NewzIntel.com

Category: DJF

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Canada and European Union launch new industrial policy dialogue

    Source: Government of Canada News (2)

    July 15, 2025 – Ottawa, Ontario

    The Government of Canada is focused on strengthening and diversifying international partnerships, working with the European Union (EU) to protect and create jobs on both sides of the Atlantic.

    The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions, and Stéphane Séjourné, the European Commission’s Executive Vice-President (EVP) for Prosperity and Industrial Strategy, met on July 11 to advance collaboration under the New Canada–EU Strategic Partnership of the Future. This partnership was announced at the Canada–European Union Leaders’ Summit in Brussels on June 23 by the Right Honourable Mark Carney, Prime Minister of Canada; António Costa, President of the European Council; and Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission.

    Minister Joly and EVP Séjourné agreed to develop a joint work plan in the coming weeks that will determine specific areas of cooperation. They also committed to convening again within the next month to further advance their shared priorities.

    Recognizing economic diplomacy as a vital tool for fostering stability, innovation and prosperity, both leaders emphasized the importance of deepening cooperation to address global challenges.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: China looks forward to deepening and expanding bilateral cooperation with Australia: Premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

    BEIJING, July 15 (Xinhua) — China hopes to work with Australia to continuously deepen and expand state-to-state cooperation to achieve mutual benefit and a higher level of win-win results for the benefit of the two peoples, Chinese Premier Li Qiang said Tuesday.

    Li Qiang made the remarks during the 10th annual China-Australia heads of government meeting, which he co-hosted with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Beijing.

    As Li Qiang noted, currently, all countries are facing new challenges in their development amid growing instability and uncertainty in the global economy. According to him, against this background, the significance of strengthening exchanges and cooperation between China and Australia as important trade and economic partners is becoming increasingly significant.

    The Chinese leader noted that earlier in the day, Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Prime Minister E. Albanese and reached an important consensus on further deepening China-Australia relations.

    The economies of China and Australia, Li Qiang continued, are highly complementary and provide ample space for cooperation in areas such as energy, mineral resources, agricultural products, green development and scientific and technological innovation.

    According to the Premier of the State Council, China hopes to make full use of various dialogue mechanisms with the Australian side, strengthen the planning and design of cooperation in various sectors, identify more points of convergence of interests and new points of economic growth, so as to unleash the huge potential of trade and economic cooperation between the two countries.

    China hopes that Australia will provide a fair, open and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese enterprises operating in Australia, Li Qiang said. He also expressed China’s readiness to work with Australia to fully support exchanges in areas such as culture, education, tourism and regional cooperation, and further facilitate bilateral people-to-people exchanges.

    Li Qiang noted that China and Australia, as supporters and beneficiaries of multilateralism and free trade, are active promoters of cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region. The Premier of the State Council called on the two sides to strengthen communication and interaction in multilateral formats, uphold the rules-based multilateral trading system, and jointly promote a favorable environment for international trade and economic cooperation.

    E. Albanese, for his part, noted that positive dynamics are currently being observed in the development of Australian-Chinese relations. The Australian side pays increased attention and actively promotes the construction of stable and constructive relations with the PRC, he noted, emphasizing that Australia adheres to the one-China policy and opposes “Taiwan independence.”

    The Prime Minister said Australia was committed to strengthening high-level exchanges, dialogue and communication with China in various areas, including diplomacy and trade, without allowing differences to define the bilateral relationship.

    Noting that the economies of Australia and China are highly complementary, E. Albanese stressed that Australia looks forward to deepening mutually beneficial cooperation with China in areas such as economics, trade, agriculture, tourism and culture, as well as strengthening cultural and humanitarian exchanges in areas such as education, public diplomacy and youth.

    He added that Australia is willing to provide a stable and predictable environment for Chinese enterprises to invest and operate in the country and welcomes more Chinese students and tourists to visit Australia.

    E. Albanese said Australia strongly supports multilateralism and free and fair trade, and looks forward to working with China to address global challenges such as climate change and jointly defend the multilateral trading system, with the World Trade Organization at its core. –0–

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

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Government of Canada to announce investments that help B.C. businesses become export ready and reach new markets

    Source: Government of Canada News

    July 15, 2025 – Kelowna, British Columbia – The Honourable Gregor Robertson, Minister of Housing and Infrastructure and Minister responsible for Pacific Economic Development Canada (PacifiCan) will announce funding to help businesses navigate trade barriers and grow beyond our borders.

    The Honourable Stephen Fuhr, Secretary of State (Defence Procurement) and Member of Parliament for Kelowna, will also be in attendance.

    Event: The Honourable Gregor Robertson, Minister of Housing and Infrastructure and Minister responsible for Pacific Economic Development Canada (PacifiCan) will announce investments that will help remove trade barriers and unlock new opportunities for businesses across B.C.

    Date:         Wednesday, July 16, 2025

    Time:        9:30 a.m.

    Location: Accelerate Okanagan
                      201 – 460 Doyle Avenue
                      Kelowna, B.C.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Wyden, Warren Press Social Security Commissioner on Broken Staffing Promises

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore)
    July 15, 2025
    Senators: After gutting the Social Security workforce, Bisignano drained understaffed field offices to hastily address DOGE-created phone line problems.
    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., today demanded the Social Security Administration answer reports that the agency is reassigning thousands of field office employees to staff a “pilot” phone program aimed at reducing hours-long phone wait times. 
    Wyden and Warren wrote Social Security Commissioner Frank Bisignano that after gutting the agency’s workforce, these latest moves will further drain field offices, creating even longer wait times for Americans relying on Social Security benefits.  
    “This appears to be yet another indicator that you have broken the promise you made under oath to adequately staff the SSA — and just the latest of the Trump Administration’s DOGE-influenced actions that make it harder for Americans to access the Social Security benefits they have earned,” Wyden and Warren wrote.
    Social Security has faced a customer service crisis since DOGE slashed its workforce, closed offices, tampered with the phone service and website, and implemented burdensome new requirements that have degraded the Social Security program. The senators have previously written to the agency seeking answers on the various ways DOGE has taken a wrecking ball to Social Security — and how its efforts are blocking people from accessing their earned Social Security benefits. 
    The Social Security Administration is trying to cover up its devastating workforce cuts by reassigning frontline customer service representatives who directly assist recipients in person. Reassigning frontline customer service representatives will increase staff answering calls to the 1-800 number. This will leave field offices short-staffed, and force backroom employees typically responsible for processing claims to take on in-person customer service tasks.
    “In a best-case scenario, your efforts to address the 1-800 wait times — even if they are successful — will almost certainly result in a terrible tradeoff, with longer wait times for in-person services, ‘robbing Peter to pay Paul,’” wrote the senators.
    The senators are requesting additional information about the degradation of Social Security services under Trump, its decision to reassign employees in the wake of these problems, and what steps the agency will take to reduce the staffing shortages and improve service. 
    The full text of the letter is here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Grove Man Sentenced for Possessing and Producing Child Sexual Abuse Material

    Source: US FBI

    TULSA, Okla. – A Grove man was sentenced today for Possession of Child Pornography in Indian Country and Production of Child Pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.

    U.S. District Judge Sara E. Hill sentenced Dakota Austin Clark, 24, to 240 months imprisonment, followed by 15 years of supervised release. Upon his release, Clark will also be required to register as a sex offender.

    In February 2023, Clark began communicating with a 14-year-old through social media. The investigation revealed that Clark coerced and enticed the minor child to produce sexually explicit photos. Law enforcement further discovered that Clark possessed hundreds of images that contained the sexual abuse of minor children.

    Clark is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation and will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. 

    The FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Grove Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christian Harris prosecuted the case.

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing 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, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Zoë Garbett AM responds to police use of force at Palestine protest

    Source: Mayor of London

    Responding to the Palestine protest that took place on Monday 23rd June, Zoë Garbett Green Party London Assembly Member has said:  

    “While the full picture of what has happened is still unclear, I’ve heard deeply disturbing accounts from protestors on the ground describing the use of excessive force by police against peaceful demonstrators. 

    “The initial statement issued by the Met was chilling and it did not reflect a commitment to public safety, but of a premeditated decision to confront protesters with force. [1] 

     “The right to protest is a basis of any healthy democracy – it must be defended and protected. Tactics to intimidate and supress our right to protest should be challenged, and I’ll be doing so in my capacity as an Assembly Member.” 

     

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Dexter, Wyden, Merkley Secure Emergency Court Order to Halt Deportation of Portland Family, Grant Access to Legal Counsel

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore)

    July 15, 2025

    PORTLAND, OR —Today, Congresswoman Maxine Dexter, M.D. (OR-03), along with U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, announced that a federal judge granted an emergency temporary restraining order preventing U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) from removing the Merlos family from the court’s jurisdiction.

    Dexter, Wyden, and Merkley released the following joint statement: 

     “Our constituents, including four U.S. citizen children, were detained without due process by their own government. This case is as urgent as it is egregious. This emergency ruling is a legal lifeline to provide critical protection to the Merlos family. 

    “We are gratified with this temporary win as a necessary step toward justice. In the coming days, we will be watching with unwavering attention to make certain due process is followed and this family is treated with the dignity every Oregon family deserves.

    “This fight is every single Oregonian’s fight. If we allow this—citizen children detention, neighbors disappeared, due process ignored—we surrender not just our country but our conscience. That is an outcome we refuse to accept.”

    On Sunday, Dexter, Wyden, Merkley, Congressman Rick Larsen (WA-02), and other lawmakers sent a letter to the Department of Homeland Security and CBP setting a deadline of 10:00 a.m. PT on Monday, July 14 to grant the family access to their attorney. The lawmakers condemned the egregious, prolonged detention of U.S. citizen children in facilities that are not equipped or intended for the long-term custody of anyone.

    Last week, Dexter personally traveled to the Bellingham Border Patrol Station, where the Merlos family was detained. CBP refused to allow her to speak with the family or connect the family with legal counsel. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Regional School Feeding Forum kicks off in Latin America and the Caribbean

    Source: World Food Programme

    SAN PEDRO SULA, Honduras – Around 200 participants from 18 countries, including government ministers, representatives of civil society, international financial institutions, and the United Nations, are meeting in San Pedro Sula from 15-17 July for a key forum to strengthen commitments to school feeding programs in Latin America and the Caribbean.

    The XI Regional School Feeding Forum for Latin America and the Caribbean, co-organized by the Government of Honduras and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), is a high-level event for leaders to help transform national school feeding programmes into an engine for social protection, sustainability, and inclusion.

    Government-led school meal programmes in Latin America and the Caribbean reach over 80 million children – second to only South Asia, according to WFP’s flagship State of School Feeding Worldwide 2022 report – with a collective annual investment of approximately USD 7.6 billion. These governments are also increasingly choosing to use local produce for school meals; stimulating local markets, and including seasonal foods in school menus.

    School meals are a vital way to boost school enrollment and attendance, and offer a return on investment of between USD 7 and USD 35 for every USD 1 invested. In Latin America, they have also proven key in helping to promote healthy eating practices and provide good nutrition for children

    A healthy diet in Latin America costs on average USD 4.56 per person per day – the highest daily cost globally, according to the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) report released in 2024. Around 180 million Latin Americans cannot afford this – and by 2050, climate impacts could increase the cost of a healthy diet by an additional 34 percent.

    A Committed Host

    Honduras joins the list of countries that have hosted the Regional School Feeding Forums, promoting spaces in favor of children for more than two decades. In the country, over 1.2 million schoolchildren receive sustainable school meals across more than 20,000 pre-primary and primary public schools nationwide. Between 2022 and 2025, the country will invest more than USD 140 million to provide over 79,000 metric tons of fortified food to help prevent childhood anemia and malnutrition.

    The National School Feeding Programme, led by the Ministry of Social Development (SEDESOL), aims to ensure food security, school attendance, and the integral development of future generations as part of a national poverty reduction strategy. It reaches nearly 43 percent of school-aged children enrolled in public schools, including 97,400 girls and boys from the country’s nine Indigenous and Afro-Honduran peoples, across 1,074 educational centers.

    “The wellbeing of our children is at the heart of our social protection policies and the fight against poverty in Honduras,” said Mirtha Gutiérrez, Minister of Social Development. “The National School Feeding Programme not only ensures food security but also promotes school reintegration and combats child malnutrition. At SEDESOL, we are ready to implement this public policy as a State strategy, strengthening governance and ensuring the sustainable continuity of the programme.”

    In close coordination with the Ministry of Education, more than 4,000 school gardens have been established to improve access to fresh foods. Additionally, the country has launched the National Network of Agricultural Schools, comprising of seven specialized schools and more than 200 community-based institutes and associated educational centers.

    “This regional forum is a crucial space to showcase the positive experiences in school feeding,” said Minister of Education, Professor Daniel Esponda. “Honduras is building a food autonomy policy, promoting the use of locally produced foods in school meals, with the goal that what is served in schools is grown in the communities themselves.”

    WFP Support for National Efforts

    WFP works with governments in the region to strengthen national school feeding efforts – with support tailored to the local context. For example, transforming empty shipping containers into kitchens in El Salvador; providing lunches to children affected by violence in Haiti; connecting farms with nearby schools in Guatemala; and promoting fortified rice in schools in Peru.

    “We reach students in vulnerable areas with critical support: those affected by drought, environmental degradation, and social exclusion from the Dry Corridor to the high Andean zones to the Amazon,” said Lola Castro, WFP Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean. “Delivering life-changing assistance to communities affected by conflict, displacement, and migration, or in places with high malnutrition, poor access to water and health services, and increasing urban food insecurity is critical. Ensuring the quality and coverage of food assistance when funding is limited is not easy. But the returns are undeniable.”

    Towards the Global Summit

    School meals programmes are the largest social safety net in the world, according to the World Bank, but the scope of these programs is still very uneven across countries. In Latin American and the Caribbean alone, the range is huge with some countries spending only USD 10 per child per year, while others invest up to USD 300.

    During the three-day Forum, participants will explore the value of school feeding for greater social protection, explore the role of schools as catalysts for sustainability and resilience, and promote school feeding with a focus on indigenous peoples.

    Additionally, the new report “More than a Meal” on the potential of school feeding in Guatemala and Peru to address malnutrition in an efficient and cost-effective manner will be presented. Produced jointly by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and WFP, the report explores how to improve meals in school so that the hours children spend at school count towards improving their nutrition.

    Latin America and the Caribbean is a region pioneering the expansion of school meals programmes to meet some of the biggest challenges facing people and our planet – from childhood nutrition to climate resilient food systems. The Forum is a key event to exchange experiences and jointly prepare for the 2nd Global School Feeding Summit, which will take place in Fortaleza (Brazil) at the end of the year.

    Note to editors: For more information and audiovisual content on the forum, visit the website.

    #                           #                            #

    The United Nations World Food Program is the largest humanitarian organization in the world, which saves lives during emergencies and provides food assistance to build a road to peace, stability and prosperity amongst populations which are recovering from conflict, disasters, and the impact of climate change.

    Follow us on Twitter: @wfp_media @wfp_es

    Subscribe to our WhatsApp channel.

    For more information, please contact us with (email: name.lastname@wfp.org):

    María Gallar, World Food Programme, mobile: +34 662 435 125, maría.gallar@wfp.org
     

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SBA Opens Business Recovery Center in Los Angeles to Help Businesses Impacted by Los Angeles Civil Unrest

    Source: United States Small Business Administration

    SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has opened an SBA Business Recovery Center (BRC) in Los Angeles County to assist small businesses and private nonprofit (PNP) organizations affected by the Los Angeles County civil unrest occurring July 6‑18.

    The new center, located in Los Angeles, provides a one-stop resource where SBA customer service representatives are available to meet individually with business owners and nonprofits to answer questions and assist with the disaster loan application process. No appointment is necessary and walk-ins are welcome. Those who prefer to schedule an in-person appointment in advance can do so at appointment.sba.gov.

    The center’s hours of operation are as follows:

    LOS ANGELES COUNTY
    Business Recovery Center
    City of Los Angeles Business Source Center
    East Los Angeles Region
    1780 E. First St.
    Los Angeles, CA  90033

    Mondays – Fridays, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
    Opened at 2 p.m., Monday, July 14

    “SBA’s Business Recovery Centers have consistently proven their value to business owners following a disaster,” said Chris Stallings, associate administrator of the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at the SBA. “Business owners can visit these centers to meet face‑to‑face with specialists who will guide them through the disaster loan application process and connect them with resources to support their recovery.”

    The SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program is available to small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, nurseries, and private nonprofit organizations impacted by financial losses directly related to these disasters. The SBA is unable to provide disaster loans to agricultural producers, farmers, or ranchers, except for small aquaculture enterprises.

    EIDLs are available for working capital needs caused by the disaster and are available even if the business or PNP did not suffer any physical damage. The loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable, and other bills not paid due to the disaster.

    Interest rates are as low as 4% for small businesses and 3.625% for nonprofits with terms up to 30 years. Interest does not begin to accrue, and payments are not due until 12 months from the date of the first loan disbursement. The SBA determines eligibility and sets loan amounts and terms based on each applicant’s financial condition.

    To apply online, visit sba.gov/disaster. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.

    The deadline to return economic injury applications is March 27, 2026.

    ###

    About the U.S. Small Business Administration

    The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow, expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: MCAPS Start for Partners: Accelerating growth and innovation together

    Source: Microsoft

    Headline: MCAPS Start for Partners: Accelerating growth and innovation together

    Earlier this year, Microsoft celebrated its 50th anniversary, a journey powered by our partners from day one. As we begin the new fiscal year, I want to express my deepest gratitude for your bold innovation, trusted collaboration, and customer obsession. FY25 was one of the most transformative years in our history, and you made it possible.

    At MCAPS Start for Partners, we outlined the next chapter of opportunity powered by AI: customizable agents, copilots, and a new class of AI-first organizations we call Frontier Firms. These are next-generation organizations that blend AI-powered solutions with human leadership to operate with agility, scale, and value creation. These firms are not just adopting AI; they are redesigning their business models, workflows, and cultures around it. 
     

    FY26 priorities and solution areas

    As we look ahead to FY26, our focus is on translating this AI-powered vision into actionable priorities for our partners. To do this, we have made the decision to evolve our go-to-market approach around three solution areas, a strategic shift grounded in what customers are asking for and what’s resonating most in the market. 
     

     
     

    • AI Business Solutions: Scale Copilot across every device and role and drive strong execution in Microsoft 365 and Dynamics 365.
    • Cloud & AI Platforms: Lead with Frontier AI innovations and accelerate cloud migrations and modernization.
    • Security: Strengthen and secure the cyber foundation.

    These solution areas are designed to mirror how customers think about their business challenges, making it easier for Microsoft and our partners to align solutions to those needs. They also provide a scalable, repeatable framework for how we engage across industries, segments, and geographies, enabling more consistent execution and deeper impact.

    As a partner-first company, our partner ecosystem is an extension of our sales organization, and this alignment deepens our unified approach to engaging customers. 
     

    Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program

    The Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program continues to be the primary way we engage and invest in our partner ecosystem. The program brings everything together across the whole of the partner lifecycle, including onboarding, skilling, go-to-market, co-selling, and incentives.

    Our commitment is to make the AI Cloud Partner Program a home for all partner types and to be agile to keep up with the innovation we are bringing to market, as well as customer demand. FY26 represents another record year of investment in the program, supporting partners with market-leading capability across their journey. 
     

    Expanded program benefits

    The program is designed to deliver value across every stage of the partner journey, offering targeted benefits that support growth and innovation.

    For software development companies, key offerings include access to the Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub, which enables partners to build, publish, and scale well-architected software solutions.

    To further support software partners, Microsoft is increasing Azure credits for those participating in Marketplace Rewards or who hold certified software designations. These benefits unlock valuable resources such as technical consultations, access to AI Foundry, GitHub and GitHub Copilot, exam vouchers, and additional rewards tied to marketplace performance.

    For services partners, we are expanding our benefits offerings by including the latest Microsoft products, increasing Copilot seats, and introducing tools like Copilot Studio, Dragon Copilot, and Microsoft 365 E5 Security. Based on partner feedback, the company is also enhancing benefit delivery through Modern Benefit Provisioning in Partner Center.

    In FY26, partners will also gain more flexibility by being able to combine or split their benefit packages across multiple tenants, enabling them to support operations in various global locations. 
     

    Skilling for the future and becoming customer zero

    Capability is the new currency. Skilling is one of the most important steps partners can take to earn designations, build trust, and accelerate differentiation. And becoming their own customer zero by using Microsoft AI solutions within their organization is what separates partners who lead from those who follow. With fast-moving tech cycles, staying skilled and hands-on is no longer optional; it is essential.

    In FY25, over three million learners upskilled across the Microsoft solution areas, with half of them in AI, Copilot, and Fabric. In FY26, we are expanding this momentum with additional opportunities:

    • Agentic AI skilling: hands-on technical training to skill partners to design and deploy intelligent agent solutions using Copilot Studio and Azure AI Foundry.
    • Hackathon-based training: enabling partners to build IP, earn certifications, and deliver revenue-generating AI engagements.
    • Regional in-person workshops and AI roadshows: providing immersive, peer-based skilling experiences.
    • CSP certification weeks and a Skilling in a Box initiative for distributors, scaling pre-sales and sales skilling to thousands of resellers.

    We encourage every partner to become customer zero and use the very tools they bring to market. This builds credibility, deepens insight, and increases their ability to guide customers through transformation. When their teams are hands-on with AI, the customer experience improves.

    Skilling is the engine behind that impact, and we are here to support partners every step of the way. Learn more about current skilling opportunities. 
     

    Unlocking growth through designations

    Designations and specializations remain key to how we showcase partner capabilities both to customers and internally across Microsoft’s field organization. In FY26, we are launching several new recognitions, including a Copilot specialization (launching this month), a Distributor designation, a Support designation, and a Sovereign Cloud specialization.

    In the second half of FY26, we will introduce two new device-driven designations in the Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program. These are focused on unlocking commercial Windows growth, especially in SMB.

    • One designation recognizes OEM partners building modern, hybrid-ready Windows devices.
    • The second is for partners selling and deploying Windows Commercial devices, including Copilot+ PCs, with value across the full deployment lifecycle.

    These designations are focused on supporting the Windows 10 refresh cycle, accelerating Microsoft 365 adoption, and building trusted relationships through secure, AI-ready devices.

    We have also expanded SMB pathways for Security and Azure designations, with nearly 9,000 partners already achieving designations through these new routes. 
     

    Incentives to fuel growth

    We are also significantly increasing our investment across the business:

    • Enterprise Customer Investment Funds will grow ~20% year over year (YOY), enabling partners to deliver more AI design wins, migrations, and Copilot deployments.
    • In AI Business Solutions, we have increased Copilot funding by 50%, reflecting strong momentum and broadening accessibility across the workforce.
    • Microsoft 365 incentives are increasing by double digits.
    • Azure outcome-based incentives are up 70% YOY, rewarding partners for expanding workloads, driving seat growth, and deepening solution adoption.
    • We are strengthening our CSP incentives with a ~20% YOY increase to reward growth through new customer acquisition, upselling new workloads, and expanding existing relationships. To align our investments with our FY26 growth ambitions, we’re pulling forward the effective date of these incentives to July 1. This shift ensures a fast start to the year, enabling partners to accelerate execution, capture opportunity earlier, and drive measurable impact from day one. We’re structuring this opportunity to foster a more predictable and profitable environment as partners deliver strategic customer solutions.
    • We are also investing 15% more in Security, an increase from a significant investment base, to empower partner-led engagements that protect customers and open new business opportunities.

    Be sure to download our CSA incentives playbooks for guidance on the customer opportunity across each solution area, along with the resources available at each stage of customer engagement to help partners capture that opportunity.

    The Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program is the engine that fuels our ecosystem. We are committed to continual investment, flexibility, and shared success so that our program evolves in lockstep with our technology and the market. 
     

    Seizing the segment opportunity

    Across customer segments, we see real momentum and value creation through Microsoft’s AI platform, especially through Copilot and agents. Organizations are using AI to reshape how work gets done, reduce costs, and unlock net-new value.

    Microsoft estimates, based on IDC data, that in the small and medium enterprise (SME) segment, the total addressable market (TAM) will reach $777 billion by FY26 for organizations with fewer than 3,000 employees. This spans over 400 million organizations globally. Our Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) partners are playing a critical role as trusted advisors, with SMB and corporate seller-partner co-sell deals up significantly year over year.

    In the enterprise segment, partners are leading large-scale AI and cloud transformations across a $592 billion TAM by reimagining customers’ core business processes and accelerating their journey toward fully agent-operated workflows.

    Across both segments, Copilot is emerging as a strategic differentiator for partners. The data is clear: those who deploy Copilot internally and become their own customer zero see greater customer success and faster revenue growth. By using the same tools they bring to market, partners can deliver more authentic demos, demonstrate real business outcomes, and guide customers with confidence. If you have not started your internal Copilot journey, now is the time. 
     

    Looking ahead

    AI is reshaping businesses, industries, and entire economies. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to define the future together, and Microsoft is dedicated to being a wholly committed partner along the way.

    • If you missed the MCAPS Start for Partners keynote or want to revisit key announcements, I encourage you to watch the keynote on demand.
    • Watch the breakout sessions on July 15 or check back on July 17 for a link to the recorded experience.
    • We also invite you to attend our upcoming MCI Partner sessions dedicated to assisting partners with questions related to new and/or existing incentive offers in MCI.
    • Join us for Microsoft Partner FY26 GTM Kickoff event on July 22 to learn about the go-to-market (GTM) priorities and initiatives planned for FY26 across Microsoft Business Applications and Modern Work.
    • Register for a Cloud & AI Platforms FY26 partner playbook walkthrough for systems integrators. Sign in to Teams and register for a morning or evening session.
    • Find out more about Azure Accelerate, our new holistic offering that brings together Azure Migrate and Modernize, Azure Innovate, and Cloud Accelerate Factory.

    The opportunity ahead is immense, and we are building the platform, programs, and incentives to enable you to deliver market-leading capability and customer success through our partnership.

    Thank you for all you have accomplished and all we will achieve together in FY26!

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: New research: AI could make breast cancer screening more accurate and easier

    Source: Microsoft

    Headline: New research: AI could make breast cancer screening more accurate and easier

    At Microsoft’s AI for Good Lab, we’ve been working with partners at the University of Washington, the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, and other institutions to explore whether artificial intelligence can help bring greater clarity, accuracy, and trust to breast cancer screening. 

    This week, our joint research team released the results of a new study published in Radiology, detailing a promising AI approach that aims not just to detect cancer—but to do so in a way that radiologists can trust and patients can understand. 

    The challenges with current breast cancer screening 

    Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women worldwide. In the United States alone, one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime. Early detection through screening is the most powerful tool available to save lives, with a 20% to 40% reduction in mortality for women aged 50-69—yet it remains an imperfect science. 

    Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is among the most sensitive screening tools available, especially for women at higher risk. But for all its sensitivity, MRI comes with serious trade-offs: high rates of false positives, significantly increased anxiety for patients, and unnecessary biopsies. The problem is especially acute for the nearly 50% of women who have dense breast tissue—a condition that not only increases the risk of breast cancer but also makes it harder to detect abnormalities through traditional imaging methods like mammograms. 

    Too often, these challenges translate into a troubling equation: more scans, more uncertainty, and more follow-up procedures that turn out to be unnecessary. In fact, only a small fraction—less than 5%—of women undergoing breast MRI screening are ultimately diagnosed with cancer. 

    A smarter model, built for the real world 

    The model—called FCDD (Fully Convolutional Data Description)—is based on anomaly detection rather than standard classification. That’s an important shift. Instead of trying to learn what every possible cancer looks like, the model learns what normal breast scans look like and flags anything that deviates.

    This approach is particularly effective in real-world screening settings where cancer is rare and abnormalities are highly varied. Across a dataset of over 9,700 breast MRI exams, the model was tested in both high- and low-prevalence scenarios—including realistic screening populations where just 1.85% of scans contained cancer.

    Here’s what we found:

    • Improved accuracy in low-prevalence populations: FCDD outperformed traditional AI models in identifying malignancies while dramatically reducing false positives. In screening-like settings, it achieved double the positive predictive value of standard models and cut false alarms by more than 25%.
    • Exceptional explainability: Unlike most AI models, FCDD doesn’t just give a “yes” or “no”—it generates heatmaps that visually highlight the suspected tumor location in the two-dimensional MRI projection. These explanation maps matched expert radiologist retrospective annotations with 92% accuracy (pixel-wise AUC), far exceeding other models.
    • Generalizability across institutions: Without retraining, the model maintained high performance on a publicly available external dataset and an independent internal dataset, suggesting strong potential for broader clinical adoption.

    Making AI impactful, not just impressive 

    This model is more than a technical achievement. It’s a step toward making AI useful in clinical workflows—providing triage support, reducing time spent on normal cases, and focusing radiologists’ attention where it matters most. By improving specificity at high sensitivity thresholds (95–97%), the model could help reduce unnecessary callbacks and biopsies, easing emotional and financial burdens for patients. 

    Importantly, the code and methodology have been made open to the research community. You can explore the project here: GitHub Repository, and the paper here.

    As with all AI in healthcare, the path to impact requires more than algorithms. It requires trust. Trust is built not only by performance metrics but also by transparency, interpretability, and a clear understanding of the clinical context in which these tools are deployed. 

    Where we go from here 

    We still have work ahead. The model will need to be tested prospectively in larger, diverse clinical populations. But the results are promising—and they mark an important shift in how we think about the role of AI in medicine. Rather than asking doctors to trust a black box, we’re building models that shine a light on what they see and why. 

    “We are very optimistic about the potential of this new AI model, not only for its increased accuracy over other models in identifying cancerous regions but its ability to do so using only minimal image data from each exam. Importantly, this AI tool can be applied to abbreviated contrast-enhanced breast MRI exams as well as full diagnostic protocols, which may also help in shortening both scan times and interpretation times,” said Savannah Partridge, Professor of Radiology at the University of Washington and senior author of the study. “We are excited to take the next steps to assess its utility for enhancing radiologist performance and clinical workflows.” 

    AI will not replace radiologists. But with the right design and oversight, it can give them sharper tools and clearer signals to increase confidence in evaluating difficult cases.  

    Breast cancer is a global challenge. With AI, we have a chance to detect it earlier, reduce unnecessary interventions, and ultimately save more lives. That is a future worth building toward—one pixel, one scan, and one breakthrough at a time. 

    Tags: AI, AI for Good

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • India achieves 50% Renewable Energy capacity target ahead of 2030 deadline: Pralhad Joshi

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy, Pralhad Joshi, on Tuesday said that India has achieved its target of meeting 50 per cent of total installed energy capacity through renewable sources well ahead of the 2030 deadline.

    Speaking to mediapersons during his visit to IIT Bombay, Joshi said, “We have achieved 50 per cent of total installed energy capacity through renewable energy. We were supposed to achieve this by 2030 but have done it ahead of schedule.”

    The Minister credited the achievement to the vision and leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, adding that India is emerging as a global leader in the renewable energy sector.

    “In renewable energy, under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, India is leading the world,” Joshi said.

    Appreciating IIT Bombay’s contribution in the field of energy research and innovation, the Minister said the government is providing significant funding to address challenges related to productivity and grid stability.

    “The Indian government under PM Modi is giving substantial funds for research. How to increase productivity along with grid stability is a key concern and we are working on it,” he added.

    Highlighting the purpose of his visit, Joshi said, “I came to IIT Bombay because it has done very good work. I congratulate the entire team and I am happy that the funds have been well utilised for research and development.”

    Recalling the Prime Minister’s promise, Joshi said the commitment to reach 50 per cent renewable capacity by 2030 has been fulfilled ahead of time.

    The Minister was speaking at the IVCA Renewable Energy Summit 2025, organised by the Indian Venture and Alternate Capital Association in Mumbai, where he delivered the keynote address as the Chief Guest.

    (ANI)

  • MIL-OSI Economics: MCAPS Start for Partners: Accelerating growth and innovation together

    Source: Microsoft

    Headline: MCAPS Start for Partners: Accelerating growth and innovation together

    Earlier this year, Microsoft celebrated its 50th anniversary, a journey powered by our partners from day one. As we begin the new fiscal year, I want to express my deepest gratitude for your bold innovation, trusted collaboration, and customer obsession. FY25 was one of the most transformative years in our history, and you made it possible.

    At MCAPS Start for Partners, we outlined the next chapter of opportunity powered by AI: customizable agents, copilots, and a new class of AI-first organizations we call Frontier Firms. These are next-generation organizations that blend AI-powered solutions with human leadership to operate with agility, scale, and value creation. These firms are not just adopting AI; they are redesigning their business models, workflows, and cultures around it. 
     

    FY26 priorities and solution areas

    As we look ahead to FY26, our focus is on translating this AI-powered vision into actionable priorities for our partners. To do this, we have made the decision to evolve our go-to-market approach around three solution areas, a strategic shift grounded in what customers are asking for and what’s resonating most in the market. 
     

     
     

    • AI Business Solutions: Scale Copilot across every device and role and drive strong execution in Microsoft 365 and Dynamics 365.
    • Cloud & AI Platforms: Lead with Frontier AI innovations and accelerate cloud migrations and modernization.
    • Security: Strengthen and secure the cyber foundation.

    These solution areas are designed to mirror how customers think about their business challenges, making it easier for Microsoft and our partners to align solutions to those needs. They also provide a scalable, repeatable framework for how we engage across industries, segments, and geographies, enabling more consistent execution and deeper impact.

    As a partner-first company, our partner ecosystem is an extension of our sales organization, and this alignment deepens our unified approach to engaging customers. 
     

    Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program

    The Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program continues to be the primary way we engage and invest in our partner ecosystem. The program brings everything together across the whole of the partner lifecycle, including onboarding, skilling, go-to-market, co-selling, and incentives.

    Our commitment is to make the AI Cloud Partner Program a home for all partner types and to be agile to keep up with the innovation we are bringing to market, as well as customer demand. FY26 represents another record year of investment in the program, supporting partners with market-leading capability across their journey. 
     

    Expanded program benefits

    The program is designed to deliver value across every stage of the partner journey, offering targeted benefits that support growth and innovation.

    For software development companies, key offerings include access to the Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub, which enables partners to build, publish, and scale well-architected software solutions.

    To further support software partners, Microsoft is increasing Azure credits for those participating in Marketplace Rewards or who hold certified software designations. These benefits unlock valuable resources such as technical consultations, access to AI Foundry, GitHub and GitHub Copilot, exam vouchers, and additional rewards tied to marketplace performance.

    For services partners, we are expanding our benefits offerings by including the latest Microsoft products, increasing Copilot seats, and introducing tools like Copilot Studio, Dragon Copilot, and Microsoft 365 E5 Security. Based on partner feedback, the company is also enhancing benefit delivery through Modern Benefit Provisioning in Partner Center.

    In FY26, partners will also gain more flexibility by being able to combine or split their benefit packages across multiple tenants, enabling them to support operations in various global locations. 
     

    Skilling for the future and becoming customer zero

    Capability is the new currency. Skilling is one of the most important steps partners can take to earn designations, build trust, and accelerate differentiation. And becoming their own customer zero by using Microsoft AI solutions within their organization is what separates partners who lead from those who follow. With fast-moving tech cycles, staying skilled and hands-on is no longer optional; it is essential.

    In FY25, over three million learners upskilled across the Microsoft solution areas, with half of them in AI, Copilot, and Fabric. In FY26, we are expanding this momentum with additional opportunities:

    • Agentic AI skilling: hands-on technical training to skill partners to design and deploy intelligent agent solutions using Copilot Studio and Azure AI Foundry.
    • Hackathon-based training: enabling partners to build IP, earn certifications, and deliver revenue-generating AI engagements.
    • Regional in-person workshops and AI roadshows: providing immersive, peer-based skilling experiences.
    • CSP certification weeks and a Skilling in a Box initiative for distributors, scaling pre-sales and sales skilling to thousands of resellers.

    We encourage every partner to become customer zero and use the very tools they bring to market. This builds credibility, deepens insight, and increases their ability to guide customers through transformation. When their teams are hands-on with AI, the customer experience improves.

    Skilling is the engine behind that impact, and we are here to support partners every step of the way. Learn more about current skilling opportunities. 
     

    Unlocking growth through designations

    Designations and specializations remain key to how we showcase partner capabilities both to customers and internally across Microsoft’s field organization. In FY26, we are launching several new recognitions, including a Copilot specialization (launching this month), a Distributor designation, a Support designation, and a Sovereign Cloud specialization.

    In the second half of FY26, we will introduce two new device-driven designations in the Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program. These are focused on unlocking commercial Windows growth, especially in SMB.

    • One designation recognizes OEM partners building modern, hybrid-ready Windows devices.
    • The second is for partners selling and deploying Windows Commercial devices, including Copilot+ PCs, with value across the full deployment lifecycle.

    These designations are focused on supporting the Windows 10 refresh cycle, accelerating Microsoft 365 adoption, and building trusted relationships through secure, AI-ready devices.

    We have also expanded SMB pathways for Security and Azure designations, with nearly 9,000 partners already achieving designations through these new routes. 
     

    Incentives to fuel growth

    We are also significantly increasing our investment across the business:

    • Enterprise Customer Investment Funds will grow ~20% year over year (YOY), enabling partners to deliver more AI design wins, migrations, and Copilot deployments.
    • In AI Business Solutions, we have increased Copilot funding by 50%, reflecting strong momentum and broadening accessibility across the workforce.
    • Microsoft 365 incentives are increasing by double digits.
    • Azure outcome-based incentives are up 70% YOY, rewarding partners for expanding workloads, driving seat growth, and deepening solution adoption.
    • We are strengthening our CSP incentives with a ~20% YOY increase to reward growth through new customer acquisition, upselling new workloads, and expanding existing relationships. To align our investments with our FY26 growth ambitions, we’re pulling forward the effective date of these incentives to July 1. This shift ensures a fast start to the year, enabling partners to accelerate execution, capture opportunity earlier, and drive measurable impact from day one. We’re structuring this opportunity to foster a more predictable and profitable environment as partners deliver strategic customer solutions.
    • We are also investing 15% more in Security, an increase from a significant investment base, to empower partner-led engagements that protect customers and open new business opportunities.

    Be sure to download our CSA incentives playbooks for guidance on the customer opportunity across each solution area, along with the resources available at each stage of customer engagement to help partners capture that opportunity.

    The Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program is the engine that fuels our ecosystem. We are committed to continual investment, flexibility, and shared success so that our program evolves in lockstep with our technology and the market. 
     

    Seizing the segment opportunity

    Across customer segments, we see real momentum and value creation through Microsoft’s AI platform, especially through Copilot and agents. Organizations are using AI to reshape how work gets done, reduce costs, and unlock net-new value.

    Microsoft estimates, based on IDC data, that in the small and medium enterprise (SME) segment, the total addressable market (TAM) will reach $777 billion by FY26 for organizations with fewer than 3,000 employees. This spans over 400 million organizations globally. Our Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) partners are playing a critical role as trusted advisors, with SMB and corporate seller-partner co-sell deals up significantly year over year.

    In the enterprise segment, partners are leading large-scale AI and cloud transformations across a $592 billion TAM by reimagining customers’ core business processes and accelerating their journey toward fully agent-operated workflows.

    Across both segments, Copilot is emerging as a strategic differentiator for partners. The data is clear: those who deploy Copilot internally and become their own customer zero see greater customer success and faster revenue growth. By using the same tools they bring to market, partners can deliver more authentic demos, demonstrate real business outcomes, and guide customers with confidence. If you have not started your internal Copilot journey, now is the time. 
     

    Looking ahead

    AI is reshaping businesses, industries, and entire economies. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to define the future together, and Microsoft is dedicated to being a wholly committed partner along the way.

    • If you missed the MCAPS Start for Partners keynote or want to revisit key announcements, I encourage you to watch the keynote on demand.
    • Watch the breakout sessions on July 15 or check back on July 17 for a link to the recorded experience.
    • We also invite you to attend our upcoming MCI Partner sessions dedicated to assisting partners with questions related to new and/or existing incentive offers in MCI.
    • Join us for Microsoft Partner FY26 GTM Kickoff event on July 22 to learn about the go-to-market (GTM) priorities and initiatives planned for FY26 across Microsoft Business Applications and Modern Work.
    • Register for a Cloud & AI Platforms FY26 partner playbook walkthrough for systems integrators. Sign in to Teams and register for a morning or evening session.
    • Find out more about Azure Accelerate, our new holistic offering that brings together Azure Migrate and Modernize, Azure Innovate, and Cloud Accelerate Factory.

    The opportunity ahead is immense, and we are building the platform, programs, and incentives to enable you to deliver market-leading capability and customer success through our partnership.

    Thank you for all you have accomplished and all we will achieve together in FY26!

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: New research: AI could make breast cancer screening more accurate and easier

    Source: Microsoft

    Headline: New research: AI could make breast cancer screening more accurate and easier

    At Microsoft’s AI for Good Lab, we’ve been working with partners at the University of Washington, the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, and other institutions to explore whether artificial intelligence can help bring greater clarity, accuracy, and trust to breast cancer screening. 

    This week, our joint research team released the results of a new study published in Radiology, detailing a promising AI approach that aims not just to detect cancer—but to do so in a way that radiologists can trust and patients can understand. 

    The challenges with current breast cancer screening 

    Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women worldwide. In the United States alone, one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime. Early detection through screening is the most powerful tool available to save lives, with a 20% to 40% reduction in mortality for women aged 50-69—yet it remains an imperfect science. 

    Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is among the most sensitive screening tools available, especially for women at higher risk. But for all its sensitivity, MRI comes with serious trade-offs: high rates of false positives, significantly increased anxiety for patients, and unnecessary biopsies. The problem is especially acute for the nearly 50% of women who have dense breast tissue—a condition that not only increases the risk of breast cancer but also makes it harder to detect abnormalities through traditional imaging methods like mammograms. 

    Too often, these challenges translate into a troubling equation: more scans, more uncertainty, and more follow-up procedures that turn out to be unnecessary. In fact, only a small fraction—less than 5%—of women undergoing breast MRI screening are ultimately diagnosed with cancer. 

    A smarter model, built for the real world 

    The model—called FCDD (Fully Convolutional Data Description)—is based on anomaly detection rather than standard classification. That’s an important shift. Instead of trying to learn what every possible cancer looks like, the model learns what normal breast scans look like and flags anything that deviates.

    This approach is particularly effective in real-world screening settings where cancer is rare and abnormalities are highly varied. Across a dataset of over 9,700 breast MRI exams, the model was tested in both high- and low-prevalence scenarios—including realistic screening populations where just 1.85% of scans contained cancer.

    Here’s what we found:

    • Improved accuracy in low-prevalence populations: FCDD outperformed traditional AI models in identifying malignancies while dramatically reducing false positives. In screening-like settings, it achieved double the positive predictive value of standard models and cut false alarms by more than 25%.
    • Exceptional explainability: Unlike most AI models, FCDD doesn’t just give a “yes” or “no”—it generates heatmaps that visually highlight the suspected tumor location in the two-dimensional MRI projection. These explanation maps matched expert radiologist retrospective annotations with 92% accuracy (pixel-wise AUC), far exceeding other models.
    • Generalizability across institutions: Without retraining, the model maintained high performance on a publicly available external dataset and an independent internal dataset, suggesting strong potential for broader clinical adoption.

    Making AI impactful, not just impressive 

    This model is more than a technical achievement. It’s a step toward making AI useful in clinical workflows—providing triage support, reducing time spent on normal cases, and focusing radiologists’ attention where it matters most. By improving specificity at high sensitivity thresholds (95–97%), the model could help reduce unnecessary callbacks and biopsies, easing emotional and financial burdens for patients. 

    Importantly, the code and methodology have been made open to the research community. You can explore the project here: GitHub Repository, and the paper here.

    As with all AI in healthcare, the path to impact requires more than algorithms. It requires trust. Trust is built not only by performance metrics but also by transparency, interpretability, and a clear understanding of the clinical context in which these tools are deployed. 

    Where we go from here 

    We still have work ahead. The model will need to be tested prospectively in larger, diverse clinical populations. But the results are promising—and they mark an important shift in how we think about the role of AI in medicine. Rather than asking doctors to trust a black box, we’re building models that shine a light on what they see and why. 

    “We are very optimistic about the potential of this new AI model, not only for its increased accuracy over other models in identifying cancerous regions but its ability to do so using only minimal image data from each exam. Importantly, this AI tool can be applied to abbreviated contrast-enhanced breast MRI exams as well as full diagnostic protocols, which may also help in shortening both scan times and interpretation times,” said Savannah Partridge, Professor of Radiology at the University of Washington and senior author of the study. “We are excited to take the next steps to assess its utility for enhancing radiologist performance and clinical workflows.” 

    AI will not replace radiologists. But with the right design and oversight, it can give them sharper tools and clearer signals to increase confidence in evaluating difficult cases.  

    Breast cancer is a global challenge. With AI, we have a chance to detect it earlier, reduce unnecessary interventions, and ultimately save more lives. That is a future worth building toward—one pixel, one scan, and one breakthrough at a time. 

    Tags: AI, AI for Good

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Speaker Johnson: Every Citizen, In Every Zip Code, In Every Pocket of America Will Benefit from the One Big Beautiful Bill

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Johnson (LA-04)

    WASHINGTON — This morning, at the weekly House Republican Leadership press conference, Speaker Johnson addressed the anniversary of President Trump’s assassination attempt and highlighted how his constituents plan to utilize the thousands of dollars in savings from the One Big Beautiful Bill.

    Watch Speaker Johnson’s full remarks here

    On the anniversary of President Trump’s assassination attempt:

    One year ago, Sunday, on that field in Butler, Pennsylvania, an assassin nearly took the life of President Trump. And we can’t talk about it too much because it was a turning point in American history. It could have gone the wrong way. I mean, if that assassin’s bullet missed just an inch to the right, or if President Trump would’ve turned his head just a millisecond later, he would’ve died on that stage and this country would’ve come apart at the seams. But now, because of all this recent success and the President’s success, it’s easy to forget that just 12 months ago, President Trump was the most vilified politician, arguably in the history of the country.

    Democrats spent years persecuting him on all fronts. They impeached him twice. Social media platforms removed his ability to communicate with his supporters. Armed FBI agents raided his home. Democrat judges and prosecutors bent the law to arrest him. And multiple assassins tried to kill him, but God miraculously spared the president’s life. I think it’s undeniable. And he did it for an obvious purpose. His presidency and his life are the fruits of divine providence. And he points that out, obviously now all the time. And he’s right to do so. President Trump has lived since with the acknowledgement every day since, he has acknowledged that each new day isn’t guaranteed to us. It isn’t to any of us, and that’s why we’re not wasting any time. It’s why he remains so strong and resilient. It’s why we have such a sense of urgency. President Trump took a bullet to his head. He got up shortly thereafter. He pleaded with the crowd to fight, and then he went on to win a historic election less than four months later. America’s changed because he survived that day.

    On the first 6 months of unified Republican government:

    Think about everything we’ve accomplished just the last few weeks. Gas prices hit a four-year low. The last four jobs reports exceeded expectations. The stock market is reaching record highs. We have the lowest monthly border encounters in the history of the United States. Our NATO partners committed to spending 5%, not 2% of their GDP on national defense. We brokered multiple peace agreements and struck many more trade deals, more to come. We significantly damaged Iran’s nuclear program. And on July 4th, we did sign the One Big Beautiful Bill, the president signed it into law. It’s the most consequential transformational legislation ever considered in our lifetimes. And we got it done because the Republican Party delivered on the promises we made to the American people, and the president did as well

    On the Republican agenda after One Big Beautiful Bill being signed into law:

    Every citizen in every zip code in every pocket of America will benefit from the One Big Beautiful Bill. You’ll hear story after story in the weeks ahead. Last week, my office sent a survey to our constituents. I serve Louisiana’s fourth congressional district. And we sent around a survey to Louisiana families, knowing that they’re going to save thousands of dollars now because of the vote that we took on July 3rd. We asked them, how would you use the extra money? And here’s some of the responses: James said he’s going to use the savings to open a Roth IRA for his family. Janice is an 80-year-old widow, she said she’s going to use the savings for much needed repairs to her home. Whitney is in a retirement home; she’s going to utilize the savings to help pay rent. Pamela is grateful for the increased standard deduction and will likely add these savings to a rainy-day fund for future expenses. Another constituent named James said he doesn’t even want the relief. He said he’d like to send it back to us to “use for more plane tickets for people heading back south of the border wall.”  That’s a real response. So many of my constituents said they would use their savings on things like basic needs and bills and debt, payment and transportation and home repairs, and helping family members and adding to their emergency funds or taking a well-deserved vacation. You know what, as Jimmy [Patronis] said earlier, it’s their money. It’s not the government’s money and we’re delighted to give it back to them. That’s the beauty of the One Big Beautiful Bill. And you can spend it however you please.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Zoë Garbett AM responds to Child Q misconduct hearing

    Source: Mayor of London

    Zoë Garbett AM responds to Child Q misconduct hearing. “A Black child was strip searched while on her period at school, without a parent present. While the dismissal of officers and acknowledgment of harmful practices are steps in the right direction for accountability, we’re being told that race played no part in the violence that Child Q was subjected to.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Multiple Defendants Charged in Cockfighting and Illegal Gambling Operation

    Source: US FBI

    HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – A federal grand jury charged multiple defendants for conspiring to violate the Animal Welfare Act and operate an illegal gambling business, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona. 

    A two-count indictment filed in U.S. District Court charges James Shawn Murphree, 48, of Blountsville, Alabama, Denny Gonzalez-Guzman, 30, of Albertville, Alabama, Kasten Finis Murphree, 22, of Blountsville, Alabama, Kelby Shawn Murphree, 27, of Blountsville, Alabama, and Kimberly Ann Evans, 48, of Hayden, Alabama, with conspiracy to violate the Animal Welfare Act and the Prohibition on Illegal Gambling Businesses. 

    According to the indictment, a cockfight is a contest where roosters fight each other. The fights are supervised by a referee, and the fight ends when one rooster is dead or refuses to continue fighting. Typical cockfights employ weapons that are attached to the backs of the roosters’ legs.  Owners and operators of cockfighting arenas, called “pits,” hold organized fights where people can fight their trained roosters against other roosters in cockfighting tournaments called “derbies.” In a derby, large numbers of cockfighters pit their roosters against one another for entertainment.  Spectators gamble on the outcomes of the cockfights, and the owners of the roosters stand to gain financially through their own wager, an arrangement where the derby winners receive a pre-determined portion of the derby entry fees, or through the enhanced value of their winning roosters.

    The indictment alleges that between March 2025 and June 2025, Kimberly Evans, James Murphree, Kasten Murphree, and Kelby Murphree conspired to organize multiple cockfighting derbies in Blountsville, Alabama. Attendees paid $40 to watch the fight. Competitors who entered roosters in the derbies paid an entry fee between $700 and $1,000. The winner of the derby would receive a share of the prize pool money.  

    The Gulf of America (“GoA”) Homeland Security Task Force, in partnership with United States Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, conducted this long-term investigation. The GoA Homeland Security Task Force is comprised of authorities from Homeland Security Investigations, Federal Bureau of Investigations, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms. This investigation and operation received significant support from the United States Marshals Service, Customs and Border Protection, and ICE-Enforcement and Removal Operations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John M. Hundscheid and Jonathan S. Cross are prosecuting the case.  

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

    An indictment contains only charges.  A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Multiple Defendants Charged in Cockfighting and Illegal Gambling Operation

    Source: US FBI

    HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – A federal grand jury charged multiple defendants for conspiring to violate the Animal Welfare Act and operate an illegal gambling business, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona. 

    A two-count indictment filed in U.S. District Court charges James Shawn Murphree, 48, of Blountsville, Alabama, Denny Gonzalez-Guzman, 30, of Albertville, Alabama, Kasten Finis Murphree, 22, of Blountsville, Alabama, Kelby Shawn Murphree, 27, of Blountsville, Alabama, and Kimberly Ann Evans, 48, of Hayden, Alabama, with conspiracy to violate the Animal Welfare Act and the Prohibition on Illegal Gambling Businesses. 

    According to the indictment, a cockfight is a contest where roosters fight each other. The fights are supervised by a referee, and the fight ends when one rooster is dead or refuses to continue fighting. Typical cockfights employ weapons that are attached to the backs of the roosters’ legs.  Owners and operators of cockfighting arenas, called “pits,” hold organized fights where people can fight their trained roosters against other roosters in cockfighting tournaments called “derbies.” In a derby, large numbers of cockfighters pit their roosters against one another for entertainment.  Spectators gamble on the outcomes of the cockfights, and the owners of the roosters stand to gain financially through their own wager, an arrangement where the derby winners receive a pre-determined portion of the derby entry fees, or through the enhanced value of their winning roosters.

    The indictment alleges that between March 2025 and June 2025, Kimberly Evans, James Murphree, Kasten Murphree, and Kelby Murphree conspired to organize multiple cockfighting derbies in Blountsville, Alabama. Attendees paid $40 to watch the fight. Competitors who entered roosters in the derbies paid an entry fee between $700 and $1,000. The winner of the derby would receive a share of the prize pool money.  

    The Gulf of America (“GoA”) Homeland Security Task Force, in partnership with United States Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, conducted this long-term investigation. The GoA Homeland Security Task Force is comprised of authorities from Homeland Security Investigations, Federal Bureau of Investigations, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms. This investigation and operation received significant support from the United States Marshals Service, Customs and Border Protection, and ICE-Enforcement and Removal Operations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John M. Hundscheid and Jonathan S. Cross are prosecuting the case.  

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

    An indictment contains only charges.  A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Madison County Man Charged with Sexual Exploitation of Children

    Source: US FBI

    HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – A Madison County man has been indicted on child sexual exploitation charges, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona.

    A four-count indictment filed in U.S. District Court charges Randy Steven Smith, 48, of Huntsville, Alabama, with one count of sexual exploitation of children, one count of receipt of child pornography, one count of possession of child pornography and one count of transfer of obscene matter to a minor.  These incidents occurred between 2023 and 2024 in Madison County.

    The FBI Violent Crimes Task Force investigated the case with the assistance of the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA), U.S. Marshal Service, Homeland Security Investigations, Madison County Sheriff’s Office, Etowah County Sheriff’s Office, and Huntsville Police Department.  Assistant United States Attorney R. Leann White is prosecuting the case.

    The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet and to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

    An indictment contains only charges.  A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.    

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Sixteen Members of a Violent Gang in San Germán, Puerto Rico, Charged with Drug Trafficking and Firearms Offenses

    Source: US FBI

    SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On July 2, 2025, a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment charging 16 violent gang members from the municipality of San Germán with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, possession and distribution of controlled substances, and firearms violations, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Puerto Rico Police Bureau (PRPB) Ponce and Mayagüez Strike Force were in charge of the investigation of the case, with the collaboration of the Puerto Rico Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. The Guaynabo Municipal Police SRT collaborated during the arrests.

    “As alleged in the indictment, the members of this drug trafficking organization conducted their criminal activities in the presence of minors, in complete disregard to the detriment of the children,” said U.S. Attorney Muldrow. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to work with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners to protect our children, make Puerto Rico neighborhoods safe, and bring criminals to justice.”

    “The FBI’s commitment to public safety is unwavering. I want to thank the men and women of the FBI, the United States Attorney’s Office, the Police of Puerto Rico and local partners that worked tirelessly to disrupt this violent criminal enterprise,” said Devin J. Kowalski, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s San Juan Field Office. “This group thought they were above the law and our message is simple: if you choose to operate like a street army, then you’re choosing to face the FBI—rest assured your days terrorizing our communities are numbered.”

    The indictment alleges that from in or about the year 2023 through the present, the drug trafficking organization distributed cocaine base (commonly known as “crack”),cocaine, fentanyl or a substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl, and marihuana within 1,000 feet of Manuel F. Rossy Public Housing Project (PHP), and other areas nearby the municipality of San Germán, all for significant financial gain and profit.

    The object of the conspiracy was the large-scale distribution of controlled substances at the Manuel F. Rossy PHP, and other areas nearby in the Municipality of San Germán, all for significant financial gain and profit. It was part of the manner and means of the conspiracy that there were at least two (2) drug points operating within the inside of two (2) apartments inside the PHP, and that sellers would sell drugs through a window to avoid being seen and/or detected by law enforcement.

    As part of the conspiracy the defendants would secure the entrance to the apartments that were utilized as drug points, with two (2) by four (4) wooden studs, to allow time for them to dispose of the drugs in the event of an unexpected law enforcement search and seizure.

    In preserving power and protecting territory, the members of the organization would use intimidation, force, and violence in order to maintain control of the drug trafficking operations and intimidate rival drug trafficking organizations. Moreover, they would give beatings to other co-conspirators and/or residents of the housing projects, with different weapons, including horse whips, as discipline for violating certain rules.

    The defendants acted in different roles to further the goals of the drug trafficking conspiracy, to include leaders, enforcers, runners, sellers, facilitators, andlookouts. The defendants charged in the drug trafficking conspiracy are:

    [1] Jonathan Humberto Peraza-Rosa, a.k.a. “El Negro”

    [2] Jesed Natan Pagán-Ríos, a.k.a. “J”

    [3] Karvinson Javier Medina-Figueroa, a.k.a. “Champi/Jampi”

    [4] Giancarlo Robles-Pérez, a.k.a. “Gps/Penuelas/Jp”

    [5] Kelvin Torres-Alvarado, a.k.a. “Pito Ciribillo/Ciribi”

    [6] Eliezer Mikael Cruz-Molinary, a.k.a. “Mikael”

    [7] Yafet Omar Alameda-Torres

    [8] Anabel Tina Rodríguez

    [9] Jan Louis García-Franqui

    [10] Joe Armando Cotte-Ruiz, a.k.a. “Chevy”

    [11] Katiushcka Angelis Toro-Flores, a.k.a. “Katy/Angie”

    [12] John Eric Javier Cintrón-Massanet, a.k.a. “Budah”

    [13] Yadiel Omar Ponce De Leon-Ruiz, a.k.a. “Koby/Kobe”

    [14] Joel Rivera-Medina, a.k.a. “Fugitivo”

    [15] Melvin Jermaine Mitchel-Pérez, a.k.a. “JM/El Padrino”

    [16] Justin Daniel Nieves

    Nine defendants are charged in Count Six with possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

    The FBI thanks the PRPB Ponce and Mayagüez Strike Force for their assistance in this investigation.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) and Chief of the Gang Section Alberto López-Rocafort, Deputy Chief of the Gang Section, AUSA Teresa Zapata-Valladares, and FBI Special AUSA Frank M. Norris are prosecuting the case. If convicted on the drug charges, the defendants face a minimum sentence of 10 years, and up to life in prison. If convicted of both the drug and firearms charges in Count Six, the defendants face a minimum sentence of 15 years, and up to life in prison. All defendants charged in the drug conspiracy are facing a narcotics forfeiture allegation of $2,850,900.

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

    The take-down is part of the FBI’s Summer Heat initiative, which is taking place across the country during the summer months.  Summer Heat is targeting violent offenders and gang members who terrorize our communities and is part of Director Patel’s commitment to the American people to Crush Crime.

    An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Delta Air Lines Agrees to Pay $8.1M to Settle Alleged False Claims Act Violations Related to Payroll Support Program

    Source: United States Attorneys General 1

    Delta Air Lines Inc., headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, has agreed to pay $8,100,000 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by awarding compensation to certain corporate officers and employees that exceeded the compensation limits Delta agreed to as part of its participation in the Department of the Treasury’s Payroll Support Program (PSP).

    The PSP was established by Congress in March 2020 under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act to provide payroll support to passenger and cargo air carriers and certain contractors for the continuation of payment of employee wages, salaries, and benefits. The program was administered by the Department of Treasury (Treasury), and participating air carriers were required to enter into written agreements with Treasury that imposed certain conditions in exchange for the receipt of PSP funds. Among other program requirements, PSP agreements included limitations on the amount of compensation that PSP participants could pay to certain corporate officers and employees earning annual compensation in excess of $425,000. 

    Delta entered into PSP agreements with Treasury in 2020 and 2021, under which Delta agreed to the PSP compensation limits. The settlement resolves allegations that, between March 2020 and April 2023, Delta awarded compensation to some corporate officers and employees that exceeded the limits set by the PSP agreements. Delta allegedly violated the False Claims Act by inaccurately certifying compliance with PSP requirements in quarterly reports submitted to Treasury, as well as by not notifying Treasury of the breach once it was discovered by Delta, which would have given the government the right to demand the return of funds.

    “The PSP was intended to provide critical assistance to the airline industry during the pandemic,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The department is committed to holding accountable those who failed to abide by the terms and conditions governing their receipt and use of federal funds.” 

    “When companies accept federal assistance, especially generous pandemic-relief funds like those at issue here, they owe a duty to the American people to respect the conditions placed on those funds,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg for the Northern District of Georgia. “We will continue to enforce all available laws to punish the misuse of taxpayers’ money.”

    “Our criminal investigators have been at the center of this investigation as a core part of our responsibility to safeguard the integrity and efficiency of Treasury programs and operations, and we remain steadfast in our determination to hold recipients of public funds to the highest standards,” said Treasury Deputy Inspector General Loren Sciurba.

    The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by H. Remidez LLC. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The qui tam case is captioned United States ex rel. H Remidez LLC  v. Delta Air Lines Inc., No. 1-23-cv-01116 (N.D. Ga.). The whistleblower will receive $850,500 in connection with the settlement.

    The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia, with assistance from the United States Department of the Treasury, Office of Inspector General.

    The matter was handled by Trial Attorney James Nealon and Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony DeCinque for the Northern District of Georgia.

    The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Hamden Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking Narcotics in Southwestern Connecticut

    Source: US FBI

    David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that CHRISTIAN PICHARDO, also known as “Swerve,” “Craig,” and “Bobby Shmurda,” 30, of Hamden, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 144 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for trafficking narcotics in southwestern Connecticut.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, an investigation by the FBI Bridgeport Safe Streets Task Force and the Bridgeport Police Department identified Pichardo as a significant distributor of fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, crack, and narcotic pills in southwestern Connecticut.  During the investigation, investigators intercepted calls and text messages between Pichardo, his associates, and their drug customers over court-authorized wiretaps, made controlled purchases of narcotics, and seized drugs from Pichardo, his associates, and drug customers.  Some of the drugs seized during the investigation had been cut with fentanyl analogues and xylazine, a large animal tranquilizer.  The investigation also revealed that Pichardo maintained a residence on Norman Street in Bridgeport to store narcotics.

    On July 17, 2024, a grand jury in Bridgeport returned a superseding indictment charging Pichardo and seven others with controlled substances offenses.

    Pichardo has been detained since his arrest on August 5, 2024.  On April 3, 2025, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute, 40 grams or more of fentanyl and quantities of cocaine, heroin, and other opioids.

    This matter has been investigated by the FBI’s Bridgeport Safe Streets Task Force and the Bridgeport Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen L. Peck and Kenneth L. Gresham through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program.  Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: FBI Washington Field Office Releases Seeking Information Posters for Senior Iranian Intelligence Officers Involved in the Abduction of Robert A. Levinson

    Source: US FBI

    The FBI Washington Field Office today released seeking information posters featuring three senior Iranian intelligence officers who were involved in the abduction of retired FBI Special Agent Robert A. “Bob” Levinson from Kish Island, Iran, on March 9, 2007. The release of the posters is part of the FBI’s ongoing investigation into Iranian officials who allegedly played roles in Bob’s abduction and Iran’s attempt to obfuscate its responsibility.

    Reza Amiri Moghadam, also known as Ahmad Amirinia, is the current Iranian ambassador to Pakistan. He previously led the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence and Security’s operations unit. When Moghadam held this role, MOIS agents in Europe reported to him in Tehran.

    Taghi Daneshvar, also known as Sayyed Taghi Ghaemi and Sayeed Taghi Gha’emi, is a high-ranking MOIS officer involved in counterespionage activities. He oversaw the work of Sanai, also known as Mohammad Baseri, during the timeframe when Bob disappeared.

    Gholamhossein Mohammadnia is a senior MOIS deputy who was the Iranian ambassador to Albania in 2016. He was expelled from Albania in December 2018 for “damaging its national security.” He led an effort to blame Bob’s disappearance on a terrorist group in Pakistan’s Baluchistan region to shift blame away from the Iranian government.

    “These three intelligence officers were among those who allegedly facilitated Bob’s 2007 abduction and the subsequent cover-up by the Iranian government. Bob likely later perished in captivity far away from his family, friends, and colleagues,” said FBI Washington Field Office Assistant Director in Charge Steven Jensen. “The FBI will continue its relentless pursuit to hold anyone involved in his abduction to account for their reprehensible actions.”

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: D. Trump asked V. Zelensky whether Ukraine could strike Moscow — Financial Times

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

    LONDON, July 15 (Xinhua) — U.S. President Donald Trump has urged Kyiv to step up strikes deep into Russian territory, even asking Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky whether Moscow could be a target if long-range weapons were supplied to Ukraine, the Financial Times reported on Tuesday.

    “Vladimir, can you hit Moscow? Can you also hit St. Petersburg?” Trump asked during a phone call with the Ukrainian president on July 4, to which Zelensky replied: “Absolutely. We can if you give us weapons,” the Financial Times reported, citing two people familiar with the conversation.

    The phone call came just a day after Trump’s conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, which the US president reportedly described as “bad.”

    According to the Financial Times, while it remains unclear whether the United States will push ahead with the delivery of the requested weapons to Ukraine, sources familiar with the matter said Mr Trump appeared keen to explore more aggressive force options to put pressure on Moscow during the talks.

    The White House and the Ukrainian presidential office did not respond to requests for comment, the Financial Times adds. –0–

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

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Media Alert: Low-level flights to image geology over parts of southern Colorado

    Source: US Geological Survey

    Media Alert: Low-level flights to image geology over parts of southern Colorado

    USGS low-level helicopter surveys to map critical minerals in Southern Colorado starting Summer 2025

    RESTON, VA. — The U.S. Geology Survey will conduct low-level helicopter flights over parts of southern Colorado to map critical minerals using airborne geophysical technology, beginning in mid-July. The airborne survey will be conducted through Fall 2025, weather and wildfire restrictions permitting, covering parts of Park, Chaffee, Teller, Fremont, Custer, Pueblo, and Huerfano Counties.  

    Flights may resume in Spring 2026 if needed.

    The Colorado flights are part of a national effort to map the mineral resources needed to drive the U.S. economy and protect national security, searching below ground and in tailings from old mines.  As directed by the Energy Act of 2020, the USGS has identified 50 critical minerals essential to the U.S. economy and national security, with a supply chain vulnerable to disruption. 

    Instruments on the helicopter will measure variations in the Earth’s magnetic field and natural, low-level radiation created by different rock types beneath vegetation and up to several miles below the surface. This information will help researchers develop geologic maps in three dimensions. In addition to critical minerals, applications include evaluating natural resources such as water, preparing for natural hazards such as earthquakes and radon, and characterizing legacy mining areas.

    The aircraft will fly along pre-planned fight paths relatively low to the ground at about 300 feet (100 meters) above the surface in some areas. Experienced pilots who are specially trained and approved for low-level flying will operate the aircraft. All flights will occur during daylight hours and are coordinated with the Federal Aviation Administration to ensure accordance with U.S. law. The ground clearance will be increased to 1,000 feet (300+ meters) over populated areas. The flights will be based out of Fremont County airport near Cañon City, and will fly over the towns of Gardner, Rye, Colorado City, Beulah Valley, Rockvale, Coal Creek, Williamsburg, Florence, Penrose, Brookside, Lincoln Park, Cañon City, Park Center, Goldfield, Victor, Cripple Creek, Midland, Guffey, Cotopaxi, Coaldale, and Howard.  Surveying over wilderness areas in the survey block are subject to access permissions with the relevant agencies.

    The aircraft will be equipped with an elongated “boom” that extends in front of the main cabin that houses sensors. These scientific instruments are completely passive with no emissions that pose a risk to humans, animals, or plant life. No photography or video data will be collected. The data collected will be made freely available to the public on ScienceBase once complete. The aircraft will be flown by experienced pilots who are specially trained and approved for low-level flying. These pilots work with the FAA to ensure flights are safe and in accordance with U.S. law. The surveys will be conducted during daylight hours only. 

     The flights could shift to other parts of the survey area as necessitated by adverse flying conditions. 

    The USGS has contracted with NV5, Edcon-PRJ, and Precision GeoSurveys to collect data.

    The survey fits into a broader effort by the USGS Earth Mapping Resources Initiative, the Colorado Geological Survey, and other partners,  to modernize our understanding of the Nation’s fundamental geologic framework and knowledge of mineral resources. Funding by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act has facilitated coverage of such a large area.  This effort is known as the Earth Mapping Resources Initiative, and it includes airborne geophysical surveys like this one, geochemical reconnaissance surveys, topographic mapping using LiDAR technology, hyperspectral surveys, and geologic mapping projects. 

    The helicopter survey will take place within the polygon on the map, including the town of Cañon City, in south-central Colorado.  Surveying over wilderness areas in the survey block are subject to access permissions with the relevant agencies.

    Photo of the contractor’s helicopter with a “boom” containing sensors that measure the magnetic field. (Photo courtesy of Precision GeoSurveys)

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: CONGRESSWOMAN PLASKETT’S STATEMENT ON THE KILLING OF SAYFOLLAH MUSALLET

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Stacey E. Plaskett (USVI)

    CONGRESSWOMAN PLASKETT’S STATEMENT ON THE KILLING OF SAYFOLLAH MUSALLET

    WASHINGTON, D.C., July 15, 2025

    For Immediate Release                             Contact: Tionee Scotland 

    July 15, 2025                                                    202-808-6129 

    PRESS RELEASE 

    CONGRESSWOMAN PLASKETT ‘S STATEMENT ON THE KILLING OF SAYFOLLAH MUSALLET 

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congresswoman Stacey E. Plaskett issued the following statement regarding the killing of Sayfollah Musallet: 

    “I am deeply disturbed by the tragic death of Sayfollah Musallet, an American citizen who was killed while visiting relatives in the West Bank. My heart goes out to Mr. Musallet’s family and friends during this devastating time.  

    “This concerning incident calls for prompt and thorough attention. Israeli authorities must conduct a full and transparent investigation into Mr. Musallet’s death and ensure that those responsible face justice. The violence against Palestinian civilians in the West Bank, which has increased, is deeply troubling and must be addressed.  

    “Americans cannot ignore this tragedy or the broader crisis of settler violence in the region. For meaningful and sustainable peace to take place between Israelis and Palestinians, we must acknowledge and hold space for everyone caught in the violence in the region – Israelis, Palestinians, civilians, men, women, children and elders.   

    “Mr. Musallet’s death cannot become another statistic—justice must be served. As a Member of Congress, I will continue to advocate for the safety of all American citizens traveling abroad and push for accountability when their rights and lives are violated. As the congressional representative of many Americans and residents of the Virgin Islands with family and ties to Israel, the West Bank and Gaza, I and my office work to support all our constituents and work to find peace and a two-state solution.  The Administration and congressional leaders must use their power to bring Israeli and Palestinian leadership together for a long-term resolution to the conflict that can lead to a peaceful two-state solution.” 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Researcher Spotlight: Violeta Sanchez i Nogue’s Journey to Bioprocess Development at NREL

    Source: US National Renewable Energy Laboratory

    On a Christmas morning in the early 1990s, in a small town north of Barcelona, a young Violeta Sanchez i Nogue’s interest in chemistry was born. She unwrapped a junior chemistry lab kit that would ignite a love of science and lead to a successful career as a senior researcher at NREL.

    Violeta Sanchez i Nogue, now a senior researcher, started her career at NREL as a postdoctoral researcher. Photo by Werner Slocum, NREL

    “With the kit, you could run lots of different assays inside glass tubes with different chemical compounds,” Sanchez i Nogue said. “It even had an alcohol burner! In retrospect probably not the safest game, but you can imagine lots of color changes and fume generation when reactions were taking place. I had lots of fun playing with this game with my sister, and I was just fascinated by it.”

    With visions of someday working in a chemistry lab, Sanchez i Nogue took an opportunity to expand her horizons by joining an engineering boot camp during the summer before high school graduation.

    “I really enjoyed it, as it gave me exposure to university-level research,” she said. “We spent a couple of weeks taking environmental samples in the Pyrenees and analyzing them in a lab the university had installed at the mountain hostel. Most of the researchers were from the chemical engineering department, so I had the chance to learn about the types of research they were doing.”

    Combining Scientific Passions

    Needless to say, she was hooked. She decided to combine her two interests and pursue a degree in chemical engineering at the Autonomous University of Barcelona. During her undergraduate studies, she completed an internship at Lund University in Sweden, where she later returned to earn a Ph.D. in engineering. It was here that she became familiar with NREL’s leading work on lignocellulosics and bioethanol—the focus of her thesis.

    Sanchez i Nogue worked for a startup company developing yeast strains and processes for second-generation ethanol and other biotech applications. In the summer of 2015, she joined NREL as a postdoctoral researcher working on a project to produce renewable carbon fibers.

    “It just felt like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity when a colleague from grad school sent me the job posting,” Sanchez i Nogue said. “It was a relatively big project with universities, other national labs, and industrial partners. This first project was ambitious, and the fermentations I was running were really fast, but it was an amazing experience to be able to work with a highly multidisciplinary team. After a few months of being at NREL, I had the opportunity to join another project, which I am still part of.”

    Working With Microorganisms

    “While one might think the challenges an organism faces when we put them in bioreactors are really different compared to their native environment, you can actually leverage lots of natural strengths and weaknesses from learning about their origins,” Sanchez i Nogue said.

    Violeta Sanchez i Nogue works with digesters in NREL’s Field Test Laboratory Building. Photo from Violeta Sanchez i Nogue, NREL

    Most of her projects have parallel efforts across the laboratory in metabolic engineering, separations, catalysis, and analysis.

    “Working on multidisciplinary projects with people who all have unique sets of expertise and backgrounds can be challenging at times,” Sanchez i Nogue said. “But it always feels like a pivotal moment when synergies occur because people work together.”

    “I love the fact that I learn something new every single day,” she said. “I have what I consider one of the greatest privileges in a job: I work with dedicated, hard-working, and kind people, and this is a pleasure not everyone has.”

    Seeking New Challenges

    While the development of core capabilities happens on a laboratory scale, Sanchez i Nogue also works at the pilot scale in NREL’s Integrated Biorefinery Research Facility and externally with different industrial and university project partners.

    Given her proclivity for collaboration, Sanchez i Nogue is not one to shy away from a new challenge. In 2023, she worked to onboard new operations in NREL’s Field Test Laboratory Building to be able to use different types of organic waste (including food waste, manure, and wastewater). Today, she is doing similar work on setting up an aerobic gas fermentation system in NREL’s new Research and Innovation Laboratory that will allow the use of hydrogen, oxygen, and flue gases.

    “Deploying new capabilities in the lab is often challenging,” Sanchez i Nogue said. “Who do we bring to the table to help moving things forward? How does it fit into the current lab operations? Which changes will be needed to implement it safely? It is a lot of work behind the scenes.”

    Sanchez i Nogue’s behind-the-scenes work has a history of paying off.

    “Over these last years, I have been fortunate to work with people who took our challenges as theirs, and that has allowed for instrumental changes to the system,” she said. “I am happy to contribute to expanding NREL’s bioeconomy and sustainable transportation research capabilities!”

    Living Beyond the Lab

    Outside of work, Sanchez i Nogue enjoys cooking, baking, reading, gardening, and raising her 2-year-old daughter, which includes answering endless whys about people and nature’s curiosities.

    “We recently had a nice opportunity to see a couple of robins nesting in our front yard, so we talked about how and why they were constructing the nest, laying the eggs, incubating them, feeding them, teaching them to fly, and more,” she said. “She is also fascinated by butterflies and has just started to distinguish ants from spiders.”

    Her daughter’s expanding love of learning about the world around her mirrors that of her own, nurtured by the fateful junior chemistry lab kit from many Christmases ago.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: HSE Strengthens Ties with Central Asia

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: State University “Higher School of Economics” –

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    July 15

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  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Ukraine: Civilians under fire in record numbers as attacks surge

    Source: United Nations 2-b

    According to the UN human rights office, OHCHR, at least 139 civilians have been killed and 791 injured so far in July alone.

    “The devastating physical and psychological impact on civilians of repeated attacks in this and other conflicts cannot be captured by numbers alone,” said OHCHR spokesperson Liz Throssell on Tuesday.

    Escalating attacks

    On the night of 12 July, Russian forces reportedly launched nearly 600 Shahed-type unmanned attack and decoy drones, along with 26 missiles, killing two civilians and injuring 41.

    Damage was reported across multiple regions, including Chernivtsi, Lviv, Cherkasy, Volyn and Kirovohrad – all far from active combat zones. Earlier that same week, Russian forces reportedly launched a record-breaking 728 long-range drones in a single 24-hour period.

    June marked the deadliest month for civilians in over three years.

    “People are having to spend hours sheltering (…) in basements, corridors and available refuges such as metro stations,” said Ms. Throssell. “In some cases, they’re unable to get to shelter at all.”

    Health under pressure

    The UN World Health Organization (WHO) meanwhile has verified 2,504 attacks on health facilities and personnel in Ukraine since the start of the full-scale invasion by the Russian Federation on 24 February 2022.

    These strikes have hit hospitals, ambulances and first responders, including in so-called “double tap” attacks where secondary strikes follow the initial impact.

    “This means more than two attacks every day…Healthcare is not a safe place for patients and healthcare workers,” said Dr. Jarno Habicht, WHO Representative in Ukraine.

    Access to healthcare remains especially limited in frontline areas, where personnel and supplies are scarce.

    Only 69 per cent of residents in those areas have seen a primary care doctor, compared to 74 per cent nationally. WHO mobile teams operating in 82 locations have conducted more than 7,500 consultations in 2025 so far.

    The psychological toll is also wearing people down. A recent assessment found that seven out of 10 people reported anxiety, depression or severe stress over the last 12 months, while one in two said they had experienced significant stress in just the past two months.

    To address this, WHO and national partners have trained more than 125,000 health workers and expanded mental health services through more than 220 community resilience centres.

    Despite continued deliveries of trauma kits and medical supplies by UN and humanitarian partners, the response remains critically underfunded. As of mid-July, only 35.5 per cent of the required $129 million for 2025 has been secured, leaving more than two million people without adequate medical support.

    Call for accountability

    In Geneva, Ms. Throssell highlighted the UN human rights chief’s calls for an immediate end to hostilities and for efforts toward a just and lasting peace.

    “The Russian Federation’s full-scale armed attack on Ukraine must urgently be halted and work on a lasting peace in line with international law must intensify,” Volker Türk said in a statement.

    The High Commissioner emphasized that any sustainable solution must include accountability for serious human rights violations, the return of deported children, protection for civilians in occupied areas, humane treatment of prisoners of war, and restoration of humanitarian corridors.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: President El-Sisi Meets the Prime Minister, Minister of Supply, Minister of Agriculture

    Source: APO – Report:

    .

    Today, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi held a meeting with Prime Minister Dr. Mostafa Madbouly, Minister of Supply and Internal Trade Dr. Sherif Farouk, Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation Alaa El-Din Farouk, and Executive Director of the “Future of Egypt for Sustainable Development” Authority, Colonel Dr. Bahaa El-Ghanam.

    Spokesman for the Presidency, Ambassador Mohamed El-Shennawy, said that during the meeting the availability of strategic reserves of essential commodities, particularly wheat, sugar, oil, meat, and poultry was confirmed. It was stressed that Egypt’s food security is in a stable and reassuring state. The meeting reviewed details pertaining to contracts for the purchase of strategic commodities. These included contracts for the acquisition of 3.4 million tons of wheat, 192,000 tons of crude oil, 4,000 tons of frozen poultry, and 6,000 tons of frozen meat. Furthermore, it was noted that the State seeks to diversify its sources for wheat imports to ensure the availability of adequate quantities and avoid potential crises.

    President El-Sisi stressed the importance of full coordination among all state bodies concerned with food security, so as to ensure harmony among these institutions, facilitate their effective implementation and confirm alignment with state policies. The meeting highlighted the importance of cooperation among the relevant state authorities and “The Future of Egypt” Authority to designate the areas within the New Delta to be cultivated with strategic crops, thereby maximizing planted acreage and increasing the self-sufficiency rate.

    The meeting also discussed efforts underway to ensure the efficient operation of bakeries, mills, and markets and reviewed progress on the “One-Day Market” initiative. The first phase of the initiative was launched in November 2024 with 200 markets, and the second phase began in May 2025 with more than 200 additional markets.

    The discussion tackled efforts to establish partnerships with the private sector, attract foreign investments in the retail sector, and establish commercial chains in Obour City, Nasr City, and Qalyub. The meeting also reviewed the Ministry of Supply and Internal Trade’s efforts and preparations to launch a government commercial chain under the name “Carry On”, marking the first unified brand in partnership with the private sector. Furthermore, the meeting reviewed efforts exerted to develop internal trade and to refine the databases of government subsidy beneficiaries, ensuring that support reaches those who meet the relevant criteria and conditions.

    Additionally, the meeting included detailed discussions on food security, the operational status of the Commodity Exchange, and the government’s efforts to activate it as a safeguard for markets and an effective price-regulation mechanism. This initiative is expected to boost food security and ensure the sustainable availability of essential goods at reasonable prices, balancing the interests of producers and consumers, while supporting the agricultural and industrial sectors.

    It was noted that exporters and importers have begun registering in the Commodity Exchange, which is set to become the unified platform for importing and exporting goods. A draft law is currently being prepared to regulate the exchange, drawing on legislation from other countries with similar systems.

    The meeting also reviewed the state’s policies for growing and supplying strategic crops, efforts toward digital transformation and technological integration in agriculture, and strategies to reduce agricultural expenditures. The status of the fertilizer sector, particularly nitrates and urea was discussed, with a strong emphasis on implementing gradual and balanced reforms to protect farmers and ensure food security. Finally, the meeting focused on initiatives to improve agricultural land, adopt mechanization, and enhance the productivity of red meat and dairy sectors. President El-Sisi stressed the importance of improving local livestock breeds to increase their yield in both meat and milk production.

    – on behalf of Presidency of the Arab Republic of Egypt.

    MIL OSI Africa –