NewzIntel.com

Category: DJF

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Financial news: Monitoring of industry financial flows: payments in June at the level of the first quarter

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Central Bank of Russia –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    In June, the volume of incoming payments processed through the Bank of Russia increased after a decline in May and was 0.1% higher than the average level in Q1 2025.

    Excluding extractive industries, oil product manufacturing and public administration, receipts decreased by 0.6%. A decrease in incoming payments in June was recorded in the consumer, investment and external demand sectors.

    Read more in the next issue “Monitoring of industry financial flows”.

    Preview photo: thinkhubstudio / Shutterstock / Fotodom

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Alexey Overchuk took part in the opening ceremony of the XXXIV International Festival of Arts “Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk”

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Government of the Russian Federation – Government of the Russian Federation –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    The International Arts Festival “Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk” is a large-scale cultural project that promotes humanitarian cooperation.

    The opening ceremony of the XXXIV International Festival of Arts “Slavianski Bazaar” took place in Vitebsk. It is a large-scale cultural project that promotes humanitarian cooperation, as well as the revival and development of artistic culture and art.

    At the opening ceremony, Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Overchuk read out the welcoming words of Russian President Vladimir Putin to the festival participants and guests: “Dear friends! I cordially welcome you on the occasion of the opening of the next, XXXIV International Arts Festival “Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk”.

    The festival, held in the ancient and beautiful Belarusian city, makes a significant contribution to strengthening spiritual ties between the fraternal Slavic peoples, to the development of mutually beneficial humanitarian cooperation. Its motto – “Through art to peace and mutual understanding” – sounds especially relevant in the current difficult international conditions.

    This year the program of the “Slavianski Bazaar” is very rich and diverse. Several festival venues will host performances by famous singers and artists, musical, folklore and pop groups, numerous theatrical productions, exhibitions and presentations. Much attention is paid to the children’s audience: various creative competitions for young performers are planned.

    A special place in the program is occupied by events dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War – the most important event in our common history. I am sure that the great power of art will help preserve the grateful memory of the glorious deeds of our fathers and grandfathers who fought shoulder to shoulder against the fascist invaders, and pass on to the younger generations the good traditions of fraternal friendship and mutual assistance bequeathed by them.

    I would like to express my sincere gratitude to everyone who took part in organizing the festival, wish its participants inspiration and success, and the guests – bright, unforgettable impressions.”

    The International Festival of Arts “Slavianski Bazaar” has been held since 1992. This year, artists from more than 40 countries are taking part in it; the festival events are taking place in Vitebsk from July 8 to 14.

    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: Legislation considered under suspension of the Rules of the House of Representatives during the week of July 14, 2025

    Source: US Congressional Budget Office

    The Majority Leader of the House of Representatives announces bills that will be considered under suspension of the rules in that chamber. Under suspension, floor debate is limited, all floor amendments are prohibited, points of order against the bill are waived, and final passage requires a two-thirds majority vote.

    At the request of the Majority Leader and the House Committee on the Budget, CBO estimates the effects of those bills on direct spending and revenues. CBO has limited time to review the legislation before consideration. Although it is possible in most cases to determine whether the legislation would affect direct spending or revenues, time may be insufficient to estimate the magnitude of those effects. If CBO has prepared estimates for similar or identical legislation, a more detailed assessment of budgetary effects, including effects on spending subject to appropriation, may be included.

    CBO’s estimates of the bills that have been posted for possible consideration under suspension of the rules during the week of July 14, 2025, include:

    • H.R. 131, Finish the Arkansas Valley Conduit Act, as amended
    • H.R. 410, Alaska Native Vietnam Era Veterans Land Allotment Extension Act of 2025
    • H.R. 504, Miccosukee Reserved Area Amendments Act
    • H.R. 900, Sinkhole Mapping Act of 2025, as amended
    • H.R. 1043, La Paz County Solar Energy and Job Creation Act
    • H.R. 1044, To amend Public Law 99-338 with respect to Kaweah Project permits
    • H.R. 1455, ITS Codification Act
    • H.R. 1618, Precision Agriculture Satellite Connectivity Act, as amended
    • H.R. 1709, Understanding Cybersecurity of Mobile Networks Act
    • H.R. 1717, Communications Security Act
    • H.R. 1729, Bolts Ditch Act
    • H.R. 1765, Promoting United States Wireless Leadership Act of 2025, as amended
    • H.R. 1766, NTIA Policy and Cybersecurity Coordination Act
    • H.R. 1770, Consumer Safety Technology Act
    • H.R. 2037, Open RAN Outreach Act, as amended
    • H.R. 2316, Wetlands Conservation and Access Improvement Act of 2025
    • H.R. 3657, Hydropower Relicensing Transparency Act, as amended
    • S. 1596, Jocelyn Nungaray National Wildlife Refuge Act

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs Signs Agreement with Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians

    Source: US State of Oregon

    he Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs has signed a formal agreement with the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians that will provide a framework for collaboration and increased resources dedicated to supporting the Tribe’s veterans in accessing their earned federal and state veterans’ benefits.

    The Memorandum of Understanding was signed Friday, June 27, by ODVA Director Dr. Nakeia Council Daniels and Tribal Council Chairman Delores Pigsley, with Tribal government leaders and representatives, Tribal veterans and ODVA staff gathered to commemorate the historic partnership. The formal signing was hosted at ODVA’s headquarters in Salem.

    The agreement will pave the way for the establishment of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians’ first Tribal Veterans Service Officer (TVSO), which will be jointly funded by ODVA and the Tribe to serve Siletz veterans and their families.

    “Oregon’s Tribal veterans have long served with honor and distinction, and it is our responsibility to ensure they receive the care and recognition they have earned,” said Dr. Daniels. “By partnering with the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, we are committing to a future where Siletz veterans are served in a way that honors their stories, their service, and their sovereign identity. We’re proud to walk alongside the Tribe in building something that will truly make a difference in the lives of their veterans and families.”

    “I am excited for the future of our honored Tribal veterans and the opportunity this brings to them,” said Chairman Pigsley. “Not only to support them but to help advocate for them. This memorandum with the Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs is more than a collaboration or a partnership. It’s a commitment to honoring and empowering those who have served our nation. Their deep-rooted connection to the veteran community and unwavering dedication to their well-being make them a trusted and invaluable partner.”

    This Memorandum of Understanding is ODVA’s sixth with Oregon’s nine federally recognized Tribes, including the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians and, most recently, the Coquille Indian Tribe in May.

    Oregon’s statewide network of County and Tribal Veteran Service Offices are collaborative partnerships between the state and counties, or Tribal governments and deliver free local access to veteran benefits for veterans and their families.

    Tribal Veteran Service Officers (TVSOs) are trained by ODVA and then accredited by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs through a series of regular trainings facilitated by both agencies. TVSOs provide a wide variety of benefits and services to veterans and their family members, including the development and submission of claims to the federal VA for earned veteran benefits. To learn more about veteran benefits, resources and services near you, or to schedule a session with your local Veteran Service Officer, visit the website of the Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs at www.oregon.gov/odva/Services/Pages/Tribal-Veteran-Services.aspx.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs Signs Agreement with Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians

    Source: US State of Oregon

    he Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs has signed a formal agreement with the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians that will provide a framework for collaboration and increased resources dedicated to supporting the Tribe’s veterans in accessing their earned federal and state veterans’ benefits.

    The Memorandum of Understanding was signed Friday, June 27, by ODVA Director Dr. Nakeia Council Daniels and Tribal Council Chairman Delores Pigsley, with Tribal government leaders and representatives, Tribal veterans and ODVA staff gathered to commemorate the historic partnership. The formal signing was hosted at ODVA’s headquarters in Salem.

    The agreement will pave the way for the establishment of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians’ first Tribal Veterans Service Officer (TVSO), which will be jointly funded by ODVA and the Tribe to serve Siletz veterans and their families.

    “Oregon’s Tribal veterans have long served with honor and distinction, and it is our responsibility to ensure they receive the care and recognition they have earned,” said Dr. Daniels. “By partnering with the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, we are committing to a future where Siletz veterans are served in a way that honors their stories, their service, and their sovereign identity. We’re proud to walk alongside the Tribe in building something that will truly make a difference in the lives of their veterans and families.”

    “I am excited for the future of our honored Tribal veterans and the opportunity this brings to them,” said Chairman Pigsley. “Not only to support them but to help advocate for them. This memorandum with the Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs is more than a collaboration or a partnership. It’s a commitment to honoring and empowering those who have served our nation. Their deep-rooted connection to the veteran community and unwavering dedication to their well-being make them a trusted and invaluable partner.”

    This Memorandum of Understanding is ODVA’s sixth with Oregon’s nine federally recognized Tribes, including the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians and, most recently, the Coquille Indian Tribe in May.

    Oregon’s statewide network of County and Tribal Veteran Service Offices are collaborative partnerships between the state and counties, or Tribal governments and deliver free local access to veteran benefits for veterans and their families.

    Tribal Veteran Service Officers (TVSOs) are trained by ODVA and then accredited by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs through a series of regular trainings facilitated by both agencies. TVSOs provide a wide variety of benefits and services to veterans and their family members, including the development and submission of claims to the federal VA for earned veteran benefits. To learn more about veteran benefits, resources and services near you, or to schedule a session with your local Veteran Service Officer, visit the website of the Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs at www.oregon.gov/odva/Services/Pages/Tribal-Veteran-Services.aspx.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: RIDOH Recommends Closing the Swimming Area at City Park and Conimicut Point Beach

    Source: US State of Rhode Island

    The Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) recommends closing the swimming area at City Park and Conimicut Point Beach in Warwick due to high bacteria counts.

    RIDOH will continue to monitor and review beach water quality through Labor Day. The status of a beach may change as new data become available. The most up-to-date beach information is available through a recorded message on RIDOH’s beaches telephone line (401-222-2751). A list of closed beaches can also be accessed at https://health.ri.gov/beaches/

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Statement of the Department of Justice Antitrust Division on the Closing of Its Investigation of the Merger of T-Mobile and UScellular

    Source: US State Government of Utah

    Assistant Attorney General Gail Slater of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division issued the following statement today in connection with the closing of the Department’s investigation into the proposed acquisition of UScellular by T-Mobile:

    “After a thorough investigation, the Antitrust Division determined prudentially not to seek an injunction to prevent T-Mobile from closing on its proposed acquisition of UScellular. The investigation nevertheless raised concerns about competition in the relevant markets for mobile wireless services and the availability of wireless spectrum needed to fuel competition and entry. Specifically, as part of the investigation, the Department considered the potential impact on consumers resulting from the elimination of UScellular from the market, the potential for consumer benefits, and the potential impact of the further consolidation of wireless spectrum.

    “With respect to the potential impact on consumers, for years, Americans have witnessed the too-familiar pattern of local or regional companies that discern and cater to their customers’ needs vanishing in favor of the ‘one size fits all’ approach of national brands. UScellular, whose tagline was ‘America’s locally grown wireless,’ noted the ‘sea of sameness’ among the ‘Big 3’ national carriers — Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile — and resolved to be ‘fundamentally different’ in how it went to market. The company understood the unmet needs of customers whom they identified as ‘Heartland Families’ or ‘Farmtown Frugals’. UScellular met those needs by building networks, pricing plans, and service offerings that its customers valued, and which for many years the Big 3 often did not offer. To the chagrin of its Big 3 competitors, UScellular maintained a sizable customer base within its network footprint by virtue of its strong emphasis on transparency, integrity, and localized customer service. Accordingly, as part of its investigation, the Department considered the impact of the potential disappearance of the services offered to those customers of UScellular — soon to become T-Mobile customers following the merger — that chose UScellular over T-Mobile or its national competitors.

    “In addition to the potential impact on consumers resulting from the elimination of UScellular from the market, the Department also investigated the potential for consumer benefits. Specifically, the Department considered how UScellular subscribers would fare if UScellular continued as a business without completing this transaction. That aspect of the investigation made clear that, due in part to its limited regional footprint and unique structural limitations, UScellular simply could not keep up with the escalating cost of capital investments in technology required to compete vigorously in the relevant market. This would, in turn, lead to the slow degradation of its network quality. In contrast, T-Mobile has publicly committed that it will integrate the two networks in a way that provides UScellular customers with faster data speeds, while T-Mobile customers will obtain broader coverage in rural areas. Accordingly, the Department concluded the loss of the local offerings that UScellular customers value was outweighed by the immediate improvements in network quality promised by this proposed transaction. That conclusion is bolstered by the competitive realities of future investment in wireless networks and spectrum.

    “In sum, the Department evaluated the likelihood of harm to competition and the potential effects of the transaction on consumers and determined that, on balance, the potential harm and offsetting benefits of the transaction do not warrant an enforcement action. UScellular’s inability to maintain its competitive position would result in declining value to its subscriber base, whereas the transaction offers them hope that they will be able to experience the benefits of a more robust cellular network.

    “More broadly, the Department’s investigation made clear that we stand at a pivotal moment for the wireless industry. The transaction comes near the tail end of a decades-long trend toward consolidation-by-acquisition that has now left most consumers with meaningful choices among just the ‘Big 3’ national carriers. Economists and historians, appropriately, will debate whether this trend ultimately redounded to the benefit of competition and consumers, but the stark facts of today merit our immediate attention: together, the Big 3 account for more than 90 percent of the roughly 335 million mobile subscriptions in the United States.

    “As the Department observed in 2019, when T-Mobile acquired Sprint, ‘The merger would also leave the market vulnerable to increased coordination among the remaining three carriers. Increased coordination harms consumers through a combination of higher prices, reduced innovation, reduced quality, and fewer choices.’ The Department also noted at the time that ‘competition between Sprint and T-Mobile to sell wireless service wholesale to [mobile virtual network operators] has benefited consumers by facilitating innovation by some MVNOs.’  These concerns remain highly relevant.

    “Spectrum, a national resource that belongs to the American people, is critical to competition in the relevant markets for mobile wireless services. This transaction, and two other deals contingent on its closing, will consolidate yet more spectrum in the Big 3’s oligopoly, which controls more than 80 percent of the mobile wireless spectrum in the country. The Department investigated these spectrum transfers and concluded that they would not result in sufficient harm to competition to warrant an enforcement action, yet the risks to future competition due to further spectrum aggregation by the Big 3 are acute. As revealed in the merging parties’ advocacy in defense of the proposed transaction, the increased revenues and profitability that the Big 3 obtain through transactions like these enable them to even more dramatically outbid independent rivals for spectrum at future auctions.

    “It is of concern to the United States that continued spectrum aggregation by the Big 3 threatens to impede the path for a fourth national player to emerge and challenge the entrenched incumbents with new and innovative offerings. Where future spectrum consolidation transactions threaten this path, the Antitrust Division stands ready to investigate and, if warranted by the facts and evidence, use its enforcement power to protect competition and American consumers.”

    *          *          *

    This statement is limited by the Department’s obligation to protect the confidentiality of certain information obtained in its investigations. As in most of its investigations, the Department’s evaluation has been highly fact-specific, and many of the relevant underlying facts are not public. Consequently, readers should not draw overly broad conclusions regarding how the Department is likely in the future to analyze other collaborations or activities, or transactions involving particular firms. Enforcement decisions are made on a case-by-case basis, and the analysis and conclusions discussed in this statement do not bind the Department in any future enforcement actions. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Statement of the Department of Justice Antitrust Division on the Closing of Its Investigation of the Merger of T-Mobile and UScellular

    Source: US State Government of Utah

    Assistant Attorney General Gail Slater of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division issued the following statement today in connection with the closing of the Department’s investigation into the proposed acquisition of UScellular by T-Mobile:

    “After a thorough investigation, the Antitrust Division determined prudentially not to seek an injunction to prevent T-Mobile from closing on its proposed acquisition of UScellular. The investigation nevertheless raised concerns about competition in the relevant markets for mobile wireless services and the availability of wireless spectrum needed to fuel competition and entry. Specifically, as part of the investigation, the Department considered the potential impact on consumers resulting from the elimination of UScellular from the market, the potential for consumer benefits, and the potential impact of the further consolidation of wireless spectrum.

    “With respect to the potential impact on consumers, for years, Americans have witnessed the too-familiar pattern of local or regional companies that discern and cater to their customers’ needs vanishing in favor of the ‘one size fits all’ approach of national brands. UScellular, whose tagline was ‘America’s locally grown wireless,’ noted the ‘sea of sameness’ among the ‘Big 3’ national carriers — Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile — and resolved to be ‘fundamentally different’ in how it went to market. The company understood the unmet needs of customers whom they identified as ‘Heartland Families’ or ‘Farmtown Frugals’. UScellular met those needs by building networks, pricing plans, and service offerings that its customers valued, and which for many years the Big 3 often did not offer. To the chagrin of its Big 3 competitors, UScellular maintained a sizable customer base within its network footprint by virtue of its strong emphasis on transparency, integrity, and localized customer service. Accordingly, as part of its investigation, the Department considered the impact of the potential disappearance of the services offered to those customers of UScellular — soon to become T-Mobile customers following the merger — that chose UScellular over T-Mobile or its national competitors.

    “In addition to the potential impact on consumers resulting from the elimination of UScellular from the market, the Department also investigated the potential for consumer benefits. Specifically, the Department considered how UScellular subscribers would fare if UScellular continued as a business without completing this transaction. That aspect of the investigation made clear that, due in part to its limited regional footprint and unique structural limitations, UScellular simply could not keep up with the escalating cost of capital investments in technology required to compete vigorously in the relevant market. This would, in turn, lead to the slow degradation of its network quality. In contrast, T-Mobile has publicly committed that it will integrate the two networks in a way that provides UScellular customers with faster data speeds, while T-Mobile customers will obtain broader coverage in rural areas. Accordingly, the Department concluded the loss of the local offerings that UScellular customers value was outweighed by the immediate improvements in network quality promised by this proposed transaction. That conclusion is bolstered by the competitive realities of future investment in wireless networks and spectrum.

    “In sum, the Department evaluated the likelihood of harm to competition and the potential effects of the transaction on consumers and determined that, on balance, the potential harm and offsetting benefits of the transaction do not warrant an enforcement action. UScellular’s inability to maintain its competitive position would result in declining value to its subscriber base, whereas the transaction offers them hope that they will be able to experience the benefits of a more robust cellular network.

    “More broadly, the Department’s investigation made clear that we stand at a pivotal moment for the wireless industry. The transaction comes near the tail end of a decades-long trend toward consolidation-by-acquisition that has now left most consumers with meaningful choices among just the ‘Big 3’ national carriers. Economists and historians, appropriately, will debate whether this trend ultimately redounded to the benefit of competition and consumers, but the stark facts of today merit our immediate attention: together, the Big 3 account for more than 90 percent of the roughly 335 million mobile subscriptions in the United States.

    “As the Department observed in 2019, when T-Mobile acquired Sprint, ‘The merger would also leave the market vulnerable to increased coordination among the remaining three carriers. Increased coordination harms consumers through a combination of higher prices, reduced innovation, reduced quality, and fewer choices.’ The Department also noted at the time that ‘competition between Sprint and T-Mobile to sell wireless service wholesale to [mobile virtual network operators] has benefited consumers by facilitating innovation by some MVNOs.’  These concerns remain highly relevant.

    “Spectrum, a national resource that belongs to the American people, is critical to competition in the relevant markets for mobile wireless services. This transaction, and two other deals contingent on its closing, will consolidate yet more spectrum in the Big 3’s oligopoly, which controls more than 80 percent of the mobile wireless spectrum in the country. The Department investigated these spectrum transfers and concluded that they would not result in sufficient harm to competition to warrant an enforcement action, yet the risks to future competition due to further spectrum aggregation by the Big 3 are acute. As revealed in the merging parties’ advocacy in defense of the proposed transaction, the increased revenues and profitability that the Big 3 obtain through transactions like these enable them to even more dramatically outbid independent rivals for spectrum at future auctions.

    “It is of concern to the United States that continued spectrum aggregation by the Big 3 threatens to impede the path for a fourth national player to emerge and challenge the entrenched incumbents with new and innovative offerings. Where future spectrum consolidation transactions threaten this path, the Antitrust Division stands ready to investigate and, if warranted by the facts and evidence, use its enforcement power to protect competition and American consumers.”

    *          *          *

    This statement is limited by the Department’s obligation to protect the confidentiality of certain information obtained in its investigations. As in most of its investigations, the Department’s evaluation has been highly fact-specific, and many of the relevant underlying facts are not public. Consequently, readers should not draw overly broad conclusions regarding how the Department is likely in the future to analyze other collaborations or activities, or transactions involving particular firms. Enforcement decisions are made on a case-by-case basis, and the analysis and conclusions discussed in this statement do not bind the Department in any future enforcement actions. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Statement of the Department of Justice Antitrust Division on the Closing of Its Investigation of the Merger of T-Mobile and UScellular

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    Assistant Attorney General Gail Slater of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division issued the following statement today in connection with the closing of the Department’s investigation into the proposed acquisition of UScellular by T-Mobile:

    “After a thorough investigation, the Antitrust Division determined prudentially not to seek an injunction to prevent T-Mobile from closing on its proposed acquisition of UScellular. The investigation nevertheless raised concerns about competition in the relevant markets for mobile wireless services and the availability of wireless spectrum needed to fuel competition and entry. Specifically, as part of the investigation, the Department considered the potential impact on consumers resulting from the elimination of UScellular from the market, the potential for consumer benefits, and the potential impact of the further consolidation of wireless spectrum.

    “With respect to the potential impact on consumers, for years, Americans have witnessed the too-familiar pattern of local or regional companies that discern and cater to their customers’ needs vanishing in favor of the ‘one size fits all’ approach of national brands. UScellular, whose tagline was ‘America’s locally grown wireless,’ noted the ‘sea of sameness’ among the ‘Big 3’ national carriers — Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile — and resolved to be ‘fundamentally different’ in how it went to market. The company understood the unmet needs of customers whom they identified as ‘Heartland Families’ or ‘Farmtown Frugals’. UScellular met those needs by building networks, pricing plans, and service offerings that its customers valued, and which for many years the Big 3 often did not offer. To the chagrin of its Big 3 competitors, UScellular maintained a sizable customer base within its network footprint by virtue of its strong emphasis on transparency, integrity, and localized customer service. Accordingly, as part of its investigation, the Department considered the impact of the potential disappearance of the services offered to those customers of UScellular — soon to become T-Mobile customers following the merger — that chose UScellular over T-Mobile or its national competitors.

    “In addition to the potential impact on consumers resulting from the elimination of UScellular from the market, the Department also investigated the potential for consumer benefits. Specifically, the Department considered how UScellular subscribers would fare if UScellular continued as a business without completing this transaction. That aspect of the investigation made clear that, due in part to its limited regional footprint and unique structural limitations, UScellular simply could not keep up with the escalating cost of capital investments in technology required to compete vigorously in the relevant market. This would, in turn, lead to the slow degradation of its network quality. In contrast, T-Mobile has publicly committed that it will integrate the two networks in a way that provides UScellular customers with faster data speeds, while T-Mobile customers will obtain broader coverage in rural areas. Accordingly, the Department concluded the loss of the local offerings that UScellular customers value was outweighed by the immediate improvements in network quality promised by this proposed transaction. That conclusion is bolstered by the competitive realities of future investment in wireless networks and spectrum.

    “In sum, the Department evaluated the likelihood of harm to competition and the potential effects of the transaction on consumers and determined that, on balance, the potential harm and offsetting benefits of the transaction do not warrant an enforcement action. UScellular’s inability to maintain its competitive position would result in declining value to its subscriber base, whereas the transaction offers them hope that they will be able to experience the benefits of a more robust cellular network.

    “More broadly, the Department’s investigation made clear that we stand at a pivotal moment for the wireless industry. The transaction comes near the tail end of a decades-long trend toward consolidation-by-acquisition that has now left most consumers with meaningful choices among just the ‘Big 3’ national carriers. Economists and historians, appropriately, will debate whether this trend ultimately redounded to the benefit of competition and consumers, but the stark facts of today merit our immediate attention: together, the Big 3 account for more than 90 percent of the roughly 335 million mobile subscriptions in the United States.

    “As the Department observed in 2019, when T-Mobile acquired Sprint, ‘The merger would also leave the market vulnerable to increased coordination among the remaining three carriers. Increased coordination harms consumers through a combination of higher prices, reduced innovation, reduced quality, and fewer choices.’ The Department also noted at the time that ‘competition between Sprint and T-Mobile to sell wireless service wholesale to [mobile virtual network operators] has benefited consumers by facilitating innovation by some MVNOs.’  These concerns remain highly relevant.

    “Spectrum, a national resource that belongs to the American people, is critical to competition in the relevant markets for mobile wireless services. This transaction, and two other deals contingent on its closing, will consolidate yet more spectrum in the Big 3’s oligopoly, which controls more than 80 percent of the mobile wireless spectrum in the country. The Department investigated these spectrum transfers and concluded that they would not result in sufficient harm to competition to warrant an enforcement action, yet the risks to future competition due to further spectrum aggregation by the Big 3 are acute. As revealed in the merging parties’ advocacy in defense of the proposed transaction, the increased revenues and profitability that the Big 3 obtain through transactions like these enable them to even more dramatically outbid independent rivals for spectrum at future auctions.

    “It is of concern to the United States that continued spectrum aggregation by the Big 3 threatens to impede the path for a fourth national player to emerge and challenge the entrenched incumbents with new and innovative offerings. Where future spectrum consolidation transactions threaten this path, the Antitrust Division stands ready to investigate and, if warranted by the facts and evidence, use its enforcement power to protect competition and American consumers.”

    *          *          *

    This statement is limited by the Department’s obligation to protect the confidentiality of certain information obtained in its investigations. As in most of its investigations, the Department’s evaluation has been highly fact-specific, and many of the relevant underlying facts are not public. Consequently, readers should not draw overly broad conclusions regarding how the Department is likely in the future to analyze other collaborations or activities, or transactions involving particular firms. Enforcement decisions are made on a case-by-case basis, and the analysis and conclusions discussed in this statement do not bind the Department in any future enforcement actions. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Justice Department Opens Investigation into the State of Minnesota for Race- and Sex-Based Hiring Practices

    Source: United States Attorneys General 7

    The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division has opened an investigation into the State of Minnesota, including the Minnesota Department of Human Services, to determine whether it has engaged in race- and sex-based discrimination in its state employment hiring practices.

    In a policy issued earlier this month, the Minnesota Department of Human Services requires its hiring supervisors to provide a “hiring justification when seeking to hire a non-underrepresented candidate.” Hiring supervisors who do not comply with the policy “may be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination.” The policy seems to be part of a broader effort by the state to engage in race- and sex-based employment practices in its “affirmative action” objectives.

    The Civil Rights Division’s Employment Litigation Section will investigate whether Minnesota is engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination based on race, sex, and other protected characteristics, pursuant to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended.

    “Minnesotans deserve to have their state government employees hired based on merit, not based on illegal DEI,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi.

    “Federal law has long prohibited employment policies that discriminate based on race or sex,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department refuses to tolerate such conduct, and states invite investigation when they engage in biased hiring practices tied to protected characteristics.”

    You can read the notice letter here.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Lummis Releases Statement on NEA Shamefully Cutting Ties with the ADL 

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wyoming Cynthia Lummis

    July 10, 2025

    Washington, D.C. – Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) released the following statement today about the outrageous decision by the National Education Association (NEA) to cut ties with the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) over their support for Israel.
    “I find it deeply troubling that the National Education Association (NEA) has chosen to sever ties with the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), an organization dedicated to fighting antisemitism, discrimination, and hate crimes across America. At a time when we’re witnessing alarming rises in antisemitic incidents nationwide, our educational institutions should be strengthening – not weakening – their partnerships with organizations committed to protecting Jewish Americans and combating hatred. The NEA should be reminding educators and students alike that Israel was the victim of an unprovoked terrorist attack by Hamas, and that antisemitism has no place in our educational system.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Baldwin, Murkowski Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Protect Our Shoreline Communities

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Tammy Baldwin
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) introduced bipartisan legislation, the Digital Coast Act, to help coastal communities better prepare for storms, cope with varying water levels, and plan for future development. The bill reauthorizes the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Digital Coast Program, which Baldwin and Murkowski previously spearheaded to reestablish the program in 2020.
    “The Great Lakes are essential to the Wisconsin way of life and our economy, but make no mistake – they face some serious and unique challenges, and our local communities need tools and information to address them, keep families safe, and support our local businesses,” said Senator Baldwin. “I am proud to once again work with my Democratic and Republican colleagues to support our local coastal communities and ensure they have the resources and data they need to prepare for disasters, keep our water clean and safe, and make smart planning decisions for the future.”
    “As we confront the escalating impacts of climate change, it is crucial our coastal communities remain equipped with the tools and data they need to adapt and thrive,” said Senator Murkowski. “The Digital Coast Program has proven to be a vital resource in this effort, providing essential information and support for our local leaders to make informed decisions.”
    NOAA currently assembles and hosts the Digital Coast Project, a collaborative online database of the most up-to-date coastal information and makes it available to both the public and private sectors. Digital Coast also provides tools for coastal communities to decipher and use the high-tech mapping data to make accurate decisions and smart investments in coastal communities.
    The Digital Coast Act reauthorizes the program and ensures that communities will continue to have the data to make smart choices for economic development, shoreline management, and coastal restoration. The bill supports further development of the current project, including increasing access to uniform, up-to-date data, to help communities get the coastal data they need to respond to emergencies, plan for long-term coastal resilience, and manage their water resources.
    Companion legislation was introduced yesterday in the U.S. House by Representatives Dave Min (D-CA-47) and Rob Wittman (R-VA-01).
    “From extreme weather to competing demands for coastal property, our coastal communities need the best available resources to respond to the mounting threat of climate change,” said Congressman Min. “NOAA’s Digital Coast Program provides essential research and data to address the adverse effects of the climate crisis, all while creating thousands of high tech jobs around America. I’m proud to be leading the charge to protect Orange County’s beautiful coastline.”
    “Virginia’s First District is home to vibrant coastal communities that rely on cutting-edge data and resources to thrive, especially in the face of challenges such as extreme weather and aging infrastructure,” said Congressman Wittman. “I’m proud to help introduce the Digital Coastal Reauthorization Act alongside Rep. Dave Min, legislation that will reauthorize NOAA’s Digital Coast program. This vital program collects and distributes data that will help mitigate future weather-related issues and provide communities with the tools they need to expand and plan for the future.” 
    “Digital Coast represents the best of government at work,” said Sue Schwartz, FAICP, President of the American Planning Association. “It’s innovative, collaborative, efficient, bipartisan, and cost-effective; all while helping local communities make better decisions about how to tackle tough coastal challenges. Planners benefit from access to critical data that shapes the insights they bring to residents and local leaders. The American Planning Association strongly supports the reauthorization of this vital resource for protecting and planning our communities.” 
    “NOAA’s Digital Coast provides a one-stop shop for the data, tools and training that coastal managers and researchers use to learn and do their jobs. As a collaboration between the federal government and partner organizations and used extensively by the public and private sectors, Digital Coast is government at its most effective,” said Derek Brockbank, Executive Director of Coastal States Organization.?“The Digital Coast Act will ensure this important resource for all communities is authorized and funded for the next 5 years.”?  
    “The Digital Coast Program empowers coastal states with the tools and data they need to address real-world challenges—from flooding and hurricanes to smart growth and resource management,” said Ken Nelson, National States Geographic Information Council (NSGIC) President. “Continued federal support is vital to strengthening the geospatial foundation that drives both our economy and our national preparedness. Reauthorizing the Digital Coast Act ensures coastal communities have the high-quality data they need to plan, protect, and prosper.” 
    “To make sure that people can enjoy everything our coasts have to offer, coastal managers need to have the right tools, data and training. The Digital Coast partnership provides those products and services,” said Stephanie Bailenson, US Federal Water Policy Team Lead at The Nature Conservancy. “We’ve seen in our work across the country how Digital Coast helps coastal communities address storms and flooding while strengthening local economies. We’re happy to see the sponsors of the partnership’s reauthorization bill demonstrate the continued bi-partisan support for the partnership.”
    “The provisions of the Digital Coast Reauthorization will modernize the Digital Coast program and provide for the continuation of a sustainable program to utilize geospatial technologies to map and monitor the coastal waterways of the United States, providing an invaluable benefit to the public, and to the professionals whose charge is to protect their health, safety, and welfare,” said Timothy W. Burch, PLS, Executive Director of National Society of Professional Surveyors. 
    “The Digital Coast Program is a balanced approach to environmental protection and economic development in our valuable coastal areas.? This bill reauthorizes and modernizes a successful program that utilizes the talent of the private sector and intergovernmental agencies by providing data and services that are essential to the economic engine that is coastal America, while conserving it’s precious natural resources through geospatial data and related activities,” said John Palatiello, Founder of US Geospatial Executives Organization (U.S. GEO).
    “The Digital Coast Partnership Advocacy Coalition commends Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) for introducing the Digital Coast Reauthorization Act. The Coalition also wishes to thank Representatives Dave Min (D-CA) and Rob Wittman (R-VA) for their leadership in introducing the companion bill in the House. The strong bipartisan support for this measure is a demonstration of its broad appeal and value to the nation’s communities. By consolidating coastal data from a variety of sources in one place and making it publicly accessible, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Digital Coast program is helping the coastal management community better plan for storms, flooding, natural disasters, and other challenges that impact vulnerable coastal and Great Lakes communities. Data included in the Digital Coast ranges from surveying, mapping, geospatial, economic, demographic and ecosystem data to satellite imagery. In addition to making this data publicly available online, the Digital Coast provides a wide array of visualization and prediction tools that dramatically improve the effectiveness and efficiency of coastal management projects around the country. Over the next 15 years, NOAA predicts a 411 percent return on investment from the Digital Coast program. In addition to the return on investment, the Digital Coast has played a significant role in protecting communities and natural resources from damaging natural disasters. Furthermore, 75 percent of Digital Coast users surveyed by NOAA indicated that their projects would not have been possible without the Digital Coast. By having bipartisan and bicameral introduction of the Digital Coast Reauthorization Act, we deeply appreciate your recognition of the numerous benefits the Digital Coast can provide to coastal communities and those working to make them more resilient,” said John “JB” Byrd, Coordinator, Digital Coast Partnership Advocacy Coalition. 
    “As our coastlines and beaches bear the brunt of extreme weather events, flooding, chronic erosion, sea level rise, and other hazards, coastal communities need every tool at their disposal to make informed decisions and plan for a safer, more resilient future,” said Emma Haydocy, Senior Manager of Coasts and Climate Initiative at the Surfrider Foundation. “NOAA’s Digital Coast program makes invaluable data accessible to the American public in light of these challenges, and reauthorizing and expanding this program will help safeguard vital coastal resources throughout the U.S. for years to come.”
    The legislation is endorsed by Coastal States Organization, American Planning Association, Association of State Floodplain Managers, National Association of Counties, National Society of Professional Surveyors, U.S Geospatial Executives Organization (U.S. GEO), Surfrider Foundation, The Nature Conservancy, National States Geographic Information Council, National Estuarine Research Reserve Association, Quantum Spatial Inc., Wisconsin Society of Land Surveyors, and Digital Coast Partnership Advocacy Coalition.
    Full text of the bill is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Will my private health insurance cover my surgery? What if my claim is rejected?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Yuting Zhang, Professor of Health Economics, The University of Melbourne

    shurkin_son/Shutterstock

    The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) has fined Bupa A$35 million for unlawfully rejecting thousands of health insurance claims over more than five years.

    Between May 2018 and August 2023 Bupa incorrectly rejected claims from patients who had multiple medical procedures, with at least one of those procedures covered under their health insurance policy.

    Instead of paying the portion of the treatment that was covered, Bupa’s automated systems wrongly rejected the entire claim.

    Bupa admitted these errors were due to system problems and poor staff guidance, and has started to recompensate members.

    So you may be worried whether your private health insurance will cover you for the procedures you need.

    Here’s what you need to know about the different types of hospital cover. And if your claim is rejected, what to do next.

    From basic to gold

    As of March 2025, 45.3% of Australians have private health insurance for hospital cover. There are four tiers: basic, bronze, silver and gold.

    Each tier has a minimum set of “clinical categories”. These are groups of hospital treatments that must be covered.

    For example, basic hospital cover only has three mandatory inclusions: rehabilitation, hospital psychiatric services and palliative care. But this is “restricted” cover, meaning patients will often still have to pay substantial out-of-pocket costs for these services.

    Basic cover is entry-level cover, mainly for people who want to avoid the Lifetime Health Cover loading and the Medicare Levy Surcharge. These are both ways of encouraging people to take up private health insurance while young and keeping it, especially people on higher incomes.

    At the other end of the scale is gold cover, which includes unrestricted cover for all defined clinical categories, including pregnancy and birth.

    You can generally change your level of cover at any time. When you upgrade to include new services or increase benefits for existing services, you will need to serve new waiting periods for those new or increased benefits.

    A common waiting period is 12 months for pre-existing conditions (any ailment, illness or condition that you had signs or symptoms of during the six months before upgrading, even if undiagnosed), and for pregnancy and birth-related services. But there is generally only a two-month waiting period for psychiatric care, rehabilitation or palliative care, even if it’s for a pre-existing condition.

    It’s a good idea to review your policy every two years because your health needs and financial circumstances can change.

    How much do companies pay out?

    The proportion of premiums that are paid out to cover medical claims is known as the “average payout ratio”. And this has been about 84–86% over most of the past 20 years.

    This does not mean your health insurer will pay out 84–86% of your individual claim. This national average accounts for the percentage of all premiums in any one year, across all insurers, that’s paid out in claims.

    The payout ratios vary by insurer and are slightly higher for not-for-profit health insurers than for-profit insurers.

    That’s because for-profit health insurers have pressure to deliver profits to shareholders and have incentives to minimise payouts and control costs.

    If not properly managed, these incentives may result in higher out-of-pocket expenses and denied claims.

    Why has my claim been rejected?

    Common reasons for claims to be rejected include:

    • the policy excluded or restricted the clinical category

    • the waiting period was not served

    • incorrect information (for example, a doctor billed an incorrect item number)

    • what’s known as “mixed coverage” (as in the Bupa scandal), where not everything in a claim is covered, but the entire claim is declined.

    What if I think there’s an error?

    If your health insurance company refuses your claim, you can request a detailed explanation in writing.

    If you believe your claim has been incorrectly denied, you can make a formal complaint directly with the insurer. For this you need to check your policy documents, and gather supporting evidence. This may include detailed invoices, medical reports, referral letters and correct item numbers.

    If you are not satisfied with the outcome of the health fund’s internal review, or the fund doesn’t respond with the specific time-frame (for instance, 30–45 days), you can escalate your complaint.

    You can get in touch with the Commonwealth Ombudsman (phone: 1300 362 072). This provides a free, independent complaint handling service for a range of consumer issues, including health insurance.

    Bupa customers concerned about a “mixed coverage” claim can contact the company directly.

    What can governments do?

    The Bupa scandal, along with ongoing concerns about transparency and rising out-of-pocket costs, highlights the need for policy reforms to better protect consumers.

    The government should require health insurers and health-care providers to give clear estimates of all potential out-of-pocket costs for a procedure before it happens. This would avoid unexpected bills and help consumers make informed decisions about their health care.

    The government could also let the ACCC or the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority conduct regular, independent audits of insurers’ claims systems and practices.

    Yuting Zhang has received funding from the Australian Research Council (future fellowship project ID FT200100630), Department of Veterans’ Affairs, the Victorian Department of Health, National Health and Medical Research Council and Eastern Melbourne Primary Health Network. In the past, Professor Zhang has received funding from several US institutes including the US National Institutes of Health, Commonwealth fund, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. She has not received funding from for-profit industry including the private health insurance industry.

    – ref. Will my private health insurance cover my surgery? What if my claim is rejected? – https://theconversation.com/will-my-private-health-insurance-cover-my-surgery-what-if-my-claim-is-rejected-260702

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: NZ’s new AI strategy is long on ‘economic opportunity’ but short on managing ethical and social risk

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Lensen, Senior Lecturer in Artificial Intelligence, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington

    Getty Images

    The government’s newly unveiled National AI Strategy is all about what its title says: “Investing with Confidence”. It tells businesses that Aotearoa New Zealand is open for AI use, and that our “light touch” approach won’t get in their way.

    The question now is whether the claims made for AI by Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology Shane Reti – that it will help boost productivity and enable the economy to grow by billions of dollars – can be justified.

    Generative AI – the kind powering ChatGPT, CoPilot and Google’s video generator Veo 3 – is certainly earning money. In its latest funding round in April, OpenAI was valued at US$300 billion.

    Nvidia, which makes the hardware that powers AI technology, just became the first publicly traded company to surpass a $4 trillion market valuation. It’d be great if New Zealand could get a slice of that pie.

    New Zealand doesn’t have the capacity to build new generative AI systems, however. That takes tens of thousands of NVIDIA’s chips, costing many millions of dollars that only big tech companies or large nation states can afford.

    What New Zealand can do is build new systems and services around these models, either by fine-tuning them, or using them as part of a bigger software system or service.

    The government isn’t offering any new money to help companies do this. Its AI strategy is about reducing barriers, providing regulatory guidance, building capacity and ensuring adaption happens responsibly.

    But there aren’t many barriers to begin with. The regulatory guidance contained in the strategy essentially says “we won’t regulate”. Existing laws are said to be “technology-neutral” and therefore sufficient.

    As for building capacity, the country’s tertiary sector is more under-funded than ever, with universities cutting courses and staff. Humanities research into AI ethics is also ineligible for government funding as it doesn’t contribute to economic growth.

    A relaxed regulatory regime

    The issue of responsible adoption is perhaps of most concern. The 42-page “Responsible AI Guidance for Businesses” document, released alongside the strategy, contains useful material on issues such as detecting bias, measuring model accuracy, and human oversight. But it is just that – guidance – and entirely voluntary.

    This puts New Zealand among the most relaxed nations when it comes to AI regulation, along with Japan and Singapore. At the other end is the European Union, which enacted its comprehensive AI Act in 2024, and has stood fast against lobbying to delay legislative rollout.

    The relaxed approach is interesting in light of New Zealand being ranked third-to-last out of 47 countries in a recent survey of trust in AI. In another survey from last year, 66% of New Zealanders reported being nervous about the impacts of AI.

    Some of the nervousness can be explained by AI being a new technology with well documented examples of inappropriate use, intentional or not. Deepfakes as a form of cyber bulling have become a major concern. Even the ACT Party, not generally in favour of more regulation, wants to criminalise the creation and sharing of non-consensual, sexually explicit deepfakes.

    Generative image, video and music creation is reducing the demand for creative workers – even though it is their very work that was used to train the AI models.

    But there are other, more subtle issues, too. AI systems learn from data. If that data is biased, then those systems will learn to be biased, too.

    New Zealanders are right to be anxious about the prospect of private sector companies denying them jobs, entry to supermarkets or a bank loan because of something in their pasts. Because modern deep learning models are so complex and impenetrable, it can be impossible to determine how an AI system made a decision.

    And what of the potential for AI to be used online to mislead voters and discredit the democratic process, as the New York Times has reported may have occurred already in at least 50 cases?

    Managing risk the European way

    The strategy is essentially silent on all of these issues. It also doesn’t mention Te Tiriti o Waitangi/Treaty of Waitangi. Even Google’s AI summary tells me this is the nation’s founding document, laying the groundwork for Māori and the Crown to coexist.

    AI, like any data-driven system, has the potential to disproportionately disadvantage Māori if it involves systems from overseas designed (and trained) for other populations.

    Allowing these systems to be imported and deployed in Aotearoa New Zealand in sensitive applications – healthcare or justice, for example – without any regulation or oversight risks worsening inequalities even further.

    What’s the alternative? The EU offers some useful answers. It has taken the approach of categorising AI uses based on risk:

    • “Unacceptable risk” – the likes of social scoring (where individuals’ daily activities are monitored and scored for their societal benefit) and AI hacking – is outright banned.

    • High-risk systems, such as uses for employment or transportation infrastructure, require strict obligations, including risk assessments and human oversight.

    • Limited and minimal risk applications – the biggest category by far – imposes very little red tape on companies.

    This feels like a mature approach New Zealand might emulate. It wouldn’t stymie productivity much – unless companies were doing something risky. In which case, the 66% of New Zealanders who are nervous about AI might well agree it’s worth slowing down and getting it right.

    Andrew Lensen receives government funding from the Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment through contestable academic research funds. He is the co-director of LensenMcGavin AI, a consultancy specialising in the responsible uptake of AI in Aotearoa.

    – ref. NZ’s new AI strategy is long on ‘economic opportunity’ but short on managing ethical and social risk – https://theconversation.com/nzs-new-ai-strategy-is-long-on-economic-opportunity-but-short-on-managing-ethical-and-social-risk-260798

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Fight to end AIDS: ‘This is not just a funding gap – it’s a ticking time bomb’

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    The 2025 Global AIDS Update released on Thursday by UNAIDS – the global body’s agency fighting AIDS and HIV infection – warns that a historic funding crisis now threatens to unravel decades of hard-won gains unless countries radically rethink how they fund and deliver HIV services.

    Yet even amid these challenges, many of the most-affected countries are stepping up. Of the 60 low and middle-income nations surveyed in the report, 25 have signaled plans to increase domestic HIV budgets in 2026 – a clear sign of growing national leadership and commitment to the response.

    Although promising, such efforts are not sufficient to replace the scale of international funding in countries that are heavily reliant on global donors.  

    Global emergency   

    Despite marked progress in the HIV response in 2024, this year has seen many disruptions to HIV prevention programmes and treatment services, due to abrupt funding shortfalls in Washington and other major donor capitals.  

    Even before the large-scale service disruptions, reported data for 2024 showed that 9.2 million people living with HIV still did not have access to life-saving treatments, contributing to 75,000 AIDS-related deaths among children in 2024.  

    “This is not just a funding gap – it’s a ticking time bomb,” said Winnie Byanyima, UNAIDS Executive Director, as many AIDS-relief programmes are being defunded, pushing people out of critically needed care.  

    If US-supported HIV treatment and prevention services collapse entirely, UNAIDS estimated that an additional six million new HIV infections, and four million additional AIDS-related deaths could occur between 2025 and 2029. 

    Call for solidarity

    Despite the grim landscape, “there is still time to transform this crisis into an opportunity,” said Ms. Byanyima, as countries and communities are stepping up to protect treatment gains.  

    As of December 2024, seven countries in sub-Saharan Africa had achieved the 95-95-95 targets: 95 per cent of people living with HIV know their status, 95 per cent of those are on treatment, and 95 per cent of those on treatment are virally suppressed.  

    While such successes must be maintained and further scaled up, the global HIV response cannot rely on domestic resources alone.  

    “In a time of crisis, the world must choose transformation over retreat,” said Ms. Byanyima.  

    “Together, we can still end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030 – if we act with urgency, unity and unwavering commitment,” she added.   

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Tribunal Issues Determination of Reasonable Indication of Injury—Steel Strapping from China, South Korea, Türkiye and Vietnam

    Source: Government of Canada News (2)

    Ottawa, Ontario, July 10, 2025—The Canadian International Trade Tribunal today determined that there is a reasonable indication that the dumping of steel strapping from China, South Korea, Türkiye and Vietnam, and subsidizing of steel strapping from China have caused injury or are threatening to cause injury to the domestic industry.

    The Tribunal’s inquiry was conducted pursuant to the Special Import Measures Act as a result of the initiation of dumping and subsidizing investigations by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). The CBSA will continue its investigations and, by August 8, 2025, will issue preliminary determinations.

    The Tribunal is an independent quasi-judicial body that reports to Parliament through the Minister of Finance. It hears cases on dumped and subsidized imports, safeguard complaints, complaints about federal government procurement and appeals of customs and excise tax rulings. When requested by the federal government, the Tribunal also provides advice on other economic, trade and tariff matters.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Larsen Announces Release of Funding for Local Transportation Projects

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

    Larsen Announces Release of Funding for Local Transportation Projects

    Washington, D.C., July 10, 2025

    Today, Representative Rick Larsen released the following statement:

    “I’m pleased that funding for several Northwest Washington transportation projects has been released by the Department of Transportation so local governments can move forward with their work as expected.

    • $1,238,680 for the Nooksack Indian Tribe to remove a culvert in Jones Creek under a BNSF Railway line in Acme (awarded Fiscal Year 2022)
    • $1,876,265 for Lummi Indian Business Council to build a new bus maintenance facility (awarded FY22)
    • $8,862,951 for Whatcom Transportation Authority to replace eight 2011 diesel buses with eight low or no emission buses (awarded FY22)
    • $9,644,865 for Whatcom Transportation Authority to purchase 11 low or no emission buses to replace three diesel buses and eight hybrid buses (awarded FY23)
    • $2,000,000 for the City of Burlington to identify which of the city’s 16 at-grade rail crossings is most suitable for grade separation to improve safety and reduce traffic congestion (awarded FY23)
    • $80,000 for the City of Ferndale’s Road Safety Improvement Plan (awarded FY24)
    • $95,000 for Samish Indian Nation’s Transportation Safety Action Plan (awarded FY24)
    • $100,000 for the City of Sedro-Woolley’s SS4A Action Plan (awarded FY24)
    • $18,090,000 for the City of Everett to eliminate two at-grade railroad crossings that pose significant risks to public safety through the construction of an overpass and new integrated roundabout near the Smith Island railroad terminal in Everett (awarded FY24)
    • $400,000 for the City of Everett to develop a supplemental Speed Management Plan (awarded FY24)

    “I will continue to push Secretary Duffy to release and obligate the funding for other Northwest Washington projects that received awards, such as the $19,500,000 grant for Skagit Transit to renovate its Maintenance, Operations, and Administration Facility and the $2,000,000 grant for to the City of Lynden to complete planning for its project to relocate Pepin Creek (both awarded FY25).”

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Griffith Visits Connect Health + Wellness in Martinsville

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA)

    U.S. Representative Morgan Griffith (R-VA), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, visited Connect Health + Wellness in Martinsville, Virginia. The visit featured discussions focused on rural health care issues with hospital leadership and staff. 

    “The Martinsville-Henry County area is served by dedicated health care professionals, like those at Connect Health + Wellness,” said Representative Griffith. “I am thankful for the opportunity to tour their dental facility in Martinsville. As the new chairman of the Health Subcommittee, I support finding ways that help our rural hospitals provide critical health care access to rural communities.”

    “At Connect Health + Wellness, we are deeply committed to expanding access to high-quality and affordable medical and dental care, particularly in the rural communities we serve,” said Connect Health + Wellness CEO Marcus Stone. “We are honored to welcome Representative Griffith and to have the opportunity to showcase our work as part of the ongoing conversation about strengthening rural healthcare in our region.”

    Pictured: Rep. Griffith tours the Connect Health + Wellness dental facility.

    BACKGROUND

    This July, Representative Griffith was named Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health. 

    In a recent Rules Committee hearing, Congressman Griffith committed to working with Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Brett Guthrie to explore improvements to health care access for rural communities.

    Connect Health + Wellness is a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC).

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SPC MD 1630

    Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

    Mesoscale Discussion 1630
    NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
    0200 PM CDT Thu Jul 10 2025

    Areas affected…Northeast New York into Vermont

    Concerning…Severe potential…Watch unlikely

    Valid 101900Z – 102100Z

    Probability of Watch Issuance…20 percent

    SUMMARY…Thunderstorms are beginning to show signs of
    intensification. Damaging winds and large hail will be possible
    through the afternoon, but confidence in thunderstorm coverage
    remains low. Watch issuance is not anticipated at this time.

    DISCUSSION…Weak convection has been percolating across northeast
    NY and VT since late morning, but has recently shown some signs of
    intensification per GOES IR imagery and vertically integrated
    liquid/echo top trends. Some degree of intensification is probable
    as daytime heating continues for the next several hours and MLCAPE
    increases to around 1000 J/kg. Elongated anvils are noted with
    deeper convection, which confirms recent forecast soundings that
    suggest upper-level winds are around 35-45 knots. However, winds
    through much of the CAPE-bearing layer remain near/below 20 knots,
    which is confirmed by recent VWP observations. Given the modest
    lapse rates/buoyancy, it remains unclear whether updrafts will be
    deep enough to sufficiently realize the stronger winds aloft and
    take on more organized supercell structures, especially given
    nebulous forcing for ascent/weak dynamic mid-level cooling.
    Consequently, a few strong/severe storms appear possible, but
    confidence in the overall coverage and longevity of severe
    convection remains limited. Trends will continue to be monitored,
    but watch issuance is currently not anticipated.

    ..Moore/Mosier.. 07/10/2025

    …Please see www.spc.noaa.gov for graphic product…

    ATTN…WFO…GYX…BTV…ALY…

    LAT…LON 45067401 45047151 44547155 44217176 43837204 43517228
    43117281 42897327 42787353 42767391 42877430 43127455
    43497457 43897442 44217428 44567422 44907417 45067401

    MOST PROBABLE PEAK WIND GUST…55-70 MPH
    MOST PROBABLE PEAK HAIL SIZE…UP TO 1.25 IN

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SPC MD 1631

    Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

    Mesoscale Discussion 1631
    NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
    0220 PM CDT Thu Jul 10 2025

    Areas affected…north-central into eastern Nebraska…far southeast
    South Dakota…western Iowa

    Concerning…Severe potential…Watch likely

    Valid 101920Z – 102145Z

    Probability of Watch Issuance…95 percent

    SUMMARY…Severe storms are expected to develop close to 21Z over
    north-central Nebraska, with activity spreading east/southeast
    across the Missouri River this evening. A tornado and hail risk may
    exist initially, following by a corridor of significant damaging
    wind potential.

    DISCUSSION…Satellite and radar indicate an arcing line of elevated
    thunderstorms over northeast NE, spreading into southeast SD and
    western IA. This activity is supported by theta-e advection with
    southwest flow off the surface, with steep lapse rates aloft.

    Behind this activity, temporary subsidence and clearing exist over
    eastern NE. While initially cool, this air mass should destabilize
    again this evening.

    Meanwhile, a large CU field is currently developing over central and
    north-central NE, near a stationary front. Deep moisture convergence
    will persist in this area, with the cap being breached later this
    afternoon. Aiding cap removal are hot temperatures just downstream
    into northern KS/southern NE, where temperatures are over 100 F.

    Veering winds with height, combined with strong instability, will
    favor slow-moving supercells at first, with tornado and large hail
    risk. With time, a severe MCS is forecast, with increasing damaging
    wind potential. Significant wind gusts over 75 mph appear likely.

    ..Jewell/Mosier.. 07/10/2025

    …Please see www.spc.noaa.gov for graphic product…

    ATTN…WFO…DMX…FSD…OAX…GID…LBF…

    LAT…LON 41029794 41229927 41499983 41949999 42110000 42480001
    42779985 43059917 43089837 43129680 42879615 42379563
    41999555 41449565 41079604 40929644 40979723 41059787
    41029794

    MOST PROBABLE PEAK TORNADO INTENSITY…100-130 MPH
    MOST PROBABLE PEAK WIND GUST…65-80 MPH
    MOST PROBABLE PEAK HAIL SIZE…1.50-2.50 IN

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SPC MD 1632

    Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

    Mesoscale Discussion 1632

    Mesoscale Discussion 1632
    NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
    0241 PM CDT Thu Jul 10 2025

    Areas affected…much of western Kansas into south-central Nebraska

    Concerning…Severe potential…Watch likely

    Valid 101941Z – 102145Z

    Probability of Watch Issuance…80 percent

    SUMMARY…Storms will develop across much of western Kansas and into
    south-central Nebraska, with damaging wind gusts likely. Isolated
    large hail may also occur.

    DISCUSSION…Satellite imagery shows towering CU developing with a
    surface trough/wind shift from the western OK across KS and into
    south-central NE. Temperatures within this zone are near 100 F,
    while dewpoints have only only mixed down into the mid to upper 50s
    F.

    Given the hot and deeply mixed boundary layer, strong wind gusts
    appear probable. Veering winds with height also suggest some
    cellular mode is possible as well, and isolated hail may occur with
    the strongest storms. However, northeastward propagating mixed-mode
    severe appears most likely.

    ..Jewell/Mosier.. 07/10/2025

    …Please see www.spc.noaa.gov for graphic product…

    ATTN…WFO…GID…LBF…DDC…GLD…

    LAT…LON 38060147 39230067 40340004 40979977 41329961 41489934
    41559895 41379862 41079852 40349859 39689880 38899918
    38159992 37420083 37200155 37240188 37460195 38060147

    MOST PROBABLE PEAK TORNADO INTENSITY…UP TO 95 MPH
    MOST PROBABLE PEAK WIND GUST…65-80 MPH
    MOST PROBABLE PEAK HAIL SIZE…1.00-1.75 IN

    Top/All Mesoscale Discussions/Forecast Products/Home

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SPC Tornado Watch 501 Status Reports

    Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

    Search by city or zip code. Press enter or select the go button to submit request
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    Watch 501 Status Reports

    Watch 501 Status Message has not been issued yet.

    Top/Watch Issuance Text for Watch 501/All Current Watches/Forecast Products/Home

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    NOAA / National Weather ServiceNational Centers for Environmental PredictionStorm Prediction Center120 David L. Boren Blvd.Norman, OK 73072 U.S.A.spc.feedback@noaa.govPage last modified: July 10, 2025
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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SPC Tornado Watch 501

    Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

    Note:  The expiration time in the watch graphic is amended if the watch is replaced, cancelled or extended.Note: Click for Watch Status Reports.
    SEL1

    URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
    Tornado Watch Number 501
    NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
    310 PM CDT Thu Jul 10 2025

    The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a

    * Tornado Watch for portions of
    Far Western Iowa
    Northeast Nebraska
    Extreme Southeast South Dakota

    * Effective this Thursday afternoon and evening from 310 PM until
    1000 PM CDT.

    * Primary threats include…
    A couple tornadoes possible
    Scattered damaging winds and isolated significant gusts to 80
    mph likely
    Scattered large hail and isolated very large hail events to 2
    inches in diameter likely

    SUMMARY…Thunderstorm development is anticipated within the very
    unstable airmass across central/northeast NE this afternoon.
    Environmental conditions support initial supercells capable of all
    severe hazards, including large to very large hail and tornadoes.
    Upscale growth is anticipated after the initial cellular mode, with
    the resultant convective line progressing quickly eastward. Strong
    wind gusts are possible within this line, including gusts over 75
    mph.

    The tornado watch area is approximately along and 75 statute miles
    north and south of a line from 5 miles north northwest of Broken Bow
    NE to 10 miles east of Denison IA. For a complete depiction of the
    watch see the associated watch outline update (WOUS64 KWNS WOU1).

    PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

    REMEMBER…A Tornado Watch means conditions are favorable for
    tornadoes and severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch
    area. Persons in these areas should be on the lookout for
    threatening weather conditions and listen for later statements
    and possible warnings.

    &&

    AVIATION…Tornadoes and a few severe thunderstorms with hail
    surface and aloft to 2 inches. Extreme turbulence and surface wind
    gusts to 70 knots. A few cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 500. Mean
    storm motion vector 27035.

    …Mosier

    SEL1

    URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
    Tornado Watch Number 501
    NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
    310 PM CDT Thu Jul 10 2025

    The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a

    * Tornado Watch for portions of
    Far Western Iowa
    Northeast Nebraska
    Extreme Southeast South Dakota

    * Effective this Thursday afternoon and evening from 310 PM until
    1000 PM CDT.

    * Primary threats include…
    A couple tornadoes possible
    Scattered damaging winds and isolated significant gusts to 80
    mph likely
    Scattered large hail and isolated very large hail events to 2
    inches in diameter likely

    SUMMARY…Thunderstorm development is anticipated within the very
    unstable airmass across central/northeast NE this afternoon.
    Environmental conditions support initial supercells capable of all
    severe hazards, including large to very large hail and tornadoes.
    Upscale growth is anticipated after the initial cellular mode, with
    the resultant convective line progressing quickly eastward. Strong
    wind gusts are possible within this line, including gusts over 75
    mph.

    The tornado watch area is approximately along and 75 statute miles
    north and south of a line from 5 miles north northwest of Broken Bow
    NE to 10 miles east of Denison IA. For a complete depiction of the
    watch see the associated watch outline update (WOUS64 KWNS WOU1).

    PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

    REMEMBER…A Tornado Watch means conditions are favorable for
    tornadoes and severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch
    area. Persons in these areas should be on the lookout for
    threatening weather conditions and listen for later statements
    and possible warnings.

    &&

    AVIATION…Tornadoes and a few severe thunderstorms with hail
    surface and aloft to 2 inches. Extreme turbulence and surface wind
    gusts to 70 knots. A few cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 500. Mean
    storm motion vector 27035.

    …Mosier

    Note: The Aviation Watch (SAW) product is an approximation to the watch area. The actual watch is depicted by the shaded areas.
    SAW1
    WW 501 TORNADO IA NE SD 102010Z – 110300Z
    AXIS..75 STATUTE MILES NORTH AND SOUTH OF LINE..
    5NNW BBW/BROKEN BOW NE/ – 10E DNS/DENISON IA/
    ..AVIATION COORDS.. 65NM N/S /52ENE LBF – 55NNE OVR/
    HAIL SURFACE AND ALOFT..2 INCHES. WIND GUSTS..70 KNOTS.
    MAX TOPS TO 500. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 27035.

    LAT…LON 42589967 43079519 40899519 40419967

    THIS IS AN APPROXIMATION TO THE WATCH AREA. FOR A
    COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE WOUS64 KWNS
    FOR WOU1.

    Watch 501 Status Report Message has not been issued yet.

    Note:  Click for Complete Product Text.Tornadoes

    Probability of 2 or more tornadoes

    Mod (40%)

    Probability of 1 or more strong (EF2-EF5) tornadoes

    Low (20%)

    Wind

    Probability of 10 or more severe wind events

    Mod (60%)

    Probability of 1 or more wind events > 65 knots

    Mod (60%)

    Hail

    Probability of 10 or more severe hail events

    Mod (60%)

    Probability of 1 or more hailstones > 2 inches

    Mod (60%)

    Combined Severe Hail/Wind

    Probability of 6 or more combined severe hail/wind events

    High (>95%)

    For each watch, probabilities for particular events inside the watch (listed above in each table) are determined by the issuing forecaster. The “Low” category contains probability values ranging from less than 2% to 20% (EF2-EF5 tornadoes), less than 5% to 20% (all other probabilities), “Moderate” from 30% to 60%, and “High” from 70% to greater than 95%. High values are bolded and lighter in color to provide awareness of an increased threat for a particular event.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Luján Questions President Trump’s NOAA Administrator Nominee on Putting Facts and Science First

    US Senate News:

    Source: US Senator for New Mexico Ben Ray Luján

    Dr. Neil Jacobs was involved in the 2019 “Sharpiegate,” when President Trump altered a hurricane map to falsely show Hurricane Dorian hitting Alabama, contradicting official forecasts

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), a member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, questioned Dr. Neil Jacobs, President Trump’s nominee to lead the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), about his commitment to telling the truth during emergencies.

    Dr. Jacobs, who previously served as acting NOAA Administrator during President Trump’s first term, had defended the president’s dissemination of inaccurate weather information during a severe weather emergency. The Committee hearing came in the wake of deadly flooding in New Mexico and Texas, which claimed three lives in Ruidoso.

    MSNBC – All in With Chris Hayes: Trump’s Pick to Lead NOAA Faces Senate

    WATCH: Chris Hayes Highlights Senator Lujan’s Questioning of Dr. Neil Jacobs

    Washington Post – Trump’s NOAA pick stands by budget cuts, calls staffing ‘a top priority’

    “When Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-New Mexico) asked whether Jacobs believed Americans should have to pay for access to the best forecasting data, he answered no.”

    ABC News – Senate considers Neil Jacobs, ‘Sharpiegate’ scientist, as NOAA administrator

    “When asked by Sen. Ben Ray Luján, D-NM, on Wednesday whether he would “make the same decision again,” Jacobs replied, “There’s probably some things I would do differently.”

    The Hill – Amid bipartisan concern, NOAA nominee pledges to make Weather Service staffing a ‘top priority’

    “Asked by Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) whether he would “sign off on an inaccurate statement due to political pressure in the same event,” Jacobs said no.”

    An excerpt of the exchange is available HERE and below: 

    Sen. Luján: September 1, 2019, when you were NOAA’s acting administrator, President Trump erroneously tweeted Alabama had been hit hard by Hurricane Dorian. 

    Shortly after, the National Weather Service Birmingham office issued the accurate statement, “Alabama will not see any impacts from Dorian.”

    Three days later, President Trump went on TV and displayed a weather map altered with a black Sharpie line to show that Dorian would hit Alabama.

    Two days after that, you helped draft a release rebuking the Birmingham NWS, and repeating President Trump’s baseless claims that Hurricane Dorian could impact Alabama.

    You told the Department of Commerce Office of Inspector General in their investigation that you “definitely felt like our jobs were on the line,” and while you did not like it, you would make the same decision again to edit a less inflammatory statement as the least bad option. Dr. Jacobs, do I have it right? Is that correct?

    Dr. Jacobs: That is what the report found.

    Sen. Luján: You would do nothing differently?

    Dr. Jacobs: There are probably some things I would do differently, and a lot of this that I did after that, I guess, to change any potential future outcome.

    Sen. Luján: I just had constituents die in New Mexico and constituents in Texas. Would you sign off on an inaccurate statement due to political pressure in the same event, yes or no?

    Dr. Jacobs: No.

    Sen. Luján: I appreciate that very much.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Sustainable Development Goals Report 2025, Francesca Albanese & other topics – Daily Press Briefing

    Source: United Nations (video statements)

    Noon Briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.

    Highlights:
    Sustainable Development Goals Report 2025
    Francesca Albanese
    Occupied Palestinian Territory
    Lebanon
    Ukraine
    Sudan
    Somalia
    Democratic Republic of the Congo
    Libya
    UN Environment Programme/Report
    Briefings

    SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS REPORT 2025
    On Monday, in a press conference, the Secretary-General will launch the Sustainable Development Goals Report 2025. He will be joined by the Deputy-Secretary-General Amina Mohammed and our Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, Li Junhua.

    The press conference will take place at 12:45 p.m., just after the noon briefing.

    FRANCESCA ALBANESE
    In response to questions on the sanctions imposed by the United States on Francesca Albanese, the Spokesman said that the imposition of sanctions on special rapporteurs is a dangerous precedent.

    Francesca Albanese, like all other Special UN Human Rights Rapporteurs, is an independent human rights expert appointed by the UN Human Rights Council and reporting to the Human Rights Council. Special Rapporteurs do not report to the Secretary-General, and he has no authority over them or their work.

    That being said, Member States are perfectly entitled to their views and to disagree with the reports by the Special Rapporteurs, but we encourage them to engage with the UN human rights architecture.
    The use of unilateral sanctions against special rapporteurs, or any other UN expert or official is unacceptable.

    OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY
    The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that a UN team managed to bring about 75,000 litres of fuel from Israel into the Gaza Strip. That is the first such provision in 130 days. As mentioned yesterday during the noon briefing, the UN and its humanitarian partners need hundreds of thousands of litres of fuel each day to keep essential life-saving and life-sustaining operations going, meaning the amount entered yesterday isn’t sufficient to cover even one day of energy requirements. Fuel is still running out and services will shut down if greater volumes do not enter Gaza Strip immediately.

    One partner, for instance, reported that this week that in a matter of days, fuel shortages could cut off supplies of clean drinking water to about 44,000 children that depend on that water source. The lack of fresh water would further increase the risk of waterborne illnesses such as cholera, diarrhea and dysentery. 

    Meanwhile, the Israeli military continues its operations across the Gaza Strip, including shelling and ground incursions. This morning, people waiting to get nutritional supplements were reportedly struck in Deir al Balah. According to Al-Aqsa Hospital, the attack resulted in dozens of casualties, the majority of whom were women and children. 

    In a statement issued today, Catherine Russell, the Executive Director of the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), said she was appalled by the reported killing of 15 Palestinians, including nine children and four women, who were just waiting in line for nutritional supplies their children. And I can tell you that the UN, yet again, condemns the killing of civilians in Gaza.

    OCHA stresses that parties are bound by international humanitarian law to prevent such excessive death and injury of civilians in the midst of war.
    All parties must take all feasible precautions to avoid and minimize civilian harm, and indiscriminate attacks are strictly prohibited.

    Another strike today reportedly hit the office of a humanitarian partner in Gaza city; three staff were killed.

    Yesterday, UN partners providing education services said that between October 2023 and June of this year, 626 temporary learning spaces have been established in Gaza, with 240,000 students enrolled, about half of those students are girls. However, UN partners say that only 299 spaces are currently operational due to the ongoing displacement orders, funding shortfalls and other challenges.

    UN humanitarian partners, including first responders, health workers, and aid workers, continue to deliver food and other assistance under intolerable conditions, and they themselves are facing hunger. A number of our own colleagues are also facing hunger. They also face water scarcity and threats to their personal safety, just like everyone else in Gaza.
    As we said, time and again: This catastrophic situation must end. A ceasefire is not only urgent, it is long overdue, and all of the hostages need to be released unconditionally and immediately.

    Full highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date%5Bvalue%5D%5Bdate%5D=10%20July%202025

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCq6GB-B6Sk

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: China extends yellow alert for heavy rains

    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 10 (Xinhua) — China’s National Meteorological Center (NMC) extended a yellow alert for rainstorms on Thursday evening, warning of the threat of heavy rains in some parts of the country.

    Heavy rain and downpours are forecast to occur in parts of Fujian, Guangdong, Hainan, Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan, Jiangxi, Hunan, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Heilongjiang, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Chongqing Municipality and Taiwan from 8:00 p.m. July 10 to 8:00 p.m. July 11.

    Heavy rainfall of up to 300mm is forecast in parts of Guangdong and Fujian provinces.

    As specified by the meteorological department, in some places in the indicated regions short-term showers with a maximum amount of precipitation of more than 80 mm per hour are possible, accompanied by thunderstorms and squalls.

    The NMC recommended that local authorities prepare for possible heavy rains and take necessary drainage measures in urban areas and agricultural lands.

    China has a four-tier weather warning system, with red representing the highest level of danger, followed by orange, yellow and blue. –0–

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

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: China and the United States maintain close trade and economic contacts at various levels – Ministry of Commerce 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 10 (Xinhua) — China and the United States maintain close economic and trade exchanges at many levels, Chinese Ministry of Commerce spokesperson He Yongqian said Thursday.

    He Yongqian made the remarks at a regular briefing when asked about a possible meeting in early August between the US Commerce Secretary and other senior trade officials with Chinese negotiators.

    The official representative noted that since May this year, guided by the consensus of the leaders of China and the United States, trade and economic delegations of the two countries have held high-level trade talks in Geneva and London, reaching consensus in Geneva and framework agreements in London. According to He Yongqian, the parties are working to practically implement these results, stabilizing bilateral trade relations.

    She expressed the hope that the United States will move towards China, adhere to the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation, and make good use of the mechanism of China-US economic and trade consultations, continuing to strengthen dialogue and communication.

    The spokesperson of the Chinese Ministry of Commerce called on the US side to take concrete measures to uphold and implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state during their recent telephone conversation, so as to promote stable, healthy and sustainable trade and economic relations between China and the US, and bring more certainty and stability to global economic development. –0–

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

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: China Ready to Always Be Bangladesh’s Good Friend, Neighbor, and Partner – Chinese Foreign Minister

    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

    KUALA LUMPUR, July 10 (Xinhua) — China is willing to always be a reliable and good friend, neighbor and partner of Bangladesh, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Thursday during a meeting with Bangladesh interim foreign minister Touhid Hossain in Kuala Lumpur.

    Wang Yi, also a member of the Politburo of the CPC Central Committee, said China has always been committed to advancing strategic cooperation with Bangladesh based on the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence and pursuing a policy of good-neighborliness and friendship toward all the Bangladeshi people.

    This year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Bangladesh, which is of great significance to both countries, Wang said, adding that China supports Bangladesh’s interim government, the stable and successful holding of the general election in the country, and its pursuit of a development path suited to its national conditions.

    As the head of the Chinese Foreign Ministry emphasized, Chinese-Bangladesh cooperation is mutually beneficial, and China has introduced a zero customs tariff on all Bangladeshi products, creating opportunities for the development of this country. At the same time, Wang Yi continued, the United States has imposed 35 percent duties on products from Bangladesh, which is classified as one of the least developed countries. The Chinese diplomat described this move as unreasonable and at the same time immoral.

    China is firmly committed to building a regional community with a shared future, Wang Yi assured. He pointed out that as the largest neighbor of South Asian countries, China is willing to work with Bangladesh and other South Asian countries to achieve modernization and make common contributions to Asia’s development and rise.

    Recalling that the trilateral meeting at the level of deputy foreign ministers of China, Bangladesh and Pakistan was successfully held in the Chinese city of Kunming, Wang Yi expressed hope that joint efforts with Bangladesh and Pakistan would be made to actively promote trilateral cooperation and achieve tangible results.

    T. Hossain, for his part, noted that China is a reliable partner and a true friend of Bangladesh, and the development of friendly and cooperative relations with China reflects the consensus of the entire Bangladeshi people.

    T. Hossain expressed gratitude to China for its selfless development assistance to Bangladesh over the years. He said Bangladesh firmly adheres to the one-China principle and is willing to learn from China’s experience in governance, expand friendly cooperation in areas such as economy, trade and health, enhance regional multilateral coordination and cooperation, and use the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries as an opportunity to take Bangladesh-China relations to a new level. –0–

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

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: China Ready to Raise Level of Strategic Interaction with Russia — Chinese Foreign Minister

    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

    KUALA LUMPUR, July 10 (Xinhua) — China is willing to work with Russia to continuously raise the level of China-Russia strategic cooperation to protect the security and development interests of both countries, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday.

    Wang Yi, who is also a member of the Politburo of the CPC Central Committee, made the statement during a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

    The Chinese diplomat noted that the heads of the two states maintain strategic communication, guiding the sustainable and long-term development of Chinese-Russian relations in the context of changes unseen in a century.

    Last month, Wang Yi recalled, the two heads of state held a telephone conversation and loudly voiced China and Russia’s positions on regional and international hot spot issues.

    Noting that China and Russia are important dialogue partners of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Wang Yi stressed that the two countries should strengthen strategic coordination on the platform of East Asia cooperation, uphold an open and inclusive regional cooperation architecture with ASEAN at the center, adhere to the correct development vector of the East Asia Summit and the ASEAN Regional Forum, and promote further consensus-building on development within the framework of the East Asia cooperation mechanism, making it an important engine and positive force for global development.

    S. Lavrov, for his part, stated that under the strategic leadership of the heads of the two states, Russia and China maintain close coordination and cooperation, demonstrating the global and strategic significance of bilateral relations. According to him, this is especially important in the current conditions.

    Both countries support ASEAN’s central role in regional cooperation and are committed to maintaining peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region, Lavrov continued, stressing that Russia and China should remain vigilant against attempts by some major powers to sow discord and provoke confrontation in the region.

    He assured that Russia will fully support China’s chairmanship of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and is ready to jointly plan further high-level exchanges and cooperation in various fields, and strengthen communication and interaction in a format such as BRICS.

    The parties also exchanged views on the Iranian nuclear issue. S. Lavrov outlined in detail Russia’s position and considerations on this issue.

    Wang Yi stressed that force does not bring peace, pressure does not solve problems, and only negotiations and dialogue are the only right path. According to the diplomat, China appreciates Iran’s commitment not to seek to develop nuclear weapons and respects its legitimate right as a party to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons to peaceful uses of nuclear energy.

    As permanent members of the UN Security Council and important participants in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action on the Iranian nuclear program, China and Russia should further strengthen strategic coordination, advance the political and diplomatic settlement of the Iranian nuclear issue, jointly uphold the international nuclear non-proliferation regime, and promote an early achievement of peace and stability in the Middle East, Wang Yi said.

    In addition, the parties exchanged views on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and other international and regional hot spot issues of mutual interest. –0–

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

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Member of the Standing Committee of the Politburo of the CPC Central Committee Stresses the Importance of Dialogue, Cooperation at the Ministerial Meeting of the Global Dialogue among Civilizations

    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 10 (Xinhua) — Cai Qi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and a member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, attended and delivered a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the ministerial meeting of the Global Dialogue among Civilizations on Thursday, calling for more active promotion of dialogue and cooperation among world civilizations.

    Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory message to the event participants, which was read at the opening ceremony by Li Shulei, member of the Politburo of the CPC Central Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee.

    In his speech, Cai Qi pointed out that the Global Civilization Initiative, put forward by President Xi Jinping more than two years ago, has received a warm and positive response from the international community.

    Cai Qi noted that this initiative is rooted in the best traditional culture of China. Its key essence is to strive for the common while preserving differences, which echoes the cultural concepts of many countries around the world.

    The member of the Standing Committee of the Politburo of the CPC Central Committee stressed that the path to world peace and development is long and difficult. He called for jointly strengthening research on the diversity of development models, actively promoting the protection of cultural heritage and the development of cultural affairs, strengthening cultural and humanitarian exchanges, and promoting the construction of a diverse and multidimensional global network of dialogue and cooperation among civilizations.

    The ministerial meeting on the theme of “Preserving the Diversity of Human Civilizations for World Peace and Development” was jointly organized by the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee and the International Liaison Department of the CPC Central Committee.

    UN Secretary-General António Guterres also sent a congratulatory message to the event, which attracted more than 600 guests from some 140 countries and regions.

    Former heads of state and government of Indonesia, Namibia, Japan and Belgium spoke at the opening ceremony. –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 –