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Category: DJF

  • MIL-OSI Security: NPCC responds to national audit on group-based child sexual exploitation and abuse

    Source: United Kingdom National Police Chiefs Council

    The findings of the Casey Audit and the policing response to group-based child sexual exploitation are a sobering reminder of the urgent need for continued cultural change, accountability, and a victim-centred, trauma informed approach from a multi-agency perspective.

    The National Audit on Group-based Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse been published today (Monday).

    Director of the National Centre for Violence Against Women and Girls and Public Protection, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Helen Millichap, said:

    “The report published by Baroness Casey today includes several recommendations with implications for policing which will now be carefully considered. 

    “We are sorry to all those who have experienced child sexual abuse and exploitation. The pain, trauma, and long-lasting impact experienced by victims and survivors is immeasurable. We recognise that for too long, your voices went unheard, and opportunities to protect some of the most vulnerable members of our communities were missed.

    “The findings of the Casey Audit and the policing response to group-based child sexual exploitation are a sobering reminder of the urgent need for continued cultural change, accountability, and a victim-centred, trauma informed approach from a multi-agency perspective.  

    “We have made real progress in the way forces now investigate and record these awful crimes, but we know more must be done.

    “The findings show clearly that change cannot wait. Police chiefs will now reflect on the findings and work with partners across law enforcement, third sector stakeholders, victims and survivors to reflect on what we have learnt, which must inform how we move forward.    

    “Policing has made significant strides in its understanding and response to child sexual exploitation and abuse in recent years, but we recognise there is more to do. We thank the many victims and survivors who have worked with police forces and our partners to ensure we take a trauma informed approach to policy making and investigations, with those who matter most at the heart of all we do.

    “The report rightly raises the need for improvements in how policing records and uses data, particularly around ethnicity. Ethnicity data is self-defined and only captured where contact is made with an alleged offender, which presents clear challenges. We recognise these gaps and continue to work closely with HMICFRS and the College of Policing to improve the consistency and quality of data collection across all protected characteristics. Improved data will not only inform operational decisions, but ensure we have an increasingly accurate picture.

    “As we have shown in recent years, policing is willing to confront difficult truths. The lessons from cases such as Rotherham and Rochdale have led to significant change, and we remain determined to build on that progress. Every allegation will be taken seriously, every investigation will be professional and evidence-led, and every victim will be treated with empathy, compassion, and respect.

    “This report marks a significant moment for policing. We haven’t always got it right, but our resolve is strong. The national Child Sexual Exploitation Taskforce, alongside local forces and partners, will continue to put victims and survivors at the heart of our work, relentlessly pursue those who cause harm, and do everything in our power to prevent these devastating crimes.

    “Every child has the right to grow up safe from harm. We owe it to them, and to those whose lives have already been affected, to face these challenges head on and deliver the protection and justice they deserve.”

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hickenlooper, Capito, Blunt Rochester,  Curtis Reintroduce Bipartisan Bill to Create Cybersecurity Office Related to Critical Infrastructure

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator John Hickenlooper – Colorado

    Legislation would strengthen support of NTIA’s ongoing efforts to protect American technology infrastructure

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper, Shelley Moore Capito, Lisa Blunt Rochester, and John Curtis reintroduced their National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) Policy and Cybersecurity Coordination Act, a bipartisan bill to modernize and codify the NTIA’s work in cybersecurity.

    The NTIA’s Office for Policy Analysis and Development would be renamed the Office for Policy Development and Cybersecurity to better align with the agency’s 21st century mission of helping secure the information and communication technology (ICT) sector.

    “America’s data security is national security. We need to modernize our agencies and departments to meet today’s cyber threats head-on,” said Hickenlooper, Ranking Member of the Senate Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Data Security.

    “Cyberattacks and breaches of private data ultimately hurt American consumers, and as technology and the telecommunications industry continues to advance, so do the threats from hackers and bad actors. Provisions must be in place to strengthen NTIA’s Office for Policy Analysis and Development, and protect the private information of the public they serve. I’m proud to reintroduce bipartisan legislation that takes necessary, proactive steps to develop cybersecurity guidance, identify potential vulnerabilities, and promote collaboration between the public and private sectors with the ultimate goal of protecting consumers,” Capito said.

    In recent years, the NTIA has increasingly adapted to better reflect the rising importance of cybersecurity to our critical infrastructure and daily functions. The senators’ bill would codify, strengthen, and provide Congressional guidance to NTIA’s ongoing cybersecurity activities, as well as outline responsibilities of an Associate Administrator.

    The redesignated office would be led by an Associate Administrator and be responsible for:

    • Developing cybersecurity policy as it relates to telecommunications, the internet, consumer software services, and public media
    • Creating guidance and support for implementing cybersecurity and privacy measures for internet and telecommunication companies
    • Promoting collaboration between security research and industry
    • Preventing and mitigating future software vulnerabilities in communications networks
    • Removing barriers for implementing, understanding, and investing in cybersecurity for communications and software providers
    • Providing technical assistance on cybersecurity practices to small and rural communications service providers

    In the House, a companion bill passed out of the Committee on Energy and Commerce. Hickenlooper and Capito originally introduced the legislation in the 117th Congress.

    Full text of the bill is available HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: ‘Making decisions closer to the wharf’ can ensure the sustainability of Canada’s fisheries and oceans

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Matthew Robertson, Research Scientist, Fisheries and Marine Institute, Memorial University of Newfoundland

    The harbour in Bonavista, Newfoundland. Major reforms could fundamentally reshape fisheries science and management in Canada (Sally LeDrew/Wikimedia commons), CC BY-SA

    During the federal election campaign, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced that if elected, he would look into restructuring Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO). Carney stated that he understood the importance of DFO and of “making decisions closer to the wharf.”

    Carney’s statement was made in response to protesting fish harvesters in Newfoundland and Labrador who decried recent DFO decision-making for multiple fisheries, including Northern cod and snow crab.

    Although addressing industry concerns is important, any change to DFO decision-making must serve the broader public interest, which includes commitments to reconciliation and conserving biodiversity.

    Major reforms could fundamentally reshape fisheries science and management in Canada, yet most Canadians are unaware of how DFO’s science-management process works, or why change might be needed.

    The DFO’s dual mandate

    DFO has long been criticized for its dual mandate, which involves both supporting economic growth and conserving the environment.

    For organizations like DFO to be trusted by the public, they need to produce information and policies that are credible, relevant and legitimate.

    However, DFO’s dual mandates have been viewed as antithetical and have at the least created a perceived conflict of interest. The issue at stake is how science advice from DFO can be considered independent, if it is also supposed to serve commercial interests.

    One solution to this problem would be to shift control over the economic viability of fisheries to provinces. This is not a radical idea by any means, as most of the economic value of the fishery arises after fish are brought to harbour.

    Fishing boats in the town of Clarke’s Harbour, located on Cape Sable Island, Nova Scotia in July 2011.
    (Dennis G. Jarvis/Wikimedia commons), CC BY-SA

    For example, licences to process groundfish like cod, haddock and halibut —which Nova Scotia has just announced will be opened for new entrants following decades of a moratorium — as well as policies governing the purchase of seafood already fall to provinces.

    In 2024, all 13 ministers from the Canadian Council of Fisheries and Aquaculture Ministers indicated a desire for “joint management” between provinces and DFO.

    This was driven driven by a concern that the department has not focused enough on provincial and territorial fisheries issues. This shouldn’t be seen as a criticism of DFO, but rather an opportunity to embrace differentiated responsibility.

    DFO could maintain regulatory control for fisheries, like enforcing the Fisheries Act, defining licence conditions and performing long-term monitoring and assessments. As included in the modernized Fisheries Act, it could still consider the social and economic objectives in decision-making.

    Regional decision-making

    DFO is structured into regions with their own science and management branches, but many decisions end up being made by staff at DFO headquarters in Ottawa. In addition, the federal fisheries minister retains ministerial discretion for almost every decision, something that has been criticized as being inequitable.

    During an interview with researchers looking into fisheries management policy, a regional manager stated that they no longer make decisions:

    “Because of…risk aversion, much more of the decision-making has now been bumped up to higher levels. So I like to facetiously state that I am no longer a manager, I am a recommender.”

    Centralized decision-making can limit communication between regional scientists and managers and federal government policymakers.

    This communication gap can make it difficult for managers to use the latest science and adjust policies quickly and it can also lead to recommended policies that are challenging to implement at the local level.

    Handing management decision-making power to regional fisheries managers could therefore benefit science and policy, and contribute to decisions that are deemed more equitable by those impacted.

    A map representing DFO’s regional structure.
    (Fisheries and Oceans Canada)

    Other countries use a regional management approach. In the United States, marine fisheries are managed by eight regional fishery management councils that use scientific advice from the National Marine Fisheries Service. Although not without their flaws, the successful rebuilding of overfished stocks in the U.S. has been attributed, in part, to the regional council system.

    Governance systems that have multiple but connected centres of decision-making are generally expected to be more participatory, flexible to respond to changes and have improved spatial fit between knowledge and policy actions.

    This type of approach could shift the focus of Ottawa-based managers and the fisheries minister to ensuring national consistency.

    Local stakeholder involvement

    Canada’s current methods for inclusion of social and economic considerations are limited and have produced scientific advice that is not fully separable from rights holder and stakeholder input.

    Most of DFO’s scientific peer-review process is focused on ecological science conducted by DFO scientists. The peer-review process often also involves rights holders and stakeholders. While Indigenous rights holders and community stakeholders may not be trained in the presented analyses, they often contribute to these meetings by describing their knowledge and experiences.

    However, because the meetings are focused on DFO ecological science, they are not designed to formally consider stakeholder and rights holder knowledge. This can lead to two key issues. First, it may blur the line between peer-reviewed science and rights holder and stakeholder input, reducing the credibility of the scientific advice.

    Second, the valuable information provided by rights holders and stakeholders may be overlooked since it is not shared in a setting designed to incorporate it.

    The lack of review of alternative Indigenous knowledge sources and social and economic science during peer-review processes inherently limits the advice that can be provided. It suggests that the government is not benefiting from the opportunity to incorporate diverse knowledge bases.

    These problems could be addressed by developing procedures through which stakeholders and rights holders contribute their local and traditional knowledge to better inform ecological and socio-economic considerations.

    By increasing the number of peer-review platforms, rights holder and stakeholder input could be reviewed similarly to ecological science. This change would likely increase the credibility, legitimacy and salience of information used to inform fishery managers.

    Regardless of how rights holders and stakeholders perspectives are included, the process should be clearly structured and documented.

    By reconsidering DFO’s mandate, decentralizing management decision-making and improving the scientific consideration of varied forms of knowledge, DFO could make decisions that are closer to the wharf.

    Matthew Robertson receives funding from the Canadian Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Discovery Grant and the Fisheries & Oceans Canada (DFO) Atlantic Fisheries Fund (AFF).

    Megan Bailey receives research funding from multiple sources, including NSERC, SSHRC, CIRNAC, Genome Atlantic, Nippon Foundation Ocean Nexus Centre, Ocean Frontier Institute (through a Canada First Research Excellence Fund), and the Canada Research Chairs program.

    Tyler Eddy receives funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Discovery Grant, Fisheries & Oceans Canada (DFO) Atlantic Fisheries Fund (AFF) and Sustainable Fisheries Science Fund (SFSF), the Canada First Research Excellence Fund (CFREF), and the Crown Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (CIRNAC) Indigenous Community-Based Climate Monitoring (ICBCM) Program.

    – ref. ‘Making decisions closer to the wharf’ can ensure the sustainability of Canada’s fisheries and oceans – https://theconversation.com/making-decisions-closer-to-the-wharf-can-ensure-the-sustainability-of-canadas-fisheries-and-oceans-254874

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: IMF Executive Board Completes the Fourth Reviews Under the Extended Fund Facility and the Resilience and Sustainability Facility Arrangements and Approves US$13.7 Million Disbursement for Seychelles

    Source: IMF – News in Russian

    June 16, 2025

    • The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) completed today the fourth reviews of Seychelles’ economic performance under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) and Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF) Arrangements. Completion of the reviews allows for an immediate disbursement of about US$13.7 million intended to strengthen macroeconomic stability, sustain growth, and reinforce fiscal and monetary policy frameworks, while also supporting efforts to strengthen resilience to climate change, exploit synergies with other sources of official financing, and catalyze financing for climate-related investments.
    • Economic growth for Seychelles in 2024 is estimated at 2.9 percent, reflecting lower dynamism in the tourism sector. Inflation remained subdued and fiscal performance was tighter than budgeted, driven mainly by underspending on capital expenditure. For 2025, economic growth is projected at 3.2 percent, reflecting slower growth projected for Europe—Seychelles’ most important tourism source market.
    • Performance under the EFF has been strong with all quantitative targets and structural benchmarks for end-December 2024 met. However, two SBs scheduled for 2025 have encountered minor delays due to capacity constraints. Progress has been satisfactory under the RSF implementation, and the authorities remain committed to the programs’ objectives.

    Washington, DC: The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) completed today the fourth reviews of Seychelles’ economic performance under the 36-month EFF and RSF Arrangements approved on May 31, 2023. The completion of the reviews allows for the authorities to draw the equivalent of SDR 6.1 million (about $8.3 million) under the EFF and SDR 3.9 million (about $5.3 million) under the RSF, bringing total disbursements to SDR 30.5 million (about $41.7 million) and SDR 13.3 million (about $18.2 million) under the EFF and RSF, respectively.

    Economic growth for Seychelles in 2024 is estimated at 2.9 percent, slightly lower than earlier forecasts due to lower activity in the tourism sector. Year-on-year inflation reached 1.7 percent as of December, driven by an increase in utility prices and pass-through effects of currency depreciation. Fiscal performance was tighter than budgeted driven mainly by underspending on capital expenditure, with a  primary surplus equivalent to 3.2 percent of GDP in 2024. The Central Bank of Seychelles has maintained an accommodative monetary stance. The current account deficit widened to 7.9 percent of GDP in 2024, but gross international reserves increased to $774 million, equivalent to 3.8 months of imports or 115 percent of the Assessing Reserve Adequacy (or ARA) metric.

    EFF-supported program implementation has been strong. All quantitative program targets (QPCs) and structural benchmarks (SBs) for end-December 2024 were met. However, two SBs scheduled for the first half of 2025 have encountered minor delays due to capacity constraints. Progress has been satisfactory on RSF implementation. All reform measures (RMs) for March 2025 have been implemented. However,  one component of an RM scheduled for April 2025 (related to energy pricing and the issuance of a new multi-year electricity tariff system) is delayed and expected to be completed in November. The authorities requested minor modifications for two RMs slated for December 2025. 

    The outlook suggests low but stable growth for 2025 and beyond but is subject to considerable uncertainty. Real GDP growth is projected at 3.2 percent for 2025 compared to 4.3 percent at the previous reviews. The downward revision reflects slower a weaker outlook for tourist activity on the back of slower growth in Europe (Seychelles’ most important tourism source market). Year-on-year inflation is expected to moderate to 1.2 percent by end-2025 due to lower utility, fuel and food prices. Reserve coverage is expected to increase to 3.9 months of import cover in 2025. Near-term downside risks relate mainly to how slower global growth and higher uncertainty translate into tourism arrivals and spending.

    Going forward, continuation of prudent macroeconomic policies is paramount for maintaining resilience. The authorities’ near-term priorities are to support economic growth, strengthen fiscal and external positions, and maintain prudent monetary policy and a sound financial sector. In the medium-term, the authorities’ aim to continue a steady fiscal consolidation to reduce the ratio of public debt to GDP, while simultaneously improving the efficiency of public spending. Building capacity with respect to public financial management and financial sector supervision is another key focus. The structural reform agenda emphasizes revenue administration, public financial and investment management, climate change resilience, and governance improvements, including digitalization and transparency.

    Following the Executive Board’s discussion, Mr. Bo Li, Deputy Managing Director, and acting Chair, issued the following statement:

    “Seychelles has continued to demonstrate sound macroeconomic management and commitment to structural reforms. Lower than expected GDP growth for 2024 reflected lower tourism income and weakened performance in such sectors as accommodation, food services, and transportation. Fiscal outturns have been tighter than projected, reflecting delays in execution of capital projects, bottlenecks in public procurement, and civil service recruitment delays. Monetary policy remains accommodative in the face of low inflation. Good progress has been made on essential macrostructural reforms.

    “For the fourth reviews, program performance under the EFF was strong, with all quantitative program targets and structural benchmarks through end-December successfully met. Progress has also been satisfactory on RSF implementation, with all RMs through March implemented and only one component of an RM scheduled for April has been delayed. The authorities continue to implement an ambitious reform agenda and prudent fiscal and monetary policies in the face of an increasingly challenging external environment.

    “The authorities should remain vigilant with respect to near and medium-term risks as the outlook is subject to rising uncertainty. These include a slowdown in tourism activity due to slower growth projected for Europe—Seychelles’ most important tourism source market. Commodity price volatility could also feed through to inflation, while global trade tensions may reduce FDI and lead to tighter financial conditions. The EFF arrangement will continue to help protect macroeconomic stability and support stronger fiscal and external buffers, while advancing the authorities’ structural reform agenda.

    “The authorities are advancing with reforms under the RSF to enhance the climate-resilience of public investments, diversify financing, and strengthen assessment and disclosure of climate-related financial sector risk. Successful implementation of the reform agenda will enhance economic resilience and external financing risks by building institutional capacity for public investment in climate adaptation and diversifying Seychelles’ power generation capacity—reducing its dependence on imported energy. Continued collaboration with the IMF and other partners will be important to help fill capacity gaps and to mobilize climate finance.”

    Seychelles: Selected Economic and Financial Indicators, 2022-30
     
     

    2022

    2023

    		  

    2024

    		  

    2025

    2026

    2027

    2028

    2029

    2030
     

    Act.

    Prel.

    Proj.
     

    (Annual percent change, unless otherwise indicated)
                           

    National income and prices

    		                  

    Nominal GDP (millions of Seychelles rupees)

    28,807

    30,663

    		  

    31,643

    		  

    32,899

    34,464

    36,466

    38,841

    41,396

    44,121

    Real GDP (millions of Seychelles rupees)

    25,585

    26,163

    26,935

    27,808

    28,692

    29,662

    30,673

    31,731

    32,835

    Real GDP

    12.7

    2.3

    2.9

    3.2

    3.2

    3.4

    3.4

    3.4

    3.5

    CPI (annual average)

    2.6

    -0.9

    0.3

    1.0

    2.0

    2.6

    3.0

    3.0

    3.0

    CPI (end-of-period)

    2.5

    -2.7

    1.7

    1.2

    2.6

    2.8

    3.0

    3.0

    3.0

    GDP deflator average

    1.6

    4.1

    0.2

    0.7

    1.5

    2.3

    3.0

    3.0

    3.0
               
               

    Money and credit

    		            

    Broad money

    0.6

    5.8

    		  

    7.3

    		  

    7.0

    …

    …

    …

    …

    …

    Reserve money (end-of-period)

    -3.0

    -3.5

    		  

    -4.3

    		  

    -2.2

    …

    …

    …

    …

    …

    Velocity (GDP/broad money)

    1.2

    1.2

    		  

    1.2

    		  

    1.1

    …

    …

    …

    …

    …

    Money multiplier (broad money/reserve money)

    3.4

    3.7

    		  

    4.2

    		  

    4.6

    …

    …

    …

    …

    …

    Credit to the private sector 5

    4.0

    7.4

    		  

    12.1

    		  

    9.4

    9.1

    8.6

    8.4

    8.1

    8.0
                       
     

    (Percent of GDP, unless otherwise indicated)

    		    

    Savings-Investment balance

    		                      

    External savings

    7.5

    7.4

    7.9

    9.2

    9.2

    8.8

    8.4

    8.6

    8.8

    Gross national savings

    15.5

    17.3

    		  

    16.1

    		  

    16.6

    16.4

    16.9

    17.5

    17.3

    17.2

    Of which:  government savings

    1.2

    2.1

    		  

    3.3

    		  

    3.2

    2.5

    3.7

    4.6

    5.2

    5.4

    private savings

    14.4

    15.2

    		  

    12.8

    		  

    13.4

    13.9

    13.2

    12.9

    12.0

    11.8

    Gross investment

    23.1

    24.7

    		  

    24.0

    		  

    25.9

    25.6

    25.7

    25.9

    25.9

    26.0

    Of which:  public investment 1

    2.7

    4.2

    3.5

    5.3

    5.0

    5.1

    5.3

    5.3

    5.4

    private investment

    20.4

    20.5

    20.5

    20.6

    20.6

    20.6

    20.6

    20.6

    20.6

    Private consumption

    50.6

    49.4

    		  

    49.8

    		  

    48.6

    47.6

    48.0

    47.8

    48.9

    49.6
     

    (Percent of GDP)

    		    

    Government budget 

    		                  

    Total revenue, excluding grants

    30.0

    30.9

    		  

    33.4

    		  

    34.5

    34.3

    34.8

    35.0

    34.8

    34.7

    Expenditure and net lending

    31.6

    32.9

    		  

    33.9

    		  

    37.3

    37.2

    36.1

    35.7

    34.9

    34.7

    Current expenditure

    29.2

    29.2

    		  

    30.2

    		  

    31.6

    31.8

    31.0

    30.3

    29.6

    29.3

    Capital expenditure 1

    2.7

    4.2

    		  

    3.5

    		  

    5.2

    5.0

    5.1

    5.3

    5.3

    5.4

    Overall balance, including grants

    0.1

    0.2

    		  

    0.9

    		  

    -1.7

    -1.3

    -0.4

    0.1

    0.7

    0.7

    Primary balance

    1.0

    1.7

    		  

    3.2

    		  

    1.2

    1.8

    2.5

    2.9

    3.1

    3.1

    Total government and government-guaranteed debt 2

    62.6

    57.3

    		  

    59.6

    		  

    61.2

    61.8

    60.4

    56.8

    52.6

    49.0
                       

    External sector

    		                      

    Current account balance including official transfers
     (in percent of GDP)

    -7.5

    -7.4

    		  

    -7.9

    		  

    -9.2

    -9.2

    -8.8

    -8.4

    -8.6

    -8.8

    Total external debt outstanding (millions of U.S. dollars) 3

    5,471

    5,694

    		  

    5,945

    		  

    6,208

    6,428

    6,645

    6,585

    6,588

    6,620

     (percent of GDP)

    271.1

    260.3

    		  

    273.0

    		  

    283.8

    285.0

    282.9

    267.4

    255.0

    242.2

    Terms of trade (-=deterioration)

    -8.7

    -4.0

    		  

    2.1

    		  

    0.8

    -1.7

    -1.3

    -0.9

    -0.8

    -0.6

    Gross official reserves (end of year, millions of U.S. dollars)

    639

    682

    		  

    774

    		  

    817

    830

    862

    893

    956

    1,021

    Months of imports, c.i.f.

    3.1

    3.4

    		  

    3.8

    		  

    3.9

    3.8

    3.8

    3.8

    3.8

    3.9

    In percent of Assessing Reserve Adequacy (ARA) metric

    102

    105

    115

    118

    117

    118

    119

    124

    127

    Exchange rate

    		                      

    Seychelles rupees per US$1 (end-of-period)

    14.1

    14.2

    		  

    14.8

    		  

    …

    …

    …

    …

    …

    …

    Seychelles rupees per US$1 (period average)

    14.3

    14.0

    		  

    14.5

    		  

    …

    …

    …

    …

    …

    …
                       

    Sources: Central Bank of Seychelles; Ministry of Finance; and IMF staff estimates and projections.

      1 Includes onlending to the parastatals for investment purposes.

    		      

      2 Includes debt issued by the Ministry of Finance for monetary purposes.

    		          

      3 Includes private external debt.

    		            
    IMF Communications Department
    MEDIA RELATIONS

    PRESS OFFICER: Kwabena Akuamoah-Boateng

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

    https://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2025/06/16/pr-25199-seychelles-imf-4th-rev-eff-rsf-apr-usd-13-point-7-mill

    MIL OSI

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Statement by the Secretary-General – on the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention

    Source: United Nations secretary general

    At a time when civilians face heightened risks from widening conflicts, it is imperative that we strengthen the frameworks that protect human life and dignity.  I am gravely concerned by recent announcements and steps taken by several Member States to withdraw from the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention. 

    These announcements are particularly troubling, as it risks weakening civilian protection and undermining two decades of a normative framework that has saved countless lives.  I urge all States to adhere to humanitarian disarmament treaties and immediately halt any steps towards their withdrawal.  I also appeal to the 32 States that have yet to join the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention to do so without delay and to fully commit to its objectives.

    To this end, I intend to launch a global campaign to uphold the norms of humanitarian disarmament, accelerate mine action as an enabler of human rights and sustainable development, and drive forward the vision of a mine-free world.  To achieve these aims, over the next six months this campaign will aim to re-energize public support for disarmament and will also facilitate concrete actions by States to uphold humanitarian norms and strengthen mine action. 
     
    The urgency of this matter cannot be overstated.  The protection of innocent lives depends on our collective action and commitment.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Death of an inmate from Donnacona Institution

    Source: Government of Canada News (2)

    June 16, 2025 – Donnacona, Quebec – Correctional Service of Canada

    On June 13, 2025, Adam Williams, an inmate from Donnacona Institution, died while in our custody.

    At the time of death, the inmate was 47 years old and had been serving sentence of eight years, six months and two days since November 23, 2018.

    The inmate’s next of kin have been notified.

    As in all cases involving the death of an inmate, the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) will review the circumstances. CSC policy requires that the police and the coroner be notified.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Recognizing Native Prairie Appreciation Week in Saskatchewan

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Released on June 16, 2025

    This week, we celebrate the beauty, biodiversity and cultural importance of our native prairie ecosystems, as the Ministries of Environment and Agriculture are pleased to recognize June 15 to 21 as Native Prairie Appreciation Week in Saskatchewan.

    Native Prairie Appreciation Week raises awareness about the significance of these vital ecosystems that provide environmental, economic and cultural benefits to our province and beyond.

    “Native prairie plays a key role in conserving Saskatchewan’s rich biodiversity and offers essential ecological services such as carbon storage, soil protection and species diversity,” Environment Minister Travis Keisig said. “This year, we also celebrate a major achievement – the completion of the Prairie Landscape Inventory, which maps the full extent of native grassland across Saskatchewan’s Prairie Ecozone.”

    A product of seven years of dedication, the Prairie Landscape Inventory will support programs, policy and decision-making to drive strategic conservation and restoration initiatives across the Saskatchewan prairie. Our mapping estimates that the Prairie Ecozone contains about 16 per cent native grassland which provides habitat for wildlife, birds and pollinators; forage for livestock; carbon sequestration; nutrient cycling; and natural water filtration and retention. The ecoregions with the highest amounts of native prairie are the Mixed Grassland and the Cypress Upland Ecoregions, with each ecoregion having about 35 per cent native prairie. 

    “Healthy, thriving grasslands are an essential natural resource for us all, and they have special importance and meaning for our agriculture sector,” Agriculture Minister Daryl Harrison said. “Our livestock producers take pride in being stewards of the land, and that relationship inspires their continued commitment to good management to help safeguard our native prairie.”

    “Native Prairie Appreciation Week is a great opportunity to educate and engage with people with diverse backgrounds about native prairie, which is one of the most threatened ecosystems in the world,” Saskatchewan Prairie Conservation Action Plan (SK PCAP) Manager Carolyn Gaudet said. “The diversity of plants, animals and insects found on native prairie is amazing and unfortunately disappearing, so we want to encourage everyone to learn more about native prairie and appreciate it while they can.”

    With 27 years of commitment to promoting awareness of this vital ecosystem, you can visit the SK PCAP website for up-to-date information on Native Prairie Appreciation Week, a photo contest, as well as webinars about urban wildlife, rural wildlife, landscapes and geology. They will also have booths at Farmer’s Markets in Regina, Swift Current and Moose Jaw where they will be handing out native wildflower seed packets.

    To participate or to find more information about Native Prairie Appreciation Week, visit: https://www.pcap-sk.org/upcoming-events/npaw, or email SK PCAP at pcap@sasktel.net.

    To view the completed Prairie Landscape Inventory maps, you can visit the Hunting, Angling and Biodiversity Information of Saskatchewan (HABISask) online application at: https://gisappl.saskatchewan.ca/Html5Ext/?viewer=habisask or download the maps at: https://geohub.saskatchewan.ca.

    -30-

    For more information, contact:

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: San Antonio Man Sentenced to More Than 12 Years for Two Counts of Enticing, Coercing a Minor

    Source: US FBI

    SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio man was sentenced in a federal court to 151 months in federal prison and 20 years of supervised release for attempted online enticement and coercion of a minor.

    According to court documents, between June and August of 2023, Stephen Eugene Hall, 41, communicated with two undercover law enforcement agents whom he believed to be 12- and 14-year-old girls. Throughout their conversations over the Kik app, Hall attempted to entice them to engage in sexual activity and to produce child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

    Hall was arrested by FBI agents on Aug. 23, 2023, when he traveled to a hotel in San Antonio with the intent to engage in sex with the individual whom he thought was a 14-year-old girl. He pleaded guilty on Feb. 10, 2025, to two counts of attempted online enticement and coercion of a minor and was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Xavier Rodriguez.

    “These proactive law enforcement operations, using the social media apps many children use today, are vital and necessary in order to catch child predators before they can cause their irreparable intended harm,” said U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas. “Thanks to the work of our FBI partners in Boston and in San Antonio, we were able to put another child predator in federal prison for over a decade, with another 20 years of supervised release to follow.”

    “This sentencing sends a clear message that neither the FBI, our law enforcement partners, nor the American people will tolerate those who seek to sexually abuse or exploit children,” said Special Agent in Charge Aaron Tapp of the FBI’s San Antonio Field Office. “We want to thank our colleagues at the San Antonio Police Department and Bexar County Sheriff’s Office for their outstanding work and ongoing partnership as we continue to seek justice on behalf of the victims in this case.”

    The FBI investigated the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Mangels prosecuted the case.

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: San Antonio Man Sentenced to More Than 12 Years for Two Counts of Enticing, Coercing a Minor

    Source: US FBI

    SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio man was sentenced in a federal court to 151 months in federal prison and 20 years of supervised release for attempted online enticement and coercion of a minor.

    According to court documents, between June and August of 2023, Stephen Eugene Hall, 41, communicated with two undercover law enforcement agents whom he believed to be 12- and 14-year-old girls. Throughout their conversations over the Kik app, Hall attempted to entice them to engage in sexual activity and to produce child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

    Hall was arrested by FBI agents on Aug. 23, 2023, when he traveled to a hotel in San Antonio with the intent to engage in sex with the individual whom he thought was a 14-year-old girl. He pleaded guilty on Feb. 10, 2025, to two counts of attempted online enticement and coercion of a minor and was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Xavier Rodriguez.

    “These proactive law enforcement operations, using the social media apps many children use today, are vital and necessary in order to catch child predators before they can cause their irreparable intended harm,” said U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas. “Thanks to the work of our FBI partners in Boston and in San Antonio, we were able to put another child predator in federal prison for over a decade, with another 20 years of supervised release to follow.”

    “This sentencing sends a clear message that neither the FBI, our law enforcement partners, nor the American people will tolerate those who seek to sexually abuse or exploit children,” said Special Agent in Charge Aaron Tapp of the FBI’s San Antonio Field Office. “We want to thank our colleagues at the San Antonio Police Department and Bexar County Sheriff’s Office for their outstanding work and ongoing partnership as we continue to seek justice on behalf of the victims in this case.”

    The FBI investigated the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Mangels prosecuted the case.

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Pelvic floor dysfunction: what every woman should know

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Holly Ingram, Midwifery Lecturer, Anglia Ruskin University

    megaflopp/Shutterstock

    Did you know that around one in two women in the UK will experience symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction at some point in their lives? And for women who engage in high-intensity exercise, that figure rises to 63%.

    The female pelvic floor is a remarkable yet often overlooked structure: a complex “hammock” of muscles and ligaments that stretches from the front of the pelvis to the tailbone.

    These muscles support the bladder, bowel and uterus, wrap around the openings of the urethra, vagina and anus and work in sync with your diaphragm, abdominal and back muscles to maintain posture, continence and core stability. It’s not an exaggeration to say your pelvic floor is the foundation of your body’s core.

    Throughout a woman’s life, various events can challenge the pelvic floor. Pregnancy, for example, increases the weight of the uterus, placing added pressure on these muscles. The growing baby can cause the abdominal muscles to stretch and separate, naturally increasing the load on the pelvic floor. Childbirth, particularly vaginal delivery, may result in perineal trauma, directly injuring pelvic floor tissues.

    However, contrary to popular belief, pelvic floor problems aren’t only caused by pregnancy and childbirth. In fact, research shows that intense physical activity, even in women who have never been pregnant or given birth, can contribute to dysfunction.

    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.

    Exercise is essential for overall health and is often recommended to ease symptoms of menopause and menstruation. But one side effect that’s not talked about enough is the effect that repeated strain, such as heavy lifting or high impact movement, can have on the pelvic floor. The increased intra-abdominal pressure during these activities can gradually weaken the pelvic floor muscles, especially if they’re not trained to cope.

    Pelvic floor dysfunction often results when these muscles aren’t strong enough to match the workload demanded of them, whether from daily life, exercise, or other core muscles. And it’s a growing issue, affecting more women than ever before.

    Common symptoms include leaking urine or faeces when coughing, sneezing or exercising, a dragging or heavy sensation in the lower abdomen or vaginal area, painful sex, changes in bowel habits, visible bulging in the vaginal area (a sign of prolapse). The emotional toll can also be significant, leading to embarrassment, anxiety, low confidence and a reluctance to stay active – all of which affect quality of life.

    Prevention

    The good news? Help is available and, better yet, pelvic floor dysfunction is often preventable.

    If you’re experiencing symptoms, speak to your GP. You may be referred to a women’s health physiotherapist, available through both the NHS and private services. But whether you’re managing symptoms or hoping to avoid them in the first place, there are practical steps you can take:

    Stay active and maintain a healthy weight

    Drink enough water to encourage healthy bladder function

    Go to the toilet only when your body signals the need; avoid going “just in case”

    Prevent constipation through a high-fibre diet and good bowel habits

    Don’t hold your breath when lifting or exercising

    Most importantly, build strength with regular pelvic floor exercises. Here’s how to do a basic pelvic floor contraction:

    1. Imagine you’re trying to stop yourself passing wind – squeeze and lift the muscles around your back passage.

    2. Then, imagine stopping the flow of urine mid-stream – engage those muscles too.

    3. Now, lift both sets of muscles upwards inside your body, as if pulling them into the vagina.

    4. Hold the contraction for a few seconds, then fully relax. Repeat.

    If you’re just starting, it may be easier to practise while sitting. With time and consistency, you’ll be able to hold contractions for longer and incorporate them into your daily routine, like brushing your teeth or waiting for the kettle to boil.

    Like any muscle, the pelvic floor gets stronger with training, making it more resilient to strain from childbirth, ageing, or strenuous activity. Research shows that a well-conditioned pelvic floor recovers faster from injury.

    So be proud of your pelvic floor. Support it, strengthen it – and don’t forget to do those squeezes.

    Holly Ingram 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. Pelvic floor dysfunction: what every woman should know – https://theconversation.com/pelvic-floor-dysfunction-what-every-woman-should-know-258427

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Israel, Iran and the US: why 2025 is a turning point for the international order

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Brian Brivati, Visiting Professor of Contemporary History and Human Rights, Kingston University

    Israel’s large-scale attack against Iran on June 13, which it conducted without UN security council approval, has prompted retaliation from Tehran. Both sides have traded strikes over the past few days, with over 200 Iranians and 14 Israelis killed so far.

    The escalation has broader consequences. It further isolates institutions like the UN, International Criminal Court (ICC) and International Court of Justice (ICJ), which have found themselves increasingly sidelined as Israel’s assault on Gaza has progressed. These bodies now appear toothless.

    The world appears to be facing an unprecedented upending of the post-1945 international legal order. Israel’s government is operating with a level of impunity rarely seen before. At the same time, the Trump administration is actively undermining the global institutions designed to enforce international law.

    Other global powers, including Russia and China, are taking this opportunity to move beyond the western rules-based system. The combination of a powerful state acting with impunity and a superpower disabling the mechanisms of accountability marks a global inflection point.

    It is a moment so stark that we may have to rethink what we thought we knew about the conduct of international relations and the management of conflict, both for the Palestinian struggle and the international system of justice built after the second world war.

    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.

    The Israeli government is, in addition to its preemptive air campaign against Iran’s nuclear programme, advancing with impunity on three other fronts. It is tightening its hold on Gaza, with the prospect of a lasting occupation increasingly possible.

    Senior Israeli ministers have also outlined plans for the annexation of large parts of the occupied West Bank through settlement expansion. This is now proceeding unchecked. Israel confirmed plans in May to create 22 new settlements there, including the legalisation of those already built without government authorisation.

    This is being accompanied by provocative legislation such as a bill that would hike taxes on foreign-funded non-governmental organisations. The Israeli government is also continuing its attempts to reduce the independence of the judiciary.

    Hardline elements of Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet say they will collapse the government if he changes course.

    The ICJ moved with urgency in response to Israel’s actions in Gaza and the West Bank. In January 2024, it found evidence that Palestinians in Gaza were at risk of genocide and ordered Israel to implement provisional measures to prevent further harm.

    Then, in May 2024, as Israeli forces pressed an offensive, the ICJ issued another ruling ordering Israel to halt its military operation in the southern Gazan city of Rafah immediately. It also called on Israel to allow unimpeded humanitarian access to the Gaza Strip.

    The court went further in July, issuing a landmark advisory opinion declaring Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory illegal. The ICC took bold action by issuing arrest warrants for Netanyahu, his former defence minister Yoav Gallant, and the leaders of Hamas.

    Disregarding international law

    These dramatic attempts to enforce international law failed. Israel only agreed to a temporary ceasefire in Gaza in January 2025 when Washington insisted, demonstrating that the only possible brake on Israel remains the US.

    But the second Trump administration is even more transactional than the first. It prioritises trade deals and strategic alliances – particularly with the Gulf states – over the enforcement of international legal norms.

    In January, Trump issued an executive order authorising sanctions on the ICC over the court’s “illegitimate” actions against the US and its “close ally Israel”. These sanctions came into effect a little over a week before Israel launched its strikes on Iran.

    Trump then withdrew the US from the UN human rights council and extended a funding ban on Unrwa, the UN relief agency for Palestinian refugees.

    A further executive order issued in February directed the state department to withhold portions of the US contribution to the UN’s regular budget. And Trump also launched a 180-day review of all US-funded international organisations, foreshadowing further exits or funding cuts across the multilateral system.

    In May 2025, the US and Israel then advanced a new aid mechanism for Gaza run by private security contractors operating in Israeli-approved “safe zones”. Aid is conditional on population displacement, with civilians in northern Gaza denied access unless they relocate.

    This approach, which has been condemned by humanitarian organisations, contravenes established humanitarian principles of neutrality and impartiality.

    In effect, one pillar of the post-war order is attacking another. The leading founder of the UN is now undermining the institution from within, wielding its security council veto to block action while simultaneously starving the organisation of resources. The US vetoed a UN security council resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza on June 4.

    The implications of this turning point in the international order are already playing out across the globe. Russia is continuing its war of aggression in Ukraine despite rulings from the ICJ and extensive evidence of war crimes. It knows that enforcement mechanisms are weak and fragmented and the alternative Trumpian deal making can be played out indefinitely.

    And China is escalating military pressure on Taiwan. It is employing grey-zone tactics, that do everything possible in provocation and disinformation below the threshold of open warfare, undeterred by legal commitments to peaceful resolution.

    These cases are symptoms of a collapse in the credibility of the post-1945 legal order. Israel’s policy in Gaza and its attack on Iran are not exceptions but the acceleration. They are confirmation to other states that law no longer constrains power, institutions can be bypassed, and humanitarian principles can be used for political ends.

    Brian Brivati is executive director of the Britain Palestine Project. He is writing this article in a personal capacity.

    – ref. Israel, Iran and the US: why 2025 is a turning point for the international order – https://theconversation.com/israel-iran-and-the-us-why-2025-is-a-turning-point-for-the-international-order-258044

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: AI is gobbling up water it cannot replace – I’m working on a solution

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Muhammad Wakil Shahzad, Associate Professor and Head of Subject, Mechanical and Construction Engineering, Northumbria University, Newcastle

    Data centres are the invisible engines of our digital world. Every Google search, Netflix stream, cloud-stored photo or ChatGPT response passes through banks of high-powered computers housed in giant facilities scattered across the globe.

    These datacentres consume a staggering amount of electricity and increasingly, a surprising amount of water. But unlike the water you use at home, much of the water used in datacentres never returns to the water reuse cycle. This silent drain is drawing concern from environmental scientists. One preprint study (not yet reviewed by other scientists) from 2023 predicted that by 2027 global AI use could consume more water in a year than half of that used by the UK in the same time.

    Datacentres typically contain thousands of servers, stacked and running 24/7. These machines generate immense heat, and if not properly cooled, can overheat and fail. This happened in 2022 when the UK endured a heatwave that saw temperatures reach a record-breaking 40° Celsius in some areas, which knocked off Google and Oracle datacentres in London.

    To prevent this, datacentres rely heavily on cooling systems, and that’s where water comes in.

    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.

    One of the most common methods for cooling datacentres involves mechanical chillers, which work like large fridges. These machines use a fluid called a refrigerant to carry heat away from the servers and release it through a condenser. A lot of water is lost as it turns into vapour during the cooling process, and it cannot be reused.

    A 1 megawatt (MW) datacentre (that uses enough electricity to power 1,000 houses) can use up to 25.5 million litres annually. The total data centre capacity in the UK is estimated at approximately 1.6 gigawatts (GW). The global data centre capacity stands at around 59 GW.

    Unlike water used in a dishwasher or a toilet, which often returns to a treatment facility to be recycled, the water in cooling systems literally vanishes into the air. It becomes water vapour and escapes into the atmosphere. This fundamental difference is why data centre water use is not comparable to that of typical household use, where water cycles back through municipal systems.

    As moisture in the atmosphere that can return to the land as rain, the water datacentres use remains part of Earth’s water cycle – but not all rain water can be recovered.

    The water is effectively lost to the local water balance, which is especially critical in drought-prone or water-scarce regions – where two-thirds of datacentres since 2022 have been built. The slow return of this water makes its use for cooling datacentres effectively non-renewable in the short term.

    The rise of AI tools like ChatGPT, image generators and voice assistants has made datacentres work much harder. These systems need a lot more computing power, which creates more heat. To stay cool, data centres use more water than ever.

    This growing demand is leading to a greater reliance on water-intensive cooling systems, driving up total water consumption even further. The International Energy Agency reported in April 2025 that datacentres now consume more than 560 billion litres of water annually, possibly rising to 1,200 billion litres a year by 2030.

    What’s the alternative?

    Another method, direct evaporative cooling, pulls hot air from datacentres and passes it through water-soaked pads. As the water evaporates, it cools the air, which is then sent back into server rooms.

    While this method is energy-efficient, especially in warmer climates, the added moisture in the air can damage sensitive server equipment. This method requires additional systems to manage and control humidity, which necessitates more complex datacentre design.

    My research team and I have developed another method which separates moist and dry air streams in datacentres with a thin aluminium foil, similar to kitchen foil. The hot, dry air passes close to the wet air stream, and heat is transferred through the foil without allowing any moisture to mix. This cools the server rooms in datacentres without adding humidity that could interfere with the equipment.

    Trials of this method at Northumbria University’s datacentre have shown it can be more energy-efficient than conventional chillers, and use less water. Powered entirely by solar energy, the system operates without compressors or chemical refrigerants.

    As AI continues to expand, the demand on datacentres is expected to skyrocket, along with their water use. We need a global shift in how we design, regulate and power digital infrastructure.

    Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?

    Get a weekly roundup in your inbox instead. Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. Join the 45,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.

    Muhammad Wakil Shahzad is the founder of EcoTechX.
    EcoTechX received PoC funding from Northern Accelerator.

    – ref. AI is gobbling up water it cannot replace – I’m working on a solution – https://theconversation.com/ai-is-gobbling-up-water-it-cannot-replace-im-working-on-a-solution-258518

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: MPs could vote on two proposals to decriminalise abortion in England and Wales – the debate explained

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Ruth Fletcher, Professor of Law, Queen Mary University of London

    Protesters in summer 2023 demanding decriminalisation of abortion. Loredana Sangiuliano/Shutterstock

    Legal protection of abortion rights in England and Wales is fragile. Abortion has popular support and is readily available on the NHS, but has also generated a series of criminal investigations. Nicola Packer is one of the most recent abortion-seekers facing criminalisation rather than care. She was found innocent in May after a five year ordeal.

    Amid concerns about investigations for illegal abortions, MPs may vote on June 17 on legislative action to decriminalise abortion. Political opinion is divided, however, on how to do it. In the absence of a broader push for the kind of inquiries that produced full decriminalisation in Northern Ireland in 2019, MPs will consider two different legal proposals: NC1 and NC20.

    In England and Wales, people do not have explicit abortion rights as a matter of domestic law. They may feel that they have when they get good abortion care. But as a matter of law, abortion is only permissible under the Abortion Act 1967 if two conditions are met.

    Two doctors must approve, and the case must meet the legal grounds outlined in the act. These are that there must be a risk to health up to 24 weeks gestation or, after 24 weeks, a risk to life, a risk of grave permanent injury to health or a serious foetal anomaly.

    If these conditions are not met, then someone who voluntarily ends a pregnancy could be criminally liable. This is because old criminal provisions against abortion – under the Offences against the Person Act 1861 and the Infant Life (Preservation) Act 1929 – are still on the books.

    Each of the two amendments being put forward would decriminalise abortion by amending a government bill that is already making its way through parliament, the crime and policing bill, rather than by adopting a standalone piece of legislation for abortion.

    The two amendments

    NC1, proposed by Labour MP Tonia Antoniazzi, is for a partial decriminalisation that would entail the “removal of women from the criminal law related to abortion”. This would put a stop to criminal investigations of women and pregnant people on suspicion of abortion, and mean that abortion-seekers no longer face the possibility of prosecution.

    The proposed amendment has the support of over 130 MPs, has been negotiated with and has the backing of abortion providers, including the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (Bpas), MSI Reproductive Choices and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. But it would not repeal or remove the existing criminal law. The criminal offences in the Offences against the Person Act and the Infant Life (Preservation) Act would remain in place.

    Neither would abortion providers, or those who assist or support abortion-seekers, including friends and family buying abortion pills on the internet, be exempted from criminal liability.

    NC20, the second amendment, is for full decriminalisation and is proposed by MP Stella Creasy. It has the support of over 100 MPs, but apparently not the support of abortion providers according to Bpas.

    Creasy’s proposal is more complex and wider in scope. This amendment would fully decriminalise abortion by repealing the criminal provisions altogether. It would maintain the Abortion Act 1967 as the legal framework for abortion care, so the legal grounds for abortion would remain the same.

    The proposed amendments to decriminalise abortion come after several high-profile cases.
    Brizmaker/Shutterstock

    Most importantly, this amendment aims to make abortion a human right, and protect the law from being restricted in the future. It does this by requiring that the secretary of state apply to England and Wales the human rights recommendations that led to decriminalisation in Northern Ireland. These are outlined in a 2018 UN report on the elimination of discrimination against women.

    The report’s recommendations establish full decriminalisation as a baseline standard that must be achieved. They also require minimum legal standards of allowing abortion in cases where there is a risk to health, where the pregnancy results from rape, and in cases of severe foetal anomaly.

    The Abortion Act 1967 already delivers these standards. But the recommendations – and Creasy’s proposed amendment – would set out a framework that could be applied in the future to other questions around bodily autonomy.

    No change in the law will happen immediately after the vote as the crime and policing bill has several more stages to pass in parliament. But the debate should give observers an indication of the direction of travel when it comes to the future of reproductive rights in England and Wales.

    Ruth Fletcher is Chairperson of the Abortion Support Network.

    – ref. MPs could vote on two proposals to decriminalise abortion in England and Wales – the debate explained – https://theconversation.com/mps-could-vote-on-two-proposals-to-decriminalise-abortion-in-england-and-wales-the-debate-explained-258966

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich: the Netanyahu government extremists sanctioned by the UK

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Leonie Fleischmann, Senior Lecturer in International Politics, City St George’s, University of London

    The UK’s decision to impose sanctions on two far-right Netanyahu government ministers has put it at loggerheads with the Trump administration over Israel. Announcing on June 10 that Britain would join Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Norway in sanctioning Israel’s minister for national security, Itamar Ben-Gvir, and minister of finance, Bezalel Smotrich, the UK foreign secretary David Lammy said the pair had “incited extremist violence and serious abuses of Palestinian human rights”.

    US secretary of state Marco Rubio criticised the decision, releasing a statement the same day saying the sanctions did not “advance US-led efforts to achieve a ceasefire, bring all hostages home, and end the war”. He added: “We remind our partners not to forget who the real enemy is. The United States urges the reversal of the sanctions and stands shoulder-to-shoulder with Israel.”

    Britain and its allies also called on the Netanyahu government to respond to extremist Israeli settler violence in the West Bank and to “cease the expansion of illegal settlements which undermine a future Palestinian state”. This has brought the spotlight back to the West Bank, where decades of settler violence towards Palestinians and a planning system which favours the Israeli settlers, have led to the gradual displacement of Palestinian communities.



    Read more:
    Israeli plan to occupy all of Gaza could open the door for annexation of the West Bank

    The announcement seemed to signal a possible breach in relations between the UK government and the Netanyahu government. But with conflict escalating between Israel and Iran, the UK’s chancellor of the exchequer, Rachel Reeves, has said the government may be willing to provide military support for Israel.

    Smotrich responded to the sanctions, speaking on his “contempt” at Britain’s decision and referring to Britain’s history of administration of what he called “our homeland”. He said: “Britain has already tried once to prevent us from settling the cradle of our homeland, and we will not allow it to do so again. We are determined to continue building.”

    In retaliation for the sanctions, Smotrich pledged to collapse the Palestinian Authority, by taking measures to prevent Israeli banks for corresponding with Palestinian banks. This has been vital for sustaining the Palestinian economy.

    UK foreign secretary, David Lammy, explains why the government has sanctioned the two Israeli ministers.

    Ben-Gvir and Smotrich and their ultra-nationalist followers actually represent a relatively small fraction of Israeli society, but they hold the balance of power in Netanyahu’s coalition, controlling 20 seats in Netanyahu’s 67-seat coalition. This has enabled them to consolidate decades of settler activity outside of parliamentary legitimacy into influencing government policy.

    Itamar Ben-Gvir

    Ben-Gvir is an admirer of the late racist rabbi Meir Kahane, who founded the far-right Kach party which was labelled a terrorist organisation in 2008 having been banned from running in parliamentary elections. In 2007 he was convicted for incitement to racism and being a supporter of a terrorist organisation.

    He subsequently told an event to honour Kahane that, while he admired Kahane, he would not try to pass laws to expel all Arabs from Israel and the West Bank or to create a regime which involved ethnic segregation. But Kahane’s violent anti-Arab ideology and desire to establish a theocratic Jewish state has influenced the next generation of ultra-nationalists.

    The national security minister has been convicted eight times for offences that include racism and support for a terrorist organisation. He gained prominence as a successful defence lawyer for Jews accused of violence against Palestinians. The political party he heads, Otzma Yehudit, advocates for the annexation of the entire West Bank without granting Palestinians Israeli citizenship.

    Ben-Gvir has become infamous for his provocative statements. In August 2023, he declared in an interview with Israel’s Channel 12, that his rights trump those of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.

    “My right, and my wife’s and my children’s right to get around on the roads in Judea and Samaria, is more important than the right to movement for Arabs,” he said, effectively advocating for a regime of apartheid. He has consistently pushed Netanyahu to maintain the war in Gaza, blocking past attempts to reach a ceasefire.

    Bezalel Smotrich

    Smotrich also has a history of making inflammatory statements. In February 2023, three days after settler vigilantes rampaged through the West Bank town of Huwara, he called for Israel to wipe the town off the map. He later apologised for this comment after being criticised by both the opposition leader, Yair Lapid, and the US government, saying he hadn’t meant it to be a call for vigilante violence.

    Smotrich believes the West Bank and the Gaza Strip are part of the biblical land of Israel and rightfully belong to the Jewish people. He has dedicated his career to ensuring the establishment of Jewish settlements.

    In 2006, he helped establish a non-governmental organisation called Regavim as a pressure group to increase settlement of the West Bank. The left-leaning Israeli newspaper Haaretz has criticised Regavim as “an organisation waging a total war on Palestinian construction in the West Bank”.

    Since Smotrich was given increased control over civil affairs on the West Bank in early 2023, the building of illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank has accelerated. He is reported to have recently directed his office to “formulate an operational plan for applying sovereignty” over the West Bank.

    He told a group touring new settlements approved by the Israeli government that: “”We will not stop until the entire area receives its full legal status and becomes an inseparable part of the State of Israel. We are changing the face of the settlement enterprise not just as a slogan, but through real action.”

    Rightward shift

    The prominence of Ben-Gvir and Smotrich reflects a rightward shift in the Israeli electorate that has brought ultra-nationalist settler ideology into the mainstream. However, their meteoric rise is also due to their holding the balance of power, which has enabled Netanyahu to remain in office. That Netanyahu remains prime minister is widely believed to be partly responsible for the slow progress of his trials for bribery, fraud and breach of trust.

    Before the November 2022 Knesset election, Netanyahu reportedly brokered a deal whereby Smotrich’s Religious Zionism Party and Ben-Gvir’s Jewish Home party joined forces. This ensured they won enough seats to ensure Netanyahu could form a coalition. And so these two extremists bent on thwarting any hope for Palestinian independence became kingmakers.

    While they have such influence over the Netanyahu government, there is no possibility for a Palestinian state. Instead it is more likely that the violence towards Palestinians and the dispossession of their land will continue to increase.

    Leonie Fleischmann 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. Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich: the Netanyahu government extremists sanctioned by the UK – https://theconversation.com/itamar-ben-gvir-and-bezalel-smotrich-the-netanyahu-government-extremists-sanctioned-by-the-uk-258644

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why is Stalin back in the Moscow metro?

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Jeremy Hicks, Professor of Post-Soviet Cultural History and Film, Queen Mary University of London

    A statue of Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin was unveiled in the Taganskaya metro station in Moscow in May, recreating a mural that was dismantled decades ago. It is the first such statue to be erected in central Moscow since Stalin’s death in 1953 and marks a disturbing new stage in Russia’s authoritarian path.

    Tens of millions of people died as a direct result of Stalin’s policies between 1924 and his death. These policies included the forced collectivisation of agriculture, the Gulag labour camp system and the “great terror” – a wave of mass arrests between 1937 and 1938, including of key figures in the army.

    Yet ultimate victory over Nazi Germany in 1945, with the support of Britain and the US, redeems Stalin in the eyes of Russia’s current rulers. For the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, this victory was one of the crowning achievements of the Soviet Union and remains a unifying force in modern Russia.

    De-Stalinisation, which from 1956 to the late 1960s saw the dismantling of Stalin’s policies and legacy, meant no statues of him were erected from his death until the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. But 110 monuments have been built since then (at the last count in 2023), with 95 of them erected in the Putin era. The rate of construction multiplied after Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea.

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    These statues initially tended to be in peripheral parts of the Russian Federation, such as Yakutia, North Ossetia and Dagestan, and not in city centres. The renaming by presidential decree of the airport in Volgograd as Stalingrad in April 2025, to echo the city’s wartime name, was thus a significant moment.

    But the statue in the Moscow metro, an architectural gem in the centre of Russia’s capital that is used by millions of people each day, is an even more important symbolic statement.

    ‘Stalinwashing’

    Stalin’s reputation in Russia continues to recover. According to a poll from 2015, 45% of the Russian population thought the deaths caused by Stalin’s actions were justified (up from 25% in 2012). By 2023, 63% of Russians had an overall positive view of his leadership.

    This reflects the view promoted in schools and amplified by the Russian media, where criticism of Stalin is rare. Even the 2017 British comedy, The Death of Stalin, was banned in Russia for fear of popping the bubble of public approval.

    The purpose of rehabilitating Stalin is about boosting support for Putin’s regime, training Russians’ conformity reflex, and instilling pride in their history. But it also has external ramifications.

    With the partial exception of Georgia, his birthplace, Stalin is widely reviled by Russia’s neighbours which were often the victims of Stalin’s repressive policies. This is especially true of Ukraine. A famine known to Ukrainians as the Holodomor was deliberately imposed there between 1932 and 1933 as part of collectivisation and killed as many as 3.8 million people.

    As a result, his death unleashed de-Stalinisation accompanied by the destruction of his statues all over eastern Europe. This began during the 1956 Budapest uprising and was followed by later such reactions in Prague and elsewhere.

    The statue of Stalin in Budapest was torn down by demonstrators in 1956.
    Fortepan adományozó / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-NC-SA

    After the uprisings were put down, Stalin’s place was typically taken by the less controversial Vladimir Lenin, the revolutionary leader who founded the Soviet Union.

    But since the 2014 Maidan revolution in Ukraine, which culminated in the ousting of pro-Russian president Viktor Yanukovych, Ukrainians have also been pulling down statues of Lenin. Other Soviet-era symbols have also been torn down in a wave of demonstrations known as Leninopad or Leninfall.

    This is what has informed the latest intensification of Stalin-washing. The Ukrainian refutation of the symbolic heritage of the Soviet Union seems to have supercharged the Russian embrace of it, Stalin included.

    Russia has restored statues of Lenin in the Ukrainian territories it occupies. And it has now also started erecting statues of Stalin, notably in the southeastern city of Melitopol, where a statue was unveiled in May to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory in the second world war.

    This is against the law in Ukraine, where there is a ban on pro-Communist (and pro-totalitarian) symbolism. Russian forces have meanwhile been destroying memorials to the Holodomor in a battle over the meaning of the Soviet legacy.

    Russia’s military strength

    The re-elevation of Stalin promotes a narrow interpretation of his rule, stressing Russia’s military strength. Modern statues typically portray Stalin in a military uniform and evoke a sense of him as a victorious wartime leader.

    In fact, some of the appeal of the symbol of Stalin lies in welfare provisions of his leadership where, despite imposing an often cruelly authoritarian system, education and healthcare were free for all. The same can be said for his use of fear as a work incentive. Russians sometimes still denounce complacent or inept officials with the imprecation: “If only Stalin was here to sort you out” (Stalina na vas net in Russian).

    Nevertheless, it is the imperial version of Stalin that dominates, vindicating Russian refusal to reckon with its colonial past as the centre of the Soviet Union. Stalin’s record is sometimes defended within Russia on the basis that Winston Churchill, for instance, remains a British national hero despite a bloody past (such as his role in the Bengal famine of 1943).

    While there is an element of truth in this, the difference is that Churchill’s shortcomings and complicity in the death toll attributable to the British empire are publicly discussed. Such criticism of Stalin is not permitted in Russia. Even the new statue in Moscow was erected under cover of the night, evading public scrutiny and debate.

    The fact that the UK subjects its historical heroes to scrutiny is what distinguishes it from Russia, and defines it as democratic. At least for the time being.

    Jeremy Hicks is a member of the UK Labour Party

    – ref. Why is Stalin back in the Moscow metro? – https://theconversation.com/why-is-stalin-back-in-the-moscow-metro-258006

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Is there really a religious revival in England? Why I’m sceptical of a new report

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By David Voas, Emeritus Professor of Social Science, UCL

    Jantanee Runpranomkorn/Shutterstock

    The Bible Society recently published a report claiming that church attendance in England and Wales increased by more than half between 2018 and 2024. The revival was especially striking among young men, with reported church attendance jumping from 4% to 21% over this short period.

    As a quantitative social scientist who has studied religious change in modern societies for more than 25 years, I’m surprised – and sceptical. I do not doubt that the Bible Society acted in good faith, but they haven’t engaged with the mountain of evidence, some of it very recent, pointing to religious decline.

    The annual British Social Attitudes survey – widely regarded as the best and most reliable source of data on such matters – shows that the share of adults in England and Wales who said that they were Christian and went to church at least monthly fell by nearly a quarter (from 12.2% to 9.3%) between 2018 and 2023, the last year available. The Bible Society surveys suggest that churchgoers were 8% of the adult population in 2018 and 12% in 2024.

    The main Christian denominations (Anglican, Catholic, Methodist, Baptist) conduct and publish their own attendance counts every year. Those show that while churchgoing continues to rebound from the lows of the COVID lockdown, attendance at worship services remains substantially lower than it was in 2019, before the pandemic. In the Church of England, average weekly attendance is down about 20% from pre-pandemic levels, and the story is similar in other denominations.

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    The Bible Society report claims that “Catholicism has risen sharply.” According to their figures, Catholics were 23% of churchgoers in 2018 and 31% in 2024. As total churchgoing supposedly increased by 56% over that period, from 3.7 million to 5.8 million, the implication is that Catholic mass attendance has more than doubled.

    We know from the Catholic church itself, however, that the reality is far different. The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales counted 701,902 people attending Sunday mass in 2019. In 2023, there were 554,913 – a drop of 21%.

    The findings are also inconsistent with other data from YouGov, the polling firm that collected the data for the Bible Society. A decade ago, the British Election Study (BES) commissioned YouGov to create an online panel. This panel, which includes more people than the Bible Society surveys, was asked about religious affiliation and church attendance in 2015, 2022 and 2024.

    According to YouGov’s data for the BES internet panel, the share of Christian churchgoers in England and Wales declined from 8.0% to 6.6% between 2015 and 2024, whereas YouGov’s surveys for the Bible Society apparently show an increase from 8% to 12% between 2018 and 2024.

    The fact that the findings were completely different in the two cases suggests that this kind of polling is not a reliable way of measuring trends in church attendance.

    What could be the problem with the data?

    Gold standard social surveys are based on random (probability) samples of the population: everyone has a chance to be included. The British Social Attitudes survey is one such example – and found that churchgoing fell by nearly a quarter from 2018-23.

    By contrast, people opt in to YouGov’s survey panel and are rewarded after completing a certain number of surveys. The risk of low-quality or even bogus responses is considerable.

    YouGov creates a quota sample from its large self-selected panel. The sample will match the population on a number of key characteristics, such as age and sex, but that does not make it representative in all respects. As quota samples do not give each person in the population a known chance of being selected, statistical inference is not possible and findings cannot be reliably generalised.

    To write (as in the Bible Society report) that because thousands of people participated in the two surveys, they “give a 1% margin of error at a 99% confidence level” is misleading.

    This study is not the first time such non-probability sampling has led to dubious findings. In late 2023, the Economist ran the story that one in five young Americans believed that the Holocaust was a myth, based on another YouGov poll. A study by the Pew Research Center showed that that finding was almost certainly fallacious, and the Economist added a disclaimer acknowledging the problem.

    The trouble with young adults

    The Bible Society claims that the alleged religious revival is being driven by young people flocking to church (and reading their Bibles). There are numerous reasons to be sceptical of survey findings about young adults. They are what survey researchers call a hard-to-reach population. They tend to be in transition between the parental home and education or employment; they are often out of the house and difficult for interviewers to find or for online survey companies to recruit.

    Those who do respond to surveys may not be representative of their age group. They are more likely to be living with their parents, less likely to be out with friends, more likely to be compliant, less likely to be suspicious of authority, and so on. Such characteristics are associated with religious participation.

    The Bible Society report claims 21% of men aged 18-24 are regular churchgoers.
    Yuri A/Shutterstock

    Other findings from the report are also surprising. The Bible Society asserts: “Men are now more likely to attend church than women.” Most churchgoers would probably be surprised by this news, which would make England and Wales an exception to the religious gender gap present in most western countries. For example, recent research by Pew in the US has found that, although the gender gap is less pronounced among the youngest adults, “women remain more religious than men … by a variety of measures”.

    It would be fascinating to probe all of these issues further, but regrettably the Bible Society has not published the dataset. (When contacted about this, the Bible Society pointed to aggregate statistics published by YouGov and said it plans to publish more summary tables in the coming months.) Open access to all data is now a basic expectation in scientific work.

    That the Bible Society report has generated some enthusiastic coverage is not surprising – it appears to challenge conventional wisdom, and there are plenty of anecdotes to be provided as supporting “evidence”.

    But this doesn’t mean the data should be taken at face value. We need to place more trust in surveys based on probability sampling and less in data collected from opt-in online panels. That’s particularly the case when people are pushing a story that runs counter to everyday experience – and years of data.

    In response to the arguments made in this article, the Bible Society said it was committed to producing rigorous and high-quality research that equips the church and provokes conversation in culture. “We are well aware of the limits of non-probability panels, but also the demonstrated strength of this method in producing valid and actionable insights when paired with quota controls and post-stratification, as widely acknowledged in existing survey methodology literature according to academic standards. [Our data] points to both increased engagement with Christianity and a changing spiritual atmosphere, and we are happy to acknowledge it may be on the upper end of a range that future data sets will nuance.”

    A spokesperson for YouGov said: “YouGov’s methodology is robust. We have a proprietary panel of millions of people to take part in our surveys. YouGov draws a sub-sample of the panel that is representative of British adults by range of demographic factors, and invites this sub-sample to complete a survey.”

    David Voas 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 his academic appointment.

    – ref. Is there really a religious revival in England? Why I’m sceptical of a new report – https://theconversation.com/is-there-really-a-religious-revival-in-england-why-im-sceptical-of-a-new-report-257863

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Jaws at 50: a cinematic masterpiece – and an incredible piece of propaganda

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Colin Alexander, Senior Lecturer in Political Communications, Nottingham Trent University

    Jaws turns 50 on June 20. Last year, Quentin Tarantino called Stephen Spielberg’s film “possibly the greatest movie ever made”. Though he was quick to add that it isn’t the best film in terms of script, cinematography or acting, he was convinced that its overall quality as a movie remains unmatched.

    I’m not so sure if Jaws is the best movie ever made – but it’s certainly the movie that I like to watch the most. It is as fascinating and multilayered as it is entertaining and depressing. As a researcher of political propaganda, I believe that Jaws had political purpose.

    I have watched Jaws well over 50 times and still, with every viewing, I spot a new detail. Just last week I noticed that when police chief Brody (Roy Scheider) leaves his office after the first shark attack, he opens a gate in a white picket fence.

    The white picket fence is often used to symbolise the American dream and Brody’s actions are likely intended to symbolise the disruption to the dream’s pursuit of capitalism as he seeks to close the beaches and potentially ruin the town’s tourism season.

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    The film was released in June 1975. Just in time for summer holidays spent splashing in the waves (or not!). However, despite its continued acclaim, it didn’t win any of the big Academy Awards in 1976. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest dominated that year. Composer John Williams did, however, win the Oscar for best original score, which I assume you are now humming in your head.



    Read more:
    One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest: 50 years on Jack Nicholson’s greatest performance is as fresh as ever

    The film is based on the book by Peter Benchley, published a year earlier in 1974. The book’s plot is somewhat different to the film. For example, Matt Hooper – the shark specialist played by Richard Dreyfuss in the film – is eaten by the shark, possibly as an act of retribution for his sins on land. He survives in the film.

    Benchley was US president Lyndon Johnson’s (1963-1969) communications advisor before he became an author and so knew Washington’s priorities well. The film was then commissioned before the book had time to become a commercial success, which is somewhat unusual.

    The trailer for Jaws.

    The shark – powerful, mysterious, dark eyed, stalking the American people and killing without emotion – represents the threat posed by communism. The defeat of this “menace” will require the reunification of American society following its disastrous and fractious involvement in the Vietnam war and political scandals like Watergate.

    Hence, the white public sector worker (Brody), the scientist (Hooper) and the military veteran (Quint), put their differences aside to band together on a rickety and ill-equipped boat – the Orca – which was possibly meant to symbolise the wobbling US of its time.

    So while Jaws is a parable of societal repair, it is also a story of exclusively white unification amid external threats. The civil rights movement and Vietnam are inextricably linked through the service of young black men to the cause, and yet black characters are conspicuous by their absence from the book and the film. The only black presence in the book is an anonymous gardener who rapes wealthy white women.

    Human will to dominate the natural world

    In the book, the horror focuses upon human, rather than animal, behaviour. This comes in the form of political corruption, mafia influence, adultery, snobbery, racial prejudice, community disconnect and dishonest journalism. And it occurs as much on land as it does at sea. There is a large section midway through the book where the shark plays no part in the, at times, highly sexual plot.

    Spielberg removed many of the undercurrents and insinuations of the book for his adaptation. The film gives less attention to life in the town of Amity and focuses largely on the shark and the horror of its actions.

    The irony is that so many characters feel personally offended by an animal capable of instinct alone, when they as humans – capable of reason and choice – behave so badly towards each other. Indeed, the lack of an eco-centric character to defend the shark in both the book or the film is telling.

    Brody yells for people to ‘get out of the water’.

    The overwhelming horror is instead found in the treatment of the shark and the assertion that it must be killed rather than respected and left alone. Indeed, Jaws represents a parable of the modern human perception of battle against nature. Wherein Brody, Hooper and Quint, despite their differences, are united in their assumption of human superiority and their perspective that the problem ought to be dealt with using violence.

    The story of Jaws also speaks to George Orwell’s essay Shooting an Elephant from 1936. It captured the author’s dilemma while working as a police officer in colonial Burma when an elephant disrupted the regular process of capitalism by trampling through a local market.

    The philosophers Max Horkheimer and Theodor Adorno referred to the enlightenment as having created a “new barbarity” wherein humans are engaged in a project of destruction. Here then, a shark has had the audacity to behave in an inconvenient way to man’s profiteering from tourism and must be killed.

    Indeed, one of the biggest criticisms of the film, which Spielberg has subsequently acknowledged, is its inaccurate representation of shark behaviour and the extent to which the film’s success contributed to the decline of the species.

    Ultimately then, Jaws – the book, the film and the reaction of audiences to it – serves as a testimony to the role played by fear within human decision-making. The fear of “others”. Fear of the unknown. Fear of the natural world. Fear of loss of status or reputation.

    It’s a testament to the susceptibility of humans to become insular and violent when they are scared, but also to the distorting influence of propagandists in determining what they ought to be afraid of.

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

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

    – ref. Jaws at 50: a cinematic masterpiece – and an incredible piece of propaganda – https://theconversation.com/jaws-at-50-a-cinematic-masterpiece-and-an-incredible-piece-of-propaganda-253498

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: What dinosaur fossils could teach us about cancer

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Justin Stebbing, Professor of Biomedical Sciences, Anglia Ruskin University

    Ilnaz Bagautdinov/Shutterstock

    When you think of dinosaurs, you might imagine towering predators or gentle giants roaming prehistoric landscapes. But what if these ancient creatures could teach us about one of humanity’s most persistent challenges: cancer?

    In a new study, my team and I explored how fossilised soft tissues, preserved for tens of millions of years, could reveal new insights into ancient proteins that might one day help the study of cancer.

    For decades, dinosaur research has focused on bones, which are much more likely to be preserved. But bones alone can’t tell the full story of how these animals lived, or how they died. Advances in technology, like paleoproteomics (the study of ancient proteins) are now allowing scientists to analyse delicate fragments of soft tissues preserved in fossils.

    In 2016, I read an article about the discovery of a new fossil in Romania with a tumour in its jaw. Those remains were from a dinosaur called Telmatosaurus transsylvanicus, a duck-billed, plant-eating “marsh bird”. The specimen had lived between 66-70 million years ago in the Hateg Basin in present-day Romania.

    I was fascinated by what we might learn from this. Although there were a handful of previous reports of cancers in other dinosaur bones, and previous findings of soft tissues like blood vessels in fossils, no one had ever described soft tissues in an ancient tumour.

    The Telmatosaurus specimen.
    Pramodh Chandrasinghe, CC BY-NC-SA

    To understand more, my team went to Romania and collected the specimen. We brought it back, and made a tiny hole into it with a drill the width of a human hair, taking a miniscule sample.

    Then we mounted it onto a powerful microscope, called a scanning electron microscope. Inside it, we saw images of blood cells, which contain proteins.

    In the original Jurassic Park film, the scientists create or clone dinosaurs from ancient genetic material. But in reality over millions of years the DNA is completely broken down.

    Proteins however, unlike DNA, can be remarkably stable over time. Research has shown that they can persist in fossils for millions of years under the right conditions, acting as molecular time capsules. Studying these proteins can help us reconstruct biological processes, including diseases like cancer, that affected dinosaurs.

    Cancer’s deep evolutionary roots

    Cancer is often seen as a modern plague, but it has ancient origins. Large, long-lived animals, from elephants to whales, are a paradox. Their size and longevity should make them cancer-prone, yet many have evolved remarkable defences.

    Elephants, for example, carry extra copies of the TP53 gene, a tumour suppressor. Bowhead whales which can live for over 200 years, have ultra-efficient DNA repair mechanisms and damage to DNA is the root cause of cancer. Dinosaurs, as some of the largest animals to ever exist, probably faced similar problems.

    My team’s research builds on growing evidence that dinosaurs weren’t immune to cancer. Fossilised tumours have been found in species like Tyrannosaurus rex and Telmatosaurus, ranging from benign growths to aggressive cancers. My team is aiming to uncover the molecular tools dinosaurs used to suppress tumours in the future.

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    Bones tell us about anatomy, but soft tissues hold the keys to biology. In my team’s study, the red blood cell-like structures we found in Telmatosaurus fossils represent gateways to understanding the dinosaur’s physiology.

    Proteins preserved in these tissues could reveal how dinosaurs managed oxidative stress which is linked to cancer, inflammation, or even immune responses to cancer. For instance, certain proteins might indicate mechanisms for detecting and destroying faulty cells before tumours can form.

    This work also highlights a a need for a critical shift in paleontology: to preserve soft tissues, not just skeletons. Museums and researchers often prioritise intact bones, but fragments of fossilised skin, blood vessels, or cells can harbour molecular secrets. As technology advances, these overlooked specimens could become invaluable for studying disease evolution.

    Bridging past and present

    The link between dinosaurs and humans might seem distant, but evolution often repurposes ancient biological tools. Modern oncology already draws inspiration from nature and many chemotherapies come from plants or trees. The drug trabectedin, for example, used to treat soft-tissue sarcoma, comes from a marine organism called the sea squirt.

    Expanding our search to extinct species could open a library of evolutionary solutions. If we can identify cancer-suppressing or cancer-promoting proteins in dinosaurs, these molecules might inspire new lessons about human cancers.

    It’s taken nearly a decade to get this far. Like so much work, this research underscores the importance of patience and we’re not there yet. A real breakthrough might come when advances in research allows us to study ancient proteins in detail, tracking how cancer mechanisms evolved over millions of years.

    Bridging paleontology and oncology is not only uncovering ancient history. We’re potentially writing a new chapter in the fight against cancer.

    Justin Stebbing 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. What dinosaur fossils could teach us about cancer – https://theconversation.com/what-dinosaur-fossils-could-teach-us-about-cancer-257919

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kaine Announces the Filing of a War Powers Resolution to Prevent War with Iran

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Virginia Tim Kaine
    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), a member of the Senate Armed Services and Foreign Relations Committees, introduced a war powers resolution expressing concern about the escalating violence in the Middle East and its potential to pull the U.S. into conflict. The resolution will require a prompt debate and vote prior to using any U.S. military force against Iran.
    “It is not in our national security interest to get into a war with Iran unless that war is absolutely necessary to defend the United States. I am deeply concerned that the recent escalation of hostilities between Israel and Iran could quickly pull the United States into another endless conflict,” said Kaine. “The American people have no interest in sending servicemembers to fight another forever war in the Middle East. This resolution will ensure that if we decide to place our nation’s men and women in uniform into harm’s way, we will have a debate and vote on it in Congress.”
    War powers resolutions are privileged, meaning that the Senate will be required to promptly consider and vote upon the resolution. The resolution underscores that Congress has the sole power to declare war, as laid out in the Constitution. The resolution requires that any hostilities with Iran must be explicitly authorized by a declaration of war or specific authorization for use of military force, but would not prevent the United States from defending itself from imminent attack. The resolution will ensure a public debate and vote in Congress as intended by the framers of the Constitution.
    For years, Kaine has been a leading voice in Congress raising concerns over presidents’ efforts to expand the use of military force without congressional authorization. In 2017, Kaine wrote a piece in TIME warning of the consequences if President Donald Trump pulled out of the nuclear deal with Iran. In 2018, Kaine wrote a piece in The Atlantic warning that Trump was blundering toward war with Iran. In March 2020, Congress passed Kaine’s bipartisan war powers resolution to prevent further escalation of hostilities with Iran without congressional authorization. In 2023, the Senate passed bipartisan legislation led by Kaine to repeal the 1991 and 2002 Authorizations for Use of Military Force (AUMFs) and formally end the Gulf and Iraq wars.
    Text of the resolution is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Wired: Senators Warn DOGE’s Social Security Administration Work Could Break Benefits

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren

    June 11, 2025

    Democratic senators have concerns that the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) could break the Social Security Administration’s tech infrastructure.

    In a new letter addressed to SSA commissioner Frank Bisignano, senators Elizabeth Warren and Ron Wyden say that DOGE’s plans to “hastily upgrade” Social Security IT systems could disrupt the delivery of benefits or result in mass data losses. The warning comes after WIRED reported in March that DOGE officials were planning to rebuild SSA’s code base in a matter of months. The move, originally spearheaded by Steve Davis, one of Elon Musk’s key lieutenants and a leader at DOGE, could result in total system collapse, experts told WIRED at the time.

    …

    Read the full story here.

    By:  Makena Kelly
    Source: Wired

    Previous Article

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Business Insider: Millions of student-loan borrowers are getting a ‘financial scarlet letter’ that could risk their home purchases and job prospects, Elizabeth Warren says

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren

    June 10, 2025

    Millions of student-loan borrowers could be facing a financial strain that will hinder their abilities to buy a house or get a new job, Sen. Elizabeth Warren said.

    Ahead of a Tuesday meeting with Linda McMahon, President Donald Trump’s education secretary, Warren published a blog post — first viewed by Business Insider — detailing her concerns with the Trump administration’s move to restart collections on defaulted borrowers’ student loans.

    After Trump announced on May 5 that consequences for student-loan defaults would resume after a five-year pause — including garishment of wages and federal benefits — the New York Federal Reserve released a report that said 8.04% of borrowers moved into serious delinquency in the first quarter of 2025, putting them at greater risk of defaulting this summer.

    …

    Read the full story here

    By:  Ayelet Sheffey
    Source: Business Insider

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ABC News: Senate Democrats file bill to prevent ban on transgender military service

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren
    June 10, 2025
    Democratic lawmakers will submit a bill in the Senate on Tuesday that would reverse the Pentagon’s new ban on transgender military service members diagnosed with gender dysphoria who now face being forced out if they had not previously self-identified as transgender.
    The “Fit to Serve Act” would prohibit the Defense Department from banning transgender service members from serving in the military. If passed, the law would prevent the DOD from denying access to healthcare on the basis of gender identity, and it would also prohibit the military from forcing service members to serve in their sex assigned at birth.
    It would also make it illegal for the military to discriminate against service members on the basis of gender identity.
    …
    Read the full story here.
    By:  Luis MartinezSource: ABC News

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NEWS: Sanders Calls for Bipartisan Investigation into Secretary Kennedy’s Vaccine Committee Firings at CDC

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Vermont – Bernie Sanders

    WASHINGTON, June 16 – After Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fired every member of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in an unprecedented decision that will make it harder for Americans to access safe and effective vaccines, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), wrote a letter to HELP Chairman Bill Cassidy (R-La.) calling for an immediate bipartisan investigation into these terminations and Kennedy’s efforts to mislead the American people about vaccine safety. 

    “Secretary Kennedy’s reckless decision to fire these non-partisan scientific experts and replace them with ideologues with limited expertise and a history of undermining vaccines will not only endanger the lives of Americans of all ages, it directly contradicts a commitment he made to you before he was confirmed that he would not make any significant changes to this important Committee,” Sanders wrote. 

    Sanders cited Cassidy’s own public remarks following the firings: “Now the fear is that the ACIP will be filled up with people who know nothing about vaccines except suspicion.” 

    ACIP is a federal advisory group of medical and public health experts who make evidence-based recommendations on which vaccines should be administered to whom and when. Those recommendations guide coverage by private insurers, Medicaid, Medicare and other government programs.

    Last week, Secretary Kennedy gutted ACIP and has begun appointing replacements who include a former professor who made comparisons between the COVID vaccine and Nazi medical experiments, a board member of an anti-vaccine organization, and a private equity firm leader. Kennedy also replaced the official at CDC who oversaw ACIP, a 20-year veteran of the agency, with a scheduling staffer. 

    Sanders’ letter follows an emergency resolution passed last week by the American Medical Association urging the HELP Committee to investigate the firings. 

    “While Secretary Kennedy’s actions are deeply disappointing they are not surprising,” Sanders continued. “For decades, Secretary Kennedy has spread lies and dangerous conspiracy theories about safe and effective vaccines that have saved millions of lives. Unfortunately, since he has been confirmed I am very concerned that Secretary Kennedy is doubling down on his war on science and disinformation campaign that will lead to preventable illness and death.” 

    Read the letter here. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Welch Joins Durbin, 39 Senate Democrats in Pressing Trump Administration to Resume Processing DACA Applications 

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)

    The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals recently limited a nationwide injunction to only Texas, giving the Administration the greenlight to resume processing initial DACA applications for all other states 
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, joined U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 39 Senate Democrats in urging U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to resume processing applications for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, following a Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that limited a District Court’s injunction against DACA to only Texas. 
    The Senators began by highlighting the popular support for providing Dreamers a pathway to citizenship, writing: “Noncitizens brought to the United States as children, often known as Dreamers, are American in every way but their immigration status. Many only know this country as their home, and they contribute every day to this great nation by paying taxes and serving in critical roles, such as police officers, teachers, and nurses. Americans overwhelmingly support providing Dreamers a path to citizenship, and in December 2024, President Trump stated that he supported protections for Dreamers to remain in the United States.” 
    The Senators continued by making their request, writing: “Consistent with this statement, we implore you to use your authority at United States Citizenship and Immigration Services to resume processing initial applications for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals and provide such protections for Dreamers immediately.” 
    Sunday, June 15 marked the thirteenth anniversary of President Obama establishing the DACA program. Since then, more than 825,000 people have received deferred action pursuant to DACA, empowering recipients to bolster their careers and contribute an estimated $140 billion to the U.S. economy in spending power and $40 billion in combined federal, payroll, state, and local taxes.  
    In 2021, U.S. District Court Judge Andrew Hanen halted the DACA program and enjoined USCIS from approving any new DACA applications nationwide. While the program was enjoined, USCIS has continued to accept and hold initial applications, and in 2022, the Department of Homeland Security published the DACA Final Rule, codifying the 2012 memorandum establishing DACA into regulation. More than 100,000 initial DACA applications are pending with USCIS. 
    On January 17, 2025, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a decision limiting Judge Hanen’s injunction to Texas. 
    The Senators further elaborated on the Fifth Circuit’s decision to limit the injunction, writing: “Pursuant to the order, in Texas, DACA must resume as a limited program providing protection from deportation for current DACA recipients, but without access to work authorization or driver’s licenses as part of those renewals. This order went into effect on March 11, giving USCIS the authority to start processing initial DACA applications from states other than Texas. However, nearly three months later, USCIS has not made any public announcement on whether new DACA applications will be processed; nor has the agency begun processing initial applications that have been pending with the agency for years.” 
    The Senators concluded by reiterating their request, writing: “We urge you to begin processing these DACA applications immediately, consistent with the Fifth Circuit decision and existing regulations, and to ensure Dreamers eligible to file initial DACA applications can do so as soon as possible.” 
    In addition to Senators Welch and Durbin, the letter is signed by U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Angus King (I-Maine), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.). 
    Read and download the full text of the letter. For a PDF of the letter to USCIS, click here. 
    Last week, Senator Welch joined his colleagues for a forum examining the Trump Administration’s attacks on constitutional rights that define our country and highlighted DREAMERS as a group threatened by Trump’s lawless rampage. This Congress, Senator Welch joined 26 of his colleagues in introducing The Fair Day in Court for Kids Act of 2025, legislation to provide unaccompanied children with legal representation for their court when they appear in proceedings before an immigration judge. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Traffic Advisories – Inverness, Pictou Counties

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    INVERNESS COUNTY: Trunk 19, Port Hood

    Trunk 19 from 75 metres south of East Street northerly to Southwest Mabou Bridge is reduced to one lane for paving, ditching and culvert replacement until Tuesday, September 30.

    Traffic control is on-site. Work takes place weekdays from sunrise to sunset.

    PICTOU COUNTY: Highway 106, Pictou

    The Harvey A. Veniot Causeway is reduced to one lane because of a shoreline protection project. The project takes place from today, June 16, until Tuesday, July 8.

    Traffic control is on-site. Work takes place weekdays from sunrise to sunset.

    NOTE: For the most up-to-date provincial traffic notices follow @511ns on X at https://x.com/511ns, call 511 or visit: https://511.novascotia.ca/

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congresswoman Bice Supports Rescission Package

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Stephanie Bice (OK-05)

    Washington, D.C.– The Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 (P.L. 93-344) sets up a process through which an administration may request that Congress rescind previously appropriated funds. Today, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to eliminate $9.4 billion in unobligated spending at the State Department, USAID, CBP, and other programs. In total, there were 22 rescissions.

    Congresswoman Bice issued the following statement:

    “The United States is on an unsustainable fiscal path with the national debt nearing $37 trillion dollars. This is why I voted for the rescission package, which seeks to codify DOGE’s mission to root out waste, fraud, and abuse. The United States should not be spending nearly a million dollars on electoral reform and voter education in Kenya, a million dollars for voter ID in Haiti, $500,000 for electric buses in Uganda, or $643,000 for LGBTQ programs in the Western Balkans.”

    “I also want to address funding for the Corporation of Public Broadcasting. This rescissions package will not affect emergency alert systems, which are vital for states like Oklahoma. While NPR plays a crucial role locally, this rescission package only targets 1% of their federal dollars. Furthermore, for too long, NPR has promoted left-wing narratives and have funded left-wing causes in violation of the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967. Political bias should not exist in government funded broadcasting.”

    Contact: Wesley Harkins

    Phone: (202) 225-2132

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Illinois Drivers Alliance Announces Historic Breakthrough that Paves the Way for 100,000+ Drivers to Form a Union and Bargain to Improve Pay and Working Conditions

    Source: US GOIAM Union

    Following years of grassroots efforts, a driver-led coalition secures commitment from Uber to support statewide legislation that will pave a pathway to unionization

    CHICAGO – In a historic breakthrough to transform the rideshare industry and to improve the lives of drivers across the state, the Illinois Drivers Alliance – a coalition powered by drivers and anchored by SEIU Local 1 and IAM Local 701 – announced on Monday that it will file legislation that will at last secure bargaining rights for the more than 100,000 estimated rideshare drivers who reside in Illinois. At the same time, the coalition also announced that after years of grassroots pressure and mobilization, including many protests and rallies aimed at the largest companies in the rideshare industry, Uber has now agreed not to oppose bargaining rights for rideshare drivers in Illinois.

    For years, rideshare drivers in Illinois have been united in their demand to have the right to form a union and to bargain with rideshare industry giants. Thousands of drivers have attended rallies, protests, and regular events and meetings organized by SEIU Local 1, IAM Local 701, the Chicago Gig Alliance, among others. Many of these demonstrations and protests, some outside Uber headquarters and others at key rideshare locations like the airport, have been focused on demanding that the companies agree to respect the rights of workers to unionize and bargain for better wages and stronger working conditions. 

    The victory for drivers in winning such a condition from the company follows another major victory for drivers in Massachusetts, where rideshare drivers secured bargaining rights by passing a ballot referendum in November 2024. That referendum was backed by thousands of rideshare drivers who had been organizing with SEIU and the IAM. It drew support not only from a majority of voters but also countless community and religious allies who understood that workers could not wait any longer to gain the right to unionize in the rideshare industry.

    The announcement from the largest rideshare company in the industry, Uber, to support statewide legislation that allows drivers to form a union marks a significant step toward achieving economic justice for rideshare drivers.

    The agreement is also the result of years of organizing by the members of the Illinois Drivers Alliance and the Chicago Gig Alliance to advance the Chicago Rideshare Living Wage and Safety Ordinance, which, until now, had been set to face a vote in the City Council this week. 

    The aggressive organizing action around the ordinance played a key role in driving the company to commit to working cooperatively to pass state legislation that would grant workers the right to join a union. Due to loopholes and restrictions in current federal labor regulations, state-level legislation needs to be passed in order to allow rideshare drivers to bargain to improve pay and working conditions.

    “This breakthrough would not have been possible without the courage and efforts of drivers shining the light on their safety and working conditions. The Illinois Drivers Alliance, the Chicago Gig Alliance, and their many allies, along with Workforce Committee Chair Ald. Michael Rodriguez (22) laid the groundwork by pushing the envelope at the city level. That forced the largest rideshare company in Illinois to begin reckoning with the fact that opposing bargaining was an untenable position in our city and our state,” said Illinois Drivers Alliance leader and IAM Midwest Territory Special Representative Ronnie Gonzalez. “Ald. Rodriguez’s dedication to improving the lives of workers was essential in paving the way for this unprecedented agreement and the path to union rights for rideshare drivers.”

    “This is a historic day for Illinois rideshare drivers, not just in Chicago but all across Illinois who are leading the fight to unionize, which would improve their working conditions, pay standards, and give them a voice on the job,” said Illinois Drivers Alliance leader and SEIU Local 1 President Genie Kastrup. “With state legislation, we will be able to reach beyond city limits to lift up hundreds of thousands of drivers across Illinois. Real change can only happen when workers have a union and a voice at the table. We’re ready to take this fight to Springfield and win the future of rideshare.”

    “Illinois rideshare drivers have been leading the way toward a union and a voice on the job for years,” said IAM Union Midwest Territory General Vice President Sam Cicinelli. “Today’s announcement brings us closer than ever to statewide legislation that delivers the right to union representation for Illinois rideshare drivers. Together, the Illinois Drivers Alliance and thousands of rideshare drivers in Illinois are ready to pass landmark legislation in Springfield that raises wages, increases safety standards, and makes the rideshare industry work for the drivers who make it all possible.”

    “The Chicago Gig Alliance has been organizing workers to win better wages, more safety, and stronger worker protections for drivers since 2019,” said Chicago Gig Alliance Lead Organizer and driver Lori Simmons. The Fairshare Ordinance was the result of years of hard work and dedication by Chicago Gig Alliance members. Although we are extremely disappointed that we will not see the ordinance come to fruition at the city level in the way that we had hoped, we are also incredibly excited about the opportunity to create real and lasting driver power on a much larger scale as a member of the Illinois Drivers Alliance.” 

    “This is a huge victory for rideshare drivers and the broader fight for economic justice in our city and state,” said Ald. Rodriguez. “Our job as public servants is to improve the lives of working people. This agreement between Uber and the Illinois Drivers Alliance does just that. I am grateful for our work with the Chicago Gig Alliance on the Fairshare Ordinance as we laid the groundwork for a future where drivers are treated with dignity, have a real voice on the job, and can shape the conditions they work under. This is what progress looks like.”

    “As an Uber driver who has organized for a union for years, today is a testament to the driver power we continue to build upon,” said Chicagoland Uber driver Mark Ballentine. “We know that the only way to a better life for rideshare drivers is a union and a strong voice on the job. We’re energized and ready to pass statewide legislation that gives us the freedom to negotiate better pay, benefits and work rules through the power of a union.”

    Rideshare drivers with the Illinois Drivers Alliance, the Chicago Gig Alliance and their allies will now work to advance legislation in Springfield that secures union rights for drivers and establishes a statewide framework for bargaining in the rideshare industry.

    While the details of the bargaining bill are being finalized, the bill is expected to draw some inspiration from reforms recently passed by ballot referendum in Massachusetts, where drivers won the right to a union in November 2024.

    The Illinois Drivers Alliance is a coalition of thousands of rideshare drivers across the state, powered by SEIU Local 1 and IAM Local 701. Together, we’re fighting for a legal pathway to unionization because drivers deserve the same rights and protections as every other worker. For years, drivers have been organizing with SEIU and IAM to demand fair pay, stronger protections, and a real voice on the job. Now, we’re calling on lawmakers at every level to stand with drivers and pass legislation that ensures our right to organize and build power that lasts.

    The post Illinois Drivers Alliance Announces Historic Breakthrough that Paves the Way for 100,000+ Drivers to Form a Union and Bargain to Improve Pay and Working Conditions appeared first on IAM Union.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sen. Billy Hickman Appointed to Key Education and Oversight Committees

    Source: US State of Georgia

    ATLANTA (June 16, 2025) — Today, Sen. Billy Hickman (R–Statesboro) announced his appointment to several key committees and commissions by Lt. Governor Burt Jones.

    Sen. Hickman will serve on the following:

    • Career and Technical Education Advisory Commission
    • Agricultural Education Advisory Commission
    • High School Athletics Overview Committee
    • Jekyll Island–State Park Authority Oversight Committee
    • Senate Committee on Education and Youth Subcommittee on Students with Disabilities
    • Senate Study Committee on Combating Chronic Absenteeism in Schools

    “These appointments represent areas I care deeply about: guaranteeing our students have the support they need inside and out of the classroom, protecting the future of agriculture and being good stewards of Georgia’s natural and cultural resources,” said Sen. Hickman. “I’m especially eager to focus on student attendance and disability services, which are critical to ensuring academic success and long-term opportunities for our children. I appreciate the confidence Lt. Gov. Jones has placed in me, and I look forward to continuing this work with colleagues and communities across the state.”

    # # # #

    Sen. Billy Hickman serves as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Education and Youth. He represents the 4th Senate District which includes Bulloch, Candler, Effingham, and Evans County as well as a small portion of Chatham County. He may be reached at 404.463.1371 or by email at Billy.Hickman@senate.ga.gov.

    For all media inquiries, please reach out to SenatePressInquiries@senate.ga.gov.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Kehoe Applauds Accomplishments of Joint Recovery Effort One Month After EF-3 Tornado Devastated St. Louis

    Source: US State of Missouri

    JUNE 16, 2025

    Jefferson City — Today, Governor Mike Kehoe praised the united recovery effort in St. Louis that is moving the community forward following the devastating May 16 EF-3 tornado that destroyed or damaged thousands of homes and businesses, killed five people, and impacted the lives of tens of thousands of St. Louisans.

    The State of Missouri’s response began immediately, with the Missouri State Highway Patrol surging troopers to St. Louis to assist with law enforcement and traffic control and the Missouri Department of Transportationdeploying emergency response trucks and barricading impacted ramps and routes to assist with cleanup efforts. Governor Kehoe activated the state’s Urban Search and Rescue team, Missouri Task Force 1, which responded to the city and began search operations on May 16. The Missouri State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) also began initial damage assessments on May 16 and conducted joint damage assessments with city counterparts of thousands of buildings within days that have allowed the Federal Emergency Management Agency to begin approving FEMA assistance funding to residents last week.

    “From the moments immediately after the EF-3 tornado struck and each day since, Missourians have shown they will come to the aid for their neighbors, no matter how daunting the task before them,” Governor Kehoe said. “In our many visits to St. Louis over the last month, we have seen people come together to support one another. We could not control what occurred on the afternoon of May 16, but we are proving that we can control the path forward as we rebuild lives and homes in the months and years to come. We have directed our state disaster recovery agencies to continue to build on what they have already accomplished and do everything possible to assist in St. Louis. We are confident in St. Louis’s future because of the great work that has already been accomplished as we’ve worked as a united team.”

    SEMA’s team has worked around the clock to support the St. Louis response effort and continues to tirelessly assist in the St. Louis Emergency Operations Center and across the damage area, supplying support in emergency management command, operations, logistics, planning, finance and administration, transportation, and medical care, through the Missouri Disaster Medical Assistance Team (MO DMAT-1) and the Operations Division. Approximately 35% of the SEMA workforce has worked in St. Louis or supported tornado recovery efforts from SEMA headquarters over the last month. With the exception of a few days, SEMA Director Jim Remillard and Deputy Director Terry Cassil have spent the last month in St. Louis to support the recovery effort.

    “I have never been more impressed with the performance, professionalism, and dedication of any group of public servants than with SEMA’s effort to support the people of St. Louis,” Missouri Department of Public Safety Director Mark James said. “Their commitment, alongside additional state agencies, has been tireless, and they have integrated incredibly well working with St. Louis City Government, the St. Louis Fire Department, and all our other partners, playing an essential role in the progress that has been made in the community.”

    The State of Missouri’s response and recovery assistance over the last month has included:

    Missouri Task Force 1 (MO-TF1)

    MO-TF-1 was activated by Governor Kehoe and SEMA on May 16 and deployed an 88-person Type 1 Urban Search and Rescue Task Force and a 5-person Disaster Situation Awareness and Reconnaissance (DSAR) team to St. Louis. The team integrated with the St. Louis Fire Department and other search and rescue teams. MO-TF-1 searched and evaluated over 2,150 structures using state-of-the-art technological resources from May 16 to 18 and utilized drone technology to provide real-time situational awareness.

    SEMA Missouri Disaster Medical Assistance Team (MO DMAT-1)

    DMAT provided medical team members at St. Louis shelters housing people displaced by the tornado and Emergency Human Services staffing in the St. Louis Emergency Operations Center. In addition, DMAT team members have provided essential support to the St. Louis EOC in the areas of Operations, Planning, Logistics, and Finance and Administration. DMAT Logistics personnel also transported supplies and equipment to support the Disaster Assistance Center and the Multi-Agency Recovery Warehouse.

    SEMA Operations Division

    The SEMA Troop C – Urban regional coordinator responded immediately after the tornado hit on May 16 and continues to work out of the St. Louis Emergency Operations on a daily basis. Other SEMA regional coordinators from across the state have supported the St. Louis Emergency Operations Centers over the last month. The Operations Division also participated in initial damage assessments with local officials while response efforts were still ongoing. 

    SEMA Recovery Division

    The Recovery Division began conducting initial damage assessments with the local officials while response efforts were ongoing. A formal request to FEMA to conduct joint FEMA/SBA/SEMA/Local preliminary damage assessments for the Individual Assistance Program was submitted on May 19. The joint preliminary damage assessments for the were conducted May 21-24 and identified at least 512 homes destroyed, 1,321 homes sustaining major damage and 195 homes sustaining minor damage, totaling at least $17 million in expected FEMA and State of Missouri assistance to homeowners and renters. A request for a Major Presidential Disaster Declaration for designation of the Individual Assistance Program was signed by Governor Kehoe and submitted to FEMA on May 25. A formal request to FEMA to conduct joint FEMA/SEMA/Local preliminary damage assessments for the Public Assistance Program was submitted on May 23. Joint preliminary damage assessments for the Public Assistance Program were conducted May 28-June 3. A formal request was submitted to FEMA on June 6 for designation of the Public Assistance Program be added to the Major Presidential Disaster Declaration request for Individual Assistance submitted on May 25. These were approved by the President on June 9. FEMA had begun approving financial assistance to residents by June 12.

    SEMA Emergency Human Services

    SEMA’s Emergency Human Services Branch has been coordinating with local officials and faith-based and volunteer organizations, beginning with emergency sheltering needs since the May 16 tornado. SEMA has worked collaboratively with its partners to ensure the needs of those impacted by the tornado were met, including:

    • The American Red Cross has opened 21 shelters, providing 453 individuals with shelter for a total of 5,515 of shelter stays. ARC and its partners have been working to transition residents to longer-term sustainable housing solutions.
    • An array of charitable groups has provided over 285,000 hot meals.
    • The St. Louis Area Food bank has distributed over 350,000 pounds of food to organizations providing meals to storm survivors. It is also supplying community members with 500 food, water, and hygiene kits weekly at points of distribution in the impacted zone.
    • The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has assembled and delivered 5,500 meal kits to those impacted.
    • The Urban League donated over 7,000 box meals to disaster survivors.
    • A 140,000 square-foot Multi-Agency Warehouse, operated for the City of St. Louis by Adventist Community Services Disaster Response, has opened to support long-term recovery operations by accepting donated supplies, including PPE and construction materials. The warehouse received its first delivery on June 8 and sent out its first truckload of supplies for distribution on June 13. The warehouse receives in-kind donated goods from companies, corporations and community collection drives and provides inventory and fair market value tracking to support FEMA’s local match disaster assistance funding requirements. Its inventory will supply an approved partner network within the impact zone to support long-term recovery.
    • United Way and AmeriCorps St Louis are coordinating the Volunteer Reception Center and to date have connected over 5,200 volunteers to disaster-related opportunities.
    • Convoy of Hope has distributed over 389,000 pounds of essential supplies to 20,379 individuals.
    • The Disaster Assistance Center (DAC) opened June 9 at Chaifetz Arena and will operate for three weeks,  providing a one-stop-shop where disaster survivors received financial assistance, information, referrals, and emergency supplies from over 30 state agencies, non-governmental organizations, faith-based organizations, St. Louis city government, and community organizations. The DAC served 1,276 households reaching 3,325 family members in its first four days of operation. State agencies involved include the Department of Social Services, which refilled SNAP benefits and signed up those eligible for SNAP benefits; Department of Commerce and Industry, which has been providing guidance and information to residents who are having insurance issues; Department of Revenue, which has had its License Office on Wheels at the DAC replacing driver licenses, motor vehicle titles, and providing all services available at fixed license offices. Missouri Department of Mental Health team members are serving as ambassadors at the DAC, providing emotional support and guidance to survivors going through the DAC process. The Attorney General’s Office has been on site advising residents about potential scams and scammers.

    Missouri Structural Assessment and Visual Evaluation (SAVE) Coalition

    From May 21-24 and June 7-10, the SAVE Coalition (a mobile reserve unit of SEMA) assisted the St. Louis Building Division with evaluating residences and businesses for structural integrity. Over 100 volunteer engineers, architects, and building officials from across Missouri spent more than 3,000 hours assisting St. Louis inspectors evaluate 6,748 structures, categorizing 2,136 as unsafe and 1,529 as restricted because of extensive damage. City inspectors went through SAVE’s standard one-day training class on rapid exterior building evaluations. They utilized mapping software to compile digital reports, to help guide city rebuilding efforts. “Without [the SAVE Coalition’s] assistance St. Louis would, I feel, be struggling with the task of trying to catalog the tremendous damage that occurred on May 16th,” said Ed Ware, St. Louis Building Commissioner.

    Missouri State Highway Patrol

    Troop C troopers began to assist the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department immediately after the tornado struck on May 16, with 25 troopers assisting through May 17. The Patrol also provided additional assistance May 22-May 30, after receiving an additional request.  

    Missouri National Guard

    The Guard provided a Liaison Officer to St. Louis on May 20, which resulted in a request from the city for a Guard mission to support debris removal through an Engineer Task Force that provided a comprehensive debris clearance package. Engineer Teams deployed to St. Louis on May 28 and established and operated four debris collection sites and assisted with sorting, loading, transporting, and removing debris to designated landfills beginning on May 29. Operations involved close partnership with St. Louis Parks, Recreation and Forestry, and other city agencies. In its release letter to the Guard, the City of St. Louis called the Guard’s service “remarkable and exemplary.” The letter further noted that “the support enabled the city and its residents to remove the equivalent of well over 200 football fields piled one foot high with debris.” The debris drop-offs concluded at the Guard managed sites on June 8.

    Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS)

    DHSS has deployed staff to the St. Louis EOC and the Disaster Assistance Center to support public health partners, health care efforts and survivors. DHSS has sent more than 20 pallets of PPE and supplies to the St. Louis region, totaling 207,658 goggles, N95 masks, protective coveralls, gloves, disinfectant wipes, and hand sanitizer. DHSS, in collaboration with state and local partners, provided guidance on environmental cleanup efforts and PPE recommendations for debris removal crews and citizen cleanup efforts.

    DHSS issued two important state regulatory waivers: facilitating the rapid deployment of meals to impacted senior living sites; and allowing pharmacists to fill controlled substance prescriptions for patients in impacted areas without a written prescription when they deemed it necessary. DHSS staff also received and disseminated a USDA Food and Nutrition Service waiver for replacement of the current month food benefits for WIC participants who had damaged food from the storms.

    DHSS has also assisted with data analysis from air sampling efforts in the St. Louis area and is continuing to monitor for any concerning health trends at local hospitals.

    Missouri Department of Commerce and Insurance (DCI)

    DCI continues to provide consumer support and guidance for those navigating insurance policies and the post-disaster claims process, including at the ongoing Disaster Assistance Center. DCI has assisted over 360 families at the DAC as of June 13. Consumer Affairs has also fielded hundreds of calls and is currently processing insurance complaints as a result of the storms. DCI leadership has met with industry partners and community leaders on key insurance matters. To assist tornado survivors with major damage to their homes, on June 12, DCI issued a bulletin to the insurance industry that for properties with 50% or more damage the City of St. Louis had waived its mandatory claim holdback ordinance, which limited the ability to receive payment for insured losses. For insurance help, consumers can call DCI’s Consumer Hotline at 800-726-7390 or visit insurance.mo.gov for more information.

    Missouri Department of Natural Resources (DNR)

    DNR has waived certain requirements related to the disposal of yard waste and appliances, burning of woody vegetation, asbestos abatement and the discharge of wastewater. These actions were taken to expedite cleanup and minimize the risk to human health and the environment. DNR team members are participating at the Disaster Assistance Center events to answer questions related to storm recovery, including debris disposal, drinking water systems, water quality issues, and hazardous materials.

    Missouri Department of Social Services (DSS)

    On May 27,  the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) approved DSS’s request to waive the 10-day reporting requirement for food purchased with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits that was lost as a result of the May 16 tornado. The waiver applies to specific ZIP Codes in the City of St. Louis City and is in effect through June 16. DSS sent an additional request for FNS to approve a second extension for Missourians in impacted areas. If approved, those in impacted areas would have until July 16 to report their loss to DSS Family Support Division (FSD) for SNAP replacement benefits.

    Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations (DOLIR)

    Once Missouri received a federal Major Disaster Declaration, DOLIR’s updated the state’s unemployment claims application to allow for filing of claims for Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) benefits and claims are already being received. DUA applications will be accepted through August 8. Individuals may file a DUA claim online 24/7 by visiting uinteract.labor.mo.gov/benefits. The department has also been providing claim filing assistance and information to storm survivors at the Disaster Assistance Center. 

    Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT)

    On May 16 and 17, the MoDOT deployed emergency response trucks and barricaded impacted ramps and routes to assist with tornado cleanup efforts, as well as staffing the State Emergency Operations Center to assist with transportation and infrastructure needs. In the month since, MoDOT has remained involved in the infrastructure recovery efforts, performing damage assessments, and providing detailed inspection reports.

    Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development (DHEWD)

    On May 29, DHEWD dedicated $750,000 in federal workforce funds to provide temporary wages to eligible individuals interested in helping with storm cleanup in St. Louis and southeast Missouri. The department is partnering with Local Workforce Development Boards, including the St. Louis Agency on Training and Employment (SLATE), local elected officials, and community organizations, such as the Urban League, to find eligible participants and provide an hourly wage for time spent assisting with removing debris and repairing infrastructure. DHEWD has also hosted jobs fairs to assist unemployed St. Louisans.

    The federal Major Disaster Declaration means DHEWD will be able to apply for a $5 million National Dislocated Worker Grant through the U.S. Department of Labor within the next few weeks. If approved, this grant will provide supplemental funding to support the community as it continues to recover.

    Missouri Department of Revenue (DOR)

    Since June 9, the DOR Mobile License Office has operated at the entrance of Chaifetz Arena to assist tornado survivors who lost licenses or other DOR documents, with the normal $6 transaction fee being waived. Through June 12, 97 individuals have been served. The mobile office is equipped to handle all license office functions, including ID card processing or replacement. The unit will continue to be available Monday, June 16, through Tuesday, June 17, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Wednesday, June 18, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. DOR has also extended certain deadlines for those in the federal disaster declaration area until November 3, 2025, to align with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service.

    Missouri Department of Mental Health (DMH)

    The DMH Office of Disaster Services and DMH’s Behavioral Health Strike Team (BHST) were deployed to St. Louis to help deliver crisis counseling to those impacted by the May 16 tornado. They will be deployed through June to help provide crisis counseling at the Disaster Assistance Center, shelters, and in the community. They will also provide crisis counseling once FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers open. DMH is also applying for the FEMA crisis counseling program to provide continued mental health support to the community for an extended period of time.

    Photos of the State of Missouri response in St. Louis can be found at this link. 

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Bonta Signs On to $7.4 Billion Purdue Settlement

    Source: US State of California

    California will receive up to $440 million  

    OAKLAND – Attorney General Bonta today announced that 55 attorneys general, representing all eligible states and U.S. territories, agreed to sign on to a $7.4 billion settlement with Purdue Pharma L.P. and its owners, the Sackler family. The Sackler family has also informed the attorneys general of its plan to proceed with the settlement, which would resolve litigation against Purdue and the Sacklers for their role in creating the national opioid crisis. Now that the state sign-on period has concluded, local governments across the country will be asked to join the settlement contingent on bankruptcy court proceedings.   

    “The opioid epidemic has ravaged communities in California and across the country. The companies and individuals who fueled this crisis must be held accountable. With today’s announcement, the California Department of Justice is continuing to deliver results for our communities,” said Attorney General Bonta. “By holding Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family accountable for their role in fueling the opioid epidemic, we’re bringing much-needed funds for addiction treatment, prevention, and recovery to those impacted by this crisis. The California Department of Justice will continue to fight for the health and wellbeing of all Californians.”

    Under the Sacklers’ leadership, Purdue sold and aggressively marketed opioid products for decades, fueling the largest drug crisis in the nation’s history. The settlement ends the Sacklers’ control of Purdue and their ability to sell opioids in the United States. Communities across the country will directly receive funds over the next 15 years to support addiction treatment, prevention, and recovery. This settlement in principle is the nation’s largest settlement to date with individuals responsible for the opioid crisis. California’s state and local governments will receive as much as $440 million from this settlement over the next 15 years.  

    Most of the settlement funds will be distributed in the first three years. The Sacklers will pay $1.5 billion and Purdue will pay roughly $900 million in the first payment, followed by the Sacklers paying $500 million after one year, an additional $500 million after two years, and $400 million after three years. 

    Like prior opioid settlements, the settlement with Purdue and the Sacklers will involve resolution of legal claims by state and local governments. The local government sign-on and voting solicitation process for this settlement moving forward will be contingent on bankruptcy court approval. A hearing is scheduled on that matter in the coming days. 

    The settlement also reflects the end of the Sacklers’ control of Purdue and bars them from selling opioids in the United States. A board of trustees selected by participating states in consultation with the other creditors will determine the future of the company. Purdue will continue to be overseen by a monitor and will be prevented from lobbying or marketing opioids under the settlement. 

    Including the Purdue/Sackler settlement, California has obtained settlements committing up to $4.6 billion in funds from companies that helped fuel the opioid epidemic.  

    Attorney General Bonta is joined in securing this settlement in principle by the attorneys general of Alabama, Alaska, American Samoa, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Northern Mariana Islands, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, U.S. Virgin Islands, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

    MIL OSI USA News –