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Category: Europe

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Barrier to social housing now lifted for vulnerable people

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Barrier to social housing now lifted for vulnerable people

    New changes to remove a local connection requirement for young care leavers and domestic abuse survivors comes into effect today.

    • Local connection tests officially removed for care leavers under 25 and victims of domestic abuse  
    • Forms part of the five-step plan to deliver a decade of renewal for social and affordable housing  
    • Delivering the government’s Plan for Change to provide more vulnerable people with a safe and secure roof over their head

    More young people leaving care and domestic abuse survivors can now have greater access to social housing, thanks to new changes removing a local connection requirement coming into effect today.    

    Last month the Deputy Prime Minister confirmed the government is rewriting the rules for vulnerable groups who have faced barriers to social housing when they do not have a connection to the local area, meaning they can no longer be unfairly penalised. The move has been largely welcomed by charities across the sector including Become and Centrepoint.

    Many domestic abuse survivors and care leavers under the age of 25 face unique challenges, such as fleeing an unsafe home to seek safety or adjusting to life outside of the care system, so may be forced to move from area to area without having a local connection. 

    Government guidance for councils across England, nearly 90% of which currently use local connection tests, sets out their obligations to prioritise vulnerable people applying for social housing. This has now been updated to confirm young care leavers and domestic abuse survivors must be exempt from any local connection tests.

    It comes as the government recently published its five-point plan to deliver a decade of renewal for social and affordable housing and pave the way for the biggest boost in a generation. This includes the new £39 billion Social and Affordable Homes Programme to build around 300,000 new homes over the next decade, with at least 60% for social rent.

    Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary, Angela Rayner said:

    “I’m immensely proud this government is delivering real change for some of our most vulnerable in society, making sure more young people and families can have a safe and secure roof over their head.  

    “It’s only right we remove local connection tests for these groups and from today they will no longer face such barriers – it’s a promise we made and a promise we’ve kept.  

    “This builds on our Plan for Change to deliver the biggest boost to social and affordable housing in a generation, turning the tide on the crisis we’ve inherited and building hundreds of thousands of new homes to bring down housing waiting lists for good.”

    Today’s changes follow the rules overhauled last year to remove local connection tests for all former UK Regular Armed Forces Veterans, regardless of when they last served, as pledged by the Prime Minister.  

    The government remains fully committed to supporting more vulnerable groups and veterans into social housing but also recognises the challenges faced by councils dealing with unprecedented pressures on housing supply as well as depleted housing stocks.  

    That’s why the government has now set out ambitions to ramp up housing delivery for this Parliament and beyond, equipping councils and providers with greater tools to invest in existing and new social homes. This includes:

    • Bringing forward long-overdue reforms to Right to Buy, including a 35-year exemption for newly built social homes, to protect and reverse the decline in much-needed council housing.  
    • Extending the flexibilities on spending Right to Buy receipts introduced last year, as well as allowing councils to retain 100% of Right to Buy receipts and from next year combine receipts with grant funding for affordable housing, which will further accelerate the delivery of new homes to replace those sold.  
    • Introducing a new long-term 10-year settlement for social housing rents to provide the sector with the certainty they need to reinvest in new housing stock.

    New funding for a £12 million Council Housebuilding Skills & Capacity Programme has also been announced, which will upskill and expand council workforces to get more spades in the ground for a new era of council housebuilding.

    Centrepoint’s Director of Policy and Prevention, Balbir Kaur Chatrik said:

    “It wasn’t right that young care leavers were subjected to local connection tests – particularly at a point in their lives where they should be able to move on and thrive. 

    “Removing this barrier is a huge step in protecting some of the country’s most vulnerable young people and should help in reducing youth homelessness more broadly.”

    A care-experienced young person, Tia Shillito-Radicic said:

    “The passing of this new legislation is nothing short of life-changing for many care-experienced young people and especially for me.

    “This legislation gives me the opportunity to live somewhere safer, closer to my support network, and within reach of my career in the Civil Service. It’s not just about having a roof over my head – it’s about having a foundation to build a future. It’s about independence, security, and dignity.

    “Too often, young people in care are uprooted from their communities and placed far from home due to foster care shortages or safeguarding concerns. When we age out of care, we’re then expected to return to the original council that placed us – sometimes hundreds of miles from where we’ve built our lives. That system leaves many of us isolated, detached from the people and places we trust most.

    “This legislation changes that. And with it, comes hope. Hope that young people won’t have to start over, again and again. Hope that we can remain close to the support systems we’ve fought to create. And hope that we’ll finally be seen not just as care leavers, but as individuals with dreams, careers, and futures.

    “To everyone who worked tirelessly to make this happen: thank you. You haven’t just changed a policy – you’ve helped us hold onto something many of us lose far too often: a sense of home, of belonging, and of hope.”

    Further information

    Last month the government published a written ministerial statement confirming new changes for young care leavers and domestic abuse survivors. The regulations were laid on 19 June and come into force today.  

    While the changes remove a specific barrier for these vulnerable groups, the allocation of social housing is still at the discretion of the local housing authority.  

    On 24 September, the Prime Minister set out his ambition to improve access to social housing for former UK Armed Forces Veterans, young care leavers and domestic abuse survivors.  

    The government recently set out its long-term plan – Delivering a decade of renewal for social and affordable housing – which includes a commitment to support more vulnerable groups and veterans having access to social housing.

    Updates to this page

    Published 10 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New data points to growing social and economic impact of charity sector amidst challenging financial environment.

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    New data points to growing social and economic impact of charity sector amidst challenging financial environment.

    New insights from sector data suggest that charities have been able to direct additional resources to delivering their aims, amidst a tightening financial squeeze.

    The Charity Commission, the regulator of charities in England and Wales, has analysed data drawn from annual returns for the financial year ending 2023 – the most comprehensive dataset available to the charity sector.  

    Collectively charities that submitted annual returns spent £95.73 billion delivering their charitable aims in 2023, 9.6% more than in 2022, reflecting a further broadening and deepening of the vital societal impact of charities. This was during a period when cost of living pressures were being felt acutely within society. 

    This impact is underpinned by the generosity of the public, with donations and legacies reaching £31.4bn – almost a third (32.6%) of all charity income. Small charities, which are by far the greatest in number, largely rely on this income.  

    Businesses also made a considerable contribution to charity with almost half (49.7%) of charities with an income of £100k or more reporting donations from a corporate donor. 

    The data underlines that volunteers are essential to delivering public good, outnumbering paid workers by a factor of more than 3:1. Around 7 in 10 charities reported they were supported by volunteers in 2023, while 5 in 10 had paid workers (permanent or fixed-term employees and self-employed). The majority of paid workers (98%) were deployed in the UK.  

    However, for a second year in a row, the analysis drew out some indicators underlining concerns about financial resilience in parts of the sector.  

    Overall growth in expenditure (9.6%) outpaced growth in income (6.8%) leaving the gap between the two at its narrowest in five years at £0.7bn, down from £2.9bn in 2022.  

    While more than half of charities (55.1%) have more income than expenditure, around 2 in 5 charities (42.6%) had expenditure that exceeded income. This situation leaves many charities with little or no headroom for investing in longer term or more innovative projects, and depending on reserve levels, a continuation of this trend may mean some charities cease to operate altogether. 

    The data follows the Commission’s release of separate data earlier this week pointing to increased demand for charities’ services, with 9% of people indicating they had received food, medical or financial support from charities, compared to just 3% five years ago. 

    Charity Commission Chief Executive, David Holdsworth, said: 

    Our analysis of charities’ annual returns for 2023 shows the sector is not just delivering life-changing impact across communities but that it is an economic powerhouse for the economy, spending almost £96 billion a year on delivering charitable purposes. 

    Charities’ work with those from some of our most marginalised and disadvantaged communities unlocks potential, enabling more people to play an active role in society, helping people up, not handing out. This vital work is happening right across England and Wales, often in places and with people the state cannot easily reach. 

    While our data shows the cost of living crisis has applied significant pressure on charity finances – with the narrowest gap between income and expenditure in recent years – it also shows charities rising to the challenge, spending almost ten per cent more in 2023 than in 2022 to meet increased need.

    Each question asked of charities in the annual return is designed to enable the Commission to identify risks and trends in the sector; to help the public make informed and confident choices about charities; and to allow policy-makers, researchers, sector groups and the public to gain a richer understanding of the charity sector in England and Wales. 

    ENDS 

    Notes to editors  

    1. The annual return 2023 represents the most comprehensive data set available on the charity sector, as it is a statutory requirement for charities to provide this to the Commission. The Commission’s analysis of the annual return 2023 is a factual presentation of the data charities have reported to the Commission for 12-month financial periods ending at any point in 2023. Annual Return data is a ‘lagging indicator’ as the information it captures has passed as each charity has up to 10 months to report it after the end of its financial year. AR23 saw an improved number of charities filing returns than in AR22. 

    2. All registered charities must provide information annually to the Charity Commission (‘the Commission’). The rules vary according to the charity’s size and structure. Registered charities with: 

    • income up to £10,000 should complete the relevant sections (income and expenditure) of the annual return 

    • income above £10,000, and all Charitable Incorporated Organisations (‘CIOs’), must prepare and file an annual return 

    • income above £25,000, and all CIOs, must also file copies of their trustees’ annual report and accounts 

    For further information see the Commission’s guidance on how to prepare a charity annual return.

    Updates to this page

    Published 10 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Choosing the right AI path for your business: A practical guide for leaders

    Source: Microsoft

    Headline: Choosing the right AI path for your business: A practical guide for leaders

    With generative AI moving from experimentation to execution, the pressure is on to turn plans into progress. Every customer I talk to has done the homework: their use case lists are in, their priorities are clear, and their excitement is real. They’re no longer asking, “Should we use AI?” Instead, they’re looking at those use cases alongside a rapidly evolving AI landscape and asking, “Where do we start?”

    It’s a great question, considering that a year ago building an AI agent meant calling in an experienced IT team. Today, teams in finance, human resources, and communications are building their own using low-code tools and off-the-shelf AI like Microsoft 365 Copilot. What once took months and weeks now takes hours and minutes, and often fits right into the tools they already use. IDC predicts over a billion AI agents will be in use by 2028 as AI shifts from answering questions to taking action at scale.1

    Does that mean you should begin with agents? Not necessarily. With so many tools and promises in the market, deciding where to start can be overwhelming. That’s why we created The Business Guide to AI Solutions—to help you cut through the noise and focus on what matters: solving real business problems with the right kind of AI.

    The Business Guide to AI Solutions

    Choose and apply assistants, agents, and custom tools as part of a secure, scalable AI strategy

    Match the solution to your business goals

    AI isn’t one-size-fits-all. The best results come from aligning the right AI solution with the specific problem you’re trying to solve. Whether your goal is to boost productivity, streamline operations, personalize customer experiences, or build something entirely new, there’s a path forward. Here’s how to think about your options:

    Need to boost team productivity and reduce time spent on repetitive tasks? Start fast with assistants

    Our recent 2025 Work Trend Index Annual Report contains a lot of insight into how AI is reshaping work. It also put a spotlight on something many employees struggle with that can stall a company’s progress: the infinite workday. The pace of work keeps accelerating—and for many, that means the day never really ends. People are starting earlier, working later, and staying buried in emails, Microsoft Teams chats, and meeting requests well into evenings and weekends.

    Clearly, the pace of business is relentless. Our approach can’t be. A great place to start is AI assistants. And if your priority is to help your team be more productive, off-the-shelf solutions can deliver quick wins. Microsoft 365 Copilot is built into the apps your teams already use. Designed for fast deployment and immediate value across different roles, Copilot can help people work faster by summarizing content, generating drafts, and automating routine work in all functions—including sales, marketing, finance, and human resources.

    For example, British Columbia Investment Management Corporation (BCI) increased productivity by 10% to 20% for 84% of Copilot users and increased their job satisfaction by 68%. The business saved more than 2,300 person-hours with automation, reduced the time spent on writing internal audit reports by 30% and saved one month of processing time to analyze 8,000 survey comments. And XP Inc. uses Microsoft 365 Copilot to automate tasks, boosting productivity by saving over 9,000 hours—a 30% increase in audit team efficiency.

    Struggling with complex, manual processes that slow down operations? Automate with agents

    When you’re ready to streamline more complex, multistep processes, agents can help. These autonomous tools go beyond assistants by taking action on your behalf—coordinating tasks across systems, automating workflows, and supporting business operations at scale.

    Agents are quickly moving from experimental to essential. We recently introduced advancements in memory, reasoning, and access control that make agents more effective across business environments. You can see this in action in the latest Microsoft 365 Copilot innovations, including multi-agent orchestration, agent tuning, and deeper integration with everyday apps.

    With Microsoft Azure AI Foundry, developers can access a full stack agent factory with capabilities to automate business processes across the enterprise. For example, Fujitsu boosted sales proposal productivity by 67%, enabling their teams to focus more time on customer engagement.

    We’re also investing in open standards to help agents operate securely across systems so they can scale with your business, not just your tech stack. Read the broader vision for what’s next to learn how AI agents are shaping a more open, connected, and productive future.

    Whether built with low-code or pro-code tools, agents can have a big impact across teams. Carvana built an AI agent named Sebastian to guide customers through the car buying and selling journey. To continuously improve Sebastian’s performance, they developed Conversation Analysis Review Engine (CARE), an AI-powered platform that analyzes 100% of customer interactions. Together, Sebastian and CARE have helped Carvana reduce inbound calls per sale by over 45% in two years, reflecting a smoother, more efficient customer experience.

    Want to tailor AI to your business without starting from scratch? Extend prebuilt solutions

    Once you’ve started using Microsoft 365 Copilot, built-in extensibility gives you a way to go further. With Microsoft Copilot Studio, you can connect AI to your own data, fine-tune prompts, and integrate functionality into your existing systems. This allows you to adapt AI to your workflows—without the time and complexity of building something entirely new.

    A case in point is Pets at Home, the United Kingdom’s leading pet care business, which used Microsoft Copilot Studio to extend Copilot’s capabilities for its profit protection team. By building a tailored agent that compiles cases for human review, the company streamlined internal workflows and expects to drive seven-figure annual savings, all without starting from scratch.

    Looking to create a competitive edge with something truly unique? Differentiate with custom AI

    When your needs are highly specific, customization enables you to design unique solutions that reflect your organization’s DNA. With Azure AI Foundry you can build your own agents, train models with your data, and create experiences specifically made for your business.

    For example ABB Group, a global leader in electrification and automation, built a custom AI solution called Genix Copilot using Microsoft Azure OpenAI service to tackle complex industrial challenges like asset performance, energy optimization, and emissions monitoring. The result? Up to 35% savings in operations and maintenance, 20% improvement in energy efficiency, and an 80% reduction in service calls, all through a differentiated, AI-powered experience tailored to their customers’ needs.

    You can also build AI solutions tailored to your industry using Microsoft’s industry-specific models and tools in Azure AI Foundry. Whether you’re in healthcare, retail, manufacturing, financial services, or education, our Microsoft Industry Clouds provide prebuilt data models, templates, and AI services to help you move faster and deliver value sooner—without compromising on security or compliance.

    Build on a foundation of trust

    As AI becomes more powerful, so do the risks. Business leaders are asking the right questions: How do we protect sensitive data? How do we ensure compliance? How do we build AI systems that are fair, transparent, and accountable?

    At Microsoft,

    1IDC Info Snapshot, sponsored by Microsoft, 1.3 Billion AI Agents by 2028, Enterprise Grade and in Production, US53361825, May 2025.

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Greenpeace holds dawn commemoration of 40 years since Rainbow Warrior bombing, death of photographer Fernando Pereira

    Source: Greenpeace

    Greenpeace Aotearoa held a dawn ceremony on board the Rainbow Warrior this morning to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the bombing of the original Rainbow Warrior and the death of photographer Fernando Pereira. The ceremony was hosted by Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei and attended by over a 150 people.
    Greenpeace Aotearoa Executive Director Dr Russel Norman, speaking from the deck of the Rainbow Warrior says, “French government agents came from the other side of the planet not only to kill our friend and colleague, and to kill our ship, but most of all they came here to try to kill our dream of a nuclear free Pacific.
    “And it is true that they killed Fernando, and it is true that they sank the first Rainbow Warrior, now resting in the north of Aotearoa under the watchful eye of Ngāti Kura at Matauri Bay.
    “But it is not true that they killed our dream of a nuclear-free Pacific. In fact, their act of violence was a catalyst for the further growth of the nuclear-free movement here and around the world.”
    At the time of the bombing in 1985, the Rainbow Warrior was preparing to lead a flotilla to Mororoa to protest French nuclear testing.
    Greenpeace International Programme Director Carmen Gravitt, also speaking from the Rainbow Warrior, said, “The French government tried to silence these voices with violence, fear, and intimidation. But they miscalculated. Instead of breaking our movement, they amplified it. They blew wind into our sails.”
    “We built a new Rainbow Warrior and sailed to Moruroa. The peoples of the Pacific rose. And the world joined them. Together, we did not stop – not until we won and France halted its nuclear testing.
    “Every right we have today was won by people who dared to fight for it. People who demanded the vote even when it was dangerous, workers who demanded dignity even when it cost them everything, indigenous peoples and frontline communities who demanded justice even when no one thought they could win. Today, we also honour them. And humbly seek to carry their legacy forward.”
    In the wake of the bombing of the first Rainbow Warrior, protests and international pressure against nuclear weapons testing continued to build. Greenpeace mounted three further protest expeditions to Mururoa in 1990, 1992 and 1995 on board the second Rainbow Warrior.
    In 1995, the Rainbow Warrior sailed into the test zone, defying exclusion orders and attempting to disrupt the tests, drawing global media attention and support. French forces seized the ship and arrested the crew, sparking widespread international condemnation. Although six tests went ahead, the intense backlash contributed to France announcing a permanent end to nuclear testing in 1996.
    Greenpeace Aotearoa says today is a moment to reflect on the past, and remember the life of Fernando Pereira, the photographer who was killed in the bombing. But the organisation also says it is a moment to look to the future and to challenge current attacks on environmental protest.
    “There’s no doubt that we’re facing challenging times. Nature is under attack. Peace and democracy are under attack too. The world feels more unstable than ever,” says Norman.
    “But when the environment and democracy are threatened, we all have to step up and get braver. The bravery of the nuclear-free activists – who sailed into a test zone and put themselves at enormous risk – is an inspiration for the courage we need to find now in the face of the climate and biodiversity crisis.”
    The Rainbow Warrior will be open for tours of the ship for the next two week

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI: Azerion announces definitive agreement with DoubleDown Interactive for the sale of Whow Games Company sharpens focus on digital advertising, cloud services and AI

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Amsterdam, 9 July 2025 – Azerion, a leading European digital advertising platform, today announces the sale of its subsidiary Whow Games, the lion’s share of its Premium Games segment, to DoubleDown Interactive, part of South Korea-based DoubleUGames, for a total consideration of €65 million. The deal consists of an upfront payment of €55 million and an earn-out of up to €10 million, subject to customary adjustments.

    The transaction marks another significant step in Azerion’s strategy, a journey the company has been on for some years now, reinforcing digital advertising as the company’s core business. In addition, Azerion continues to expand into cloud infrastructure and AI-driven solutions.

    The sale follows a series of portfolio optimisations, including the divestment of its social card games portfolio in 2023 for €81.3 million. With a strong position as one of Europe’s most innovative players in digital advertising, Azerion is now also addressing growing European demand for scalable cloud and AI alternatives to large US providers. After more than 10 years of developing AI software and cloud services for its own use, Azerion is now offering these services to clients. This puts it in markets where many European companies are currently seeking an alternative to the American tech giants.

    Founded in the Netherlands in 2014, Azerion has grown into a major player in digital advertising through a series of strategic acquisitions. Listed on Euronext Amsterdam since February 2022, the company generated €551 million in revenue in 2024, up 7% year-on-year. Revenue guidance for 2025 is in the range of €600–650 million. In Q1 2025, the company reported EBITDA growth of 68% compared to the same period last year thanks to a continued focus on efficiency and profitability.

    Reinforcing digital advertising

    “We are excited to take this further step to strengthen our digital advertising business.” said Sebastiaan Moesman, Chief Strategy Officer of Azerion. “This sale enables us to dedicate even more resources and attention on realizing our growth and expansion plans. We are also demonstrating once again that our investment strategy can create long-term value for our shareholders.”

    Azerion recently launched Azerion Intelligence, a platform offering affordable and independent cloud hosting as well as access to a range of open-source AI tools. “Across Europe, companies and public institutions are increasingly looking to bring their data closer to home to be less reliant on one partner,” said Moesman. “While this desire is not new, we’re seeing a clear shift in priority. Organisations are now actively seeking alternatives to major cloud providers. At the same time, demand for local, cost-efficient AI services is on the rise. Azerion is well positioned to support organisations ready to take the next step in digital sovereignty.”

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: BSTDB Concludes the 27th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors in Yerevan

    Source: Black Sea Trade and Development Bank

    Press Release | 09-Jul-2025

    Governors Reaffirm Support for BSTDB and Approve New Strategic Branding

    The Board of Governors of the Black Sea Trade and Development Bank (BSTDB) held its 27th Annual Meeting under the Chairmanship of Mr. Artur Javadyan, BSTDB Governor for the Republic of Armenia.

     The Meeting brought together high-level representatives from BSTDB’s eleven member states, along with BSEC leaders and the Bank’s Observers.

    The Governors evaluated the Bank’s operational activity and unanimously approved the Financial Statements for 2024. They praised BSTDB’s sustained role as a reliable partner for regional economic advancement.

    During the Meeting, the Board of Governors extended the term of Dr. Serhat Köksal as President of BSTDB by two years.

    Mr. Artur Javadyan, Chairman of the Board of Governors, commented: “Amid challenging economic times, BSTDB continued to deliver tangible results, reinforcing its role as a catalyst for sustainable regional growth”.

    Dr. Serhat Köksal, President of BSTDB, noted: ‘This meeting reaffirmed the shared vision of our member countries for a resilient and inclusive Black Sea region, underpinned by responsible finance.” Dr. Köksal expressed his gratitude to the Governors, stating: “I am deeply honored by the renewed trust placed in me. I thank the Board of Governors for their continued confidence and support, and I remain committed to advancing our collective vision for a resilient and inclusive Black Sea region, grounded in responsible finance.” 

    The BSTDB President also acknowledged the excellent organization and warm hospitality extended by Governor Javadyan and the host country.

    The Board also elected Mr. Sahil Babayev, Governor for the Republic of Azerbaijan, as the new Chair of the Board of Governors for the upcoming one-year term. Governors for the Republic of Bulgaria and Georgia were elected as Deputy Chairpersons. The 28th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors will be held in Azerbaijan. The exact date and venue of the Meeting will be determined in due course.

    In addition, the Board approved BSTDB’s new visual identity, reflecting the institution’s strategic orientation and commitment to modernization. The new brand will be officially unveiled in the coming weeks.

     

    The Black Sea Trade and Development Bank (BSTDB) is an international financial institution established by Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Greece, Moldova, Romania, Russia, Türkiye, and Ukraine. The BSTDB headquarters are in Thessaloniki, Greece. BSTDB supports economic development and regional cooperation by providing loans, credit lines, equity and guarantees for projects and trade financing in the public and private sectors in its member countries. The authorized capital of the Bank is EUR 3.45 billion. For information on BSTDB, visit www.bstdb.org.

     

    Contact: Haroula Christodoulou

    : @BSTDB

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: BSTDB Concludes the 27th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors in Yerevan

    Source: Black Sea Trade and Development Bank

    Press Release | 09-Jul-2025

    Governors Reaffirm Support for BSTDB and Approve New Strategic Branding

    The Board of Governors of the Black Sea Trade and Development Bank (BSTDB) held its 27th Annual Meeting under the Chairmanship of Mr. Artur Javadyan, BSTDB Governor for the Republic of Armenia.

     The Meeting brought together high-level representatives from BSTDB’s eleven member states, along with BSEC leaders and the Bank’s Observers.

    The Governors evaluated the Bank’s operational activity and unanimously approved the Financial Statements for 2024. They praised BSTDB’s sustained role as a reliable partner for regional economic advancement.

    During the Meeting, the Board of Governors extended the term of Dr. Serhat Köksal as President of BSTDB by two years.

    Mr. Artur Javadyan, Chairman of the Board of Governors, commented: “Amid challenging economic times, BSTDB continued to deliver tangible results, reinforcing its role as a catalyst for sustainable regional growth”.

    Dr. Serhat Köksal, President of BSTDB, noted: ‘This meeting reaffirmed the shared vision of our member countries for a resilient and inclusive Black Sea region, underpinned by responsible finance.” Dr. Köksal expressed his gratitude to the Governors, stating: “I am deeply honored by the renewed trust placed in me. I thank the Board of Governors for their continued confidence and support, and I remain committed to advancing our collective vision for a resilient and inclusive Black Sea region, grounded in responsible finance.” 

    The BSTDB President also acknowledged the excellent organization and warm hospitality extended by Governor Javadyan and the host country.

    The Board also elected Mr. Sahil Babayev, Governor for the Republic of Azerbaijan, as the new Chair of the Board of Governors for the upcoming one-year term. Governors for the Republic of Bulgaria and Georgia were elected as Deputy Chairpersons. The 28th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors will be held in Azerbaijan. The exact date and venue of the Meeting will be determined in due course.

    In addition, the Board approved BSTDB’s new visual identity, reflecting the institution’s strategic orientation and commitment to modernization. The new brand will be officially unveiled in the coming weeks.

     

    The Black Sea Trade and Development Bank (BSTDB) is an international financial institution established by Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Greece, Moldova, Romania, Russia, Türkiye, and Ukraine. The BSTDB headquarters are in Thessaloniki, Greece. BSTDB supports economic development and regional cooperation by providing loans, credit lines, equity and guarantees for projects and trade financing in the public and private sectors in its member countries. The authorized capital of the Bank is EUR 3.45 billion. For information on BSTDB, visit www.bstdb.org.

     

    Contact: Haroula Christodoulou

    : @BSTDB

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Materials for the Government meeting on July 10, 2025.

    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 following issues are planned to be considered at the meeting:

    1. On the national report on the progress and results of the implementation in 2024 of the State Program for the Development of Agriculture and Regulation of Agricultural Products, Raw Materials and Food Markets

    The national report is presented by the Ministry of Agriculture of Russia and is a public form of reporting and monitoring of the implementation of the goals, objectives, indicators and targets of the state program.

    2. On the draft amendments of the Government of the Russian Federation to the draft federal law No. 924067–8 “On Amendments to the Budget Code of the Russian Federation”

    The draft amendments are aimed at clarifying the provisions of the draft federal law adopted by the State Duma in the first reading.

    3. On the draft amendments of the Government of the Russian Federation to the draft federal law No. 782260–8 “On Amendments to Part One of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation and Articles 12 and 30 of the Federal Law “On Enforcement Proceedings”

    The draft amendments are aimed at taking into account the comments and suggestions made during the consideration of the bill in the first reading in the State Duma.

    4. On the draft federal law “On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of the Russian Federation” (in terms of establishing additional grounds for reviewing court decisions that have entered into legal force)

    The adoption of the bill will bring the provisions of the Civil Procedure Code, the Arbitration Procedure Code and the Code of Administrative Procedure into line with the legal position of the Constitutional Court.

    5. On the draft amendments of the Government of the Russian Federation to the draft federal law No. 487723–8 “On Amendments to Articles 194 and 202 of the Housing Code of the Russian Federation”

    The draft amendments are aimed at improving the procedure for granting a license to carry out entrepreneurial activity in the management of apartment buildings.

    6. On the allocation of budgetary appropriations from the reserve fund of the Government of the Russian Federation to the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Russia in 2025 for the provision of a subsidy from the federal budget to the budget of the Tula Region in 2025

    The draft order is aimed at co-financing the expenditure obligations of the Tula region arising from the implementation of measures to create the infrastructure of the innovative scientific and technological center “Innovative Scientific and Technological Center “Composite Valley”.

    Moscow, July 9, 2025

    The content of the press releases of the Department of Press Service and References is a presentation of materials submitted by federal executive bodies for discussion at a meeting of the Government of the Russian Federation.

    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: Government meeting (2025, No. 23).

    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.

    1. On the national report on the progress and results of the implementation in 2024 of the State Program for the Development of Agriculture and Regulation of Agricultural Products, Raw Materials and Food Markets

    The national report is presented by the Ministry of Agriculture of Russia and is a public form of reporting and monitoring of the implementation of the goals, objectives, indicators and targets of the state program.

    2. On the draft amendments of the Government of the Russian Federation to the draft federal law No. 924067–8 “On Amendments to the Budget Code of the Russian Federation”

    The draft amendments are aimed at clarifying the provisions of the draft federal law adopted by the State Duma in the first reading.

    3. On the draft amendments of the Government of the Russian Federation to the draft federal law No. 782260–8 “On Amendments to Part One of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation and Articles 12 and 30 of the Federal Law “On Enforcement Proceedings”

    The draft amendments are aimed at taking into account the comments and suggestions made during the consideration of the bill in the first reading in the State Duma.

    4. On the draft federal law “On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of the Russian Federation” (in terms of establishing additional grounds for reviewing court decisions that have entered into legal force)

    The adoption of the bill will bring the provisions of the Civil Procedure Code, the Arbitration Procedure Code and the Code of Administrative Procedure into line with the legal position of the Constitutional Court.

    5. On the draft amendments of the Government of the Russian Federation to the draft federal law No. 487723–8 “On Amendments to Articles 194 and 202 of the Housing Code of the Russian Federation”

    The draft amendments are aimed at improving the procedure for granting a license to carry out entrepreneurial activity in the management of apartment buildings.

    6. On the allocation of budgetary appropriations from the reserve fund of the Government of the Russian Federation to the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Russia in 2025 for the provision of a subsidy from the federal budget to the budget of the Tula Region in 2025

    The draft order is aimed at co-financing the expenditure obligations of the Tula region arising from the implementation of measures to create the infrastructure of the innovative scientific and technological center “Innovative Scientific and Technological Center “Composite Valley”.

    Moscow, July 9, 2025

    The content of the press releases of the Department of Press Service and References is a presentation of materials submitted by federal executive bodies for discussion at a meeting of the Government of the Russian Federation.

    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: Reps. Goldman, Raskin Lead Judiciary Democrats in Demanding AG Bondi Release Special Counsel Jack Smith’s Report on Trump’s Mishandling of Classified Documents, Epstein Files

    Source: US Congressman Dan Goldman (NY-10)

    AG Bondi’s Politicized DOJ Has Refused to Release Documents Containing Damaging Information on the President 

     

    Read the Letter Here 

    Washington, D.C. — Congressmen Dan Goldman (NY-10) and Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee Jamie Raskin (MD-08) led Committee Democrats in an oversight letter demanding Attorney General Pam Bondi release the entirety of Special Counsel Jack Smith’s report on President Donald Trump’s refusal to return classified documents after he left office, along with any evidence in the Epstein files mentioning Trump, that the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) have withheld from the public. 

    “Five months ago, the Department of Justice (DOJ) dismissed the pending case against Walt Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira, depriving the American public of an opportunity to hear the evidence of how they conspired with Donald Trump to help him stash hundreds of highly classified records at his Mar-a-Lago Club, defy subpoenas, obstruct law enforcement, hide evidence, and lie about his continuing retention of these records. Since then, you have continued to conceal the evidence against Donald Trump and his co-conspirators by refusing to release the report of Special Counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into this matter. You have done so even as House Judiciary Committee Republicans continue to make baseless claims of bias and misconduct on the part of Special Counsel Smith and compel testimony from members of his team—all without a shred of evidence. Your conduct is particularly worrisome as it appears to be part of a pattern of using the DOJ to cover up evidence of criminal wrongdoing by President Trump, including information allegedly contained in the Epstein files. We write today to demand that you release the Smith report immediately, as well as any evidence mentioning or referencing Donald Trump in the Epstein files,” the Members wrote. 

    Volume I of the Special Counsel’s report was released publicly by Attorney General Merrick Garland in January, but DOJ did not release Volume II at that time due to a pending case against Trump co-defendants Waltine Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira. The case was dismissed in February after Trump’s DOJ moved to drop it, but Attorney General Bondi has sought to indefinitely block the disclosure of the remainer of the report. 

    While refusing to release the full report, DOJ is cooperating with House Republicans’ continued probe of Special Counsel Smith’s investigation and prosecution of President Trump in a desperate and failed effort to find evidence of bias or misconduct. DOJ has acquiesced to Chairman Jim Jordan’s requests for testimony of line-level prosecutors in Special Counsel Smith’s office, without objections or restrictions—a position at odds with the Department’s longstanding policy to protect line prosecutors and prosecutorial deliberations. 

    The Trump Administration has consistently hidden from the public materials and information that may be damaging to Trump. Earlier this month, former senior administration official Elon Musk posted on X that President Trump “is in the Epstein files. That is the real reason they have not been made public.” 

    In February, DOJ and the FBI came under intense public criticism for releasing a “first phase” of the Epstein files that consisted largely of information that was already public. Despite reportedly ordering hundreds of agents to work marathon sessions in order to prepare more batches of records for public release, Attorney General Bondi has not released additional records. Just this week, the FBI stated that it has determined “no further disclosure would be appropriate or warranted.”   

    “The American people deserve uncensored answers and authentic transparency from this Administration and a full understanding of Mr. Trump’s actions. We call on you to stop protecting your boss and former client, release the Smith report in full without redactions immediately, and publicly release all documents in the Epstein files that mention or reference Donald Trump,” the Members concluded. 

    Today’s letter follows a months-long push by House Judiciary Democrats for the full public release of Special Counsel Smith’s report. In February, Congressman Goldman and Ranking Member Raskin led Democrats in a letter to Attorney General Bondi urging her to release Volume Two of Special Counsel Smith’s report. In January, Congressman Goldman and Ranking Member Raskin led House Judiciary Democrats in sending a letter to then-Attorney General Garland, urging him to take all necessary steps to ensure the reports’ release. 
    Read the letter here or below. 

    Dear Attorney General Bondi:

    Five months ago, the Department of Justice (DOJ) dismissed the pending case against Waltine Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira, depriving the American public of an opportunity to hear the evidence of how they conspired with Donald Trump to help him stash hundreds of highly classified records at his Mar-a-Lago Club, defy subpoenas, obstruct law enforcement, hide evidence, and lie about his continuing retention of these records. Since then, you have continued to conceal the evidence against Donald Trump and his co-conspirators by refusing to release the report of Special Counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into this matter. You have done so even as House Judiciary Committee Republicans continue to make baseless claims of bias and misconduct on the part of Special Counsel Smith and compel testimony from members of his team—all without a shred of evidence. Your conduct is particularly worrisome as it appears to be part of a pattern of using the DOJ to cover up evidence of criminal wrongdoing by President Trump, including information allegedly contained in the Epstein files. We write today to demand that you release the Smith report immediately, as well as any evidence mentioning or referencing Donald Trump in the Epstein files.

    Attorney General Merrick Garland publicly released Volume I of Mr. Smith’s report in January, consistent with DOJ regulations, longstanding precedent, and the orders of both Judge Aileen Cannon and the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals. At that time, the DOJ did not publicly release Volume II of Special Counsel Smith’s report—regarding his investigation into Mr. Trump’s retention of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago Club after his first term in office—to avoid any prejudice to President Trump’s co-defendants, Waltine Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira, while the criminal case against them was still ongoing. The DOJ has since dropped the case against Mr. Nauta and Mr. De Oliveira, and their case was dismissed on February 11, 2025. Yet, according to DOJ’s court filing in March 2025, you have sought to indefinitely block the disclosure of the remainder of the report.

    This position is plainly impossible to reconcile with the Department’s regulations and longstanding practice of publicly releasing reports by special counsels. Your predecessor Attorney General Garland released, in full and without any redactions, three special counsel reports written during his tenure: Special Counsel Robert Hur’s report on President Joe Biden’s possession of classified documents, Special Counsel David Weiss’ report on Hunter Biden’s tax and gun offenses, and V olume One of Special Counsel Jack Smith’s report on President Trump’s efforts to remain in power after losing the 2020 presidential election. Attorney General Garland also released Special Counsel John Durham’s report on the origins of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) investigation of links between Russian officials and Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign.

    Your approach is also at odds with your decision to cooperate with House Republicans’ continued probe of Special Counsel Smith’s investigation and prosecution of President Trump in their failed effort to find any evidence of bias or misconduct. Thus far, Chairman Jordan has taken the deposition of Jay Bratt, Counselor to Special Counsel Smith, who asserted his Fifth Amendment privilege due to reasonable concerns that he was being targeted by the Trump Administration for doing his duty as a prosecutor. Committee Republicans have also requested and obtained the testimony of two additional former line-level prosecutors in Special Counsel Smith’s office, which Chairman Jordan baselessly accused of having “orchestrated a partisan and politically motivated prosecution of President Donald J. Trump and his co-defendants.” Your DOJ has acquiesced to these requests without objections or restrictions, taking a highly unusual position at odds with decades of longstanding DOJ policy to protect line prosecutors and prosecutorial deliberations.

     It is particularly instructive that you have apparently decided to allow prosecutors to testify about their years long investigation of President Trump, even as you refuse to release the fruit of that investigation, forcing the prosecutors to defend themselves essentially with hands tied behind their backs. DOJ officials have also repeatedly sought to disparage and discredit Special Counsel Smith’s investigation. Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove —in his confirmation hearing for his nomination by President Trump to the Third Circuit Court of Appeals attacked Mr. Smith’s office as weaponized and falsely claimed that members of Mr. Smith’s team “act[ed] based on their political beliefs as opposed to the law.” Just as revealing, Chairman Jordan has refused to join our calls for the release of the full Smith report— presumably a key piece of evidence in his investigation—although he professed in his March 17, 2025, letter to you to “share your commitment to restoring accountability and transparency to the Department.”

     This Administration has repeatedly claimed that President Trump is “the most transparent and accessible president in American history.” So far, your DOJ has not only failed to live up to this promise, but you have also consistently hidden from the American public materials and information that may be damaging to President Trump. Earlier last month, Elon Musk, the former senior advisor to President Trump and head of the Department of Government Efficiency, posted on his social media website, X, that President Trump “is in the Epstein files. That is the real reason they have not been made public.” His tweet, which has since been deleted, was clearly referring to records related to the investigation of Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted sex offender, in the possession of the FBI and DOJ.

    At his confirmation hearing, Director Patel vowed to release the Epstein files, stating that he would “make sure the American public knows the full weight of what happened.”17 In February 2025, you came under intense public criticism after releasing the “first phase” of roughly 200 pages of the Epstein files that consisted largely of information that was already public. Subsequently, you reportedly ordered hundreds of FBI agents, many of whom were usually focusing on national security matters, to review the Epstein files. Agents that were assigned for this review reportedly “clocked more than 100 hours of work over the most recent two-week pay period, including a marathon session last weekend, during which they slept on desks while waiting for new batches of Epstein records to process.” In April, you claimed the FBI was reviewing “tens of thousands of videos” of Mr. Epstein “with children or child porn.” Despite this immense effort, no additional Epstein records have been released, and just this week, the FBI stated that it has determined “no further disclosure would be appropriate or warranted.” This raises the question of whether the White House has moved to prevent the declassification and public release of the full Epstein files because they implicate President Trump, and whether these massive redaction efforts and the withholding of the files were intended to shield your boss from embarrassing revelations within those files.

    It is not a coincidence that President Trump installed his personal legal team to top positions at the DOJ, appointing you, Todd Blanche, Emil Bove who all served as his defense counsel at one time or another—to the three most senior positions at DOJ, and Stanley Woodward, defense counsel for Mr. Trump’s co-defendant Waltine Nauta in the classified documents case, as the Associate Attorney General, another top position at the DOJ. By doing so, DOJ has all but turned into President Trump’s personal law firm, ensuring that damaging information about him would remain hidden from public view. The American people deserve uncensored answers and authentic transparency from this Administration and a full understanding of Mr. Trump’s actions. We call on you to stop protecting your boss and former client, release the Smith report in full without redactions immediately, and publicly release all documents in the Epstein files that mention or reference Donald Trump. 

    ### 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cityland: Congressman Goldman Outlines Solutions to Lack of Public Trust in Government

    Source: US Congressman Dan Goldman (NY-10)

    New York, NY – In June, Congressman Dan Goldman delivered the keynote speech at the New York Law School’s 199th CityLaw Breakfast, titled: “Democracy on the Brink: Corruption and the Public Trust.” In his keynote, Goldman outlined the damage being done by rampant public corruption to public confidence in government and the social contract. Goldman then outlined a pathway forward that ranged from changes in broader civic culture to specific legislative items. 

    Read coverage of the keynote from CityLand here and below, read Goldman’s remarks as prepared here, and watch Goldman’s full speech here. 
    CityLand: Congressman Goldman Outlines Solutions to Lack of Public Trust in Government 

    By Ili Pecullan 

    July 8, 2025 

    According to Congressman Dan Goldman, a second-term Democrat representing New York’s 10th Congressional District, the fundamental principles of American democracy are being tested like never before. But even as he identifies abuses of power by President Donald Trump and the self-inflicted fraying of checks and balances thanks to decisions by Republicans who have the majority in both houses of Congress and decisions by the conservative-led Supreme Court, Goldman also sees bipartisan problems that shake public trust in government. And he is calling for action to reverse worsening trends while planning to rewrite the public corruption rulebook. 

    On June 17, Goldman appeared at New York Law School, where he was the featured speaker for the school’s 199th CityLaw Breakfast hosted by its Center for New York City and State Law. Goldman’s speech, which was followed by a brief audience Q&A, was titled, “Democracy on the Brink: Corruption and the Public Trust.” 

    Goldman is a former federal prosecutor as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of New York and served as the lead counsel in the first impeachment of President Donald Trump, which revolved around his efforts to leverage aid to Ukraine for his personal political purposes. His district includes Lower Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn, and was newly drawn in the post-Census redistricting process earlier this decade. 

    In his talk, Goldman outlined many ways in which he sees Trump abusing his power and not being held to account by Republicans in Congress or the Supreme Court, but also several other examples of both Democrats and Republicans betraying the public trust. He provided a series of recommendations for legislative action Congress could take to prevent corruption across the three branches of the federal government and down through other levels as well, and explained how he is working to advance solutions. 

    Goldman cited, for example, Trump accepting a luxury jet from the royal family of Qatar without the consent of Congress and selling VIP White House tours to the top buyers of his cryptocurrency to advance his own financial interests. According to Goldman, Trump’s actions in this term and his prior one are both cause and effect of the public’s growing assumption that all politicians are corrupt, the broader loss of trust in government, Republicans’ failure to hold their own accountable, and both parties’ failure to fix the system. 

    “When those in power use their position to enrich themselves, to favor their allies, or to punish their enemies, that social contract begins to dissolve, and that broken trust is in my view what has paved the way for the resurrection of the current president of the White House,” Goldman said. 

    During his speech, Goldman expressed shock and dismay over ways in which the Legislature and Supreme Court have reduced their own power to allow Trump to have more. He also referenced recent corruption cases involving Democrats, like former New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez, who was convicted on public corruption charges, and New York City Mayor Eric Adams, who was indicted on public corruption charges that were then dismissed at the Trump administration’s behest in a widely criticized deal. 

    Among Goldman’s suggested solutions to the practices that have put U.S. democracy in a precarious state are changes in broader civic culture to specific legislative items. He stressed the need for a “renewed commitment to ethical government from candidates,” including holding themselves and members of their own party to a higher standard. For example, members of Congress should not buy individual stocks and should provide full transparency into their campaign finances, helping voters see that politicians are in office to advance the interests of their constituents, not their own personal gain. These actions, which Congress should work to make required by law, he said, would increase public trust in elected officials and provide new checks on their behavior. He referenced putting his own vast investment portfolio into a blind trust upon taking office in 2023. 

    “We can no longer trust that our elected officials, especially our president, will view the plain language of the Constitution as binding,” Goldman said, pointing to the need for new laws. Congress must pass legislation to clearly codify elements of the Constitution that prevent corruption, such as the Hatch Act and the Emoluments Clause, he said. Additionally, Goldman said, “I believe we must draft legislation to codify the independence of the Department of Justice from personal influence by the President.” 

    Goldman also said he is in the process of rewriting federal public corruption laws, in order to ensure that all politicians have a “clear and uniform understanding of what is and is not official corruption.” Not only is there a lack of clarity in the current public corruption laws, he said, but the Supreme Court has also narrowed the reach of federal corruption laws through several rulings. These changes, which he indicated he will propose in the near future, would not only help restore more balance of power in the federal government, he said, but show voters that they can better trust candidates, elected officials, and government. 

    Goldman closed his speech by also addressing the important role that voters play in preventing government corruption and holding politicians accountable.  “We can, we must, we will do better,” he said. “History is watching us.” 

    ### 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New Storm Shadow and missile cooperation to boost jobs as UK and France reboot defence relationship

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    New Storm Shadow and missile cooperation to boost jobs as UK and France reboot defence relationship

    A new ‘Entente Industrielle’ will support thousands of UK jobs across projects including air-to air missiles

    Britain and France are to order more highly lethal Storm Shadow cruise missiles, while stepping up work on its replacement as part of a new refreshed agreement signed today (Thursday 10 July). 

    The new agreement will see the UK and France commit to launch the next phase of their joint project for both deep strike and anti-ship missiles – a step closer to selecting a final design for Storm Shadow’s replacement. 

    The joint development effort will sustain 1,300 highly skilled jobs across the UK, boosting the economy in line with the Government’s Plan for Change. Upgrading the existing Storm Shadow production lines will support more than 300 jobs at manufacturer MBDA. 

    The Prime Minister and President Emmanuel Macron will also today agree to deepen their nuclear cooperation and work more closely than ever before on nuclear deterrence.

    In an important step forward for the UK-France nuclear partnership – a newly signed declaration will state for the first time that the respective deterrents of both countries are independent but can be co-ordinated, and that there is no extreme threat to Europe that would not prompt a response by both nations.

    As such, any adversary threatening the vital interests of Britain or France could be confronted by the strength of the nuclear forces of both nations. Co-operation between both countries on nuclear research will also deepen, while working together to uphold the international non-proliferation architecture.

    The UK and France are Europe’s only nuclear powers, with deterrents that contribute significantly to the overall security of NATO and the Euro-Atlantic.

    Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, said:

    From war in Europe, to new nuclear risks and daily cyber-attacks – the threats we face are multiplying.

    As close partners and NATO allies, the UK and France have a deep history of defence collaboration and today’s agreements take our partnership to the next level. 

    We stand ready to use our shared might to advance our joint capabilities – equipping us for the decades to come while supporting thousands of UK jobs and keeping our people safe. 

    Defence Secretary, John Healey MP, said:   

    The UK and France are stepping up together to meet today’s threats and tomorrow’s challenges. We are committed to driving defence as an engine for growth, delivering better fighting capabilities faster, and ensuring our armed forces can operate side by side – from the High North to the Black Sea. 

    This partnership strengthens our leadership in Europe, ensures continued support for Ukraine, and sends a clear signal to our adversaries that we stand stronger, together.

    By deepening defence industrial cooperation with France, it will boost the UK’s own national resilience, ability to deter against attacks, and defend against threats, reinforcing the contribution to NATO.

    The new partnerships will be developed under the refreshed Lancaster House agreement through a new ‘Entente Industrielle’ making defence an engine for growth. 

    These partnerships include:   

    • Agreeing to build the next generation of deep strike, anti-ship missiles, replacing the lethally effective Storm Shadow. This new joint effort will sustain 1,300 high skilled jobs in the UK, boosting the UK economy in line with the Government’s Plan for Change
    • Upgrading the existing Storm Shadow cruise missile production lines in Stevenage to bolster national stockpiles, supporting more than 300 jobs within MBDA and the wider supply chain and making defence investment an engine for growth
    • Jointly developing the next generation of beyond visual range air-to-air missiles for the Royal Air Force’s fighter jets 
    • Starting work on new advanced weapons to give an advantage against adversaries. This will include a new partnership to develop high-tech radiofrequency weapons such as microwave weapons and jammers that could be used to shoot down threats like drones and missiles 
    • The UK and France will also look to harness the power of AI to make their missiles and drones more lethal, by developing algorithms for synchronised strikes

    Under an ambitious new package of defence cooperation under the Lancaster House 2.0 declaration, both countries’ militaries will work closer together than ever before. Recognising the increased threat to European security, the UK and France will expand its jointly deployable force, refocusing it on defending Europe, moving to warfighting readiness to deter, and countering any adversaries. 

    The Combined Joint Force will be able to command a Combined UK/French Corps for the first time – the highest scale of deployed ground forces from a command perspective – made up of thousands of troops and working side-by-side with NATO allies.  

    For the first time it will also integrate space and cyber to counter new threats, boosting the abilities of the UK and France’s joint forces to quickly respond to developments on the battlefield through increased awareness and responsiveness supported by data from beyond just the ground, sea, and air.

    The Combined Joint Force is a crucial step forward in the UK and France stepping up their leadership within NATO, setting a clear path to meet the Government’s Strategic Defence Review commitment of NATO’s strategic Reserve Corp and stepping up on European security. 

    The UK and France will reaffirm their joint leadership of the Coalition of the Willing – a group of over 30 nations working together to coordinate military support for Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire. The CJF structures provide the bedrock for the coalition, enabling allies to operate under UK-French leadership.  

    This will include cooperating further on an integrated missile system to defend Europe. The UK-led DIAMOND initiative will improve NATO’s integrated air and missile defence by ensuring that the different air defence systems across the Alliance operate better and more jointly across the alliance. 

    These new agreements will continue to build on the Government’s first priority of keeping the country safe, which is a foundation of the Plan for Change.

    Updates to this page

    Published 9 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: From robotic trucks to smart bins: how technology is helping cities sort their waste problem

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Breno Nunes, Associate professor in Sustainable Operations Management, Aston University

    Since early January 2025, residents of Birmingham in the UK have been caught in the dispute between the city council and the Unite union over pay, terms and conditions for waste and recycling collectors. The latest attempt at talks broke down in acrimony.

    At one point during the crisis, there were 17 tonnes of uncollected rubbish in Birmingham. Businesses and residents face public health and safety risks including pest infestations and the spread of disease and fire hazards.

    These have tainted the reputation of the city and hurt its chances of hosting events and attracting visitors. The news of cat-sized rats in Birmingham has made headlines from the US to Australia.



    Read more:
    Birmingham bin strikes: a threat to public health

    Workers’ pay is being negotiated between the union and the council in Birmingham. However, this is a fairly dangerous job and, with an ageing population, it may become more difficult to hire new workers. We argue that a more fair approach would be to use technology to help transition workers (including through training) towards better paid and safer positions.

    This would be an opportunity to build more sustainable waste management in the UK’s second largest city and beyond. Advances in robotics and AI are making automated refuse collection a reality, for example. Some cities in the US, Canada and parts of Europe already use robotics-enabled equipment in their refuse collection systems.

    A shortage of skilled personnel threatens the transition towards a greener economy. People have to be at the centre of the solution. In this case, skilled workers are needed to keep different types of waste separate and so improve recycling rates.

    The recovery value can be high for certain products such as electronics, automotive parts, as well as materials like plastic and metal. This is still difficult for machines to do.

    Smart bins and automated trucks

    Birmingham city council has already proposed improvements to waste collection. Based on publicly available information, it aims at increasing the number of rubbish trucks, reducing the number of collection days and retraining refuse collectors. But it has yet to take full advantage of existing advanced technologies.

    The plan, for instance, proposes improving communication with residents about collection day via text messages. While welcome, this is rather basic. It was only during the pandemic that all recycling centres started using online booking systems. Prior to that, endless queues were common – wasting time and increasing emissions with traffic jams.

    We argue that a whole-systems approach is needed to make the most of the opportunities new technology affords. Automated side loader trucks and smart bins are already used in various cities – the latter use sensors to monitor waste volumes and predict when collection is needed. The council could analyse the strengths and weaknesses of each technology in different areas of the city.

    Side loader trucks, which can lift up large bins and empty them, automate a dangerous process and are already considered a mature technology, used in cities across the US, Canada and Sweden. These trucks are difficult to drive in narrow streets. But, where appropriate, their benefits include increased productivity, reduced collection costs and greater worker safety.

    Sensors embedded in the vehicle, including from cameras, can provide data on the distribution of waste in different areas. This helps to produce a waste map. AI algorithms can analyse the data and provide customised collection schedules that optimise the use of trucks in the collection fleet. The algorithms can learn and be continuously revised to improve the service.

    In busy areas of the city, information from smart bins can prevent rubbish accumulating. Advanced machine learning techniques can then be employed to further optimise the collection schedule by detecting, for instance, anomalies such as a sudden increase in some types of waste. Such systems can provide more adaptable solutions and increase the productivity of officers.

    Recent improvements in imaging techniques and chemical analysis can help to identify different waste materials and allow automatic sorting, and the identification of hazardous waste.

    Other technological solutions, such as the use of smart underground large storage containers as communal bins allow for less frequent collections, but they may require significant changes to both infrastructure and trucks. These already exist in parts of Spain.

    Pneumatic waste collection systems have been tested in Wembley, a suburb in northwest London. In this system, waste is sucked through underground pipes by a fan system at speeds approaching 50mph to a central point, where it is stored in airtight containers until further treatment takes place. More than 30 countries adopt this system.

    Educating the public is vital too. Reducing waste in the first place is a good way to save money and would reduce pressure on waste collection systems.

    As far as Birmingham goes, overlooking advanced technologies won’t make the council’s task of satisfying residents and waste collection teams any easier. We think a lot of people would be happier to see more robotics trucks and smart bins than more rats in the streets.

    Breno Nunes receives funding from InnovateUK for a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) project on sustainable manufacturing strategy.

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

    – ref. From robotic trucks to smart bins: how technology is helping cities sort their waste problem – https://theconversation.com/from-robotic-trucks-to-smart-bins-how-technology-is-helping-cities-sort-their-waste-problem-260023

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Sound recordings can give us an animals’ eye view of the war in Ukraine

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Janine Natalya Clark, Professor of Transitional Justice and International Criminal Law, University of Birmingham

    The documentary film, Animals in War, tells the story of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine from the point of view of the animals affected by the conflict. Sota Cinema Group

    The 2025 Tribeca Film Festival in New York included a world premiere of War Through the Eyes of Animals (also known as Animals in War). The documentary gives an animals-eye view of Russia’s war against Ukraine and features the wartime experiences of several different species, including a cow, a rabbit and a wolf.

    Throughout history, animals have been affected by war and exposed to its many dangers. Despite this, war is usually discussed from human-centred perspectives that marginalise animal experiences.

    My own work on the Russia-Ukraine war uses sound as a way of thinking about some of the war’s environmental impacts and the experiences of animals. The idea that sound can provide ecological information is not new. Research has shown how the sounds, for example, of plants and animals can tell us a lot about how their environment is changing. What is new is exploring this in the context of war.

    Trailer for War Through the Eyes of Animals.

    For my research project I interviewed more than 30 Ukrainians, including botanists, ornithologists, herpetologists (who study reptiles and amphibians) and a marine biologist. I also asked them to make short recordings of their local soundscapes.

    A scientist working in Tuzlivski Lymany National Park in the Odesa region of southern Ukraine made a recording of Iranian Shahed drones flying over his office and explained that these “abnormal” sounds greatly affect some species of birds.

    Shahed drones.
    Interviewee recording879 KB (download)

    In 2024, for example, there was a large colony of nesting flamingos in Tuzlivski Lymany. However, noise caused them to abandon their nests, leaving their eggs vulnerable to predators. No chicks were born in the flamingo colony that year. Research in peacetime has found that drones can lead to significant breeding failures among some birds.

    A herpetologist, meanwhile, shared his recording of natterjack toads and European tree frogs that he made in the Volyn region of northern Ukraine the year before the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022.

    Amphibian chorus.
    Interviewee recording985 KB (download)

    What he wanted to convey was that he may never hear this particular “amphibian chorus” again. The area is close to the border with Belarus, and it is unclear what impact the construction of Ukrainian defensive fortifications has had on local animal and plant life.

    I also asked interviewees whether the war has helped nature in any way. In response, they frequently talked about reduced anthropogenic (human-made) pressures on the environment. An example is the ban on hunting, first imposed at the start of the war in eastern Ukraine in 2014.

    Summer meadow.
    Interviewee recording281 KB (download)

    One interviewee recorded a nighttime summer meadow in Kyiv region and captured the distant sound of a fox calling. The prohibition on hunting has enabled foxes to thrive

    Another interviewee made a recording near the Kaniv Nature Reserve in central Ukraine. Alongside birdsong are the barking sounds of roe deer, another species that has benefited from the hunting ban.

    Roe deer.
    Interviewee recording3.98 MB (download)

    Of course, such population increases are not necessarily beneficial to wider ecosystems, as ecologist Aldo Leopold discussed in his classic Thinking like a Mountain (1949). Leopold found that uncontrolled numbers of deer due to the mass killing of wolves in the United States during the first part of the 20th century took a huge toll on the environment. “I have seen every edible bush and seedling browsed”, he wrote”, “first to anaemic desuetude, and then to death”.

    The fact that the Russia-Ukraine war has contributed to reducing some anthropogenic pressures does not in any way minimise the enormity of harm done to nature, including forests, soil and marine ecosystems. Yet it is too narrow to think about the environment only in terms of harms done to it.

    Nature’s recovery

    The Chernobyl Exclusion Zone (CEZ) created following the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in 1986 is often cited as an example of nature’s ability to recover. One of the ornithologists whom I interviewed made a recording of birdsong from within the CEZ, in northern Ukraine.

    Chornobyl.
    Interviewee recording1.97 MB (download)

    When I listen to the recording I am reminded of research which has found that birds have adapted physiologically to radiation exposure within the CEZ.

    Another example of recovery relates to the destruction of the Kakhovka dam in June 2023. When Russian aggressors breached the dam, water drained from the Kakhovka reservoir, leaving it dry. Today, there is a young willow forest growing on the site of the former reservoir.

    To emphasise the resilience of nature, one of my interviewees made an audio recording from the Yelanets Steppe Nature Reserve in the Mykolaiv region in southern Ukraine. Against the acoustic backdrop of wind gusting through the grasslands are the repeated calls of the common pheasant.

    Common Pheasant.
    Interviewee recording2.18 MB (download)

    These sounds of the wild steppe awakening in early spring, the interviewee stressed, are also the sounds of nature getting on with life.

    Birdsong is clearly audible in a recording made by soldiers near the frontline in Kharkiv region.

    Near frontline.
    Made by Ukrainian soldiers801 KB (download)

    Similarly, birds continued to sing over the trenches during the first world war. Some interviewees also pointed out that certain species of birds, including cormorants, herons and white storks, have adapted to the sounds of war, becoming less sensitive to them.

    Justice and reparations

    I am particularly interested in the significance of nature’s sounds in the context of transitional justice – and especially reparations.

    Discourse on environmental reparations focuses on repairing harms done to nature – and sounds can provide useful insights into some of these harms.

    But what is missing from existing scholarship on reparations is attention to some of the ways that ecosystems can and do regenerate and recover. Moving forward, therefore, it is essential to think about how reparations can support (and not disturb) these natural ecosystem processes.

    Janine Natalya Clark receives funding for this research from the Leverhulme Trust (RF-2024-137)

    – ref. Sound recordings can give us an animals’ eye view of the war in Ukraine – https://theconversation.com/sound-recordings-can-give-us-an-animals-eye-view-of-the-war-in-ukraine-260519

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Ukrainian baker rises above adversity

    Source: United Nations 2

    Ms. Honcharenko’s story, like her bread, has risen through layers of loss, resilience, and hope. Before 2014, she lived in Horlivka, in Ukraine’s Donetsk region, working as a doctor at a mine and raising four children with her husband, Dmytro. Life was stable, full of routine and love. 

    When the fighting in Donetsk broke out that year, the family had to leave everything behind and move to nearby Toretsk, which remained under the control of the Ukrainian government.

    “The first few months, I felt completely lost,” she recalled.  “Then I came across an ad for an entrepreneurship course. It asked: ‘What do you know best?’ And I immediately thought – crêpes! I used to make them all the time for my family.”

    © IOM/Anastasiia Rudnieva

    Hanna Honcharenko runs a bakery in Dnipro in eastern Ukraine,

    From that memory, a business was born. She bought a crêpe maker and a coffee machine and rented a tiny space. But it was baking bread that truly called to her.

    “Everyone in my family baked: my mother, my grandmother, but I was never very good at it. I failed again and again. Still, I kept trying. I knew that one day it would work.”

    It did. Today, Ms. Honcharenko’s bakery sells more than 20 types of bread.

    Oven dough

    In 2019, she received a grant from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) that allowed her to purchase a large oven – the heart of her business. It has baked bread through two cities, survived shelling, and been repaired and relocated.

    “When the full-scale war started, all I could think of was how to get the oven out,” she said. “Not money, not documents – the oven. Without it, I wouldn’t be able to start over again.”

    In 2022, Ms. Honcharenko’s and her family were forced to move again – this time to Dnipro. They packed their belongings, their dog, oven, and began again.

    A few weeks later, the bakery reopened.

    © Humanitarian Mission Proliska

    The Donetsk region of Ukraine has been heavily bombed during the war.

    “My son, who had never shown any interest in baking before, said: ‘I’ll bake with you.’ My daughter-in-law took over the counter and my husband renovated the premises. We did everything together. For us, a family business isn’t just a structure – it’s the heart of what we do.”

    Today, Ms. Honcharenko runs two bakeries in Dnipro – one managed by her and the other by her son. In 2023, IOM provided additional support to help her purchase new equipment for the second location. The assistance allowed the family to expand the business and create more job opportunities for other displaced people. 

    Rising star

    The menu includes more than 20 types of bread, cookies, croissants, nuts, cinnamon rolls, and her best-seller: the Donbas poppy seed roll, with three times more poppy seed than dough. “We always have queues for it,” she smiled. “Some recipes didn’t catch on in the new city, but others became iconic. I learn along with my customers.”

    Displaced people were her first customers in Dnipro.

    © IOM/Anastasiia Rudnieva

    The best-selling poppy seed roll, a special family recipe.

    “I wrote on social media: ‘You’re welcome to come for tea and a chat. Just stop by.’ And people did. They were scared and lonely, just like us. We supported each other. Later, Dnipro locals started coming too.”

    “I want to keep this feeling, no matter how much we grow,” she said. “I dream of hiring families: mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, siblings working side by side. Because family is a pillar of support. You can’t rely on anyone like you can rely on your family.”

    Her story is just one of many. Since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion in 2022, IOM has supported over 1,800 Ukrainian micro and small businesses with grants and consultancies to help them adapt to the challenges of a wartime economy. 

    IOM says it remains committed to standing with entrepreneurs across Ukraine, helping them rebuild, grow, and carry on despite the uncertainty.  

    Still, uncertainty lingers. she admits that she still gets scared, especially as attacks on Ukrainian cities continue to affect daily life and customer turnout.

    “When it’s loud at night, it’s quiet in the morning,” she said. “But we open anyway. Someone has to keep life going.” 

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICE Rio Grande Valley investigation results in Georgia woman sentenced for smuggling firearms into Mexico

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    BROWNSVILLE, Texas — A Georgia woman was sentenced for smuggling several firearms and magazines hidden in a vehicle’s gas tank following an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations Rio Grande Valley.

    Mirna Luna, 38, was sentenced July 9 by U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. to a 46-month term of imprisonment to be immediately followed by two years of supervised release. In handing down the sentence, the court noted the seriousness of trafficking of firearms. Luna pleaded guilty April 1.

    “Firearms trafficking poses a significant threat to public safety and national security,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations Rio Grande Valley Deputy Special Agent in Charge Mark Lippa. “This sentence reflects the seriousness of the crime and our commitment to preventing illegal weapons from reaching the hands of criminals and foreign terrorist organizations. HSI will continue to work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to disrupt and dismantle such smuggling operations.”

    According to court documents, Luna traveled from her Canton, Georgia, residence Dec. 15, 2024, and attempted to cross at the Brownsville/Matamoros Port of Entry into Mexico. Once there, authorities had referred her to secondary inspection where they discovered 17 firearms and 27 magazines hidden in the gas tank of the Nissan car she was driving. Luna claimed ownership of the car and admitted she is the only person who drives it. She does not have a license to export firearms and has not applied for one.

    She will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jose Esquivel and Ana Cano from the Southern District of Texas prosecuted the case.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Assisting Flood Recovery Efforts in Texas

    Source: US State of New York

    overnor Kathy Hochul today announced that four New York State Police staff and three canines will deploy to Kerr County, Texas to support search efforts following devastating floods. This assistance was primarily deployed as part of the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC), the nation’s all-hazards national mutual aid system. EMAC has been ratified by the U.S. Congress (PL 104-321) and is law in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the Northern Mariana Islands. EMAC’s Members can share resources from all disciplines, protect personnel who deploy and be reimbursed for mission-related costs.

    “Our hearts break for the tragic loss of life in Texas, and we are sending our prayers as they continue to heal and recover from this devastating flooding,” Governor Hochul said. “New York State is committed to helping those in need, and I am grateful for our State Police personnel who will be assisting officials in Kerr County as they continue their search efforts.”

    Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services Commissioner Jackie Bray said, “Disaster recovery requires an immense amount of resources and we are grateful to be able to answer the call to help when needed. New York is always prepared to support our neighbors in moments of need, and our thoughts are with the people of Texas.”

    New York State Superintendent Steven G. James said, “The New York State Police is proud to support the people of Texas during this difficult time. Our Troopers and canines are trained for exactly these types of missions, and we are honored to assist in the search and recovery efforts. Whether here at home or across the country, we stand ready to help when called.”

    New York State has a history of deploying resources to neighbors in need. In 2024, More than 200 emergency management staff members from numerous State agencies responded to calls for help in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida following Hurricanes Helene and Milton in October and November. Team members included staff from the National Guard, Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, Department of Transportation, Department of Environmental Conservation, New York State Police, Thruway Authority, Agriculture and Markets, Office of Information Technology Services, New York City and Ulster and Montgomery counties.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: APA Corporation Provides Second-Quarter 2025 Supplemental Information and Schedules Results Conference Call for August 7 at 10 a.m. Central Time

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    HOUSTON, July 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — APA Corporation (Nasdaq: APA) today provided supplemental information regarding certain second-quarter 2025 financial and operational results. This information is intended only to provide additional information regarding current estimates management believes will affect results for the second-quarter 2025. It is provided to assist investors, analysts and others in formulating their own estimates, and is not intended to be a comprehensive presentation of all factors that will affect second-quarter 2025 results. Actual results and the impact of factors identified here may vary depending on the impact of other factors not identified here and are subject to finalization of the financial reporting process for second-quarter 2025.

    Estimated Average Realized Prices – 2Q25
      Oil (bbl) NGL (bbl) Natural Gas (Mcf)
    United States $64.85 $19.80 $1.00
    International $66.20 $41.60 $4.00
    Egypt tax barrels: 32 – 33 MBoe/d
    Dry hole costs (before tax): $30 – $35 million
    Net gain on oil and gas purchases and sales (before tax)*: $158 million

    *Includes the impact of realized gain/loss from commodity derivatives

    Production update

    APA curtailed approximately 10 MMcf/d of U.S. natural gas production and 750 barrels per day of U.S. natural gas liquids production in the second quarter in response to weak or negative Waha hub prices.

    Asset sale update

    In May, APA announced an agreement to divest assets in New Mexico. The sales package closed in June, resulting in an approximate 1.8 MBoe/d (33% oil), reduction to APA’s second quarter U.S. production. APA’s previous full-year 2025 U.S. production guidance issued in May contemplated approximately 13.0 MBoe/d (50% oil) from the sold New Mexico assets in the second half of 2025. Total net proceeds from the asset sale, after certain customary closing adjustments and transaction costs, were approximately $575 million.

    Weighted-average shares outstanding

    The estimated weighted-average basic common shares for the second quarter is 361 million.

    Second-quarter 2025 earnings call

    APA will host a conference call to discuss its second-quarter 2025 results at 10 a.m. Central time, Thursday, August 7. The conference call will be webcast from APA’s website at www.apacorp.com and investor.apacorp.com. Following the conference call, a replay will be available for one year on the “Investors” page of the company’s website.

    About APA

    APA Corporation owns consolidated subsidiaries that explore for and produce oil and natural gas in the United States, Egypt and the United Kingdom and that explore for oil and natural gas offshore Suriname and elsewhere. APA posts announcements, operational updates, investor information and press releases on its website, www.apacorp.com.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as “anticipates,” “intends,” “plans,” “seeks,” “believes,” “continues,” “could,” “estimates,” “expects,” “goals,” “guidance,” “may,” “might,” “outlook,” “possibly,” “potential,” “projects,” “prospects,” “should,” “will,” “would,” and similar references to future periods, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. These statements include, but are not limited to, statements about future plans, expectations, and objectives for operations, including statements about our capital plans, drilling plans, production expectations, asset sales, and monetizations. While forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and analyses made by us that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances, whether actual results and developments will meet our expectations and predictions depend on a number of risks and uncertainties which could cause our actual results, performance, and financial condition to differ materially from our expectations. See “Risk Factors” in APA’s Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, and in our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission for a discussion of risk factors that affect our business. Any forward-looking statement made in this news release speaks only as of the date on which it is made. Factors or events that could cause our actual results to differ may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all of them. APA and its subsidiaries undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future development or otherwise, except as may be required by law.

    Contacts

    Investor: (281) 302-2286
    Media: (713) 296-7276
    Website: www.apacorp.com

    APA-F

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Charges against Canadian Army members in anti-government terror plot raise alarms about right-wing extremism

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Kawser Ahmed, Adjunct Professor at the Political Science department, University of Winnipeg

    This week, the RCMP arrested four men in Québec, alleging they were attempting to create an anti-government militia.

    The RCMP used the umbrella term “Ideologically Motivated Violent Extremism” to categorize the suspects. Essentially, this means the RCMP alleges they share violent right-wing ideologies. Their arrests raise questions about whether Canada’s problem with right-wing extremism is getting worse.

    The group is accused of storing explosive devices, dozens of firearms and thousands of rounds of ammunition. The RCMP seized all of it, and the four suspects are due to appear in Québec City court next week. Three are charged with facilitating a terrorist activity, along with weapon-possession offences.

    The suspects include active members of the Canadian Armed Forces, according to the RCMP. Given the allegations that they were planning terrorist attacks for an extremist militia, the inclusion of army personnel might not be surprising.

    But it could represent a stark manifestation of a deeply troubling and accelerating trend: the rise of violent right-wing extremism and anti-government or anti-authority radicalization within western democracies. This is a shift dramatically exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic as many seized the opportunity to spread anti-government ideas based on restricted freedoms.

    Raphaël Lagacé, one of the suspects charged by the RCMP.
    (Instagram)

    Canada not immune to violent movements

    Canada often thinks it’s safe from violent movements, but it’s becoming more vulnerable. This is especially evident in places like Québec, where there has been ideological conflict in the past, including the massacre at a Québec mosque in January 2017.

    However, the threat is also clear on a national level.

    According to a Canadian intelligence report, far-right extremist groups actively recruit past and present members of the military and police.

    There’s also a long-running pattern of militia activity in North America. Activities in the United States show how dangerous it is when violent ideologies spread.

    This includes the nihilistic doctrine of accelerationism, which is a white-supremacist belief that the current state of society cannot be fixed and that the only way to repair it is to destroy and collapse the “system”.

    There are versions of accelerationism on both the right and left.

    The rise in right-wing extremism globally

    The charges in Québec shine a spotlight on the global trend of rising right-wing extremism that has been worsening since 2016.

    In the past decade, white supremacist, anti-government and militia groups have gained traction. That’s due in part to online echo chambers, growing political and social divisions and the rise and rapid spread of conspiracy theories.

    The U.S. is the best and most immediate example. Groups like the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys are well-known, playing a significant role in the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. These groups are keen to recruit current and former military and law enforcement officers because they know how to handle weapons and use explosives.

    In 2023, the FBI repeatedly said domestic violent extremism continues to pose a threat, especially racially or ethnically motivated extremists and anti-government groups.

    Accelerationism is behind a lot of this violence. It underpins efforts to speed up the disintegration of society through targeted violence and technology, with the goal of starting a racial war or civil war to bring down liberal democratic institutions.

    The Base is an example of this trend. It’s a multinational, trans-border white supremacist network that supports violence to create chaos.

    But this is not just a North American problem. Before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, far-right members of the Ukrainian Azov Regiment reportedly drew western extremists to their cause, many of whom were looking for paramilitary training, possibly to use against their own governments.

    Canada: The Base, the ‘freedom convoy’

    This global tide doesn’t leave Canada out. The arrests in Québec are the most recent and concerning example.

    Patrik Mathews, a former Canadian Army reservist from Winnipeg, was involved in a well-known Canadian case that involved recruiting for The Base, as well as a plot to harm a journalist, Canadian investigative journalist Ryan Thorpe. His reports in the Winnipeg Free Press exposed Mathew’s membership in the The Base.

    Mathew fled to the U.S. in 2019. The FBI subsequently arrested him and charged him with gun-related crimes and taking part in a riot at a Virginia protest. Mathew is now serving a long prison sentence for his part in what the FBI called a “neo-Nazi plot to instigate a race war in the United States.”

    These examples clearly show how extremists work within national military systems to learn tactical capabilities.

    The so-called “freedom convoy” occupation of Ottawa in 2022 also showed troubling connections between radicalism and some parts of the Canadian Armed Forces.

    Investigations found numerous active and former Army members were either actively involved with the convoy or donated a lot of money. Some were found to have posted extreme anti-government views online. Some Army members are also vulnerable to the right-wing ideologies of a “white-ethnostate” fuelled by political rhetoric and hate.

    All of this paints a bleak picture: extremist ideas are slowly taking hold in Canada as adherents aim to leverage military training to spread cynicism in democratic institutions. Previous studies back this up.

    Countering the threat

    To deal with this complicated and changing threat, we need a whole society, integrated approach that includes reliable top-down enforcement and monitoring and proactive, bottom-up societal resilience.

    To quickly disrupt and deter extremist groups, top-down actions are very important. To properly monitor, penetrate and break up violent extremist networks, law enforcement and security services like CSIS and the RCMP need more resources, updated laws and better co-ordination.

    It’s also important for the Canadian Armed Forces and other security-sensitive organizations to have better screening processes to find and purge those with extremist ideas.

    But law enforcement isn’t enough. For one, it could be seen as biased, which could lead to more radicalization. Bottom-up methods are just as important for long-term prevention.

    We need programs that provide teachers, social workers, community leaders and families with the tools they need to spot early signs of radicalization and do something about it in a positive way.



    Read more:
    How not to counter the radical right

    Dialogue, education

    It’s important to teach people how to think critically, read the news to fight false information and learn about civic duties that stress democratic principles and diversity. This is especially critical to fight against rising hate-motivated crimes.

    I am involved in a one such project. It’s called Extremism and Radicalization to Violence Prevention in Manitoba (ERIM). We strive to build resilient communities by creating awareness and early detection of radicalism.

    Dialogue and education are paramount.

    Canada can’t afford to wait for a disaster to happen before acting. It can’t let its soldiers — those tasked with protecting Canadians and Canada’s security — get caught up in right-wing extremism. They are a source of national pride and should remain so.

    Kawser Ahmed has led a Public Safety project called Extremism and Radicalization to Violence Prevention in Manitoba (ERIM)

    – ref. Charges against Canadian Army members in anti-government terror plot raise alarms about right-wing extremism – https://theconversation.com/charges-against-canadian-army-members-in-anti-government-terror-plot-raise-alarms-about-right-wing-extremism-260778

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Charges against Canadian Army members in anti-government terror plot raise alarms about right-wing extremism

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Kawser Ahmed, Adjunct Professor at the Political Science department, University of Winnipeg

    This week, the RCMP arrested four men in Québec, alleging they were attempting to create an anti-government militia.

    The RCMP used the umbrella term “Ideologically Motivated Violent Extremism” to categorize the suspects. Essentially, this means the RCMP alleges they share violent right-wing ideologies. Their arrests raise questions about whether Canada’s problem with right-wing extremism is getting worse.

    The group is accused of storing explosive devices, dozens of firearms and thousands of rounds of ammunition. The RCMP seized all of it, and the four suspects are due to appear in Québec City court next week. Three are charged with facilitating a terrorist activity, along with weapon-possession offences.

    The suspects include active members of the Canadian Armed Forces, according to the RCMP. Given the allegations that they were planning terrorist attacks for an extremist militia, the inclusion of army personnel might not be surprising.

    But it could represent a stark manifestation of a deeply troubling and accelerating trend: the rise of violent right-wing extremism and anti-government or anti-authority radicalization within western democracies. This is a shift dramatically exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic as many seized the opportunity to spread anti-government ideas based on restricted freedoms.

    Raphaël Lagacé, one of the suspects charged by the RCMP.
    (Instagram)

    Canada not immune to violent movements

    Canada often thinks it’s safe from violent movements, but it’s becoming more vulnerable. This is especially evident in places like Québec, where there has been ideological conflict in the past, including the massacre at a Québec mosque in January 2017.

    However, the threat is also clear on a national level.

    According to a Canadian intelligence report, far-right extremist groups actively recruit past and present members of the military and police.

    There’s also a long-running pattern of militia activity in North America. Activities in the United States show how dangerous it is when violent ideologies spread.

    This includes the nihilistic doctrine of accelerationism, which is a white-supremacist belief that the current state of society cannot be fixed and that the only way to repair it is to destroy and collapse the “system”.

    There are versions of accelerationism on both the right and left.

    The rise in right-wing extremism globally

    The charges in Québec shine a spotlight on the global trend of rising right-wing extremism that has been worsening since 2016.

    In the past decade, white supremacist, anti-government and militia groups have gained traction. That’s due in part to online echo chambers, growing political and social divisions and the rise and rapid spread of conspiracy theories.

    The U.S. is the best and most immediate example. Groups like the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys are well-known, playing a significant role in the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. These groups are keen to recruit current and former military and law enforcement officers because they know how to handle weapons and use explosives.

    In 2023, the FBI repeatedly said domestic violent extremism continues to pose a threat, especially racially or ethnically motivated extremists and anti-government groups.

    Accelerationism is behind a lot of this violence. It underpins efforts to speed up the disintegration of society through targeted violence and technology, with the goal of starting a racial war or civil war to bring down liberal democratic institutions.

    The Base is an example of this trend. It’s a multinational, trans-border white supremacist network that supports violence to create chaos.

    But this is not just a North American problem. Before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, far-right members of the Ukrainian Azov Regiment reportedly drew western extremists to their cause, many of whom were looking for paramilitary training, possibly to use against their own governments.

    Canada: The Base, the ‘freedom convoy’

    This global tide doesn’t leave Canada out. The arrests in Québec are the most recent and concerning example.

    Patrik Mathews, a former Canadian Army reservist from Winnipeg, was involved in a well-known Canadian case that involved recruiting for The Base, as well as a plot to harm a journalist, Canadian investigative journalist Ryan Thorpe. His reports in the Winnipeg Free Press exposed Mathew’s membership in the The Base.

    Mathew fled to the U.S. in 2019. The FBI subsequently arrested him and charged him with gun-related crimes and taking part in a riot at a Virginia protest. Mathew is now serving a long prison sentence for his part in what the FBI called a “neo-Nazi plot to instigate a race war in the United States.”

    These examples clearly show how extremists work within national military systems to learn tactical capabilities.

    The so-called “freedom convoy” occupation of Ottawa in 2022 also showed troubling connections between radicalism and some parts of the Canadian Armed Forces.

    Investigations found numerous active and former Army members were either actively involved with the convoy or donated a lot of money. Some were found to have posted extreme anti-government views online. Some Army members are also vulnerable to the right-wing ideologies of a “white-ethnostate” fuelled by political rhetoric and hate.

    All of this paints a bleak picture: extremist ideas are slowly taking hold in Canada as adherents aim to leverage military training to spread cynicism in democratic institutions. Previous studies back this up.

    Countering the threat

    To deal with this complicated and changing threat, we need a whole society, integrated approach that includes reliable top-down enforcement and monitoring and proactive, bottom-up societal resilience.

    To quickly disrupt and deter extremist groups, top-down actions are very important. To properly monitor, penetrate and break up violent extremist networks, law enforcement and security services like CSIS and the RCMP need more resources, updated laws and better co-ordination.

    It’s also important for the Canadian Armed Forces and other security-sensitive organizations to have better screening processes to find and purge those with extremist ideas.

    But law enforcement isn’t enough. For one, it could be seen as biased, which could lead to more radicalization. Bottom-up methods are just as important for long-term prevention.

    We need programs that provide teachers, social workers, community leaders and families with the tools they need to spot early signs of radicalization and do something about it in a positive way.



    Read more:
    How not to counter the radical right

    Dialogue, education

    It’s important to teach people how to think critically, read the news to fight false information and learn about civic duties that stress democratic principles and diversity. This is especially critical to fight against rising hate-motivated crimes.

    I am involved in a one such project. It’s called Extremism and Radicalization to Violence Prevention in Manitoba (ERIM). We strive to build resilient communities by creating awareness and early detection of radicalism.

    Dialogue and education are paramount.

    Canada can’t afford to wait for a disaster to happen before acting. It can’t let its soldiers — those tasked with protecting Canadians and Canada’s security — get caught up in right-wing extremism. They are a source of national pride and should remain so.

    Kawser Ahmed has led a Public Safety project called Extremism and Radicalization to Violence Prevention in Manitoba (ERIM)

    – ref. Charges against Canadian Army members in anti-government terror plot raise alarms about right-wing extremism – https://theconversation.com/charges-against-canadian-army-members-in-anti-government-terror-plot-raise-alarms-about-right-wing-extremism-260778

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Canada funds technical assistance project in the Republic of Moldova

    Source: Government of Canada News

    July 9, 2025 – Chișinău, Moldova – Global Affairs Canada

    Canada and the Republic of Moldova share deep-rooted values. With common goals of addressing climate change and advancing gender equality, the 2 countries are working together to build a greener and more-inclusive economy for all.

    Robert Oliphant, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, announced Canada’s support for the “Advancing Climate Resilience and Women’s Empowerment in Moldova” initiative on behalf of the Honourable Randeep Sarai, Secretary of State (International Development).

    This $6.5-million technical assistance project is being carried out in partnership with the UN Development Programme and UN Women. It aims to enhance climate resilience and promote gender equality through economic support for rural women entrepreneurs in the agroforestry sector. Women in vulnerable communities will gain targeted and specialized skills in climate-smart agriculture and forestry, leadership, and business development through training.

    This announcement demonstrates Canada’s commitment to supporting the Republic of Moldova’s social and economic growth. Addressing barriers to education and finance in climate-smart sectors will ensure equitable access for women, strengthen community development and lead to a more sustainable global future.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: China, Egypt should continuously simplify trade and investment procedures: Chinese Premier

    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

    CAIRO, July 9 (Xinhua) — China and Egypt should continuously simplify bilateral trade and investment procedures, strengthen industrial connectivity and market connectivity, and strive for higher-level mutually beneficial and win-win cooperation, Chinese Premier Li Qiang said in Cairo on Wednesday.

    Li Qiang made the remarks during a meeting with Hanafi Ali El-Gebali, Speaker of the Egyptian House of Representatives (lower house of parliament). The Chinese premier is on an official visit to Egypt at the invitation of Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly.

    Although China and Egypt are geographically far from each other, the friendship between the two countries has a long history, Li Qiang pointed out.

    According to him, since the establishment of bilateral diplomatic relations, the traditional Chinese-Egyptian friendship remains unchanged no matter how the international situation changes, and the dynamics of bilateral ties and cooperation continue to grow, demonstrating powerful internal energy.

    China is willing to further develop the traditional friendship with Egypt, strengthen political mutual trust, firmly support each other on issues related to the two sides’ core interests and major concerns, continuously elevate China-Egypt relations to new heights and achieve new results in bilateral cooperation, bringing more benefits to the peoples of both countries, Li Qiang stressed.

    He also called on both sides to maintain friendly exchanges between the legislative bodies of the two countries, strengthen political communication, share experiences in public administration and continuously improve mutual understanding.

    Noting that China is willing to deepen the alignment of development strategies with Egypt, the Chinese premier said the two sides should carry out high-quality cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative and utilize the Forum on China-Arab States Cooperation and the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation to steadily improve the quality of economic and trade cooperation between the two countries.

    Li Qiang pointed out that the two sides should cooperate in ensuring the sustainable operation of major bilateral projects, continuously simplify bilateral trade and investment procedures, strengthen industrial connectivity and market connectivity, and expand cooperation in emerging areas such as the digital economy and green development, so as to achieve a higher level of mutual benefit and win-win results.

    China hopes to maintain close communication and coordination with Egypt within the framework of mechanisms such as the UN, BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, promote joint efforts by all parties to safeguard the basic norms of international relations and the multilateral trading system, so as to inject more positive energy into world peace and development, the Chinese leader added. –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.

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    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: China supports Arab solidarity and development: Premier of State Council 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

    CAIRO, July 9 (Xinhua) — China supports Arab countries in strengthening their strategic independence, enhancing unity and self-sufficiency, and choosing development paths that suit their national conditions, Chinese Premier Li Qiang said in the Egyptian capital on Wednesday.

    At a meeting with Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Abu Al-Gheit, Li Qiang stressed that China always views and develops relations with Arab states from a strategic height and firmly supports their just causes.

    Noting that China and Arab countries are reliable friends and good partners, Li Qiang said that under the strategic leadership of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Arab leaders, China-Arab relations have entered the best period in their history.

    According to the Premier of the State Council, China is willing to strengthen friendly ties with the Arab League, enhance strategic mutual trust with Arab countries, deepen cooperation in various fields, jointly promote modernization, and build a higher-level China-Arab community with a shared future.

    Li Qiang said that China hopes to further align its development strategies with Arab countries and continue high-quality joint construction of the Belt and Road.

    He called on both sides to expand cooperation in areas such as energy, economy and trade, investment and financing, aviation and space, and to unleash the potential for cooperation in emerging areas such as new energy, artificial intelligence, digital economy and blue economy.

    The Chinese side is willing to work with Arab countries to coordinately advance significant flagship projects and “small but beautiful” public welfare projects to bring more benefits to the peoples of both sides, the Chinese leader added.

    The two sides, Li Qiang continued, should strengthen dialogue among civilizations and cultural and humanitarian exchanges, deepen cooperation between youth, think tanks, universities, as well as in the field of culture and tourism, and explore the possibility of implementing additional measures to facilitate exchanges between people, thereby strengthening ties between peoples.

    As the Premier emphasized, China hopes to strengthen coordination and communication with Arab countries at such venues as the UN, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the World Trade Organization and the Group of 20 (G20), demonstrating a common will, speaking with one voice, and promoting the building of a fairer and more reasonable global governance system.

    Li Qiang expressed hope that the Arab League will continue to play an important role in promoting the development of China-Arab relations and work with the Chinese side to ensure the successful holding of the 2nd China-Arab States Summit next year. –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 supports Arab solidarity and development – Premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China /more details/

    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

    CAIRO, July 9 (Xinhua) — China supports Arab countries in strengthening their strategic independence, enhancing unity and self-sufficiency, and choosing development paths that suit their national conditions, Chinese Premier Li Qiang said in the Egyptian capital on Wednesday.

    At a meeting with Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Abu Al-Gheit, Li Qiang stressed that China always views and develops relations with Arab states from a strategic height and firmly supports their just causes.

    Noting that China and Arab countries are reliable friends and good partners, Li Qiang said that under the strategic leadership of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Arab leaders, China-Arab relations have entered the best period in their history.

    According to the Premier of the State Council, China is willing to strengthen friendly ties with the Arab League, enhance strategic mutual trust with Arab countries, deepen cooperation in various fields, jointly promote modernization, and build a higher-level China-Arab community with a shared future.

    Li Qiang said that China hopes to further align its development strategies with Arab countries and continue high-quality joint construction of the Belt and Road.

    He called on both sides to expand cooperation in areas such as energy, economy and trade, investment and financing, aviation and space, and to unleash the potential for cooperation in emerging areas such as new energy, artificial intelligence, digital economy and blue economy.

    The Chinese side is willing to work with Arab countries to coordinately advance significant flagship projects and “small but beautiful” public welfare projects to bring more benefits to the peoples of both sides, the Chinese leader added.

    The two sides, Li Qiang continued, should strengthen dialogue among civilizations and cultural and humanitarian exchanges, deepen cooperation between youth, think tanks, universities, as well as in the field of culture and tourism, and explore the possibility of implementing additional measures to facilitate exchanges between people, thereby strengthening ties between peoples.

    As the Premier emphasized, China hopes to strengthen coordination and communication with Arab countries in such venues as the UN, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the World Trade Organization and the Group of 20 (G20), demonstrating a common will, speaking with one voice, and promoting the building of a fairer and more reasonable global governance system.

    Li Qiang expressed hope that the Arab League will continue to play an important role in promoting the development of China-Arab relations and work with the Chinese side to ensure the successful holding of the 2nd China-Arab States Summit next year.

    A. A. Al-Gheit, for his part, noted that China is a good friend and partner of Arab countries, adding that Arab-Chinese relations are demonstrating positive development dynamics, and practical cooperation is bringing significant results.

    The Arab League Secretary General pointed out that the Arab side firmly supports the one-China principle, as well as the Belt and Road Initiative and the three major global initiatives put forward by President Xi Jinping.

    Congratulating China on its remarkable achievements in development, Al-Gheit said the Arab side is grateful to China for supporting the socio-economic development of Arab states and hopes to work with China to deepen political mutual trust, firmly support each other, and deepen exchanges and cooperation in such areas as trade, investment, and cultural and humanitarian contacts within the framework of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum.

    According to the Secretary General of the Arab League, the Arab side is ready to continue to implement the results of the first China-Arab States summit together with China and successfully hold the second such summit next year.

    A.A. Al-Gheit stressed that the Arab side highly appreciates China’s consistent support for Arab states at multilateral platforms such as the UN, and hopes to strengthen multilateral cooperation with China to jointly safeguard multilateralism and promote world peace and 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.

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    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • India aims for energy independence by 2047 and net-zero by 2070: Hardeep Singh Puri

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    India has outlined a bold roadmap for energy security and a sustainable future at the 9th OPEC International Seminar held in Vienna, Austria. Addressing global energy leaders and industry experts, Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Hardeep Singh Puri, emphasized India’s commitment to achieving energy independence by 2047 and net-zero emissions by 2070.

    Speaking on the theme ‘Oil Markets: Energy Security, Growth & Prosperity’, Puri detailed India’s extensive plans to expand hydrocarbon exploration. Under the Open Acreage Licensing Policy (OALP) Round-10, the government has opened 2.5 lakh sq km for exploration, with the target to scale this up to 0.5 million sq km by 2025 and 1 million sq km by 2030. He also highlighted India’s potential breakthrough in discovering a Guyana-scale oilfield in the Andaman Sea, positioning the country for major upstream growth under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

    Key policy reforms are driving this momentum. India has transitioned from a Production Sharing Contract regime to a Revenue Sharing Model under the Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy (HELP) and has amended the Oilfields (Regulation and Development) Act, 1948 to improve lease management, safety and dispute resolution.

    Notably, 99% of previously designated ‘No-Go’ areas have been opened, freeing over 1 million sq km for exploration. This expansion is underpinned by large-scale national data initiatives, including the National Seismic Program, the Andaman Offshore Project, Mission Anveshan, and the Extended Continental Shelf Survey.

    Highlighting India’s growing role in global energy markets, Puri noted that as the world’s third-largest energy consumer with daily demand of about 5.4 million barrels, India is both a structural growth engine and a stabilizing force in the oil market. “India will contribute nearly 25% of the incremental global energy demand growth in the coming years,” he said.

    To strengthen its energy security, India is diversifying its crude oil import sources from 27 to 40 countries, ramping up domestic production, advancing alternative fuels, and expanding its refining capacity to 310 MMTPA by 2028. The country also aims to boost its petrochemical sector, targeting a USD 300 billion industry by 2030.

    Despite global geopolitical tensions, Puri highlighted India’s success in ensuring affordable energy for its citizens. “India is the only major economy to reduce fuel prices even as global oil prices rose,” he pointed out.

    On the clean energy front, the Minister underlined the role of biofuels in India’s decarbonization pathway. The Global Biofuels Alliance — initiated by India — now has the support of over 29 countries and 14 international organisations. Domestically, the country is accelerating the use of ethanol, compressed biogas (CBG), biodiesel and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). “India firmly believes the global energy transition must be just, inclusive and equitable. For 1.4 billion Indians and billions across the Global South, development must go hand in hand with dignity,” he said.

    He also shared the success of the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY), the world’s largest clean cooking programme. Since its launch, over 103 million LPG connections have been provided to women from economically weaker households, raising LPG coverage from 55% in 2014 to near-universal access today. Despite a 58% rise in global LPG prices, PMUY beneficiaries pay only $6–7 for a standard 14.2 kg cylinder — about 39% less than the international market price last year — supported by significant government subsidies and oil marketing companies absorbing $4.7 billion in losses.

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: 66th WIPO General Assemblies, July 2025: UK Statement

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Speech

    66th WIPO General Assemblies, July 2025: UK Statement

    UK Statement for the World Intellectual Property Organization General Assemblies. Delivered by Mr. Adam Williams, Chief Executive and Comptroller-General of the UK’s Intellectual Property Office.

    Thank you Chair.

    The UK is pleased to be part of the 66th session of the WIPO Assemblies. We thank you, Chair, Ambassador Suescum, DG Tang, and the Secretariat for preparing this session.

    We commend your positive leadership, DG, over the past four years. Systems like the PCT, Hague and Madrid remain essential for all UK businesses, providing cost-effective global IP protection. We value your commitment to keeping these services central to WIPO’s work. 

    The UK welcomes WIPO’s responsible and prudent financial management, which is especially important in these uncertain times. This General Assembly has several challenging issues to discuss ahead, including WIPO’s program and budget. We encourage all delegations to work towards consensus.  

    The UK applauds the adoption of the design law and genetic resources treaties last year, clear proof that multilateralism and IP can deliver meaningful progress. We are pleased to announce our intention to sign the Design Law Treaty this week, supporting global designers and small businesses.

    We strongly support efforts to build a more inclusive IP system, especially programs for women, youth, and underrepresented groups and initiatives like the Global Entrepreneurship Empowerment.

    Looking ahead, with just 17% of SDG targets on track, we welcome WIPO GREEN’s expansion, and the growing recognition of IP’s role in tackling climate change. The UK was pleased to sign a MoU with WIPO Green last year and have since joined its Board to deepen collaboration.

    We also value WIPO’s work on IP and frontier technologies and encourage deeper collaboration with Geneva-based partners and global initiatives like the UN Global Digital Compact and AI for Good.

    Finally, we thank the Secretariat for its report on assistance for Ukraine’s innovation and creativity sector (document A/66/8). While Ukraine faces an unprecedented level of Russian attacks on its towns and cities, wreaking horrific damage on its people and its creative industries, we salute its resilience and innovation in the face of such criminality, and welcome the support provided by WIPO.

    Chair, the UK remains committed to a WIPO that is efficient, inclusive and focused on delivering for global innovators and creators.

    Updates to this page

    Published 9 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Charges against Canadian Army members in anti-government terror plot raises alarms about right-wing extremism

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Kawser Ahmed, Adjunct Professor at the Political Science department, University of Winnipeg

    This week, the RCMP arrested four men in Québec, alleging they were attempting to create an anti-government militia.

    The RCMP used the umbrella term “Ideologically Motivated Violent Extremism” to categorize the suspects. Essentially, this means the RCMP alleges they share violent right-wing ideologies. Their arrests raise questions about whether Canada’s problem with right-wing extremism is getting worse.

    The group is accused of storing explosive devices, dozens of firearms and thousands of rounds of ammunition. The RCMP seized all of it, and the four suspects are due to appear in Québec City court next week. Three are charged with facilitating a terrorist activity, along with weapon-possession offences.

    The suspects include active members of the Canadian Armed Forces, according to the RCMP. Given the allegations that they were planning terrorist attacks for an extremist militia, the inclusion of army personnel might not be surprising.

    But it could represent a stark manifestation of a deeply troubling and accelerating trend: the rise of violent right-wing extremism and anti-government or anti-authority radicalization within western democracies. This is a shift dramatically exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic as many seized the opportunity to spread anti-government ideas based on restricted freedoms.

    Raphaël Lagacé, one of the suspects charged by the RCMP.
    (Instagram)

    Canada not immune to violent movements

    Canada often thinks it’s safe from violent movements, but it’s becoming more vulnerable. This is especially evident in places like Québec, where there has been ideological conflict in the past, including the massacre at a Québec mosque in January 2017.

    However, the threat is also clear on a national level.

    According to a Canadian intelligence report, far-right extremist groups actively recruit past and present members of the military and police.

    There’s also a long-running pattern of militia activity in North America. Activities in the United States show how dangerous it is when violent ideologies spread.

    This includes the nihilistic doctrine of accelerationism, which is a white-supremacist belief that the current state of society cannot be fixed and that the only way to repair it is to destroy and collapse the “system”.

    There are versions of accelerationism on both the right and left.

    The rise in right-wing extremism globally

    The charges in Québec shine a spotlight on the global trend of rising right-wing extremism that has been worsening since 2016.

    In the past decade, white supremacist, anti-government and militia groups have gained traction. That’s due in part to online echo chambers, growing political and social divisions and the rise and rapid spread of conspiracy theories.

    The U.S. is the best and most immediate example. Groups like the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys are well-known, playing a significant role in the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. These groups are keen to recruit current and former military and law enforcement officers because they know how to handle weapons and use explosives.

    In 2023, the FBI repeatedly said domestic violent extremism continues to pose a threat, especially racially or ethnically motivated extremists and anti-government groups.

    Accelerationism is behind a lot of this violence. It underpins efforts to speed up the disintegration of society through targeted violence and technology, with the goal of starting a racial war or civil war to bring down liberal democratic institutions.

    The Base is an example of this trend. It’s a multinational, trans-border white supremacist network that supports violence to create chaos.

    But this is not just a North American problem. Before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, far-right members of the Ukrainian Azov Regiment reportedly drew western extremists to their cause, many of whom were looking for paramilitary training, possibly to use against their own governments.

    Canada: The Base, the ‘freedom convoy’

    This global tide doesn’t leave Canada out. The arrests in Québec are the most recent and concerning example.

    Patrik Mathews, a former Canadian Army reservist from Winnipeg, was involved in a well-known Canadian case that involved recruiting for The Base, as well as a plot to harm a journalist, Canadian investigative journalist Ryan Thorpe. His reports in the Winnipeg Free Press exposed Mathew’s membership in the The Base.

    Mathew fled to the U.S. in 2019. The FBI subsequently arrested him and charged him with gun-related crimes and taking part in a riot at a Virginia protest. Mathew is now serving a long prison sentence for his part in what the FBI called a “neo-Nazi plot to instigate a race war in the United States.”

    These examples clearly show how extremists work within national military systems to learn tactical capabilities.

    The so-called “freedom convoy” occupation of Ottawa in 2022 also showed troubling connections between radicalism and some parts of the Canadian Armed Forces.

    Investigations found numerous active and former Army members were either actively involved with the convoy or donated a lot of money. Some were found to have posted extreme anti-government views online. Some Army members are also vulnerable to the right-wing ideologies of a “white-ethnostate” fuelled by political rhetoric and hate.

    All of this paints a bleak picture: extremist ideas are slowly taking hold in Canada as adherents aim to leverage military training to spread cynicism in democratic institutions. Previous studies back this up.

    Countering the threat

    To deal with this complicated and changing threat, we need a whole society, integrated approach that includes reliable top-down enforcement and monitoring and proactive, bottom-up societal resilience.

    To quickly disrupt and deter extremist groups, top-down actions are very important. To properly monitor, penetrate and break up violent extremist networks, law enforcement and security services like CSIS and the RCMP need more resources, updated laws and better co-ordination.

    It’s also important for the Canadian Armed Forces and other security-sensitive organizations to have better screening processes to find and purge those with extremist ideas.

    But law enforcement isn’t enough. For one, it could be seen as biased, which could lead to more radicalization. Bottom-up methods are just as important for long-term prevention.

    We need programs that provide teachers, social workers, community leaders and families with the tools they need to spot early signs of radicalization and do something about it in a positive way.



    Read more:
    How not to counter the radical right

    Dialogue, education

    It’s important to teach people how to think critically, read the news to fight false information and learn about civic duties that stress democratic principles and diversity. This is especially critical to fight against rising hate-motivated crimes.

    I am involved in a one such project. It’s called Extremism and Radicalization to Violence Prevention in Manitoba (ERIM). We strive to build resilient communities by creating awareness and early detection of radicalism.

    Dialogue and education are paramount.

    Canada can’t afford to wait for a disaster to happen before acting. It can’t let its soldiers — those tasked with protecting Canadians and Canada’s security — get caught up in right-wing extremism. They are a source of national pride and should remain so.

    Kawser Ahmed has led a Public Safety project called Extremism and Radicalization to Violence Prevention in Manitoba (ERIM)

    – ref. Charges against Canadian Army members in anti-government terror plot raises alarms about right-wing extremism – https://theconversation.com/charges-against-canadian-army-members-in-anti-government-terror-plot-raises-alarms-about-right-wing-extremism-260778

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Millions of households to be given income boost as Bill progresses through Parliament

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Millions of households to be given income boost as Bill progresses through Parliament

    Nearly 4 million households will see an annual income boost estimated to be worth £725 cash as a Bill to overhaul the welfare system completes the next stage of its passage through Parliament.

    • Bill to introduce biggest permanent boost to out-of-work support since 1980 progresses through Parliament.
    • Legislation will remove perverse disincentives to work that exist in the welfare system while protecting 200,000 of those with the most severe, lifelong conditions who are not expected to ever be able to work.
    • Alongside the Bill, disabled people and those with health conditions will have legal protections to try work without fear of reassessment.
    • Reforms to the welfare system aimed at improving living standards across the country and breaking down barriers to opportunity as part of the Government’s Plan for Change.

    Nearly 4 million households will see an annual income boost estimated to be worth £725 cash as a Bill to overhaul the welfare system completes the next stage of its passage through Parliament.

    For the first time ever, the Universal Credit standard allowance will permanently rise above inflation, amounting to £725 by 2029/30 in cash terms for a single person aged 25 or over.

    This is the highest permanent real terms increase to the main rate of out-of-work support since 1980, according to the IFS.

    Reforms set out in the Universal Credit Bill will look to rebalance the core payment and health top up in Universal Credit (UC). This will address the fundamental imbalance in the system which creates perverse incentives that drive people into dependency.

    The Bill, which will legislate to make these changes, today successfully cleared the House of Commons. It will now be introduced into the House of Lords to continue its passage through Parliament towards Royal Assent.

    Alongside these changes, we have published significant new measures, giving people receiving health and disability benefits the right to try work without fear of reassessment.

    The new Right to Try Guarantee enshrines this in law for the first time and includes disabled people and people with health conditions – such as those recovering from illness – who want to return to work now their health has improved.

    Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall said:

    Our reforms are built on the principle of fairness, fixing a system that for too long has left people trapped in a cycle of dependence.

    We are giving extra support to millions of households across the country, while offering disabled people the chance to work without fear of the repercussions if things don’t work out.

    These reforms will change the lives of people across the country, so they have a real chance for a better future.

    As part of our commitment to protect the most vulnerable and severely disabled, 200,000 in the Severe Conditions Criteria group – individuals with the most severe, lifelong conditions who are unlikely to recover – will not be called for a UC reassessment.

    All existing recipients of the UC health element and new customers with 12 months or less to live or who meet the Severe Conditions Criteria will also see their standard allowance combined with their UC health element rise at least in line with inflation every year from 2026/27 to 2029/30.This means they can live with dignity and security, knowing the reforms to the welfare system mean it will always be there to support them.

    We are also putting disabled people at the heart of a ministerial review of the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessment led by Disability Minister Stephen Timms and co-produced with disabled people, along with the organisations that represent them, experts, MPs and other stakeholders – making sure it is fair and fit for the future.

    We will be engaging widely over the summer to design the process for the review and consider how it can best be co-produced to ensure that expertise from a range of different perspectives is drawn upon.

    These reforms are underpinned by a major investment in employment support for sick and disabled people – worth £3.8 billion over the Parliament. Funding will be brought forward for tailored employment, health and skills support to help disabled people and those with health conditions get into work as part of our Pathways to Work guarantee.

    This investment will accelerate the pace of new investments in employment support programmes, building on and learning from successes such as the Connect to Work programme, which are already rolling out to provide disabled people and people with health conditions with one-to-one support at the point when they feel ready to work.

    The reforms build on the Get Britain Working White Paper that will overhaul Jobcentres, empower Mayors and local leaders to tackle inactivity, and deliver a Youth Guarantee so every young person is either earning or learning, as part of the Government’s ambition to deliver an 80% employment rate.

    Further information

    The Universal Credit standard allowance is set to be around £250 higher than an inflation only increases.

    The UC Bill legislates for:

    Rebalancing of UC health and standard elements to address the fundamental imbalance in the system which creates perverse incentives that drive people into dependency through:

    • Increasing the UC standard allowance above inflation for the next four years – worth an estimated £725 by 2029/30 for a single adult aged 25 or over.
    • Reducing the health top-up for new claims to £50 per week from April 2026.
    • Ensuring that all existing recipients of the UC health element – and any new claimant meeting the Severe Conditions Criteria and/or that has their claims considered under the Special Rules for End of Life (SREL) – will receive the higher UC health payment after April 2026.
    • Exemptions from reassessment for those with the most severe, lifelong conditions.

    Updates to this page

    Published 9 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: In-Depth Analysis – Public hearing with Dominique Laboureix, Chair of the Single Resolution Board – 09-07-2025

    Source: European Parliament

    This briefing has been prepared for the public hearing with the Chair of the Single Resolution Board (SRB), Dominique Laboureix, scheduled for 15 July 2025 in the ECON Committee. Content: 1. SRB’s 2024 Annual Report 2. Regular reporting on MREL (Q4 2024) 3. End 2024 resolvability assessment 4. New external expertise on (1) banks’ competitiveness and (2) real estate risks 5. Consultation on valuation capabilities 6. Consultation on resolvability testing for banks 7. Updated guidance on trading books 8. Deal reached in trilogues on CMDI 9. Investment funds and bail-in instruments: structural vulnerabilities in the EU resolution framework

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: In-Depth Analysis – Public hearing with Claudia Buch, Chair of the ECB / SSM Supervisory Board – 15 July 2025 – 09-07-2025

    Source: European Parliament

    This briefing has been prepared for the public hearing with the Chair of the Single Supervisory Mechanism (SSM), Claudia Buch, scheduled for 15 July 2025 in the ECON Committee. Content: 1. Annual Report on Supervisory Activities for 2024 2. Annual Report on Sanctioning Activities in the SSM in 2024 3. ECB sanctions against SEB Baltics 4. The SSM’s simplification efforts 5. ECB’s feedback on Parliament’s Banking Union Annual Report 6. Between prudence and politics: EBA default framework fails to reflect legislative intent 7. National security or economic intervention? The stretching boundaries of golden power 8. New external expertise on (1) competitiveness of European banks and (2) real estate risks 9. Latest Supervisory Banking Statistics (Q4 2024)

    MIL OSI Europe News –