ALMATY, July 15 (Xinhua) — Kazakhstan produced 49.9 million tons of oil and exported 39.6 million tons in the first half of 2025, the Kazinform news agency reported on Tuesday, citing Kazakh Energy Minister Yerlan Akkenzhenov.

    “The volume of oil production for the reporting period amounted to 49.9 million tons, which is 111.6 percent compared to the same period last year. By the end of the year, production of 96.2 million tons of oil is expected,” noted E. Akkenzhenov.

    According to him, in the first six months Kazakhstan exported 39.6 million tons of oil, which is 11.9 percent more year-on-year.

    By the end of the year, Kazakhstan plans to export 70.5 million tons of oil. –0–

    Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Larsen Demands Portland Family Detained in Ferndale Have Access to Attorney; Judge Grants Emergency Temporary Restraining Order

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Rick Larsen (2nd Congressional District Washington)

    Today, a federal judge granted an preventing U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) from removing the Merlos family from the court’s jurisdiction. The family, including four U.S. citizen children, is from Portland, O.R. has been held without counsel for two weeks in Ferndale, W.A..

    The judge’s order is in response to the Merlos family’s attorney Jill Nedved filing a lawsuit on Monday. The lawsuit demands that the family have access to an attorney before they are removed from the country, and it is supported by the American Civil Liberties Union and the National Immigration Law Center.

    On Sunday, Representative Rick Larsen, Representative Maxine Dexter, M.D. and other lawmakers sent a to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and CBP setting a deadline of 10:00 a.m. PT on Monday, July 14 to grant the Merlos family access to their attorney.

    “We write to raise urgent concerns regarding the detention of Ms. Kenia Jackeline Merlos and her four U.S. citizen children—triplets, all 9 years old, and a 7 year old child— by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at the Bellingham Border Patrol Station. It is unconscionable that Ms. Merlos and her citizen children have not received access to legal counsel in the 15 days they have been detained. We demand that Ms. Merlos has access to speak with her counsel, Jill Nedved, or an attorney with her firm Gonzales, Gonzales, and Gonzales Immigration Law Offices immediately…

    “The Merlos family is a valuable part of our community. Friends of the family have described them as kind, hardworking, small business owners, who are devoted to their church congregation and neighbors. We demand their access to counsel and will continue to advocate for them to be able to stay home in the Pacific Northwest.”

    Rep. Larsen will continue to support Rep. Dexter as she assists her constituents detained in Ferndale.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: What Trump’s decision to send more weapons to Ukraine will mean for the war

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By David Hastings Dunn, Professor of International Politics in the Department of Political Science and International Studies, University of Birmingham

    At face value, Donald Trump’s announcement about his plans on Russia and Ukraine look like a major policy change. Speaking from the Oval Office on July 14, where he had been meeting with Nato secretary general Mark Rutte, the US president said he would send “top-of-the-line-weapons” to help Kyiv and – unless a ceasefire deal is agreed inside a 50-day time limit – the US would impose secondary sanctions on any countries dealing with Russia.

    But while this represents a significant departure from Trump’s previous approach, it’s more of a step back towards the policy approach of his predecessor Joe Biden than the U-turn that some commentators are claiming.

    For months Russia has stepped up its bombardment of Ukraine, buoyed by the fact that neither the US Congress nor the White House has authorised any new military aid to Kyiv. Moscow would have been aware of this lack of US action and its missile and drone attacks against Ukraine have aimed to run down the stocks of air defence missiles supplied by Biden while paying lip service to the idea of peace negotiations.

    For Trump the penny appears finally to have dropped as to what was happening. His frustration and disappointment in Putin is what has finally led to him calling this out. According to Trump, Putin “fooled a lot of people – Clinton, Bush, Obama, Biden – he didn’t fool me. At a certain point talk doesn’t talk, it’s got to be action”.

    The decision to send new supplies of defensive – and potentially even longer-range offensive missiles – to Ukraine (even if the Europeans pay for them) is an important signal to Russia. But so too is the threat of tariffs of 100% on countries, such as India and China, that sustain the Russian economy by buying its oil and gas at knockdown prices.

    The US senate, led by Lindsay Graham, the influential Republican senator for South Carolina, has been itching to pass these secondary sanctions for months. Now that the Trump administration appears to have adopted this plan it is a significant policy instrument to pile the pressure on Russia.

    The change in Trump’s approach may also mean that the $US8 billion (£6 billion) of frozen Russian assets in the US (and US$223 billion in Europe) could be released to aid Ukraine, which would provide a ready means to pay for the US arms transfers.

    Limits to US support

    What has not changed, however, is the goal of Trump’s policy towards the war in Ukraine. While the Biden administration called out the illegality of Putin’s unprovoked aggression and called for the restoration of Ukrainian sovereignty, Trump is merely calling for a ceasefire.

    Trump may say he is “disappointed” with Putin, but he has not labelled him as the aggressor. In fact at one point he was blaming Ukraine for the invasion. And, significantly, he has not demanded that Russia give up the 20% of Ukraine that it currently illegally occupies.

    As at July 14, Russian troops occupy about 20% of Ukraine’s sovereign territory.
    Institute for the Study of War

    The US president is also silent on what the US would commit to in terms of security and stability for Ukraine after the fighting stops. This is a much bigger question than Ukraine’s Nato membership. America’s European allies in Nato regard some sort of stability force on Ukrainian territory as necessary to deter any future Russian aggression.

    Whether or not US troops would be involved (and all the signs are that they would not), some sort of US security “back-stop” or guarantee is still seen in Europe as key to its success – as would be US logistical and intelligence support for its operation.

    But why the 50-day delay?

    Another aspect of the change in Trump’s policy is the long lead time that Russia has been given to come to the table. A lot of Ukrainian civilians are likely to die during this period if the intense bombardment continues. On the battlefield, 50 days would give the Russians an extended window during a renewed summer offensive to make further territorial gains inside the occupied provinces.

    So Trump’s proposals have to be viewed through the prism of his propensity to set deadlines that are then pushed back multiple times – as with the on-again, off-again tariffs, which have given Trump the nickname Taco (“Trump always chickens out”) on Wall Street.

    Russian senator, Konstantin Kosachev, was certainly taking this view when he told the BBC after Trump’s announcement that, “if this is all Trump had to say about Ukraine today, then so far it’s been much ado about nothing”.

    This sentiment was shared by the Russian stock market which rose 2.7% in the aftermath of Trump’s announcement. Analysts had expected much worse, so the long delay in the prospect of anything actually happening was clearly seen as a long way off and potentially subject to change or cancellation. Trump is seen by many as both inconsistent in his threats and unpredictable as to where policy will eventually settle.

    The fact that Trump told BBC Washington correspondent Gary O’Donoghue that while he was “disappointed” with Putin, he was “not done with him” – and his clear reluctance to act quickly and decisively in sanctioning Russia – should be seen as an important counterpart to the apparent policy shift.

    Like so many things with the 47th US president, it’s important not to react to the media appearances or the headlines they provoke, without also paying attention to the policy actions of his administration.

    David Hastings Dunn has previously received funding from the ESRC, the Gerda Henkel Foundation, the Open Democracy Foundation and has previously been both a NATO and a Fulbright Fellow.

    – ref. What Trump’s decision to send more weapons to Ukraine will mean for the war – https://theconversation.com/what-trumps-decision-to-send-more-weapons-to-ukraine-will-mean-for-the-war-261192

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Taurine could power your energy drink – and maybe cancer cells too. Here’s what you need to know

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Gulshanara (Rumy) Begum, Senior Lecturer in Nutrition & Exercise Science, University of Westminster

    shutterstock New Africa/Shutterstock

    Energy drinks are big business. Marketed as quick fixes for fatigue and performance dips, energy drinks are especially popular among young people, athletes, sports enthusiasts, and so-called “weekend warriors” – people who pack their workouts into the weekend instead of exercising regularly. Gamers are now a major target too.

    But as the market grows, so do concerns about what’s actually in these drinks – and what these ingredients might be doing to our bodies.

    Many energy drinks contain some combination of three familiar stimulants: caffeine, found naturally in coffee, tea and cacao; guarana, an Amazonian plant rich in caffeine; and taurine, a naturally occurring amino acid found in scallops, mussels, turkey and chicken.

    Taurine, in particular, has drawn both hype and hope. It is credited with performance-enhancing properties and potential health benefits. But new research is raising important questions about how it behaves in the body – and when it might do more harm than good.

    In May 2025, a study published in Nature sparked headlines and unease in equal measure. It found that taurine may fuel the progression of leukaemia, a group of blood cancers that begin in the bone marrow.

    The study showed that while healthy bone marrow cells naturally produce taurine, leukaemia cells cannot. But they can absorb taurine from their surroundings and use it as a fuel source to grow and multiply. Research on mice and in human leukaemia cell samples demonstrated that taurine in the tumour microenvironment – the area around a tumour that includes blood vessels, immune cells and structural support – accelerated the progression of leukaemia.

    Crucially, when researchers blocked taurine uptake by leukaemia cells (using genetic techniques), cancer progression slowed significantly. The authors suggest taurine supplements could potentially worsen outcomes in people with leukaemia and propose that developing targeted ways to block taurine uptake by cancer cells might offer a new treatment strategy.

    Taurine: friend or foe?

    Taurine is one of the most abundant free amino acids in the human body, found in especially high concentrations in the heart, muscles and brain. In healthy people, it’s mainly obtained through diet, but the body can also synthesise taurine from the amino acids methionine and cysteine, provided it has enough vitamin B6, which is found in foods such as salmon, tuna, chicken, bananas and milk.

    Most people consuming a typical western diet take in 40mg–400mg of taurine a day from food alone. This figure refers only to taurine that is directly ingested, not including the additional amount the body can synthesise internally, which may vary depending on age, diet and health.

    Scallops contain high levels of taurine.
    barmalini/Shutterstock

    Taurine is listed on the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) generally recognised as safe (GRAS) database, and according to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), it’s safe to consume up to six grams per day. By comparison, a serving of Red Bull or Monster contains around one gram – comfortably below that threshold.

    Despite recent concerns about a possible link to blood cancer progression, taurine isn’t inherently harmful. In fact, some people may benefit from supplementation, especially those receiving long-term parenteral nutrition, where nutrients are delivered directly into the bloodstream because the gut isn’t working properly. People with chronic liver, kidney or heart failure may also have trouble producing or holding on to enough taurine, making supplementation helpful in specific clinical settings.

    Ironically, some research suggests taurine may actually help reduce the side effects of chemotherapy in leukaemia patients – even as emerging studies raise concerns that it could also fuel the disease. This contradiction underscores how much context matters: the effects of taurine depend not just on dosage and delivery, but also on the patient’s underlying condition. What helps in one context, could harm in another.

    But here’s the catch: taking taurine as a supplement for particular health reasons is very different from consuming large quantities through energy drinks, which often combine taurine with high levels of caffeine and sugar. This combination can put strain on the heart, interfere with sleep and increase the risk of side effects, particularly for people with underlying health conditions or those taking other stimulants.

    The latest research raises important questions about whether taurine-heavy products could be harmful in some cases, especially for people with, or at risk of, blood cancers.

    So, should you worry?

    According to the current evidence, if you’re a healthy adult who occasionally sips an energy drink, there’s little cause for alarm. But moderation is key. Consuming multiple high-taurine drinks daily or taking taurine supplements (without prior professional consultation), on top of a taurine-rich diet might not be wise, especially if future research confirms links between taurine and cancer progression.

    Until more is known, the safest approach would be to enjoy your energy boosts by consuming a nutritious diet rather than consuming energy drinks. If you have any underlying health conditions – or a family history of cancer – it’s always best to consult a healthcare professional before diving into taurine supplementation or consumption of energy drinks.

    Gulshanara (Rumy) Begum 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. Taurine could power your energy drink – and maybe cancer cells too. Here’s what you need to know – https://theconversation.com/taurine-could-power-your-energy-drink-and-maybe-cancer-cells-too-heres-what-you-need-to-know-256957

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: The number of cars owned by citizens of Uzbekistan has exceeded 4.5 million

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

    Tashkent, July 15 (Xinhua) — As of April 1, 2025, more than 4.5 million cars owned by individuals were registered in Uzbekistan, local media reported on Tuesday, citing the National Statistics Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

    According to the agency, as of April 1, 2025, 4.5221 million cars owned by individuals were registered in Uzbekistan.

    According to statistics, the largest share of registered vehicles were passenger cars – approximately 4.2 million units.

    In November 2024, the permanent population of Uzbekistan reached 37.5 million people. –0–

    Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: What Trump’s decision to send more weapons to Ukraine will mean for the war

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By David Hastings Dunn, Professor of International Politics in the Department of Political Science and International Studies, University of Birmingham

    At face value, Donald Trump’s announcement about his plans on Russia and Ukraine look like a major policy change. Speaking from the Oval Office on July 14, where he had been meeting with Nato secretary general Mark Rutte, the US president said he would send “top-of-the-line-weapons” to help Kyiv and – unless a ceasefire deal is agreed inside a 50-day time limit – the US would impose secondary sanctions on any countries dealing with Russia.

    But while this represents a significant departure from Trump’s previous approach, it’s more of a step back towards the policy approach of his predecessor Joe Biden than the U-turn that some commentators are claiming.

    For months Russia has stepped up its bombardment of Ukraine, buoyed by the fact that neither the US Congress nor the White House has authorised any new military aid to Kyiv. Moscow would have been aware of this lack of US action and its missile and drone attacks against Ukraine have aimed to run down the stocks of air defence missiles supplied by Biden while paying lip service to the idea of peace negotiations.

    For Trump the penny appears finally to have dropped as to what was happening. His frustration and disappointment in Putin is what has finally led to him calling this out. According to Trump, Putin “fooled a lot of people – Clinton, Bush, Obama, Biden – he didn’t fool me. At a certain point talk doesn’t talk, it’s got to be action”.

    The decision to send new supplies of defensive – and potentially even longer-range offensive missiles – to Ukraine (even if the Europeans pay for them) is an important signal to Russia. But so too is the threat of tariffs of 100% on countries, such as India and China, that sustain the Russian economy by buying its oil and gas at knockdown prices.

    The US senate, led by Lindsay Graham, the influential Republican senator for South Carolina, has been itching to pass these secondary sanctions for months. Now that the Trump administration appears to have adopted this plan it is a significant policy instrument to pile the pressure on Russia.

    The change in Trump’s approach may also mean that the $US8 billion (£6 billion) of frozen Russian assets in the US (and US$223 billion in Europe) could be released to aid Ukraine, which would provide a ready means to pay for the US arms transfers.

    Limits to US support

    What has not changed, however, is the goal of Trump’s policy towards the war in Ukraine. While the Biden administration called out the illegality of Putin’s unprovoked aggression and called for the restoration of Ukrainian sovereignty, Trump is merely calling for a ceasefire.

    Trump may say he is “disappointed” with Putin, but he has not labelled him as the aggressor. In fact at one point he was blaming Ukraine for the invasion. And, significantly, he has not demanded that Russia give up the 20% of Ukraine that it currently illegally occupies.

    As at July 14, Russian troops occupy about 20% of Ukraine’s sovereign territory.
    Institute for the Study of War

    The US president is also silent on what the US would commit to in terms of security and stability for Ukraine after the fighting stops. This is a much bigger question than Ukraine’s Nato membership. America’s European allies in Nato regard some sort of stability force on Ukrainian territory as necessary to deter any future Russian aggression.

    Whether or not US troops would be involved (and all the signs are that they would not), some sort of US security “back-stop” or guarantee is still seen in Europe as key to its success – as would be US logistical and intelligence support for its operation.

    But why the 50-day delay?

    Another aspect of the change in Trump’s policy is the long lead time that Russia has been given to come to the table. A lot of Ukrainian civilians are likely to die during this period if the intense bombardment continues. On the battlefield, 50 days would give the Russians an extended window during a renewed summer offensive to make further territorial gains inside the occupied provinces.

    So Trump’s proposals have to be viewed through the prism of his propensity to set deadlines that are then pushed back multiple times – as with the on-again, off-again tariffs, which have given Trump the nickname Taco (“Trump always chickens out”) on Wall Street.

    Russian senator, Konstantin Kosachev, was certainly taking this view when he told the BBC after Trump’s announcement that, “if this is all Trump had to say about Ukraine today, then so far it’s been much ado about nothing”.

    This sentiment was shared by the Russian stock market which rose 2.7% in the aftermath of Trump’s announcement. Analysts had expected much worse, so the long delay in the prospect of anything actually happening was clearly seen as a long way off and potentially subject to change or cancellation. Trump is seen by many as both inconsistent in his threats and unpredictable as to where policy will eventually settle.

    The fact that Trump told BBC Washington correspondent Gary O’Donoghue that while he was “disappointed” with Putin, he was “not done with him” – and his clear reluctance to act quickly and decisively in sanctioning Russia – should be seen as an important counterpart to the apparent policy shift.

    Like so many things with the 47th US president, it’s important not to react to the media appearances or the headlines they provoke, without also paying attention to the policy actions of his administration.

    David Hastings Dunn has previously received funding from the ESRC, the Gerda Henkel Foundation, the Open Democracy Foundation and has previously been both a NATO and a Fulbright Fellow.

    – ref. What Trump’s decision to send more weapons to Ukraine will mean for the war – https://theconversation.com/what-trumps-decision-to-send-more-weapons-to-ukraine-will-mean-for-the-war-261192

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Morocco: His Majesty (HM) the King Congratulates Sultan of Brunei Darussalam on Birthday

    Source: APO – Report:

    .

    His Majesty King Mohammed VI has sent a message of congratulations to the Sultan of Brunei Darussalam, His Majesty Haji Hassanal Bolkiah, on the occasion of his birthday.

    In this message, His Majesty the King extends His warmest congratulations and sincere wishes for good health and happiness to the Sultan of Brunei Darussalam and his esteemed royal family, as well as for progress and prosperity to his brotherly people, under his wise leadership.

    The Sovereign takes pride in the brotherly bonds and mutual esteem that unite the two brotherly peoples, as well as in the strong ties of fruitful cooperation and solidarity between their two nations.

    His Majesty the King also reaffirms His firm resolve to continue working alongside HM Haji Hassanal Bolkiah to further elevate these relations to the highest level, in fulfillment of the shared aspirations of both peoples for greater prosperity and well-being.

    – on behalf of Kingdom of Morocco – Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Seeding gender empowerment: Women farmers in Peru contend with climate change

    Source: United Nations 2

    Ácora, located in the southeast corner of Peru almost 3,800 kilometres above sea level, is one of the Peruvian regions which has been most impacted by climate change – endangering crop production and biodiversity in addition to worsening food insecurity.

    “It was not like this before, the climate has changed a lot,” said Pascuala Pari, head of the Sumaq Chuyma Association in Ácora.

    Around the world, women farmers like Ms. Pari, who already face a series of intersectional challenges, are working tirelessly to secure their livelihoods despite an increasingly untenable climate situation.

    “Women in particular shoulder the burden of food insecurity as traditional caregivers which is intensified during climate crises,” said Bochola Sara Arero, a youth representative from the World Food Forum, at a side event during the ongoing UN High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development on Monday.

    Intersecting goals

    The forum in New York has been convened to discuss the Sustainable Development Goals, adopted in 2015 to promote global development for current and future generations.

    With only 18 per cent of these internationally agreed upon goals on track to being met by 2030, the Secretary-General António Guterres has called for urgent action and sustained multilateralism to address this gap.

    Mr. Guterres has also said that this forum is a unique opportunity to discuss the intersection between various goals, including the intersection between gender equality and climate change.

    A bipolar climate

    Last year in Ácora, dealing with a climate that oscillated between drought and torrential rains was next to impossible for the women who relied on the land.

    Crops would not grow and agrobiodiversity was under threat. In a country where 17.6 million people already experience food insecurity, this dual threat had the potential to wreak havoc on livelihoods.

    In response, Ms Pari and other women in Ácora formed seed banks. Not only do organizations like seed banks preserve indigenous agrobiodiversity, they also help sustain the livelihoods of women in the region.

    “Our crops were in danger of extinction, but now people are harvesting again and we are changing that,” said Fanny Ninaraqui, leader of the Ayrumas Carumas Association.

    Seeds that are not planted can be traded or bartered with other seed bank owners. Over 125 varieties of native crops have now been preserved across the region.

    “I am happy with my little seed bank … Now I have all kinds of quinoa: black, red, white. This supports me economically because I preserve and sell my products at local markets,” Ms. Pari said.

    © UNDP/MINAM/PPD/Nuria Angeles

    Aymara communities in Ácora are working to recover and conserve their agrobiodiversity.

    Once shut, doors open for women farmers

    In addition to climate challenges, women farmers also face a lack of legal rights. Specifically, they often do not have titles to their land.

    According to the Secretary-General’s Sustainable Development Report, released Monday, 58 per cent of the countries with available data lacked sufficient protection for women’s land rights.

    “Women’s land rights are fundamental for women’s voice and agency, livelihoods and well-being and resilience as well as for broader development outcomes,” said Seemin Qayum, policy advisor at UN Women.

    The in-depth report also noted that less than half of women had secure rights to land, with men being twice as likely to have land deeds and other protected property rights. [1]

    Experts say that insufficient legal protections not only negatively impact economic outcomes for women, they also sideline women’s needs and voices in policymaking. Therefore, it is essential to institute legal protections which formally recognize women as farmers.

    “When you are recognized as a farmer, a world of possibilities, a world of resources – opportunities for representation and rights – become available to you. Doors open,” said Carol Boudreaux, Senior Director of Land Programs at Landesa.

    © UNDP/MINAM/PPD/Nuria Angeles

    Another method implemented is the rehabiWaru warus in Thunco: an ancient farming technique with canals and raised beds to manage droughts and floods.

    Beyond legal protections

    While legal land rights are essential, they are not in and of themselves enough to empower rural women.

    “Initiatives that aim to change discriminatory social norms and institutions are also needed,” said Clara Park, senior gender officer at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

    Women in Ácora recognize that it is not just climate change which is negatively impacting their livelihoods – they are also grappling with unequal social norms.

    “When you are young and a woman, someone always tries to limit your progress,” Ms. Ninaraqui said.

    In Ácora, international and civil society organizations, including the UN Development Programme (UNDP), have worked to help women establish their seed banks and ensure that these women have the capacity to manage them long-term.

    “I can lead, I can teach what I have learned, now I feel I have this capacity,” Ms Pari said.

    Intergenerational knowledge

    Women like Ms. Pari and Ms. Ninaraqui are part of the Aymara indigenous community in Ácora. For them, the seed banks are a form of innovation which allows them to build upon indigenous knowledge regarding agrobiodiversity.

    “We are recovering the seeds from our grandparents’ time,” said Ms. Pari.

    And as they save these seeds, Ms. Pari said they are also thinking of the future.

    “Today, I would tell more women to keep going, to not be discouraged by what others think, and to take initiative like I did,” said Ms. Pari.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: South Africa: Presidency condemns Democratic Alliance (DA) harassment of Presidential Envoy, Mcebisi Jonas

    Source: APO – Report:

    .

    The Presidency cautions South Africa against treating Democratic Alliance (DA) disinformation on matters of international relations and diplomacy as official Government policy.

    The DA’s latest effort to embarrass President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Special Envoy to North America, Mr Jonas Mcebisi, involves claims – in the DA’s framing – that the United States has rejected Mr Jonas’s “credentials” and that Mr Jonas is therefore unable to perform his role as Special Envoy.

    The DA seeks to add sensationalism to its claim by suggesting President Ramaphosa and Mr Jonas face a crisis in view of the United States’ pending implementation of trade tariffs announced several days ago by President Donald Trump.

    The facts around this matter include the reality that Special Envoys do not present diplomatic credentials to host countries in the way designated Heads of Mission or other diplomats are.

    While envoys are not required to account publicly for the work they undertake, the President’s own accounts of his performance include elements facilitated by envoys.

    Mr Jonas’s outreach does not in any way supersede the leading role played by the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC) and the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) in our difficult but constructive trade negotiations with the United States, or in our diplomatic relations with this longstanding partner.

    Mr Jonas has, however, played an important role in working with the DTIC to develop the trade proposals in which South Africa is currently engaging the United States in good faith and with the expectation of mutually beneficial terms.

    Similarly, he has been assisting DIRCO in Government’s efforts to reset diplomatic relations and all areas of cooperation between South Africa and the United States.

    While these processes are underway and in view of President Ramaphosa’s telephonic contact with President Trump as well as his Working Visit to Washington in May 2025, President Ramaphosa has not had a need for Mr Jonas to visit the United States on urgent business.

    The Presidency is therefore concerned about the Democratic Alliance’s persistent campaign against South Africa’s national interest and its posture of trying to embarrass and belittle our country and in this specific circumstance, Mr Jonas.

    This campaign has its origins in a Democratic Alliance visit to the United States earlier this year, to advance an ideological agenda rather than our national interest.

    The DA has positioned itself as part of a right-wing nexus that seeks to use a foreign state to effect changes to democratically developed national policies in our own country.

    The DA is trying cheaply but dangerously to exploit a critical engagement between South Africa and the United States to protest President Ramaphosa’s removal of Mr Andrew Whitfield as Deputy Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition.

    The DA’s pronouncements and insults against countries and international organisations – such as the Republic of Cuba or the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees – offends South Africa’s international relations and posture.

    If the DA were to succeed in undermining South Africa relations with various nations or institutions, the party will harm the viability of businesses and livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of South Africans who work in sectors that depend on the expansion of our trade relations with the world.

    – on behalf of The Presidency of the Republic of South Africa.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: The Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) to host Third Basketball Without Borders Women’s Camp at AT&T WNBA All-Star 2025 in Indianapolis

    Source: APO – Report:

    The Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), the National Basketball Association (NBA) (www.NBA.com) and the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) today announced the 40 top high-school-age female prospects from outside the U.S. who will travel to Indianapolis, Ind., for the third Basketball Without Borders (BWB) Global women’s camp, which will be held Thursday, July 17 – Saturday, July 19 at Nicoson Hall on the University of Indianapolis campus as part of AT&T WNBA All-Star 2025.

    The campers will be coached by several current and former WNBA and FIBA players and coaches, including 2025 No. 6 overall pick Georgia Amoore (Washington Mystics; Australia), 1999 WNBA All-Star and two-time NCAA champion Tonya Edwards (U.S.), two-time NCAA champion Kelly Faris (U.S.) and two-time Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Player of the Year Andrea Gardner-Williams.  2004 WNBA All-Star and current Vice President of Team Operations & Organizational Growth for the Boston Celtics Allison Feaster will serve as the camp director.

    The players and coaches will lead the campers through a variety of activities, including movement efficiency drills, offensive and defensive skill stations, three-point contests, 5-on-5 games, and life-skills and leadership development sessions.  The camp will once again be open to WNBA scouts and NCAA coaches following last year’s event where 34 of the campers received NCAA Division I scholarship offers.  The campers will also attend the 2025 AT&T WNBA All-Star Game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on July 19.  

    The event will be supported by Nike, a global partner of BWB since 2002, which will outfit participants with Nike apparel and footwear.

    BWB, the NBA and FIBA’s global basketball development and community outreach program, has reached more than 4,600 participants from 144 countries and territories since 2001, with 142 former campers drafted into the NBA and WNBA or signed as free agents.  Fifteen former BWB campers have advanced to the WNBA, including Ezi Magbegor (Seattle Storm; Australia; BWB Asia 2016), Jade Melbourne (Mystics; Australia; BWB Global 2020), Aaliyah Edwards (Mystics; Canada; BWB Global 2019), Domonique Malonga (Storm; BWB Europe 2022), Nika Muhl (Storm; Croatia; BWB Europe 2018; BWB Global 2019) and Kamilla Cardoso (Chicago Sky; Brazil; BWB Global 2019).  The NBA and FIBA have held 80 BWB camps in 53 cities across 33 countries on six continents.

    Follow the camp using the hashtag #BWBGlobal on Facebook, Instagram and X.  Find out more about BWB at BasketballWithoutBorders.com (https://BWB.NBA.com/), on YouTube (Basketball Without Borders: https://apo-opa.co/46csTll) and on Instagram (@ basketballwithoutborders: https://apo-opa.co/44O1jZs).

    The following is a complete list of players participating in the third BWB Global women’s camp at WNBA All-Star (roster subject to change):

    Name
    Sanja Aksam
    Maria Madalena Martinho Amaro
    Karina Capellán
    Emma D’este
    Fatou Kine Diop
    Misheel Elbegbayar
    Haya El-Halawany
    Rica Enriquez-Paea
    Melissa Guillet
    Amanda Guineo
    Janelle Gyampo
    Ayla Habbal
    Wiktoria Haegenbarth
    Keriana Hippolite
    Hyeonjeong Hwang
    Serena Ishiwatari
    Ya Ida Juwara Skold
    Anna Liepina
    Yu Han Lin
    Eiza Louveton
    Erika Mace
    Kartika Mahanani
    Sarah Aaliyah Mellouk
    Valeria Montero Piña
    Lucy Nchamba
    Nicole Ogun
    Chen Chia Shan Pan
    Maria Perez
    Jasmine Perry
    Maewenn Poilve
    Mika Sakaguchi
    Sena Sert
    Binta Seye
    Manon Simplot
    Maxine Maria Sutisna
    Tiia Talonen
    Nicole Torresani
    Tjasa Turnsek
    Maja Uranker
    Lea Vukic

    – on behalf of National Basketball Association (NBA).

    Contact:
    Kevin Alonzo
    NBA
    kalonzo@NBA.com
    (212) 407-8158

    Media files

    .

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warranted and worthy: Culp pinned in Guard ceremony

    Source: US State of Wyoming

    Wyoming National Guard

    By Joseph Coslett

    GUERNSEY, Wyo. – With applause and a deep sense of tradition, Staff Sgt. Caleb Culp was officially welcomed into the U.S. Army Warrant Officer Corps during a pinning ceremony held June 26, 2025, in Guernsey, Wyoming.

    The ceremony marked a defining moment in Culp’s military journey. One shaped by grit, technical excellence, and a drive to serve at the next level. Surrounded by fellow Soldiers, mentors, and family members, Culp took the oath of office and received his warrant officer one rank insignia, signifying his transition into a new chapter of service.

    “This isn’t just about a rank,” said Chief Warrant Officer 5 Derek Fisbeck, Command Chief Warrant Officer of the Wyoming Army National Guard. “It’s about technical leadership, mentorship, and a lifelong commitment to selfless service. Warrant Officer Culp embodies all of that.”

    Culp graduated from Warrant Officer Candidate School Class 25-0A5 at Fort McClellan, Alabama, on June 4, 2025. His efforts earned him a place on the prestigious Commandant’s List. Wanting to celebrate the accomplishment with those who helped him reach this milestone, he delayed his pinning ceremony until he could return home to Wyoming.

    “It meant everything to have my wife and daughter on stage with me,” Culp said. “They’ve supported me through every long day and late night. Today is as much theirs as it is mine.”

    The ceremony included remarks from senior leaders, a presentation of flowers to Culp’s wife, the administering of the oath by Chief Warrant Officer 4 Duane Messmer, and the traditional first salute—rendered by Staff Sgt. Tracy, a mentor and fellow Soldier. Culp returned the gesture with a silver dollar, honoring military tradition and the bond between enlisted and officer.

    “The silver dollar salute is a symbol of respect,” Culp said. “Tracy helped shape me into the Soldier I am. That moment was one I’ll never forget.”

    Chief Warrant Officer 2 Iesha Bloom, who served as master of ceremonies, also offered reflections on the importance of family support.

    “Behind every strong Soldier is a family that holds the line,” said Bloom. “The strength we celebrate in our formations today is built on a foundation of sacrifice, love, and unshakable support at home.”

    The ceremony concluded with a round of applause and a heartfelt welcome into the Warrant Officer Cohort—a distinguished group of technical experts and leaders trusted with integrating systems and guiding missions.

    Warrant Officer One Caleb Culp is pinned during a Wyoming Army National Guard ceremony in Guernsey, Wyoming, June 26, 2025, celebrating his advancement into the warrant officer ranks. The event honored his achievement, leadership potential, and the family support behind his success. (U.S. Army Guard photo)
    Warrant Officer One Caleb Culp is pinned during a Wyoming Army National Guard ceremony in Guernsey, Wyoming, June 26, 2025, celebrating his advancement into the warrant officer ranks. The event honored his achievement, leadership potential, and the family support behind his success. (U.S. Army Guard photo)
    Warrant Officer One Caleb Culp is pinned during a Wyoming Army National Guard ceremony in Guernsey, Wyoming, June 26, 2025, celebrating his advancement into the warrant officer ranks. The event honored his achievement, leadership potential, and the family support behind his success. (U.S. Army Guard photo)

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warranted and worthy: Culp pinned in Guard ceremony

    Source: US State of Wyoming

    Wyoming National Guard

    By Joseph Coslett

    GUERNSEY, Wyo. – With applause and a deep sense of tradition, Staff Sgt. Caleb Culp was officially welcomed into the U.S. Army Warrant Officer Corps during a pinning ceremony held June 26, 2025, in Guernsey, Wyoming.

    The ceremony marked a defining moment in Culp’s military journey. One shaped by grit, technical excellence, and a drive to serve at the next level. Surrounded by fellow Soldiers, mentors, and family members, Culp took the oath of office and received his warrant officer one rank insignia, signifying his transition into a new chapter of service.

    “This isn’t just about a rank,” said Chief Warrant Officer 5 Derek Fisbeck, Command Chief Warrant Officer of the Wyoming Army National Guard. “It’s about technical leadership, mentorship, and a lifelong commitment to selfless service. Warrant Officer Culp embodies all of that.”

    Culp graduated from Warrant Officer Candidate School Class 25-0A5 at Fort McClellan, Alabama, on June 4, 2025. His efforts earned him a place on the prestigious Commandant’s List. Wanting to celebrate the accomplishment with those who helped him reach this milestone, he delayed his pinning ceremony until he could return home to Wyoming.

    “It meant everything to have my wife and daughter on stage with me,” Culp said. “They’ve supported me through every long day and late night. Today is as much theirs as it is mine.”

    The ceremony included remarks from senior leaders, a presentation of flowers to Culp’s wife, the administering of the oath by Chief Warrant Officer 4 Duane Messmer, and the traditional first salute—rendered by Staff Sgt. Tracy, a mentor and fellow Soldier. Culp returned the gesture with a silver dollar, honoring military tradition and the bond between enlisted and officer.

    “The silver dollar salute is a symbol of respect,” Culp said. “Tracy helped shape me into the Soldier I am. That moment was one I’ll never forget.”

    Chief Warrant Officer 2 Iesha Bloom, who served as master of ceremonies, also offered reflections on the importance of family support.

    “Behind every strong Soldier is a family that holds the line,” said Bloom. “The strength we celebrate in our formations today is built on a foundation of sacrifice, love, and unshakable support at home.”

    The ceremony concluded with a round of applause and a heartfelt welcome into the Warrant Officer Cohort—a distinguished group of technical experts and leaders trusted with integrating systems and guiding missions.

    Warrant Officer One Caleb Culp is pinned during a Wyoming Army National Guard ceremony in Guernsey, Wyoming, June 26, 2025, celebrating his advancement into the warrant officer ranks. The event honored his achievement, leadership potential, and the family support behind his success. (U.S. Army Guard photo)
    Warrant Officer One Caleb Culp is pinned during a Wyoming Army National Guard ceremony in Guernsey, Wyoming, June 26, 2025, celebrating his advancement into the warrant officer ranks. The event honored his achievement, leadership potential, and the family support behind his success. (U.S. Army Guard photo)
    Warrant Officer One Caleb Culp is pinned during a Wyoming Army National Guard ceremony in Guernsey, Wyoming, June 26, 2025, celebrating his advancement into the warrant officer ranks. The event honored his achievement, leadership potential, and the family support behind his success. (U.S. Army Guard photo)

    MIL OSI USA News –