Category: Fisheries

  • MIL-OSI: Psychics Near Me: Best Psychics, Mediums, Tarot Card Readers Near Me In 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Las Vegas, Nevada, May 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —

    The psychic experts, a trusted online platform for spiritual insights and guidance, has officially launched its 2025 rankings of the best psychics, mediums, and tarot card readers near you. The company has unveiled a comprehensive new resource to help users easily find top-rated psychic services in their area in response to growing global demand for hyper-local, high-quality psychic readings. 

    ⇒ Find the best psychics, mediums, and tarot readers near you!

    With thousands searching each month for “psychics near me,” “medium readings near me,” and “tarot reading near me,” the psychic experts have developed a location-based guide that connects seekers with vetted, real psychics and tarot experts, including those offering in-person, virtual, and phone-based readings. The rankings are part of the company’s mission to help people access accurate, trustworthy spiritual guidance no matter where they are.

    ⇒ Get real answers with a top-rated psychic reader near you

    This new feature comes in response to a growing trend: more people than ever are turning to local psychic reading services for clarity in love, career, health, grief, and spiritual awakening. From New York to Los Angeles, Chicago to Houston, and even globally, search terms like “psychics near me,” “medium reading near me,” and “tarot card reader near me” have surged. Recognizing this need, the psychic experts now offer a city-by-city breakdown of real psychics near you, each evaluated for their abilities, accuracy, experience, and client satisfaction.

    ⇒ Schedule a session with the best psychic near you!

    Unlike generic directories or review sites, The-Psychic-Experts.com’s platform is curated by experienced psychic researchers, offering newcomers and returning clients a reliable, transparent resource for spiritual support. All listed practitioners are selected based on reading accuracy, customer ratings, spiritual credentials, and specialization areas—including tarot card readings, clairvoyant sessions, mediumship, love psychics, pet psychics, and astrology.

    With this 2025 launch, users can now browse listings by category and location, making it easier to find:

    • Tarot card reading near me
    • A clairvoyant medium near me
    • Spiritual medium near me
    • Best psychic near me with genuine reviews
    • Accurate psychic readings in my area

    Whether you’re seeking insight from a psychic reader near you for the first time or want a deeper connection with a spiritual medium near you, this tool is designed to bring clarity, comfort, and authenticity to your spiritual journey, anywhere in the world.

    ⇒ Find trusted psychics near me for real answers today!

    Why More People Are Searching for Psychic Readings Near Them in 2025

    In 2025, the demand for psychic readings near me has skyrocketed—both online and in person. This trend reflects more than just curiosity. In today’s fast-paced world, people seek grounded guidance, emotional clarity, and a sense of connection beyond what traditional support systems offer. 

    Whether it’s navigating relationships, coping with grief, planning for the future, or unlocking personal growth, more individuals are seeking out psychics, mediums, and tarot readers near them for meaningful insight.

    ⇒ Looking for clarity? Talk to verified psychic mediums near me

    The Shift from Skepticism to Self-Discovery

    Once dismissed as fringe or taboo, psychic readings have found mainstream appeal. Millennials and Gen Z, in particular, are redefining spirituality, moving away from rigid belief systems and embracing personalized, intuitive approaches to wellness. This generation prioritizes self-awareness, energy healing, and emotional intelligence—areas where spiritual mediums and psychic readers near them play a key role.

    Many people no longer see psychic consultations as a last resort, but rather as a complementary tool alongside therapy, coaching, or mindfulness practices. It’s now common to hear someone say, “I just had a tarot reading near me that completely changed how I view my career path.”
    ⇒ Explore your destiny with guidance from the best psychics near you!

    Real Psychics for Real-Life Decisions

    One primary reason people are Googling “psychics near me” is the desire for authentic, real-time guidance from someone they can meet face-to-face or talk to directly. While online readings remain convenient and popular, there’s something powerful about being physically present with a clairvoyant medium near you who can read your energy, body language, and spiritual aura in real time. Psychic consultations are especially popular during life transitions or emotional uncertainty. 

    The top reasons people book medium readings near them in 2025 include:

    • Love and relationships: Will they come back? Are they the one?
    • Career clarity: Should I change jobs? Am I on the right path?
    • Family and fertility: Am I ready for parenthood? What does the future hold?
    • Loss and grief: Is there a message from a loved one who passed?
    • Spiritual awakening: What’s my purpose? What’s next for my soul?

    ⇒ Discover life-changing insights with a medium physics near me

    Local Psychic Access Offers Trust and Personal Connection

    Trust is another key factor behind the rise of “best psychic near me” searches. People want an honest, vetted professional they can see in their community, or at least know a faceless app or unverified platform is not scamming them.

    When users search for a psychic reader near me or a medium psychic near me, they’re not just looking for convenience. They want credibility, warmth, and a genuine connection. Many report feeling more comfortable engaging in deep conversations or emotional healing sessions with someone nearby who understands their local culture, energy, or even astrology based on location.

    • It is especially true for specific needs like:
    • Pet psychic near me services for animal communication
    • Spiritual medium near me sessions to connect with loved ones who’ve passed
    • Tarot card readings near me for visual, symbolic answers

    ⇒ Find spiritual clarity with a top-rated psychic near me

    A Return to Spiritual Community

    In-person psychic readings also gain momentum because they reconnect people with community spaces—local spiritual centers, wellness clinics, or independent psychic shops. These places offer more than a service; they’re sanctuaries for healing and self-discovery.

    Even those booking tarot readings near them out of casual interest often leave surprised at how grounded and accurate the insights feel. Word-of-mouth, online reviews, and increased visibility on platforms like The-Psychic-Experts.com are helping these local readers reach the right audiences.

    How The-Psychic-Experts.com Evaluates Psychics and Mediums Near You

    As demand for psychics near me and tarot readers near me continues to rise in 2025, not all services are created equal. With so many spiritual advisors available both online and locally, The-Psychic-Experts.com has taken on the mission of helping users find real psychics and trustworthy readers, without falling victim to misleading claims or unverified listings.

    Our editorial team has developed a rigorous vetting process to identify the best psychics, mediums, and tarot card readers near you based on authenticity, accuracy, ethics, and value. Here’s how we evaluate every psychic listed in our rankings and recommendations.

    ⇒ Book now: Trusted psychics and tarot readers  near you are available today

    1. Verified Authenticity & Spiritual Gift

    The foundation of every great psychic reading is authenticity. The psychic experts prioritize psychic mediums near you who demonstrate genuine spiritual gifts—empaths, clairvoyants, intuitive healers, or experienced tarot interpreters.

    We look for signs of real ability and integrity, such as:

    • Natural psychic intuition (clairvoyance, clairaudience, clairsentience)
    • Mediumship training or experience channeling spirits
    • Consistent, verifiable results from past readings
    • Ethical spiritual guidance rather than fear-based tactics

    We never list readers who make dramatic or exaggerated claims, use manipulative language, or promise specific outcomes (like marriage or wealth) in exchange for repeat bookings. Only real psychics with grounded intuition and spiritual clarity make it into our recommendations.

    ⇒ Schedule a session with the best psychic near me

    2. Accuracy and Reading Depth

    No two psychics are the same. Some excel at love readings, others offer profound insights into the afterlife, while others help clients realign their energy or tap into future timelines. Regardless of the method, accuracy is key.

    We test readings for:

    • Relevance and personal resonance
    • Emotional clarity and confidence
    • Specificity over generalizations
    • Alignment with past experiences or future events

    Whether you’re looking for a clairvoyant medium near you or want a tarot spread to confirm your gut instinct, we look for practitioners whose insights hit home and create meaningful “aha” moments.

    ⇒ Want honest answers? Connect with a trusted psychic reader near me

    3. Transparent Pricing & Accessibility

    Many people searching for a psychic reader near them are turned off by hidden fees, unclear session lengths, or vague pricing structures. The psychic experts only list psychics who are upfront about their rates, refund policies, and session formats.

    We favor psychics who offer:

    • Transparent per-session or per-minute pricing
    • Clear booking systems and appointment availability
    • Free or low-cost introductory readings
    • Options for both virtual and in-person sessions

    We believe that psychic guidance should be accessible, not overpriced or exclusive. It is especially important for those seeking help with grief, mental health challenges, or relationship crises.

    4. Consistent Reviews & Testimonials

    We analyze real customer testimonials to evaluate each psychic’s effectiveness and trustworthiness. From Google reviews to online forums and user feedback submitted directly to us, we consider the lived experience of actual clients.

    Key indicators we look for:

    • Long-term satisfaction and loyalty
    • Clients returning for follow-up sessions
    • Reviews highlighting specific and actionable insights
    • Emotional impact: readers who truly help people heal or move forward

    We pay attention if a tarot reader near you consistently receives positive praise for helping people find peace, make bold decisions, or reconnect with loved ones.

    ⇒ Ready for a life-changing session? Connect with the best psychic readers near you!

    5. Area of Specialization

    Some seekers want a general reading. Others are looking for pet psychics near them, spiritual mediums near them, or experts in past-life regression, crystal healing, or energy clearing.

    We categorize psychics by:

    • Reading type (tarot, astrology, energy work, clairvoyance)
    • Life focus (love, career, grief, fertility, soul path)
    • Service format (in-person, video call, text-based)

    It ensures that visitors to the psychic experts don’t waste time scrolling through irrelevant listings, and can find the best psychic near them based on what they truly need.

    A Trusted Filter in a Noisy Market

    The world of psychic readings near me can feel overwhelming, but with the psychic experts, you get clarity. Our editorial team carefully reviews every listing, which is backed by ethical standards, consistent accuracy, and client-centered value.

    ⇒ Start your search for the best psychic, tarot reader, or medium near you today

    Types of Psychic Readings You Can Find Near You in 2025

    As more people seek spiritual guidance and clarity in 2025, the demand for local psychic services has diversified. Whether you’re searching for psychic readings near me, a clairvoyant medium near me, or a tarot reader near me, it’s essential to know what types of readings are available—and how each can offer unique insights into your life.

    At the psychic experts, we categorize the most popular and effective psychic reading styles to help you find the right spiritual advisor near you based on your personal needs, questions, and goals.

    ⇒ Get real answers with a top-rated psychic reader near me

    1. Tarot Card Readings

    Tarot remains one of the most accessible and accurate forms of spiritual guidance. Local tarot card readers near you can interpret symbolic spreads to clarify the past, present, and future. Whether facing a relationship dilemma, career crossroads, or emotional block, tarot mirrors your subconscious.

    Benefits of a tarot reading:

    • Answers to specific questions
    • Symbolic insight into hidden emotions
    • Forecasting potential outcomes
    • Confirming gut feelings

    Look for readers who offer tarot readings near me with structured spreads (like Celtic Cross or Past-Present-Future) and interpret them with intuition and training.

    ⇒ Book your session with a top-rated tarot card reader near you

    2. Mediumship (Spirit Communication)

    If you’re grieving the loss of a loved one or feel the presence of spirits, a psychic medium near you can help bridge the gap between this world and the next. Mediums channel messages from deceased souls, ancestors, or spiritual guides, often bringing closure and peace.

    • What a medium can help with:
    • Healing unresolved grief
    • Receiving messages from loved ones
    • Validating spiritual signs or dreams
    • Connecting with ancestors

    Medium readings can be highly emotional and deeply personal. Seek medium readings near you from professionals with a respectful, grounded approach—not sensationalism.

    ⇒ Local answers await—find a psychic medium near me

    3. Clairvoyance and Intuitive Readings

    Clairvoyant psychics near you receive visual impressions about people, places, or events. These images can relate to your past, present, or future. Clairvoyants often provide fast, insightful answers without using tools like tarot or astrology.

    Types of intuitive abilities include:

    • Clairvoyance (clear seeing)
    • Clairaudience (clear hearing)
    • Clairsentience (clear feeling)
    • Claircognizance (clear knowing)

    Many psychic mediums near me blend clairvoyance with other gifts to provide a multi-layered, accurate psychic reading experience.

    4. Astrology-Based Readings

    An astrology reading offers profound insight into your personality, path, and timing. While not all astrologers identify as psychics, many psychic readers near you incorporate astrological tools to enhance their accuracy.

    • Astrology can help with:
    • Understanding your birth chart
    • Timing key events (career moves, marriage, travel)
    • Relationship compatibility
    • Life purpose and karmic lessons

    You can search for spiritual mediums near me who specialize in astrology, or get a reading based solely on your planetary alignments.

    ⇒ Connect instantly with a gifted psychic near me!

    5. Pet Psychic Readings

    Yes, even your pets can benefit from intuitive insight. Many pet psychics near you can tune into your animal companion’s energy to uncover emotional, physical, or behavioral issues.

    A pet psychic reading might include:

    • Understanding unusual behavior
    • Tuning into your pet’s emotional state
    • Communicating with lost or deceased pets
    • Supporting pet transitions (illness, end of life)

    If your pet is struggling, a real psychic near you who specializes in animals can provide compassionate clarity.

    ⇒ Find healing with a genuine pet psychic near me

    6. Energy Healing & Aura Readings

    Energy-based sessions, such as Reiki, chakra balancing, and aura readings, are increasingly popular. Practitioners help clear emotional blocks, realign your energy field, and promote spiritual healing.

    Benefits of energy sessions:

    • Releasing trauma
    • Raising vibration
    • Supporting mental and physical health
    • Enhancing clarity and intuition

    Search for psychic mediums near me or spiritual healers near me with training in energy medicine or metaphysical therapy.

    ⇒ Navigate your path with a verified psychic near me

    Choosing the Right Type of Psychic Reading

    With so many options available, choosing the right type of reading depends on your intention. Are you grieving? A medium might be ideal. Feeling uncertain about a decision? A tarot reader could help. Want to explore your cosmic blueprint? Try astrology.

    Whatever your path, the psychic experts simplify the process by curating the best psychic, tarot, and medium readers near you, based on your location and specific needs.

    Find the correct type of psychic reading near you today

    How to Choose the Right Psychic Near You

    In 2025, the demand for intuitive guidance is booming—but with so many local options available, how do you know which psychic near you is truly trustworthy, accurate, and aligned with your needs?

    At the psychic experts, we aim to help you make informed and confident choices. Whether you’re searching for a tarot reader near me, a medium near me, or a clairvoyant psychic reading near me, this guide will walk you through the steps to choosing an honest, reliable, and insightful psychic in your area.

    1. Know Your Intention First

    Before searching for the best psychic near me, get clear on what you want from your session. Are you looking for:

    • Clarity about a relationship or career?
    • Closure after the loss of a loved one?
    • Insight into the future?
    • Spiritual healing or chakra alignment?

    Your intention will determine which type of reader you need—whether that’s a tarot expert, a spiritual medium, or an energy healer. Knowing what you’re looking for helps you avoid vague or unhelpful sessions.

    ⇒ Find trusted psychics near me for real answers today

    2. Search for Specialists in Your Area

    The best psychics are not generalists. They tend to specialize in one or two key areas, such as:

    • Tarot card interpretation
    • Mediumship/spirit communication
    • Clairvoyance
    • Astrology
    • Pet communication
    • Energy healing

    Use filters on the psychic experts platform to search for psychics near me by category. It ensures you’re not only booking someone nearby, but someone equipped to handle your unique concern.

    ⇒ Discover the most gifted tarot reader near me

    3. Read Real Reviews and Testimonials

    Client feedback is one of the fastest ways to spot a gifted psychic medium near you. Look for:

    • Authentic testimonials that describe specific insights or outcomes
    • Consistent praise for empathy, clarity, and accuracy
    • Mentions of life-changing guidance, not just vague or general advice

    Avoid listings that seem too perfect or copied and pasted. At the psychic experts, we publish verified user reviews so you can find real psychics with a track record of trusted service.

    4. Pay Attention to Energy and Connection

    Even the most skilled psychic might not be the right fit if you don’t feel a sense of connection. A powerful reading requires trust and energetic alignment. Consider:

    • How do you feel during your first interaction—calm, open, or uncomfortable?
    • Does the psychic take time to listen to your concerns?
    • Are they explaining the process clearly, or jumping to conclusions?

    If it doesn’t feel right, trust your intuition. You deserve a psychic reader near you who respects your energy and your journey.

    ⇒ Explore highly rated mediums and psychics near me

    5. Look for Transparency in Pricing and Process

    Trustworthy psychics will always be upfront about:

    • Session duration
    • Reading format (phone, in-person, chat, etc.)
    • Pricing or packages
    • What’s included (e.g., number of questions, tools used)

    Be cautious of hidden fees or pressure to extend sessions. The psychic experts features listings from psychic readers near me with complete transparency—no fine print, no hidden agendas.

    6. Avoid Red Flags and Scams

    Unfortunately, the psychic industry is not without fraud. Watch out for:

    • Claims of curses or bad energy that only they can remove, for a hefty fee
    • Requests for personal or financial information
    • Fear-based language or pressure tactics
    • Lack of reviews, vague bios, or unverifiable claims

    Always cross-reference with our database of vetted professionals at the psychic experts to avoid scams and ensure you’re connecting with authentic psychics near you.

    7. Start with a Short Session First

    If unsure, book a 15–30 minute introductory session with a psychic before committing to something longer. A good reader won’t rush, pressure, or overwhelm you—they’ll focus on clarity, connection, and compassion.

    ⇒ Talk to verified psychic mediums near me

    Trust Your Intuition and Resources

    Ultimately, the best psychic isn’t just someone with powerful gifts—someone who resonates with your spirit, listens deeply, and empowers you. With the help of the psychic experts, finding the best psychic reading near you in 2025 has never been more accessible, transparent, or transformational.

    Find the Right Psychic Near You in 2025 — Trust Your Path Forward

    In 2025, the demand for intuitive guidance is stronger than ever. Whether seeking clarity in love, healing from loss, or simply curious about your future, connecting with the best psychic near you can bring powerful insight and peace of mind.

    ⇒  Discover trusted psychics and tarot experts near you!

    But not all psychics are created equal. That’s why the psychic experts is committed to helping you find honest, trusted, and accurate psychic readers near you, with zero guesswork.

    Our expert team has spent years curating the most comprehensive guide to psychic readings near me, highlighting gifted mediums, tarot readers, clairvoyants, and pet psychics across the U.S. Whether you prefer in-person sessions or online convenience, you’ll find thoroughly vetted professionals who are committed to helping you grow, heal, and evolve.

    From spiritual mediums and intuitive coaches to tarot card experts and clairvoyant visionaries, the path to self-discovery starts with one decision: trusting your gut and taking the first step.

    Ready for a real psychic reading near you?
    Click below to explore the most trusted psychics, mediums, and tarot readers near you — all handpicked by the team at The-Psychic-Experts.com:

    • Find the Best Psychic Near You Now
    • Search Mediums & Spiritual Advisors by Location
    • Discover Top Tarot Card Readers Near You
    • Book a Pet Psychic Reading Near You

    Whether you’re ready for your first session or looking to connect with a new trusted guide, let the psychic experts be your compass to the most accurate psychic readings near you in 2025 and beyond.

    ⇒ Connect with accurate psychic readers and discover what lies ahead!

    What to Expect from Your First Psychic Reading Near You

    Whether seeking closure, direction, or validation, your first experience with a psychic, medium, or tarot card reader can be deeply transformative. Here’s what you should know to make the most of it:

    1. Come with an Open Mind — and a Purpose

    Most first-time clients find that the more open and intentional they are, the more resonant their reading becomes. You don’t need to “believe” in anything specific — simply come with curiosity and respect for the process. Having a few thoughtful questions in mind (e.g., “What energy surrounds my current relationship?” or “What do I need to understand about my career path?”) can help direct the session.

    2. Choose the Right Psychic for You

    Not every psychic is the same — some specialize in mediumship (connecting with passed loved ones), others in intuitive counseling, tarot cards, numerology, or energy healing. Sites like the psychic experts help match users with verified psychic readers near them based on expertise, reviews, and spiritual approach. Trust that instinct if you feel drawn to a particular type of reading.

    ⇒ Get clarity on your next move with a trusted psychic reading!

    3. The Reading May Not Be What You Expect (And That’s Okay)

    Many people enter a reading hoping to hear specific words or names. But the best psychic readings often reveal unexpected truths or gentle nudges that become meaningful in hindsight. Look for signs, symbols, or emotions that strike a chord — even if they don’t immediately make sense.

    4. Ask Clarifying Questions During the Session

    Don’t hesitate to ask for clarity if something confuses you during the reading. A genuine psychic will appreciate your engagement and work with you to ensure the message is understood. The process is meant to be collaborative, not cryptic.

    5. Post-Reading Reflection Is Part of the Process

    Many clients report that the full impact of a psychic reading unfolds over time, sometimes days or weeks later. After a session, journaling your thoughts and emotions can help you process the information and tune into your inner wisdom.

    Why More People Are Searching “Psychics Near Me” in 2025

    Spiritual wellness is becoming a bigger part of holistic self-care. 2025 has seen a surge in interest in psychic readers near me, especially as more people seek purpose, healing, and personalized insight in uncertain times. Thanks to platforms like the psychic experts, it’s never been easier to connect with trusted psychics and mediums near you, without the guesswork.

    ⇒ Find your true direction with help from top psychics!

    FAQs 

    With more people turning to spiritual guidance in 2025, it’s natural to have questions about how to find the best psychic near me, what to expect in a session, and how to avoid scams. 

    Here are the most frequently asked questions, answered by the team at the psychic experts, your trusted source for real psychics near you.

    How do I know if a psychic near me is real?

    Real psychics don’t guarantee lottery numbers or promise to solve all your problems instantly. Instead, they offer insight, clarity, and emotional resonance. Look for:

    • Verified reviews from local clients
    • Clear, respectful communication
    • No pressure tactics or upselling
    • Transparent pricing and services

    At the psychic experts, every psychic listed goes through an in-depth vetting process to ensure you’re connecting with authentic psychic readers near you.

    Are in-person readings better than online psychic readings?

    Not necessarily. While some prefer the personal feel of a face-to-face session, online psychics can be just as accurate — and often more convenient. Energy doesn’t rely on physical presence. Whether chat, video, or phone, many top-rated psychics near me now offer digital services with the same level of insight.

    What’s the difference between a psychic and a medium?

    A psychic reads your energy to gain insight into your life path, emotions, and future. On the other hand, a medium connects with spirits, often communicating with loved ones who have passed.

    If you’re looking for closure or messages from the other side, search for a medium near you. A psychic reading near me is ideal for guidance in love, career, or spiritual growth.

    Can I find a tarot reader near me for a specific question?

    Absolutely. Tarot card reading near me is one of the most popular requests on the psychic experts. Tarot is especially practical for focused questions like:

    • “Is this relationship worth pursuing?”
    • “What’s blocking me from financial growth?”
    • “What energy should I embrace right now?”

    Many tarot readers near you offer 15- or 30-minute sessions for targeted clarity.

    How much should I expect to pay for a psychic reading near me?

    Prices can vary depending on the psychic’s experience and specialty. Here’s a general range:

    • $30–$60 for a 30-minute session
    • $60–$120 for an hour
    • Some intuitive coaches or celebrity mediums may charge higher rates

    The psychic experts allow you to compare prices and find a psychic near me who fits your budget—there are no surprises or hidden costs.

    Are there pet psychics near me?

    Yes! Pet psychics or animal communicators specialize in connecting with your pets—living or passed. Whether you’re curious about your pet’s behavior or want to communicate with a deceased animal companion, the psychic experts feature trusted pet psychic readers near you.

    What should I avoid when choosing a psychic?

    Be cautious of anyone who:

    • Promises to remove curses for large sums
    • Uses fear to pressure you into more sessions
    • Demands private information or passwords
    • Claims they are the only ones who can “fix” your situation

    Trust your instincts—always verify listings through the psychic experts, which flags known scam tactics and prioritizes real, gifted psychic mediums near you.

    Can I get same-day readings from psychics near me?

    Yes, many local and online psychics offer same-day or even emergency readings. Use filters on the psychic experts to find psychic readers near me with instant availability. Whether it’s a love crisis or a decision deadline, help’s always nearby.

    Are clairvoyants and mediums the same thing?

    Not quite. A clairvoyant receives visions (like images or mental snapshots) about people or events. A medium, on the other hand, communicates with spirits. Some readers are both, but it’s always best to check their specialty when booking a session.

    What’s the most trusted way to find a psychic medium near me in 2025?

    Use the psychic experts platform to find carefully reviewed, top-rated psychics near you. Whether you’re searching for spiritual mediums, tarot readers, or clairvoyants, the site offers advanced search filters, verified reviews, and expert-curated lists to guide you to the most accurate psychic readings.

    Media Contact
    Company: The Psychic Experts
    Contact Person: Anthony C. Bedoya
    Email: support@the-psychic-experts.com
    Address: 1 Fremont St, Las Vegas, NV 89101, USA
    URL: https://the-psychic-experts.com/
    Phone: +1 414-203-2598

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    The MIL Network

  • MIL-Evening Report: Environmentalists question Henry Puna’s role in deep sea mining firm

    By Caleb Fotheringham, RNZ Pacific journalist

    Environmentalists in the Cook Islands have criticised former Prime Minister and Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) head Henry Puna for joining the board of a deep sea mining company.

    Puna, who finished his term as PIF secretary-general in May last year, played a pivotal part in the creation of multi-use marine park, Marae Moana, in 2017.

    The marine protected area extends over the entire country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ), covering an area roughly the size of Mexico.

    It prohibits large-scale commercial fishing and seabed mining within 50 nautical miles of each of the 15 islands.

    Puna has now joined the board of deep sea mining company Cobalt Seabed Resources (CSR) — a joint venture between the Cook Islands government and the Belgian company Global Sea Mineral Resources.

    CSR is currently undertaking exploration in the Cook Islands EEZ, along with two other companies. It also has an exploration licence in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone, located in the high seas in the central Pacific Ocean.

    Environmental advocates say Puna’s new role conflicts with his conservation work.

    Simultaneously pushing for Marae Moana
    The Te Ipukarea Society said Puna was interested in the deep sea mining industry while simultaneously pushing for the creation of Marae Moana during his time as Prime Minister.

    “It is something to be wary about with his new role and maybe how he will go about green washing how the deep sea mining company operates within our waters and their actions,” the environmental charity’s director Alana Smith said.

    While in Parliament, Puna was an MP for the Northern Group atoll Manihiki.

    Manihiki resident Jean-Marie Williams said Puna was a good man

    However, Williams believes the benefits of deep sea mining will not be seen on his island.

    “We could make money out of it,” he said. “But who’s going to make money out of it? Definitely not the people of Manihiki.

    “The corporat[ions] will make money out of it.”

    ‘First to know’
    However, William Numanga, who previously worked for Puna as a policy analyst, does not view it like that.

    “Remember, Henry lives on an atoll, up north, so if there is any effect on the environment, he would be first to know,” Numanga said.

    “I do not think he will be putting aside a lot of the environmental concerns or challenges. He will be making sure that those environmental concerns are factored into this development process,” he added.

    Henry Puna ended his term as the PIF secretary general in May 2024 . . . a “passion for environmental protection”. Image: RNZ Pacific/Eleisha Foon

    He believes Puna’s “passion for environmental protection”, coupled with his desire for economic development, makes him a good fit for the role.

    Auckland doctoral student Liam Koka’ua said the company, which has the aim of extracting valuable minerals from the seabed, went against the purpose of Marae Moana.

    “If you truly believe Marae Moana is a place that must be protected at all costs and protected for our sustained livelihood and future and be protected for generations to come, then I don’t think rushing into an experimental industry that could potentially have huge impacts is aligned with those intentions,” Koka’ua said.

    RNZ Pacific has made multiple attempts to reach Puna for comment, but has yet to receive a response.

    However, in a statement, he said CSR was “uniquely placed to make advances for the people of the Cook Islands”.

    This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

    MIL OSI AnalysisEveningReport.nz

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Eucharistic Celebration for the Beginning of the Petrine Ministry of the Bishop of Rome Leo XIV

    Source: The Holy See

    Eucharistic Celebration for the Beginning of the Petrine Ministry of the Bishop of Rome Leo XIV, 18.05.2025
    At 10.00 today, Fifth Sunday of Easter, on the parvis of the Vatican Basilica, the Holy Father Leo XIV presided over the Holy Mass for the official beginning of his Petrine Ministry.
    Before the Eucharistic Celebration, the Pope descended, with the Patriarchs of the Eastern Churches, to the tomb of Saint Peter beneath the Vatican Basilica and paused there in prayer, then incensing the Apostolic Trophaeum.
    Returning to the Basilica, the Holy Father joined in the procession of the concelebrating Cardinals, preceded by the deacons who brought the pastoral pallium, the Fisherman’s Ring and the Book of Gospels, up to the altar of on the parvis of the Basilica, to the singing of the Laudes Regiae.
    During the Eucharistic Celebration, after the proclamation of the Gospel, the rites specific to the beginning of the pontificate took place: the imposition of the pallium by the Cardinal Deacon Mario Zenari, with a prayer recited by the Cardinal Presbyter Fridolin Ambongo Besungu, O.F.M. Cap., the consignment of the Fisherman’s Ring by the Cardinal Bishop Luis Antonio Tagle, and the obedience pledged to the Holy Father by three Cardinals, on behalf of the entire College: Cardinal Frank Leo (for North America), Cardinal Jaime Spengler, O.F.M. (for South America), and Cardinal John Ribat, M.S.C. (for Oceania). Other representatives of the People of God also pledged obedience to the Holy Father: the Bishop Luis Alberto Barrera of Callao, Peru; the priest Reverend Guillermo Inca Pereda; the deacon Teodoro Mandato; the religious Sr. Oonah O’Shea, president of the International Union of Superiors General, and Father Arturo Sosa, S.J., president of the Union of Superiors General; a married couple, Rafael Santa Maria and Ana María Olguín; and the young people Josemaria Diaz and Sheyla Cruz.
    During the Holy Mass, concelebrated with the Cardinals, the Patriarchs and the Major Archbishops of the Eastern Catholic Churches, the Holy Father Leo XIV delivered the following homily:

    Homily of the Holy Father
    Dear Brother Cardinals,
    Brother Bishops and Priests,
    Distinguished Authorities and Members of the Diplomatic Corps.
    Greetings to the pilgrims who have come for the Jubilee of Confraternities!
    I greet all of you with a heart full of gratitude at the beginning of the ministry that has been entrusted to me.  Saint Augustine wrote: Lord, “you have made us for yourself, and our heart is restless until it rests in you” (Confessions, I: 1,1).
    In these days, we have experienced intense emotions.  The death of Pope Francis filled our hearts with sadness.  In those difficult hours, we felt like the crowds that the Gospel says were “like sheep without a shepherd” (Mt 9:36).  Then, on Easter Sunday, we received his final blessing and, in the light of the resurrection, we experienced the days that followed in the certainty that the Lord never abandons his people, but gathers them when they are scattered and guards them “as a shepherd guards his flock” (Jer 31:10).
    In this spirit of faith, the College of Cardinals met for the conclave.  Coming from different backgrounds and experiences, we placed in God’s hands our desire to elect the new Successor of Peter, the Bishop of Rome, a shepherd capable of preserving the rich heritage of the Christian faith and, at the same time, looking to the future, in order to confront the questions, concerns and challenges of today’s world.  Accompanied by your prayers, we could feel the working of the Holy Spirit, who was able to bring us into harmony, like musical instruments, so that our heartstrings could vibrate in a single melody.
    I was chosen, without any merit of my own, and now, with fear and trembling, I come to you as a brother, who desires to be the servant of your faith and your joy, walking with you on the path of God’s love, for he wants us all to be united in one family.
    Love and unity: these are the two dimensions of the mission entrusted to Peter by Jesus.
    We see this in today’s Gospel, which takes us to the Sea of Galilee, where Jesus began the mission he received from the Father: to be a “fisher” of humanity in order to draw it up from the waters of evil and death.  Walking along the shore, he had called Peter and the other first disciples to be, like him, “fishers of men”.  Now, after the resurrection, it is up to them to carry on this mission, to cast their nets again and again, to bring the hope of the Gospel into the “waters” of the world, to sail the seas of life so that all may experience God’s embrace.
    How can Peter carry out this task?  The Gospel tells us that it is possible only because his own life was touched by the infinite and unconditional love of God, even in the hour of his failure and denial.  For this reason, when Jesus addresses Peter, the Gospel uses the Greek verb agapáo, which refers to the love that God has for us, to the offering of himself without reserve and without calculation.  Whereas the verb used in Peter’s response describes the love of friendship that we have for one another. Consequently, when Jesus asks Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” (Jn 21:16), he is referring to the love of the Father.  It is as if Jesus said to him, “Only if you have known and experienced this love of God, which never fails, will you be able to feed my lambs.  Only in the love of God the Father will you be able to love your brothers and sisters with that same ‘more’, that is, by offering your life for your brothers and sisters.”
    Peter is thus entrusted with the task of “loving more” and giving his life for the flock.  The ministry of Peter is distinguished precisely by this self-sacrificing love, because the Church of Rome presides in charity and its true authority is the charity of Christ.  It is never a question of capturing others by force, by religious propaganda or by means of power.  Instead, it is always and only a question of loving as Jesus did.
    The Apostle Peter himself tells us that Jesus “is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, and has become the cornerstone” (Acts 4:11).  Moreover, if the rock is Christ, Peter must shepherd the flock without ever yielding to the temptation to be an autocrat, lording it over those entrusted to him (cf. 1 Pet 5:3).  On the contrary, he is called to serve the faith of his brothers and sisters, and to walk alongside them, for all of us are “living stones” (1 Pet 2:5), called through our baptism to build God’s house in fraternal communion, in the harmony of the Spirit, in the coexistence of diversity.  In the words of Saint Augustine: “The Church consists of all those who are in harmony with their brothers and sisters and who love their neighbour” (Serm. 359,9).
    Brothers and sisters, I would like that our first great desire be for a united Church, a sign of unity and communion, which becomes a leaven for a reconciled world.
    In this our time, we still see too much discord, too many wounds caused by hatred, violence, prejudice, the fear of difference, and an economic paradigm that exploits the Earth’s resources and marginalises the poorest.  For our part, we want to be a small leaven of unity, communion and fraternity within the world.  We want to say to the world, with humility and joy: Look to Christ!  Come closer to him!  Welcome his word that enlightens and consoles!  Listen to his offer of love and become his one family: in the one Christ, we are one.  This is the path to follow together, among ourselves but also with our sister Christian churches, with those who follow other religious paths, with those who are searching for God, with all women and men of good will, in order to build a new world where peace reigns!
    This is the missionary spirit that must animate us; not closing ourselves off in our small groups, nor feeling superior to the world.  We are called to offer God’s love to everyone, in order to achieve that unity which does not cancel out differences but values the personal history of each person and the social and religious culture of every people.
    Brothers and sisters, this is the hour for love!  The heart of the Gospel is the love of God that makes us brothers and sisters.  With my predecessor Leo XIII, we can ask ourselves today: If this criterion “were to prevail in the world, would not every conflict cease and peace return?” (Rerum Novarum, 20).
    With the light and the strength of the Holy Spirit, let us build a Church founded on God’s love, a sign of unity, a missionary Church that opens its arms to the world, proclaims the word, allows itself to be made “restless” by history, and becomes a leaven of harmony for humanity.
    Together, as one people, as brothers and sisters, let us walk towards God and love one another.

    MIL OSI Europe News

  • MIL-OSI Russia: China’s Total Fixed Investment Up 4 Pct in Jan-Apr 2025 /detailed version-1/

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

    BEIJING, May 19 (Xinhua) — China’s total fixed-asset investment rose 4 percent in January-April 2025 from a year earlier, official data showed Monday.

    Excluding the real estate sector, China’s fixed-asset investment rose 8 percent year-on-year during the period, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics.

    In particular, investments in infrastructure grew by 5.8 percent, and in manufacturing by 8.8 percent.

    A breakdown by industry shows that investments in the primary sector of the economy /agriculture, forestry, fisheries, livestock/ increased by 13.2 percent compared to the same period last year, investments in the secondary sector increased by 11.7 percent, while in the tertiary sector, on the contrary, they decreased by 0.2 percent. -0-

    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-Evening Report: Ambition is not a dirty word: female politicians and the ‘Lady Macbeth bias’

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Professor Rebekah Russell-Bennett, Associate Dean Research, Faculty of Business, Government and Law, University of Canberra

    When the new parliament convenes after the recent election, it will feature a rarity in Australian politics. Women will lead two significant political parties at the same time: the Liberal Party’s Sussan Ley and the Greens’ Larissa Waters.

    When female political leaders show ambition, they are often portrayed in the media as grasping, selfish and power-seeking. In other words, they are the embodiment of Shakespeare’s Lady Macbeth.

    The recent negative media coverage of Jacinta Nampijinpa Price’s move to the Liberal Party was reminiscent of the depiction of Julia Gillard when she became Labor leader. Price’s ambition reportedly made her selfish, while Gillard’s ambition was framed as a “moral wrong”.

    The pervasive misrepresentation of female politicians who display ambition can be thought of as “the Lady Macbeth bias”. This negative framing of ambition associates female politicians with ruthlessness and power at any cost. The prejudice reflects the central character theme in Shakespeare’s tragic play, Macbeth, of a woman whose scheming was her undoing.

    Lady Macbeth’s ambition is depicted as morally suspect and unnatural. This ambition leads to her demise.

    Highly gendered ambition

    With two new women leaders rising to the top and a record number of new female politicians in the 48th parliament, how will they be portrayed as their ambition plays out?

    The media representation of women who aspire to leadership typically depicts female ambition as a negative. This is a distraction from any objective criticism of the person. This kind of gendered approach to female politicians could be a deterrent for women who have political aspirations.

    There is a significant evidence base in academic literature that demonstrates ambition is a social construct that is highly gendered. Women politicians who show ambition are seen as unrelatable and unfeminine, while ambitious male politicians are described as visionary or strong.

    Take, for example, this recent article on Paul Keating, whose ambition is lauded, making him a “rare leader”. Let us not forgot that Keating became prime minister by challenging Bob Hawke.

    Compare the praise of Keating to the demonising of Gillard, who also challenged a sitting prime minister (Kevin Rudd) and you will see the opposite commentary. Ambition featured strongly in analysis of Gillard’s rise to power. Instead of praise for her ambition, she was often vilified, with her morality called into question.

    Rudd’s comment to her in 2010 typifies this perspective: “Julia, you’re a good person, why are you doing this?”

    The double bind

    So what is the outcome of this negative media portrayal of women in politics?

    Female politicians with ambition are perceived as less likeable and take a hit in popularity and electoral success. This phenomena has been termed the double bind, which is a paradox experienced by women leaders. To be viewed as competent, they need to display traits typically associated with men, such as ambition, competitiveness and drive. However, when they do, this in turn makes them appear not feminine enough.

    The result of this violation of gender stereotypes ranges from negative perceptions to backlash. Women can be overlooked for roles, receive less money and in the case of politics, face electoral retaliation.

    So like Lady Macbeth, ambitious leaders are punished for defying the natural order of femininity. A lose-lose situation.

    Normalise female ambition

    So what should be done? First the media need to take responsibility for the language used in headlines and stories about female politicians. A more androgynous approach to reporting on political leaders would go a long way to addressing this problem.

    Second, we the public need to decry the use of overused stereotypes in media coverage, such as the Lady Macbeth tropes, when our female leaders are critiqued. While politicians should be held to high standards of accountability, transparency and ethics, a gendered approach undermines this scrutiny and weakens our democratic system.

    Finally, we can limit “the Lady Macbeth bias” by showcasing ambitious female politicians across the political spectrum. When we normalise ambition in women, we break the association between ambition and masculinity. It is time to decouple leadership qualities from gendered stereotypes, not just for current female politicians but for the girls who are our future politicians.

    Shifting perceptions

    The Lady Macbeth theme of ambitious women being unnatural, morally bankrupt, ruthless and manipulative is a serious misrepresentation of female politicians.

    This negative portrayal is a barrier to women entering politics. Or surviving in politics.

    Politicians such as Ley, Waters and Price should be held to account, but not on gendered terms. We must stop treating female politicians as Lady Macbeth. If we do not, gender inequality in politics will prevail.

    That would be a sad future for all Australians.

    Rebekah Russell-Bennett is affiliated with the Liberal party

    ref. Ambition is not a dirty word: female politicians and the ‘Lady Macbeth bias’ – https://theconversation.com/ambition-is-not-a-dirty-word-female-politicians-and-the-lady-macbeth-bias-256681

    MIL OSI AnalysisEveningReport.nz

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: SH1B upgrade work complete – rail crossing remains closed for now

    Source: Argument for Lifting NZ Super Age

    Traffic will be back using the Holland Road/Marshmeadow Road intersection on Wednesday 21 May, following final surfacing work for the safety upgrade of the State Highway 1B Telephone Road railway crossing.

    While the road will reopen, the rail crossing on Telephone Road itself must remain closed for another couple of months until KiwiRail has completed their signalling work, says NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA).

    “The signalling work is a vital part of the upgrade to safely allow vehicles to start using the Telephone Road rail crossing once again,” explains NZTA’s Regional Manager of Maintenance and Operations, Roger Brady.

    “We appreciate this has been a disruptive period and ask the Puketaha community to bear with us for just a couple more months until the crossing can fully reopen.”  

    To prevent vehicles using the rail crossing, shipping containers will be installed across the road tomorrow and remain in place until KiwiRail have completed their work, which is expected to be in late July.

    “Unfortunately pedestrian access across the rail crossing will also no longer be possible, including the Puketaha School students who have been able to walk across twice a day,” Mr Brady says.

    Both Puketaha School and the Ministry of Education, who manage the school bus routes, have been notified.   

    Alongside lowering the risk of vehicles damaging the rail tracks, NZTA has also added escape lanes to ensure vehicles do not get stuck on the crossing at busy times.

    “As we hit the home stretch for the roading component of this project, we’d like to once more thank the community for your patience while SH1B Telephone Road remains closed at the rail crossing.”

    Temporary traffic management will be in place until July showing the SH1B detour around Holland Road, Waverley Road and Seddon Road. This is the same detour that was in place from when the crossing first closed in 2022 until the start of the upgrade project in February this year.

    KiwiRail media queries contact: Sue Allen Sue.Allen@kiwirail.co.nz  

    MIL OSI New Zealand News

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Pentland Hills school bus crash responders honoured

    Source:

    Members of Bacchus Marsh, Ballan and Melton fire brigades involved, ACFO David Maxwell and Commander Mal Hayes with ACFO Lachlan Redman and Acting Chief Officer Garry Cook. Credit: Uniform Photography

    Seventeen firefighters from Bacchus Marsh, Ballan and Melton Fire Brigades have received one of CFA’s highest honours for their response to a serious school bus crash in 2022.

    Acting CFA Chief Officer Garry Cook AFSM presented the distinguished Unit Citation for Service to the members at a ceremony in Myrniong on Sunday (18 May).

    At 3.20am on 21 September 2022, CFA crews were called to a major crash on the Western Freeway in Pentland Hills, where a school bus carrying 27 students and four staff from Loreto College Ballarat had been struck at speed by a truck with a semi-trailer.

    The bus veered off the road and rolled down a steep embankment, coming to rest in dense scrub with many occupants trapped. The truck with a semi-trailer came to a stop around 400 metres further down the freeway, with the driver pinned inside the cab.

    CFA firefighters were among the first emergency services to arrive. Crews descended the slope using a secured hose reel, carrying rescue tools to reach and assist injured and disoriented students.

    Simultaneously, other CFA crews helped extricate the truck driver and managed a significant diesel spill, while several members supported Ambulance Victoria to attend to the students.

    Fifteen students and one staff member were hospitalised. Fortunately, there were no fatalities.

    “This was an incredibly complex and emotionally charged scene, and our members showed true professionalism under pressure,” Garry said.

    “Their ability to respond quickly, work alongside other emergency services and provide reassurance to young people in distress is something we as an organisation are very proud of.”

    Captain of Bacchus Marsh Fire Brigade Ryan O’Shannessy, who was the CFA Incident Controller, said it was one of the most confronting incidents his crew had faced.

    “It was a call-out that really showed the heart of our members, stepping in with empathy, skill and care to help a busload of young students and teachers who’d just been through something terrifying,” Ryan said.

    “The injuries we saw were confronting, but everyone did what they could to help, drawing on our CFA training, life experience and the support of all the agencies working together.

    “Seeing our crews comfort those kids, assess injuries and stay calm under pressure made me incredibly proud. It was a true team effort — not just from the three CFA brigades, but also from Fire Rescue Victoria, VICSES, Victoria Police and Ambulance Victoria.

    “We are grateful for this acknowledgement by the Victorian community and CFA, and while it was one incident of significance, we humbly accept this Unit Citation on behalf of our brigades for all the incidents we have and will continue to attend when called upon to help our local and wider communities in protecting life and property.”

    Captain of Ballan Fire Brigade Ben Hatfield said the recognition meant a great deal.

    “We’re proud to receive this on behalf of our brigades, but more importantly, we’re proud of how our members responded that day,” Ben said.

    “This citation may recognise one moment, but it reflects the work we do every time we’re called to help, especially when it’s our youngest community members who need us most.”

    • Ballan Fire Brigade members with ACFO Lachlan Redman and Acting Chief Officer Garry Cook. Credit: Uniform Photography
    • Bacchus Marsh Fire Brigade members with ACFO Lachlan Redman and Acting Chief Officer Garry Cook. Credit: Uniform Photography
    • Melton Fire Brigade members with ACFO Lachlan Redman and Acting Chief Officer Garry Cook. Credit: Uniform Photography
    • Chief Officer Commendation recipients Commander Malcolm Hayes and ACFO David Maxwell. Credit: Uniform Photography
    • Acting Chief Officer Garry Cook
    Submitted by CFA media

    MIL OSI News

  • MIL-Evening Report: ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for May 19, 2025

    ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on May 19, 2025.

    What does it mean to ‘accept’ or ‘reject’ all cookies, and which should I choose?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ahmed Ibrahim, Senior Lecturer, Computing and Security, Edith Cowan University Shutterstock/The Conversation It’s nearly impossible to use the internet without being asked about cookies. A typical pop-up will offer to either “accept all” or “reject all”. Sometimes, there may be a third option, or a link to

    What causes ADHD? What we know, don’t know and suspect
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alison Poulton, Senior Lecturer, Brain Mind Centre Nepean, University of Sydney Sergey Novikov/Shutterstock Neurodevelopmental disorders are a diverse group of conditions that affect the brain from early development. They include attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism and learning disabilities, such as dyslexia. These conditions usually become more evident

    Pacific children as young as 6 adopted, made to work as house slaves
    By Gill Bonnett, RNZ immigration reporter This story discusses graphic details of slavery, sexual abuse and violence Pacific children as young as six are being adopted overseas and being made to work as house slaves, suffering threats, beatings and rape. Kris Teikamata — a social worker at a community agency — spoke about the harrowing

    Australia launches ‘landmark’ UN police peacekeeping course for Pacific region
    Australia has launched the world’s first UN Police Peacekeeping Training course tailored specifically for the Pacific region. The five-week programme, hosted by the Australian Federal Police (AFP), is underway at the state-of-the-art Pacific Policing Development and Coordination Hub in Pinkenba, Brisbane. AFP said “a landmark step” was developed in partnership with the United Nations, and

    AI is moving fast. Climate policy provides valuable lessons for how to keep it in check
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Milica Stilinovic, PhD Candidate, School of Media and Communications; Managing Editor, Policy & Internet journal, University of Sydney cybermagician/Shutterstock Artificial intelligence (AI) might not have been created to enable new forms of sexual violence such as deepfake pornography. But that has been an unfortunate byproduct of the

    1 in 5 Gazans face starvation. Can the law force Israel to act?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Donald Rothwell, Professor of International Law, Australian National University As Israel continues to pound Gaza with airstrikes, killing scores of people a day, the two-month ceasefire that brought a halt to the violence earlier this year feels like a distant memory. Israel’s overall military and political objective

    More people are trying medicinal cannabis for chronic pain. But does it work?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Suzanne Nielsen, Professor and Deputy Director, Monash Addiction Research Centre, Monash University PeopleImages.com – Yuri A/Shutterstock More Australians than ever are being prescribed medicinal cannabis. Medicinal cannabis refers to legally prescribed cannabis products. These are either the plant itself, or naturally occurring ingredients extracted from the plant.

    Why is southern Australia in drought – and when will it end?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Chiara Holgate, Senior Research Fellow, ARC Centre of Excellence for Weather of the 21st Century, Australian National University Artic_photo/Shutterstock Swathes of South Australia, Victoria, Tasmania and Western Australia are in the grip of drought as they experience some of the lowest rainfall totals on record. Farmers are

    Wine is still Australia’s most popular alcoholic drink – but many producers face an uncertain future
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paul Chad, Honorary Fellow, Faculty of Business and Law, School of Business, University of Wollongong kwest/Shutterstock Australia has become world-famous for its wine, but the industry faces an uncertain future. Too many grapes grown amid falling consumer demand, an oversupply of budget wine, and an undersupply of

    Something borrowed, something blue? Why the reign of the traditional wedding dress may be over
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jye Marshall, Lecturer, Fashion Design, School of Design and Architecture, Swinburne University of Technology Wedding Rebellion Workshop, London Ellie Cooper/unsplash The family and friends are all gathered, wedding bells are ringing, and the bride walks down the aisle in her beautiful bubblegum pink wedding dress. Twenty years

    NZ Budget 2025: economic forecasting is notoriously difficult, but global uncertainty is making it harder
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Ryan, Lecturer in Economics, University of Waikato Javier Ghersi/Getty Images This year’s budget will be one of the tightest in a decade, with the New Zealand government halving its operating allowance – the new money it has available to spend – from NZ$2.4 billion to $1.3

    Why the wall of silence on the Gaza genocide is finally starting to crack
    Report by Dr David Robie – Café Pacific. – As Israel unveils its final genocide push, and mass death from starvation looms in Gaza, Western media and politicians are tentatively starting to speak up ANALYSIS: By Jonathan Cook Who could have imagined 19 months ago that it would take more than a year and a

    MIL OSI AnalysisEveningReport.nz

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: 10 days of TLC for Mason Bay homestead |

    Source: Police investigating after shots fired at Hastings house

    By Sarah Wilcox

    Volunteers atop Big Sandhill looking south to the Ernest Islands and The Gutter | Riki Everest

    In January 2025, I was part of a volunteer crew doing maintenance work on the Island Hill Homestead near Rakiura Stewart Island’s west coast.

    As one of the oldest buildings on the island it holds a significant place in local history. It’s named after Island Hill, a granite mound you pass on the track between Mason Bay and Freshwater Huts.  

    The homestead, woolshed and grounds have been cared for by DOC since 1987. The buildings are used as a work base by staff, hut wardens, contractors and research students. It’s been especially useful for accommodating people working on the dune restoration and pukunui (southern dotterel) projects in the bay.  

    My husband Mark and I had passed the homestead on previous tramping trips. We spent a memorable evening there with the hut wardens eating fresh pikelets on the porch, reading from old logbooks and being investigated by several kiwi.   

    When we spotted the opportunity for a 10-day volunteer stint, we decided to apply. We loved the idea of spending time in remote and beautiful Mason Bay, living in the historic homestead and giving something back.  

    A short history of Island Hill Homestead 

    The homestead was built in 1880 and housed farmers and their families for nearly 90 years. Many were familiar local names: William Walker, Arthur and Mateen Traill, Stanford and Dolly Leask and Tim and Ngaire Te Aika.  

    The site oozes struggle, refuge and resourcefulness. It feels isolated today but would have been extraordinarily remote in the 19th century. Prevailing westerly winds sweep up the valley, with a macrocarpa wind break providing some shelter from the worst of the gales.  

    Some farmers profited from grazing sheep and cattle on the marginal land, but it was never easy. Hardly surprising. Half sand dune, half wetland, the land required a network of drainage ditches to get enough grass to grow. Access was also challenging. It was heavy work to maintain a road to Freshwater Landing across the ‘chocolate swamp’, but even that was better than loading a ship on the wild Mason Bay coast. 

    Most residents added on to or modified the homestead during their time, so it tells the story of their habitation. I read of an abundant vegetable garden next to the house in 1916. 

    The Te Aika family lived there from 1966 and Ngaire home-schooled their two daughters. Historian Olga Sansom describes finding them, “dressed for school…with shoes polished, hair well-groomed and with neat, pleated skirts and white blouses like any other college girls.” 

    In 1986, the Te Aika family relinquished the farm’s lease to the Crown because it had become uneconomic.  

    I enjoyed making bread in the homestead kitchen, following in a long line of farm cooks | Sarah Wilcox

    Fast forward to 2025 

    We arrived after a 10-minute helicopter flight across the island. No ancient farmers were there to meet us – just a gorgeous warm summer’s day and hundreds of bumble bees. The bees are thought to descend for the kanuka flowering and are madly attracted to anything blue. We had been warned – and had studiously removed everything blue from our clothing and kit.  

    Also in our group were volunteers Janet Dunn and Dugald Wilson. Riki Everest from Rakiura Māori Lands Trust and Jaega Banga, ranger also came for a few days each. The trip was led by Andrew King, supervisor, Rakiura National Park.  

    From left Mark Wilcox, Dugald Wilson, Andrew King, the author and Janet Dunn pause for morning tea on the homestead porch | Sarah Wilcox

    Andrew loves this place. “I’ve been coming out here for 20 years. I have a keen interest in all the historic work, because you have to keep the stories alive”.  

    The stories of previous inhabitants were told as he showed us around the area – homestead, woolshed, shower, implement shed and nearby trampers’ and hunters’ huts – and hinted at our work ahead.  

    Looking after a heritage building 

    There were a couple of big jobs for us – build and fit a new window to replace a rotten one, and build and install a new kitchen cupboard. There were also lots of small maintenance jobs to work through depending on the weather and how long things took. 

    “We’re careful to respect the building’s heritage values, and change as little as possible. So we don’t fill over screw heads or try and make things look new. I name and date all the new cabinetry we fit and document everything.  

    “Borer is a big issue. We’re slowly replacing anything that’s too bad to restore. If you can’t hold it then you replace it with like for like, as much as possible. I use wood collected from the beach, look out for second-hand timber and source macrocarpa for the interior so it fits in. It’s more effort but it’s worth it.”  

    Every morning after breakfast we talked about work for the day and people chose what they wanted to do. Andrew would patiently explain the tasks and how to do them. There was never any time pressure.  

    I’d often hear an encouraging “gettin’ there”, “there’s no hurry” or “looking good” as Andrew kept a weather eye on our progress.  

    I think this relaxed attentiveness really paid off with a happy crew, no injuries (just one bee sting for me) and only a few fixable mistakes.   

    A steady stream of trampers stopped to say hello on their way through. We enjoyed showing them around the site and talking about our work.  

    Long evenings allowed for trips as a couple to explore the area, look for kiwi and have some time out. Here, stunning evening light seen from Big Sandpass | Sarah Wilcox

    Jobs done – and done well 

    Janet, Dugald and Andrew (kneeling) working on the new window | Sarah Wilcox

    What we did achieve over the time was significant:

    • built and fitted a new window
    • applied wood preservative to fence and woolshed
    • scraped back and repainted window exteriors
    • cleaned gutters on homestead and Mason Bay Hut
    • set traps – 1 possum, 1 feral cat caught
    • built and fitted new kitchen cupboard, sanded and cleaned original doors to reuse
    • put in new fence posts
    • scraped rust off tractors and wool press and applied metal preservative
    • cleaned Mason Bay Hut and toilets
    • cut long grass beside the woolshed
    • sorted timber in woodshed
    • replaced borer-ridden skirting boards
    • cleaned homestead and swept woolshed
    • shared out the cooking and dishes

    Mark and Riki at work scraping rust off the old Massey Ferguson tractor before metal preservative was applied | Sarah Wilcox

    One job I particularly enjoyed was re-wallpapering a kitchen wall. This involved choosing from a stash of period rolls in the back cupboard, applying scrim (what a marvellous way to prep a rough wooden wall!), then sticking up the fresh wallpaper. It was hugely satisfying to put all the spreads, spices and sauces back into the new, clean cupboard that others had built, knowing it would be well-used in years to come.    

    With a wry smile and twinkle in his eye, Andrew clearly got huge satisfaction from enabling us to be stretched a bit while making sure the jobs were done to a high standard.  

    “The value of this project is introducing people to what DOC workers do. We teach them a lot of new stuff but it goes both ways – we learn off each other.”  

    He says the Stewart Island visitor and heritage team has always been very strong on using volunteers as hut wardens and on historic, hut cleaning and painting trips and track trimming trips.   

    “We do a lot of hours with volunteers every year.”  

    Māori history and archaeological sites 

    European history on the island is short compared with the centuries-old association that Māori have with Rakiura and its offshore islands – especially the tītī islands.  

    Riki Everest joined us for the first part of the trip. He’s a captivating storyteller and former pāua diver who now lives on the island.  

    “We grew up on the legends of Tim Te Aika and George, Stanford and Dolly Leask. When you come into this place and see the state of the buildings and how hard it would have been for them as pioneers, you pay homage to those who’ve been on the land before you. They don’t have to be Māori to be legends.” 

    On our second day in perfect weather, Andrew took us all on a walkabout in the dunes to check on the mapped iwi archaeological sites in the area. Unfortunately most had been covered by sand and weren’t visible. Others had been swamped by fast-growing weedy lupins. 

    Undeterred, Riki is keen to come back to look around on his own another time. 

    “It was a complete privilege to come over to Mason’s on behalf of the trust and spend time here. My cup is just a wee bit full.” 

    Riki says he’s really impressed that DOC wants to strengthen ties.   

    “We feel the same, it’s absolutely reciprocal. We’re all kaitiaki of Rakiura.  

    “I think DOC is an incredible resource. They have all the protocols in place to care for the iwi sites and the best people – experts with years of experience. We can learn a lot from them and they’re really willing to teach. I can’t thank them enough.”  

    About the Southland Volunteer Programme  

    The Southland volunteer programme has been running for 20 years.  

    Andrew explains that the organisers are not looking for specific skills but for a mixture of people.  

    “It can be couples or single people – anyone can do it. Everyone has different skills but everyone is keen to learn. Most volunteers haven’t done any building work or anything like this before. I’ve found the older ones easier to manage and more keen to get out than some of the younger ones!” 

    Good food made for happy volunteers. When faced with a large meal, we were urged to “put on our big boy pants” to reduce leftovers for the next day | Sarah Wilcox

    So what makes a great volunteer experience? Here are Andrew’s top tips: 

    Food is very important, so everyone normally gets fed well. (Superb understatement by Andrew – the food was generous and hearty!)  

    If people don’t want to do something they’re usually pretty honest about it. It’s got to be that open conversation right from the start. 

    I like to give people the knowledge they need to do a job then let them get on with it. I encourage questions.  

    There’s no rush, if it doesn’t get done one day, there’s always another day. 

    10 days can be a long time for some, so the trick is to make sure everyone gets along and respects each other. If there are any niggles we get onto it pretty quickly. 

    More information
    Southland, Otago and Fiordland volunteer activities information: Southland volunteer opportunities
    History of Island Hill Run and Homestead: Rakiura National Park

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    MIL OSI New Zealand News

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Have your say on the future use of Western Springs Stadium

    Source: Secondary teachers question rationale for changes to relationship education guidelines

    Aucklanders are invited to provide feedback to help shape the future use of Western Springs Stadium.

    This public consultation, led by Auckland Council and Tātaki Auckland Unlimited, is open for feedback, from today until 15 June 2025. It follows direction from the council’s Governing Body on 1 May 2025 to seek public feedback before making a decision on the stadium’s long-term use.

    There are three options outlined in the consultation document that the council seeks feedback on. These are either Auckland Arena, Western Springs Bowl, or an option that ranges from keeping things as they are to suggesting something different for the future of the stadium.

    Max Hardy, Auckland Council’s Director of Group Strategy and Chief Executive’s Office, encourages the community to say how they’d prefer to see the outer fields and stadium used at Western Springs.

    “Western Springs has a rich and layered history – from the time when tuna, that’s eels, were fished in the springs, to its use as a vital water reservoir for the city, and later a stadium for speedway, sport, and iconic concerts. Now’s the time to tell us what you’d like to see here in the future” says Mr Hardy.

    Nick Hill, Chief Executive of Tātaki Auckland Unlimited (TAU), also looks forward to seeing where the community support lies for this important and underused venue in Auckland’s stadium network.

    “Western Springs Stadium is a special place with huge potential to evolve and meet the needs of our vibrant city and region. TAU ran an expression of interest process that resulted in two strong options, and we look forward to hearing what Aucklanders want to see happen to the site,” says Mr Hill.

    The three options identified for public consideration are:

    Option 1: Auckland Arena – A bespoke 12,500–15,000 capacity stadium with high-performance facilities and outer fields. Community use would include indoor basketball and padel courts. Proposed commercial activity includes hospitality options and a health centre.

    Option 2: Western Springs Bowl – A permanent music and festival venue with a capacity of 50,000, using the natural amphitheatre and installing new permanent staging infrastructure. A 5,000 – 8,000 seated boutique stadium and community sport facility with clubrooms, a corporate hospitality venue and gym. This option would remain a community sports facility and the home of Ponsonby Rugby Club. 

    Option 3: neither option 1 or 2; instead keep things as they are or explore other ideas – Existing arrangements could be kept. Tātaki Auckland Unlimited would manage and operate the venue for concerts and festivals and the Ponsonby Rugby Club lease could be extended. Alternative options for the venue could be explored. 

    There are a number of ways to have your say. These include completing the online feedback form and attending Have Your Say Events for regional organisations and interest groups.

    There will also be online information session on the evening of 27 May, where you can find out more about the options and ask questions.

    This consultation follows an expression of interest process carried out by Tātaki Auckland Unlimited, which owns and operates Western Springs Stadium with funding from Auckland Council. Two redevelopment proposals emerged through that process, with the addition of the third option of keeping things as they are or exploring other ideas. 

    Public feedback will help inform a decision on the future of Western Springs Stadium.

    Feedback on the Western Springs Stadium consultation closes at 11.59pm on Sunday 15 June 2025.

    For more information, go to AK Have Your Say

    MIL OSI New Zealand News

  • MIL-OSI Australia: It’s a national treasure, but 13% of Australians surveyed can’t tell you where the Great Barrier Reef is located

    Source:

    19 May 2025

    The giant sea turtle was one of the few GBR species that participants could identify.

    New research shows that Australians care deeply about the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) – one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World – but 13% can’t tell you where it is located.

    A social media survey canvassing Australians’ perceptions of the iconic tourism drawcard also revealed that while most people are aware of the threats facing the world’s largest coral reef, few can name many individual species inhabiting it.

    The survey, conducted by University of South Australia (UniSA) researchers and recently published in Marine and Freshwater Research, underscores the need for a targeted public awareness campaign to address knowledge gaps about the fragile ecosystem, according to lead author Jarrah Taylor.

    The UniSA environmental science master’s student says that 113 Australians recruited via social media were asked four open-ended questions about the Great Barrier Reef, including where it was located, what species lived in the reef, its importance to Australia, and the major threats facing it.

    The survey’s key findings were:

    • Most participants (86.72%) correctly named the Queensland coastline as the home of the Great Barrier Reef, but a small number (13%) were either unaware of the location or stated the wrong State.
    • Participants commonly identified broad groups such as fish (37%), reptiles (12%) and corals (12%) occupying the GBR, and specific species like clownfish (3.9%), sea turtles and sharks (10%) were mentioned, but participants revealed limited knowledge of species at a more niche level.
    • The GBR’s environmental importance was recognised, with 48% of survey respondents citing it as a crucial habitat for various species, 27% naming it as a natural wonder of the world, 44% mentioning it as a major tourism drawcard, and 9% aware of its importance to the Australian economy.
    • Participants identified several threats, mostly caused by humans, including runoff, pollution and plastics (36%), climate change (33%), warming oceans (24%) and coral bleaching (34%). Of the 18 threats reported by participants, only three were naturogenic (crown-of-thorns starfish, natural disasters and sea urchins).

    Taylor says it is not surprising that fish and coral topped the recognition list for marine life in the Great Barrier Reef.

    “Images of both coral and fish have long been used in tourism campaigns dating back to the 1970s,” she says.

    “We were not expecting participants to provide the scientific name for individual species, but we were interested to see if they could identify flora and fauna at a more niche level – for example reef sharks, manta rays, giant clams and potato cod. This was not the case.”

    The most common specific species identified was the clownfish, most likely owing to media portrayals in Finding Nemo, a 2003 animated adventure film inspired by the Great Barrier Reef.

    “This shows the power of digital media and popular culture in raising awareness of charismatic species, which can lead to conservation support,” Taylor says.

    UniSA senior author Dr Brianna Le Busque says that only three species classified as endangered were identified by participants – the green turtle, staghorn coral, and the hammerhead shark – and fewer than 1% of respondents cited birds, despite the GBR supporting breeding populations of 20 seabird species.

    “This finding highlights the need for more education of endangered and critically endangered species living in the Great Barrier Reef, which are under threat from human activities,” Dr Le Busque says.

    “We know from a psychology perspective that people are more motivated to help conservation efforts if they feel personally connected to species and know more about them.

    “The Great Barrier Reef supports more than 6000 different species and is the jewel in the crown of coral reefs worldwide. It is important to Australia environmentally, economically, culturally and scientifically, and we need to protect it for future generations.”

    The researchers recommend expanding the study in future to include a larger, more representative sample of the Australian population. The current study comprised 70% women and 30% men, with participants from SA, Queensland, NSW and Victoria.

    Australians perceptions of species diversity of, and threats to, the Great Barrier Reef” is authored by University of South Australia researchers Jarrah Taylor, Associate Professor Carla Litchfield and Dr Brianna Le Busque. DOI: 10.1071/MF24109

    …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

    Media contact: Candy Gibson M: +61 434 605 142 E: candy.gibson@unisa.edu.au

    Other articles you may be interested in

    MIL OSI News

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Dmitry Chernyshenko: The Made in Russia Festival Strengthens the Ties between the Two Great Nations of Russia and China

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    Previous news Next news

    The First International Online Sales Fair of Russian Brands in Moscow. Dmitry Chernyshenko greeted the participants of the Festival-Fair

    On May 17, the first International Online Sales Fair of Russian Brands was held in Zaryadye Park in Moscow. At the same time, the Made in Russia festival and fair was officially launched in Harbin, and will last until May 21. The participants of the event were united by a joint teleconference.

    The event is being implemented under the program for promoting domestic products under the national brand “Made in Russia,” approved this year by order of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

    Deputy Prime Minister of Russia Dmitry Chernyshenko assessed the exhibition and welcomed the participants of the festival-fair. He emphasized the historical connection between the peoples of Russia and China and noted the importance of supporting such events to strengthen bilateral relations.

    “This event unites two wonderful cities – Moscow and Harbin. But most importantly, it strengthens the connection between two great nations, which throughout their long history have stood hand in hand, shoulder to shoulder, supporting each other, developing friendship and cooperation. This wonderful event, connecting our nations, has been held for several years with the support of the Russian Export Center. The importance of the festival-fair “Made in Russia” was especially noted by the leaders of our countries – Russian President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping at a recent meeting held in the Kremlin on May 8, which emphasized the desire to further develop bilateral relations. The last festival-fair was also a great success, largely due to the personal visit of President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin to the exhibition in Harbin,” said Dmitry Chernyshenko.

    The Deputy Prime Minister wished the participants successful work, new business contacts and expressed hope for the further development of Russian-Chinese cooperation within the framework of the Intergovernmental Commission for the Preparation of Regular Meetings of Heads of Government.

    He also presented blogger Yang Runxin with a certificate for her contribution to strengthening Russian-Chinese trade and economic relations, especially in promoting and popularizing the national brand “Made in Russia” in China.

    More than 60 manufacturers from various regions of Russia took part in the online fair in Moscow. Dmitry Chernyshenko got acquainted with the products presented at the exhibition and expressed gratitude to the participants for their contribution to strengthening international relations, emphasizing that they use their reputation and audience to achieve this important goal.

    Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People’s Republic of China to the Russian Federation Zhang Hanhui thanked the organizers for their support and regular holding of the fair, which provides opportunities for enterprises and attracts more and more participants. He noted that President Xi Jinping recently successfully visited Russia and this 11th visit, during which the need for further development of bilateral relations was emphasized, was evidence of excellent contacts between the leaders of the two countries.

    The event included live broadcasts on the international e-commerce platform. During them, Chinese residents were presented with more than 100 product items: chocolate, waffles, seafood, cereals, honey, flour, jams, birch sap, chicory, pickled cucumbers and other food products and drinks. They were also presented with various cosmetics, household chemicals and toys for children.

    “The fairs in Moscow and Harbin will help Chinese consumers get acquainted with the widest possible range of high-quality goods from Russia, discover new brands, and Russian companies will not only increase their recognition in the B2C segment, but also establish business contacts with the largest distributors in China. As a result of the already held festivals and fairs, entrepreneurs have concluded export contracts worth over 4.5 billion rubles. In order to gain a foothold in the market and take substantial steps towards increasing sales, today we are developing, together with our Chinese partners, a trade infrastructure for promoting Russian products under our national brand. Thus, we are opening national expositions, permanent offline and online retail outlets. All this, undoubtedly, works together to increase the recognition of Russia, its culture, as well as to increase trust and interest in our products,” said Veronika Nikishina, General Director of the Russian Export Center.

    The opening ceremony of the festival-fair was also attended by Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council Nikolai Zhuravlev, Ambassador Zhang Hanhui, Deputy Chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade Li Qingshuang and blogger Yang Runxin. Heilongjiang Province Governor Liang Huiling and Consul General of the Russian Federation in Harbin Sergey Linnik joined the event via video link from Harbin.

    The online fair of Russian goods in Moscow was organized by the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Russia, the Russian Export Center (VEB.RF Group), the Roscongress Foundation, the Agency for Strategic Initiatives and the Moscow government with the support of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade. The general partner of the fair is the Moscow Export Center.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-Evening Report: Why is southern Australia in drought – and when will it end?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Chiara Holgate, Senior Research Fellow, ARC Centre of Excellence for Weather of the 21st Century, Australian National University

    Artic_photo/Shutterstock

    Swathes of South Australia, Victoria, Tasmania and Western Australia are in the grip of drought as they experience some of the lowest rainfall totals on record.

    Farmers are spending eye-watering amounts of money buying feed, or selling stock to stay afloat.

    Some towns are already on water restrictions. Those not connected to the mains water system are in a perilous situation. In the Adelaide Hills, water is being trucked in to fill empty rainwater tanks and dams.

    The story playing out across southern Australia could be a glimpse of what’s to come. Our recent research suggests southern Australia may experience longer and more intense droughts in the future, as the climate changes.

    Parts of South Australia, Victoria, Tasmania and Western Australia are experiencing serious rainfall deficiencies.
    Australian Bureau of Meteorology

    How bad is this drought?

    Parts of southern Australia have been experiencing drier than normal conditions for well over a year.

    Conditions on the ground are worsening as the drought continues.

    In Adelaide, the desalination plant has ramped up to maintain water supply. Similarly, Victoria’s desal plant has fired up for the first time since 2022 as dam levels fall.

    Farmers are facing some of the driest conditions in decades, and financial pressures are mounting.

    Nature, too, is struggling. Waterways, wetlands and deep pools have dried up, leading to fears for endangered fish, insects and many other species.

    Where has the rain gone?

    In a drought-prone country such as Australia, there’s an age-old question: why do the rains sometimes disappear?

    Our recent research shows Australian scientists are getting closer to answering this question.

    We now know Australian droughts develop when weather systems that lift and carry moisture from the ocean – to fall as heavy rain on land – disappear. When these weather systems return, the droughts break.

    These kinds of weather systems have been notably absent from southern Australia in recent months. Instead, slow-moving high-pressure systems, which typically bring warm and dry conditions, have been the standout feature across southern Australia.

    For Australia, the driest inhabited continent, heavy rains are what keep drought at bay. Last spring and summer, drought conditions were building in parts of Queensland and northern New South Wales. But then Tropical Cyclone Alfred brought heavy rains, dumping up to four times as much rain as these areas usually get in February and March.

    Similarly, heavy rains at the end of last year helped parts of northern and central WA avoid drought conditions.

    Unfortunately, western Victoria and southern SA have had no such luck.

    Drought is more likely to break if weather systems and climate drivers are favorable, such as the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) in its negative phase, the Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) in its wet phase, the El Niño–Southern Oscillation in its La Niña phase, the Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation (IPO) in its negative phase and the Southern Annular Mode (SAM) active. Background climate change can affect all of these drivers.
    Holgate et al 2025 Communications Earth & Environment, CC BY-NC-ND

    How long will the drought last?

    If farmers, water authorities and policymakers knew how much longer this drought would last, they could make clear plans. Keep or sell livestock? Impose water restrictions or wait?

    Unfortunately, drought timing is very hard to predict. As our research shows, the climate processes that bring weather systems laden with heavy rain are complex.

    But we do know heavy and persistent rain is needed to break the drought. And the current forecast shows there’s a decent chance of that as we head towards spring. Though forecasts can change, and those with skin in the game will have their eyes glued to next month’s update to the Bureau of Meteorology’s rainfall outlook.

    It also helps that we’re heading into what’s usually the rainier time of year. This means the odds of receiving decent rain are higher at this time of year than if we were heading into summer.

    Climate and water long-range forecast, issued 15 May 2025 (Bureau of Meteorology)

    Dry and drier

    Over the past few decades, southern Australia has become drier. Drying has been most pronounced during the cooler months, between April and October. Some parts of southern Australia have also become more drought-prone, with the number of months spent in drought increasing over this time.

    Maps of the current dry conditions across southern Australia closely follow the regions projected to experience longer and more frequent drought conditions in future.

    It’s too early to draw a clear line between climate change and this particular drought. But the weight of evidence shows southern droughts are likely to strike more often in the future. The Tinderbox Drought from 2017–19, for instance, was the first Australian drought to show a possible worsening from climate change.

    The good news? We now know more about how Australian droughts work. This means we can now be more confident in the direction of Australia’s water future than in past decades.

    We must urgently use this new knowledge to develop innovative solutions that will allow Australia to thrive in a climate of increasingly variable water availability. Solutions will involve setting sustainable limits on water use, introducing water recycling and improving efficiency, among other measures.

    Though solutions may look different in different parts of Australia, one thing rings true everywhere: we all need to make every drop count.

    Chiara Holgate receives funding from the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for the Weather of the 21st Century.

    Ailie Gallant receives funding from the Australian Research Council and the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water.

    ref. Why is southern Australia in drought – and when will it end? – https://theconversation.com/why-is-southern-australia-in-drought-and-when-will-it-end-256443

    MIL OSI AnalysisEveningReport.nz

  • MIL-Evening Report: AI is moving fast. Climate policy provides valuable lessons for how to keep it in check

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Milica Stilinovic, PhD Candidate, School of Media and Communications; Managing Editor, Policy & Internet journal, University of Sydney

    cybermagician/Shutterstock

    Artificial intelligence (AI) might not have been created to enable new forms of sexual violence such as deepfake pornography. But that has been an unfortunate byproduct of the rapidly advancing technology.

    This is just one example of AI’s many unintended uses.

    AI’s intended uses are not without their own problems, including serious copyright concerns. But beyond this, there is much experimentation happening with the rapidly advancing technology. Models and code are shared, repurposed and remixed in public online spaces.

    These collaborative, loosely networked communities — what we call “underspheres” in our recently published paper in New Media & Society — are where users experiment with AI rather than simply consume it. These spaces are where generative AI is pushed into unpredictable and experimental directions. And they show why a new approach to regulating AI and mitigating its risks is urgently needed. Climate policy offers some useful lessons.

    A limited approach

    As AI advances, so do concerns about risk. Policymakers have responded quickly. For example, the European Union AI Act which came into force in 2024 classifies systems by risk: banning “unacceptable” ones, regulating “high-risk” uses, and requiring transparency for lower-risk tools.

    Other governments — including those of the United Kingdom, United States and China — are taking similar directions. However, their regulatory approaches differ in scope, stage of development, and enforcement.

    But these efforts share a limitation: they’re built around intended use, not the messy, creative and often unintended ways AI is actually being used — especially in fringe spaces.

    So, what risks can emerge from creative deviance in AI? And can risk-based frameworks handle technologies that are fluid, remixable and fast-moving?

    Sub communities within the larger Reddit platform often experiment with unintential uses of AI.
    Tada Images/Shutterstock

    Experimentation outside of regulation

    There are several online spaces where members of the undersphere gather. They include GitHub (a web-based platform for collaborative software development), Hugging Face (a platform that offers ready-to-use machine learning models, datasets, and tools for developers to easily build and launch AI apps) and subreddits (individual communities or forums within the larger Reddit platform).

    These environments encourage creative experimentation with generative AI outside regulated frameworks. This experimentation can include instructing models to avoid intended behaviours – or do the opposite. It can also include creating mashups or more powerful variations of generative AI by remixing software code that is made publicly available for anyone to view, use, modify and distribute.

    The potential harms of this experimentation are highlighted by the proliferation of deepfake pornography. So too are the limits of the current approach to regulation rapidly advancing technology such as AI.

    Deepfake technology wasn’t originally developed to create non-consensual pornographic videos and images. But this is ultimately what happened within subreddit communities, beginning in 2017. Deepfake pornography then quickly spread from this undersphere into the mainstream; a recent analysis of more than 95,000 deepfake videos online found 98% of them were deep fake pornography videos.

    It was not until 2019 – years after deepfake pornography first emerged – that attempts to regulate it began to emerge globally. But these attempts were too rigid to capture the new ways deepfake technology was being used by then to cause harm. What’s more, the regulatory efforts were sporadic and inconsistent between states. This impeded efforts to protect people – and democracies – from the impacts of deepfakes globally.

    This is why we need regulation that can march in step with emerging technologies and act quickly when unintended use prevails.

    Embracing uncertainty, complexity and change

    A way to look at AI governance is through the prism of climate change. Climate change is also the result of many interconnected systems interacting in ways we can’t fully control — and its impacts can only be understood with a degree of uncertainty.

    Over the past three decades, climate governance frameworks have evolved to confront this challenge: to manage complex, emerging, and often unpredictable risks. And although this framework has yet to demonstrate its ability to meaningfully reduce greenhouse gas emissions, it has succeeded in sustaining global attention over the years on emerging climate risks and their complex impacts.

    At the same time it has provided a forum where responsibilities and potential solutions can be publicly debated.

    A similar governance framework should also be adopted to manage the spread of AI. This framework should consider the interconnected risks caused by generative AI tools linking with social media platforms. It should also consider cascading risks, as content and code are reused and adapted. And it should consider systemic risks, such as declining public trust or polarised debate.

    Importantly, this framework must also involve diverse voices. Like climate change, generative AI won’t affect just one part of society — it will ripple through many. And the challenge is how to adapt with it.

    Applied to AI, climate change governance approaches could help promote preemptive action in the wake of unforeseen use (such as in the case of deepfake porn) before the issue becomes widespread.

    Over the past three decades, climate governance frameworks have evolved to manage complex, emerging, and often unpredictable risks.
    Alexandros Michailidis/Shutterstock

    Avoiding the pitfalls of climate governance

    While climate governance offers a useful model for adaptive, flexible regulation, it also brings important warnings that must be avoided.

    Climate politics has been mired by loopholes, competing interests and sluggish policymaking. From Australia’s shortcomings in implementing its renewable strategy, to policy reversals in Scotland and political gridlock in the United States, climate policy implementation has often been the proverbial wrench in the gears of environmental law.

    But, when it comes to AI governance, this all-too-familiar climate stalemate brings with it important lessons for the realm of AI governance.

    First, we need to find ways to align public oversight with self-regulation and transparency on the part of AI developers and suppliers.

    Second, we need to think about generative AI risks at a global scale. International cooperation and coordination are essential.

    Finally, we need to accept that AI development and experimentation will persist, and craft regulations that respond to this in order to keep our societies safe.

    Francesco Bailo has received funding from Meta and from Australia’s Department of Defence.

    Jonathon Hutchinson and Milica Stilinovic do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    ref. AI is moving fast. Climate policy provides valuable lessons for how to keep it in check – https://theconversation.com/ai-is-moving-fast-climate-policy-provides-valuable-lessons-for-how-to-keep-it-in-check-255624

    MIL OSI AnalysisEveningReport.nz

  • MIL-OSI Europe: VATICAN – Pallium and Fisherman’s Ring, symbols of the mission of the Successor of Peter

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Saturday, 17 May 2025

    Vatican Media

    Vatican City – The Mass “for the inauguration of the Petrine Ministry of the Bishop of Rome” officially marks the beginning of the pontificate of the newly elected Pope. This solemn celebration, rich in liturgical signs and theological significance, underlines the unique role of the Pontiff in the Church, placing special emphasis on two episcopal insignia: the Pallium and the Fisherman’s Ring. Beyond their symbolic value as attributes of the episcopal ministry, both evoke for the Successor of Peter the mission entrusted by the Risen Lord, as the Gospel of St. John recalls: “Feed my sheep” (Jn 21:15-17).The date of the celebration is personally chosen by the Pontiff. Pope Leo XIV set the Mass for the inauguration of his pontificate for Sunday, May 18, ten days after his election. His predecessor, Pope Francis, celebrated it on March 19, 2013, the Feast of St. Joseph, a saint very dear to the Argentine Pope, a week after the end of the Conclave; Benedict XVI, celebrated it on April 24, 2005, the Sunday immediately following his election; and Saint John Paul II, on October 22, 1978.During the liturgy, all the signs, texts, and rites refer to Christ, the cornerstone of the Church: “built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone” (Eph 2:20), and to Peter, the “rock” upon which the Lord built his Church (cf. Mt 16:18).The celebration begins at the tomb of the Apostle Peter, to underline the close bond between the Apostle and his successor.In front of the Trophæum, the Pallium, the Fisherman’s Ring, and the Book of the Gospels are placed on a platter. Two deacons take them and carry them in procession to the altar in the parvis of the Vatican Basilica. On this occasion, Pope Leo XIV also wanted the image of Our Lady of Good Counsel, venerated at the Marian shrine of Genazzano, to be placed next to the altar. He went there to pray in silence after being elected.The Imposition of the Pallium and the RingAfter the proclamation of the Gospel, in Latin and Greek, three Cardinals, representatives of each of the three Orders of the College of Cardinals (Bishops, Priests, and Deacons) and from different continents, approach the new Pontiff for the imposition of the Pallium and the presentation of the Fisherman’s Ring.The Pallium, made of lamb’s wool, is an ancient episcopal insignia that expresses the Pope’s pastoral closeness to the People of God. As Simeon of Thessalonica recalls in his work “De sacris ordinationibus,” “the Pallium refers to the Savior who, finding us as the lost sheep, carried us on his shoulders, and, taking on our human nature in the Incarnation, divinized us; with his death on the cross, he offered us to the Father, and with his resurrection, he exalted us.”The Pallium imposed on the new Pope evokes the Good Shepherd (see Jn 10:11), who carries the lost sheep on his shoulders (see Lk 15:4-7), as well as Peter’s triple profession of love before the risen Christ, who entrusts him with the mission “Feed my sheep” (Jn 21:15-17).In its current form, the Pallium is a narrow, white wool sash, curved in the center to fit the shoulders and draped over the chasuble, from which two rectangular black strips hang in front of the chest and down the back, forming the shape of a “Y.” It is decorated with six black silk crosses embroidered on its ends, shoulders, chest, and back, and adorned on the front and back with three pins (called acicula) that represent the three nails of Christ’s cross.The imposition of the Pallium, performed by a Cardinal of the Order of Deacons, is accompanied by a liturgical formula that recalls Christ as “the great shepherd of the sheep” (Heb 13:20), whom God raised from the dead. The text refers to the Confession of Peter and emphasizes the continuity of the new Pope’s ministry with the mission entrusted to the Apostle.After the imposition of the Pallium, a Cardinal of the Order of Priests invokes a special prayer to the Holy Spirit. The presentation of the Fisherman’s Ring, which has been the bishop’s insignia since the first millennium, then takes place.The ring the new Pope receives has particular value as a signet ring, a symbol of the authority conferred on Peter to confirm his brothers in the faith: “And you, once you have turned back, you must strengthen your brothers” (Luke 22:32). Traditionally called the “Fisherman’s Ring,” it refers to the figure of the Apostle Peter, the fisherman from Galilee, whom Jesus called from his daily work to make him a “fisher of men” (cf. Mt 4:18-19; Mk 1:16-17). Peter, obeying the word of the Lord, cast his nets and witnessed the miraculous catch (cf. Lk 5:5) which were filled abundantly (cf. Jn 21:3-14).The presentation of the Ring is carried out by a Cardinal of the Order of Bishops. The text that accompanies this liturgical gesture underlines the unwavering hope that animated Peter when, at Jesus’ command, set out to sea, and cast his nets. It also recalls that Christ entrusted the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven to him. In highlighting that the new Pontiff succeeds Peter in the pastoral leadership of the Church of Rome, the exhortation of the Apostle Paul is evoked, who points out that charity is the “fulfillment of the law” (Rom 13:8-10).The explicit reference to the Letter to the Romans (“Hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us”, Rom 5:5) recalls the teaching addressed by Paul to the Christian community of Rome. Likewise, the famous expression with which Saint Ignatius of Antioch addressed that same Church is cited, recognizing it as the one that “presides in charity.”The rite concludes with an invocation to the Holy Spirit, asking him to grant the new Successor of Peter the strength and gentleness necessary to safeguard unity and communion among Christ’s disciples. (FB) (Agenzia Fides, 17/5/2025)
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    MIL OSI Europe News

  • Prime Minister expresses grief over Hyderabad fire tragedy, announces ex-gratia compensation

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed profound sorrow over the tragic loss of lives caused by a fire incident in Hyderabad, Telangana. Offering his heartfelt condolences, the Prime Minister also wished for the speedy recovery of those injured in the unfortunate accident.
     
    In a statement released on Sunday, the Prime Minister announced an ex-gratia payment from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF). Families of the deceased will receive Rs. 2 lakh each, while those injured will be granted Rs. 50,000 as financial assistance.
     
    The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) took to X to convey the Prime Minister’s sentiments, saying, “Deeply anguished by the loss of lives due to a fire tragedy in Hyderabad, Telangana. Condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. May the injured recover soon.”
     
    Authorities continue to investigate the cause of the fire, and efforts are underway to assist those affected by the tragedy.
  • MIL-OSI: Best Credit Repair & Score Boost 2025: The Credit People Review For Fast Credit Fix & Financial Improvement

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Salt Lake City, Utah, May 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Introduction: Credit Score Woes in 2025 & The Rise of Credit Repair

    In today’s economic landscape, your credit score is more than just a number—it’s a financial passport. Whether you’re applying for a home loan, refinancing your car, or qualifying for a lower interest rate, your credit profile plays a pivotal role.

    As of 2025, more consumers are becoming aware of how deeply their credit scores influence everyday opportunities. Unfortunately, even responsible individuals can find themselves facing credit damage due to errors, identity fraud, late payments, or financial hardship. And once the score drops, bouncing back isn’t always straightforward.
    This has led to a surge in professional credit repair solutions—services designed to help individuals correct mistakes, rebuild their credit, and regain control of their financial journey. Among the most recognized names in this space is The Credit People, a firm with a track record of offering budget-friendly credit improvement services backed by experienced support.
    Top Pick: The Credit People – Best Credit Repair & Score Boost company ranked this year.
    With thousands of files reviewed and many scores elevated, The Credit People have become a go-to choice for those looking to take real steps toward better credit. But how exactly do they work, what’s included in their service, and are they worth the investment?
    This detailed review answers all those questions and more. If you’re someone who’s tired of watching your financial goals get pushed back because of a poor score, keep reading to discover how The Credit People might help you shift the momentum in your favor.

    Tired of rejections? Fix your credit today—spots are filling fast!

    What Is Credit Repair? How It Works & Why It Matters

    Credit repair is a process where inaccurate, outdated, or unverifiable information is identified and challenged on your credit report. These negative items can unfairly lower your score, affecting your ability to access financial services, secure housing, or even pass certain background checks.
    The three major credit bureaus—Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion—each maintain their own version of your report. Mistakes are surprisingly common. Some of the most frequent issues include:

    • Duplicate accounts
    • Unfounded collections
    • Incorrect payment histories
    • Accounts belonging to someone else

    The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) allows consumers to dispute such entries. However, the process can be complex and time-consuming, especially for individuals unfamiliar with how bureaus operate.
    That’s where professional credit repair companies like The Credit People come in. They handle the process from start to finish—reviewing reports, drafting disputes, following up with credit agencies, and helping ensure that only accurate and fair data remains on your report.
    Beyond dispute handling, credit repair also includes guidance on improving credit behavior, monitoring changes, and protecting your identity from future damage. In a world where credit impacts nearly every financial move, the value of an expert-led credit strategy has never been more essential.

    Act now—your financial future won’t wait. Get started with The Credit People

    Meet The Credit People: Company Background & Credibility

    Founded in 2001, The Credit People® has dedicated over two decades to assisting individuals in improving their credit reports and raising their credit scores through expert credit repair services. Their commitment to excellence has been recognized in prominent publications such as The Wall Street Journal, Smart Money, and USA Today.
    With a mission to be “just your ordinary everyday credit superheroes,” The Credit People® has helped over one hundred thousand people with their credit, focusing on perfecting their service and improving team performance rather than merely seeking industry leadership. Their approach centers on providing excellent value and unmatched benefits to clients, including aggressive results, comprehensive credit reports and scores, 24-hour account access, and a satisfaction guarantee.

    The company’s structure comprises specialized teams:

    • Credit Repair Team: Certified and trained in laws governing credit repair, this team has processed over 310,000 unique credit reports, ensuring clients’ rights are upheld.
    • Score Analysis Team: Focused on understanding the nuances of credit scoring, they provide insights into debt-to-income ratios, credit type ratios, and scoring models to drive score improvements.
    • Support Team: Dedicated to treating clients with personalized care, ensuring that individuals are more than just numbers.
    • Sales Team: Emphasizing a non-salesy approach, they guide clients through the credit repair process with transparency and support.
    • Executive Team: Steering the company’s mission, they combine a passion for helping people with strategic oversight.
    • Tech Team: Committed to data security, they implement measures like 2048-bit encryption and PCI compliance to protect client information.
    • Marketing Team: Responsible for outreach efforts that connect the company with those in need of credit repair services.
    • Credit Partners: An independent sales force catering to affiliate needs, expanding the company’s reach.

    This comprehensive team structure ensures that clients receive specialized attention at every stage of their credit repair journey, reflecting The Credit People’s dedication to delivering impactful results and exceptional service 

    I found out the bureaus made 3 mistakes on my report—guess who fixed it?

    How The Credit People Help Fix Your Credit – Step-by-Step Process

    The process of fixing credit with The Credit People is structured yet simple—designed for efficiency and transparency. Here’s how it unfolds:

    Step 1: Credit Report Access

    Once enrolled, The Credit People pulls your reports from all three major bureaus. They offer a free initial consultation and provide clients with full access to their credit profile via a secure online dashboard.

    Step 2: Analysis of Negative Items

    Their credit team carefully reviews all reports to identify any harmful, incorrect, or questionable items. These can include late payments, charge-offs, repossessions, medical bills, or accounts not belonging to the client.

    Step 3: Dispute Strategy

    For each problematic item, they draft customized dispute letters tailored to the legal guidelines of the FCRA. These letters are sent directly to the reporting bureaus and creditors, initiating the correction process.

    Step 4: Follow-Up and Escalation

    Each dispute is tracked, and follow-ups are made within the legal response window (typically 30–45 days). If a bureau or creditor fails to respond properly or leaves an error uncorrected, additional steps are taken.

    Step 5: Ongoing Monitoring

    Clients can log into their dashboard anytime to check score changes, see dispute status updates, and review new credit activity. The dashboard also includes helpful insights and credit education tailored to each user’s financial goals.
    This step-by-step process relieves clients from the confusion and frustration of managing disputes independently. And by focusing on both immediate fixes and long-term score growth, The Credit People help deliver more sustainable financial confidence.

    Stop letting your score say “no” to your goals. The Credit People can help—join now

    Key Features & Services Offered by The Credit People

    The Credit People offers a range of tools and services designed to not only correct credit issues but also to support long-term improvement. Their platform combines personalized service with practical digital tools, making it easier for clients to engage with and understand their financial progress.

    3-Bureau Credit Report Access

    Upon signup, users receive access to their credit reports from Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. This full visibility ensures all negative entries across the credit spectrum are accounted for and targeted during dispute cycles.

    Unlimited Disputes

    Unlike some competitors that cap the number of items per cycle, The Credit People allows for unlimited disputes. Whether you have five or fifty incorrect entries, the team works on your behalf to challenge each one accordingly.

    Score Tracking

    Clients can log in to view ongoing changes to their credit scores. Updates reflect progress from cleared disputes and new positive activity, offering a transparent look at how your profile is evolving.

    Credit Dashboard

    The user portal is intuitive and accessible, even for those unfamiliar with credit repair. It includes progress timelines, educational materials, and alerts on any activity reported by the bureaus.

    Budgeting & Credit Tips

    In addition to direct dispute work, The Credit People offers credit education and budgeting support. These insights are delivered through your dashboard to help build smarter spending habits, reduce debt, and keep utilization low.

    No hidden fees. No fluff. Just real results. Get started before this month’s window closes

    Plan Options & Pricing: What You Get for Your Money

    The Credit People offers three distinct pricing plans to cater to various needs and budgets:

    Standard Plan – $99 per month

    This pay-as-you-go option provides flexibility without a long-term commitment. It includes: 

    • Access to all three credit reports and scores
    • Unlimited disputes with credit bureaus
    • Monthly updates on credit reports and scores
    • Creditor interventions for additional assistance
    • Escalated disputes and validations when necessary
    • 24/7 online account access to monitor progress
    • Live customer support via phone, chat, and email
    • An unbeatable satisfaction guarantee 

    Clients can cancel at any time without penalties, and if unsatisfied, they are eligible for a refund of the last month’s payment. 

    Premium Plan – $119 per month

    Designed for those seeking the most comprehensive service, the Premium Plan includes all features of the Standard Plan, plus:

    • Advanced credit repair strategies
    • Enhanced creditor interventions
    • Priority support and faster response times

    This plan is ideal for individuals with more complex credit issues requiring additional attention. 

    Premium Flat-Rate Plan – $599 for 6 months

    For clients preferring a one-time payment, this plan offers six months of comprehensive service without recurring monthly fees. It encompasses all features of the Premium Plan, providing:

    • Cost savings over the monthly plans
    • Continuous service for half a year
    • Full access to all tools and support

    This option is perfect for those committed to a longer-term credit improvement strategy. 
    All plans are backed by The Credit People’s satisfaction guarantee, ensuring clients receive value and results from their investment. 
    Disclaimer: Results from credit repair services may vary based on individual credit profiles and credit bureau responses. Always conduct your own due diligence before enrolling in any credit improvement program.

    Fast-track your credit recovery with The Credit People—enroll before rates change

    The Credit People Real Reviews – Customer Testimonials

    Alicia D., Atlanta, GA
    “I signed up after being denied for a home loan. Within 60 days, two collections and a charge-off were gone. I didn’t expect results so soon. The dashboard is easy to use, and customer service responds quickly.”
    Marcus T., Detroit, MI
    “I had no idea how credit worked before this. They walked me through every step. My score jumped 92 points in four months, and I finally got approved for a decent car loan.”
    Jennifer K., San Diego, CA
    “I used other credit services before, but they were expensive and slow. The Credit People actually delivered. Transparent, helpful, and affordable. Highly recommend.”
    Luis R., Denver, CO
    “I chose the flat-rate plan because I didn’t want to deal with ongoing bills. I saw results in month three and am continuing to track my progress. Worth every dollar.”
    These stories reflect a common theme: results paired with clear communication. The Credit People don’t promise miracles—they deliver steady improvements backed by real work and support.

    Pros & Cons of The Credit People

    Advantages

    • Transparent, budget-friendly pricing
    • Unlimited disputes included
    • User-friendly online dashboard
    • Choice of billing model (monthly or 6-month plan)
    • Long-standing reputation in the credit repair field
    • Educational tools for long-term growth

    Considerations

    • No mobile app (desktop-only portal)
    • Not available in every U.S. state
    • Results depend on each individual’s report and item complexity

    Overall, the benefits outweigh the drawbacks, particularly for consumers seeking straightforward, no-nonsense credit repair that doesn’t rely on legal jargon or overly complicated systems.

    Join 100,000+ users who’ve already boosted their scores—don’t be left behind

    The Credit People vs. Other Credit Repair Services (Comparison)

    With several companies offering credit repair today, how does The Credit People stack up against popular competitors?

    The Credit People vs. Lexington Law

    Lexington Law uses a legal-based model with attorneys involved in dispute processing. While this can appeal to those facing complex issues, it often comes with higher monthly costs. The Credit People, on the other hand, uses a practical credit specialist approach—more affordable and equally effective for most standard cases.

    The Credit People vs. CreditRepair.com

    CreditRepair.com is known for a slick interface and heavy marketing, but users sometimes report slower communication and limited updates. The Credit People focuses more on results and clarity, with real-time progress tracking and fewer upsells.

    The Credit People vs. Sky Blue Credit

    Sky Blue is another flat-rate option, but it limits disputes to a fixed number per cycle. The Credit People offers unlimited disputes, making it better for users with multiple report errors or collections to address.

    The Credit People vs. The Credit Pros

    The Credit Pros emphasize mobile tools and AI-driven dashboards. While tech-savvy, they come at a higher cost. The Credit People provides similar outcomes with a more budget-conscious structure, ideal for users focused on value and transparency.
    With competitive pricing, unlimited disputes, and a track record of customer satisfaction, The Credit People holds its own—and often outperforms—in this crowded space.

    One setup fee. Unlimited disputes. Real results. Here’s the site

    How Fast Can You See Results? What to Expect

    Credit repair is a process that requires time and patience. With The Credit People, clients often begin to see initial changes within 30 to 60 days. However, the timeline for noticeable improvements can vary based on individual credit histories and the complexity of the issues being addressed.
    The company initiates the dispute process promptly after enrollment, targeting inaccuracies across all three major credit bureaus. While some clients experience score increases in the first few months, others may require a longer duration to achieve significant results. It’s important to understand that credit repair is not an overnight fix; consistent effort and adherence to recommended financial practices are key to long-term success.

    The Credit People Online Portal & Dashboard Tools

    The Credit People provides clients with a user-friendly online portal designed to offer transparency and real-time updates on the credit repair process. Through this dashboard, clients can:

    • Monitor the status of disputes and removals.
    • Access updated credit reports and scores from all three bureaus.
    • Receive personalized tips and educational resources to support credit improvement efforts.

    The portal is accessible 24/7, allowing clients to stay informed and engaged throughout their credit repair journey. While The Credit People does not currently offer a mobile app, the online dashboard is optimized for use on various devices, ensuring convenience and ease of access.

    Got denied again because of your credit score? Watch this now

    Credit Score Boosting Tips You Can Use Alongside Their Service

    Enhancing your credit score involves more than just removing inaccuracies; it requires proactive financial habits. Here are some strategies to complement The Credit People’s services:

    • Timely Payments: Consistently paying bills on time is crucial, as payment history significantly impacts credit scores.
    • Credit Utilization: Aim to keep credit card balances below 30% of the available limit to demonstrate responsible credit usage.
    • Avoid New Debt: Limit the number of new credit applications, as multiple inquiries can negatively affect your score.
    • Diversify Credit Mix: Having a mix of credit types (e.g., installment loans and revolving credit) can positively influence your score.
    • Regular Monitoring: Stay informed about your credit status by regularly reviewing your credit reports and scores.

    Implementing these practices alongside professional credit repair efforts can lead to more substantial and lasting improvements in your credit health.

    Ideal Candidates: Who Should Use The Credit People?

    The Credit People’s services are tailored to individuals seeking to address credit report inaccuracies and improve their financial standing. Ideal candidates include:

    • Individuals with Report Errors: Those who have identified inaccuracies or outdated information on their credit reports.
    • Credit Rebuilders: Individuals aiming to recover from past financial challenges, such as late payments or defaults.
    • Prospective Borrowers: People preparing for significant financial commitments, like applying for a mortgage or auto loan, who need to enhance their credit profiles.
    • Time-Constrained Individuals: Those who prefer to have professionals manage the credit dispute process on their behalf.

    It’s important to note that while The Credit People can assist with disputing inaccuracies, they cannot remove legitimate negative information from credit reports. Therefore, individuals with accurate but unfavorable credit histories may need to focus on building positive credit behaviors over time.

    Limited enrollments available! Secure your spot and start repairing your credit

    The Credit People & Identity Theft Recovery Support

    Identity theft can have a devastating impact on one’s credit. The Credit People offers support to clients dealing with the aftermath of identity theft by:

    • Identifying Fraudulent Accounts: Reviewing credit reports to pinpoint unauthorized accounts or inquiries.
    • Disputing Inaccuracies: Initiating disputes to remove fraudulent information from credit reports.
    • Providing Guidance: Offering advice on steps to take, such as placing fraud alerts or credit freezes, to protect against further unauthorized activity.

    While The Credit People does not offer dedicated identity theft protection services, their expertise in credit repair can be instrumental in rectifying credit report issues resulting from identity theft.

    The Credit People in the Media – Credibility Signals

    Over the years, The Credit People has garnered attention from various media outlets, highlighting their role in the credit repair industry. They have been featured in publications such as:

    • Money.com: Discussing their straightforward pricing and satisfaction guarantee.
    • CreditDonkey: Highlighting their services and comparing them to other credit repair companies.

    These mentions underscore The Credit People’s commitment to providing accessible and transparent credit repair services. Their long-standing presence in the industry further reinforces their credibility and dedication to helping clients improve their financial health.

    Your dream home, car, or business loan could be one click away. Don’t miss out

    FAQs: The Credit People & Credit Repair Services

    Q: Is The Credit People a legitimate company?
    A: Yes, The Credit People is a legitimate credit repair company with over two decades of experience in the industry.
    Q: How does the satisfaction guarantee work?
    A: If you’re not satisfied with the service, you can cancel at any time and receive a refund for the current month’s fee, as well as the previous month’s cost.
    Q: Can The Credit People remove accurate negative information?
    A: No, they can only dispute and attempt to remove inaccurate, outdated, or unverifiable information from your credit reports.
    Q: How long does the credit repair process take?
    A: While some clients see improvements within 30 to 60 days, the duration varies based on individual credit situations.
    Q: Do they offer identity theft protection services?
    A: While they assist in disputing fraudulent accounts resulting from identity theft, they do not provide dedicated identity theft protection services.
    Q: Is there a mobile app available?
    A: Currently, The Credit People does not offer a mobile app, but their online dashboard is accessible via various devices.

    Getting Started with The Credit People – Step-by-Step Sign-Up

    Embarking on your credit repair journey with The Credit People is straightforward:

    1. Visit the Website: Go to thecreditpeople.com and click on “Get Started.”
    2. Choose a Plan: Select the plan that best suits your needs—Standard, Premium, or Premium Flat Rate.
    3. Provide Information: Fill out the required personal and payment information.
    4. Pay the Setup Fee: A one-time $19 setup fee is required to initiate the service.
    5. Access Your Dashboard: Once enrolled, you’ll receive access to your personalized online dashboard to monitor progress and updates.
    6. Begin the Process: The Credit People will start reviewing your credit reports and initiating disputes on your behalf.

    Their customer support team is available to assist you throughout the process, ensuring a smooth and informed experience.

    Final Verdict: Is The Credit People the Best Credit Fix Option in 2025?

    The Credit People offers a transparent and affordable approach to credit repair, making them a viable option for individuals seeking to improve their credit profiles. Their services are particularly beneficial for those with inaccuracies on their credit reports or those looking for professional assistance in navigating the dispute process.
    While they may not offer extensive add-on services like some competitors, their focus on core credit repair functions, coupled with a satisfaction guarantee, provides value and peace of mind. As with any credit repair service, results can vary, and it’s essential to maintain realistic expectations and commit to responsible financial habits alongside professional assistance.
    ⏳ Don’t wait—bad credit won’t fix itself. 
    Start now with The Credit People and take the first step toward credit freedom. Spots are filling fast.

    Visit thecreditpeople.com to enroll today

    Company: TheCreditPeople
    Address: 6975 S Union Park 
    Avenue Suite 600 
    Cottonwood Heights, 
    UT 84047
    Phone:  877-797-2975
    Questions:  questions@thecreditpeople.com

    https://www.thecreditpeople.com/

    Legal Disclaimer and Affiliate Disclosure
    This article is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, or professional advice. The information presented is based on publicly available data and third-party sources believed to be accurate at the time of publication; however, no guarantees are made regarding the completeness, accuracy, or reliability of the content.
    The information provided in this article is for educational purposes only and does not constitute financial or legal advice. Results from credit repair services may vary based on individual credit profiles and credit bureau responses. Always conduct your own due diligence before enrolling in any credit improvement program. The Credit People is a third-party service provider and is not affiliated with this site.
    Loan products, Credit Repair, terms, and availability are determined by third-party lenders and are subject to change without notice. Readers are strongly encouraged to conduct their own due diligence and consult with a licensed financial advisor or legal professional before making any financial decisions.
    The platform referenced in this article, TheCreditPeople, is not a direct lender and does not issue loans or make credit decisions. Instead, it serves as a loan connection service, matching users with independent lenders. The acceptance of a loan offer, the terms of repayment, and any resulting financial agreements are exclusively between the borrower and the lender.
    This content may include references or links to affiliate programs. If a reader clicks a link and subsequently takes an action—such as completing a loan inquiry or accepting a financial offer—the publisher may earn a commission at no additional cost to the reader. This compensation has no influence on the content’s objectivity, and all opinions presented are strictly editorial.
    By reading this article, users acknowledge that:

    • They are responsible for independently verifying all loan details before accepting any offer.
    • The article is not offering personalized financial guidance.
    • The publisher, contributors, and syndication partners are not liable for any actions taken based on the information provided, nor for any loss or damages—financial or otherwise—that may result.

    All trademarks, logos, and brand names mentioned are the property of their respective owners. References to third-party products or services are for identification purposes only and do not constitute endorsements.
    Always refer to the official website of the loan provider for the most accurate and up-to-date product terms, pricing, and eligibility requirements.

    Attachment

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI Global: Terrorists use food as a weapon: how Boko Haram and Al-Shabaab exploit hunger

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Simone Papale, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of Parma

    Women receive food aid in Somalia. Terrorism creates food disruptions, undermining production systems and supply routes. Tobin Jones/Wikimedia Commons

    Over the last decade, there has been growing international focus on the role of food in conflict, particularly in Africa. The continent has seen an increase in jihadist terrorism in several regions.

    Violence, like that exercised by terrorist organisations, is linked with food security conditions, causing a vicious circle of hunger and conflict.

    Terrorism generates food disruptions. It undermines production systems and supply routes.

    At the same time, growing food shortages intensify tensions and competition over essential resources at the margins of vulnerable societies. This increases the risk of mobilisation into violence.

    We are researchers in international security and contemporary warfare. In a recent article, we explored the role of food in Africa’s terrorist insurgencies. We focused on Boko Haram in Nigeria and Al-Shabaab in Somalia.

    We show how food is not only a driver or victim of violence. It is also central to how terrorist groups fight, govern and survive.

    Terrorists use food as a tool to challenge national authorities and increase their followers. In parallel, they exploit food insecurity to control communities and confront counter-terrorism forces, pushing the state out of contested areas.




    Read more:
    How crime is closely linked to Al-Shabaab’s survival strategy


    This has major implications. The use of food as a weapon worsens humanitarian conditions. It causes the displacement of people in vulnerable settings. As a result, it sets in motion dangerous mechanisms of instability that can even undermine militants themselves, reducing their resources and operational capabilities.

    State responses need to address these challenges and promote more comprehensive approaches to counter terrorism.

    Weaponising supplies

    Since the late 2000s, Boko Haram and Al-Shabaab have engaged African security forces in a strenuous fight. Both groups have sought to overthrow local governments and establish their power.

    They have expanded their networks in regions where food security is low. These are Nigeria’s Borno State and southern Somalia.

    These areas have witnessed historical frictions between the population and government authorities. Local communities have lamented socioeconomic marginalisation, shortages of essential resources and high levels of unemployment.

    Both Boko Haram and Al-Shabaab have sought to capitalise on inequalities to gain appeal among aggrieved populations, seeking to replace the state in the delivery of essential resources.




    Read more:
    Nigeria’s growing security crisis: 6 essential reads


    Boko Haram militants have reportedly provided supplies, such as biscuits, rice and spaghetti, to marginalised villages. As a Borno State resident put it, the militants have shown “love and concern” while addressing local needs.

    Al-Shabaab has resorted to similar practices to win the hearts and minds of southern Somalis and enlarge its pool of recruits. The group has supplied struggling communities with meals and goods, and promoted local agricultural activities.

    In parallel to these activities, both terrorist groups have adopted more aggressive measures to counter the advance of anti-terrorism forces. They have used food denial to punish civilian insubordination and cooperation with the state, relying on starvation tactics.

    Boko Haram has systematically targeted food infrastructures. The group has burned crops, banned farming and fishing activities, and even poisoned water sources. This has happened particularly in places where militants suspected collusion between communities and national authorities.

    Likewise, Al-Shabaab has interrupted trade routes. It has destroyed food imports to isolate southern Somali villages controlled by security forces and deprive them of popular support. During Somalia’s 2011–2012 famine, Al-Shabaab militants blocked humanitarian agencies. This was aimed at preventing the distribution of food aid to curb western influence in territories under their control.

    The repercussions

    The use of food as a weapon has had major repercussions in Borno State and southern Somalia. It is a primary cause of the deterioration of food security in these regions over the last 15 years.

    Attacks on food resources and infrastructure have disrupted supply routes. They have pushed people to abandon their crops and pastures. This has decreased the production and availability of essential goods.

    As a result, humanitarian conditions have worsened, local economies have weakened and displacement flows have intensified.

    This has had detrimental effects for Boko Haram and Al-Shabaab, depriving militants of key assets to sustain their activities and attract new recruits.

    The two terrorist groups have become victims of the emergencies they have helped generate. They have increasingly struggled to supply nourishment for their troops and supporters. Consequently, they have witnessed a growing number of defections motivated by unsustainable conditions.

    Reports highlight increasing cases of jihadists surrendering to security forces while requesting food.

    To address these challenges, Boko Haram and Al-Shabaab have intensified raids on villages, looting goods and livestock.




    Read more:
    What drives Al-Shabaab in Somalia: foreign forces out, Sharia law in and overthrow the government


    However, growing frictions with the population have undermined the groups’ operational capabilities, even opening up new fronts of resistance.

    Boko Haram has been forced to transfer part of its resources and operations to the Lake Chad area. The group has intensified incursions to capture food in Nigeria’s neighbouring countries.

    In Somalia, tensions with farming and pastoralist communities have led to the creation of militias mobilising against Al-Shabaab.

    What next

    The relocation of Boko Haram’s operations and the mobilisation of communities against Al-Shabaab have not eradicated the terrorist threat. However, these events further highlight food as a crucial factor shaping insurgencies.

    African and international authorities need to tackle the dynamics of food weaponisation. They need to refine their approach to enhance local resilience, addressing the inequalities that insurgents exploit.

    The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    ref. Terrorists use food as a weapon: how Boko Haram and Al-Shabaab exploit hunger – https://theconversation.com/terrorists-use-food-as-a-weapon-how-boko-haram-and-al-shabaab-exploit-hunger-256162

    MIL OSI – Global Reports

  • MIL-Evening Report: Why the wall of silence on the Gaza genocide is finally starting to crack

    Report by Dr David Robie – Café Pacific.

    As Israel unveils its final genocide push, and mass death from starvation looms in Gaza, Western media and politicians are tentatively starting to speak up

    ANALYSIS: By Jonathan Cook

    Who could have imagined 19 months ago that it would take more than a year and a half of Israel slaughtering and starving Gaza’s children for the first cracks to appear in what has been a rock-solid wall of support for Israel from Western establishments.

    Finally, something looks like it may be about to give.

    The British establishment’s financial daily, The Financial Times, was first to break ranks last week to condemn “the West’s shameful silence” in the face of Israel’s murderous assault on the tiny enclave.

    In an editorial — effectively the paper’s voice– the FT accused the United States and Europe of being increasingly “complicit” as Israel made Gaza “uninhabitable”, an allusion to genocide, and noted that the goal was to “drive Palestinians from their land”, an allusion to ethnic cleansing.

    Of course, both of these grave crimes by Israel have been evidently true not only since Hamas’ violent, single-day breakout from Gaza on 7 October 2023, but for decades.

    So parlous is the state of Western reporting, from a media no less complicit than the governments berated by the FT, that we need to seize on any small signs of progress.

    Next, The Economist chimed in, warning that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his ministers were driven by a “dream of emptying Gaza and rebuilding Jewish settlements there”.

    ‘Deafening silence on Gaza’
    At the weekend, The Independent decided the “deafening silence on Gaza” had to end. It was “time for the world to wake up to what is happening and to demand an end to the suffering of the Palestinians trapped in the enclave”.

    Actually much of the world woke up many, many months ago. It has been the Western press corps and Western politicians slumbering through the past 19 months of genocide.

    Then on Monday, the supposedly liberal Guardian voiced in its own editorial a fear that Israel is committing “genocide”, though it only dared do so by framing the accusation as a question.

    It wrote of Israel: “Now it plans a Gaza without Palestinians. What is this, if not genocidal? When will the US and its allies act to stop the horror, if not now?”

    The paper could more properly have asked a different question: Why have Israel’s Western allies — as well as media like The Guardian and FT — waited 19 months to speak up against the horror?

    And, predictably bringing up the rear, was the BBC. On Wednesday, the BBC Radio’s PM programme chose to give top billing to testimony from Tom Fletcher, the United Nation’s humanitarian affairs chief, to the Security Council. Presenter Evan Davis said the BBC had decided to “do something a little unusual”.

    Unusual indeed. It played Fletcher’s speech in full — all 12 and a half minutes of it. That included Fletcher’s comment: “For those killed and those whose voices are silenced: what more evidence do you need now? Will you act — decisively — to prevent genocide and to ensure respect for international humanitarian law?”

    ‘Genocide’ from taboo to mainstream
    We had gone in less than a week from the word “genocide” being taboo in relation to Gaza to it becoming almost mainstream.

    Cracks are evident in the British Parliament too. Mark Pritchard, a Conservative MP and life-long Israel supporter, stood up from the back benches to admit he had been wrong about Israel, and condemned it “for what it is doing to the Palestinian people”.

    He was one of more than a dozen Tory MPs and peers in the House of Lords, all formerly staunch defenders of Israel, who urged British Prime Minister Keir Starmer to immediately recognise a Palestinian state.

    Their move followed an open letter published by 36 members of the Board of Deputies, a 300-member body that claims to represent British Jews, dissenting from its continuing support for the slaughter. The letter warned: “Israel’s soul is being ripped out.”

    Pritchard told fellow MPs it was time to “stand up for humanity, for us being on the right side of history, for having the moral courage to lead.”

    Sadly, there is no sign of that yet. Research published last week, based on Israeli tax authority data, showed Starmer’s government has been lying even about the highly limited restrictions on arms sales to Israel it claimed to have imposed last year.

    Despite an ostensible ban on shipments of weapons that could be used in Gaza, Britain has covertly exported more than 8500 separate munitions to Israel since the ban.

    More weapons details
    This week more details emerged. According to figures published by The National, the current government exported more weapons to Israel in the final three months of last year, after the ban came into effect, than the previous Conservative government did through the whole of 2020 to 2023.

    So shameful is the UK’s support for Israel in the midst of what the International Court of Justice — the World Court — has described as a “plausible genocide” that Starmer’s government needs to pretend it is doing something, even as it actually continues to arm that genocide.

    More than 40 MPs wrote to Foreign Secretary David Lammy last week calling for him to respond to allegations that he had misled the public and Parliament. “The public deserves to know the full scale of the UK’s complicity in crimes against humanity,” they wrote.

    There are growing rumblings elsewhere. This week French President Emmanuel Macron called Israel’s complete blockade on aid into Gaza “shameful and unacceptable”. He added: “My job is to do everything I can to make it stop.”

    “Everything” seemed to amount to nothing more than mooting possible economic sanctions.

    Still, the rhetorical shift was striking. Italy’s Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, similarly denounced the blockade, calling it “unjustifiable”. She added: “I have always recalled the urgency of finding a way to end the hostilities and respect international law and international humanitarian law.”

    “International law”? Where has that been for the past 19 months?

    Similar change of priorities
    There was a similar change of priorities across the Atlantic. Democratic Senator Chris van Hollen, for example, recently dared to call Israel’s actions in Gaza “ethnic cleansing”.

    CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, a bellwether of the Beltway consensus, gave Israel’s deputy Foreign Minister, Sharren Haskel, an unusually tough grilling. Amanpour all but accused her of lying about Israel starving children.

    Meanwhile, Josep Borrell, the recently departed head of European Union foreign policy, broke another taboo last week by directly accusing Israel of preparing a genocide in Gaza.

    “Seldom have I heard the leader of a state so clearly outline a plan that fits the legal definition of genocide,” he said, adding: “We’re facing the largest ethnic cleansing operation since the end of the Second World War.”

    Borrell, of course, has no influence over EU policy at this point.

    This is all painfully slow progress, but it does suggest that a tipping point may be near.

    If so, there are several reasons. One — the most evident in the mix — is US President Donald Trump.

    It was easier for The Guardian, the FT and old-school Tory MPs to watch the extermination of Gaza’s Palestinians in silence when it was kindly Uncle Joe Biden and the US military industrial complex behind it.

    Trump forgets ‘his bit’
    Unlike his predecessor, Trump too often forgets the bit where he is supposed to put a gloss on Israeli crimes, or distance the US from them, even as Washington ships the weapons to carry out those crimes.

    But also, there are plenty of indications that Trump — with his constant craving to be seen as the top dog — is increasingly annoyed at being publicly outfoxed by Netanyahu.

    This week, as Trump headed to the Middle East, his administration secured the release of Israeli soldier Edan Alexander, the last living US citizen in captivity in Gaza, by bypassing Israel and negotiating directly with Hamas.

    In his comments on the release, Trump insisted it was time to “put an end to this very brutal war” — a remark he had very obviously not coordinated with Netanyahu.

    Notably, Israel is not on Trump’s Middle East schedule.

    Right now seems a relatively safe moment to adopt a more critical stance towards Israel, as presumably the FT and Guardian appreciate.

    Then there is the fact that Israel’s genocide is reaching its endpoint. No food, water or medicines have entered Gaza for more than two months. Everyone is malnourished. It is unclear, given Israel’s destruction of Gaza’s health system, how many have already died from hunger.

    Skin-and-bones children
    But the pictures of skin-and-bones children emerging from Gaza are uncomfortably reminiscent of 80-year-old images of skeletal Jewish children imprisoned in Nazi camps.

    It is a reminder that Gaza — strictly blockaded by Israel for 16 years before Hamas’ 7 October 2023 breakout — has been transformed over the past 19 months from a concentration camp into a death camp.

    Parts of the media and political class know mass death in Gaza cannot be obscured for much longer, not even after Israel has barred foreign journalists from the enclave and murdered most of the Palestinian journalists trying to record the genocide.

    Cynical political and media actors are trying to get in their excuses before it is too late to show remorse.

    And finally there is the fact that Israel has declared its readiness to take hands-on responsibility for the extermination in Gaza by, in its words, “capturing” the tiny territory.

    The long-anticipated “day after” looks like it is about to arrive.

    For 20 years, Israel and Western capitals have conspired in the lie that Gaza’s occupation ended in 2005, when Israel’s then prime minister, Ariel Sharon, pulled out a few thousand Jewish settlers and withdrew Israeli soldiers to a highly fortified perimeter encaging the enclave.

    Always under Israeli occupation
    In a ruling last year, the World Court gave this claim short shrift, emphasising that Gaza, as well as the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and East Jerusalem, had never stopped being under Israeli occupation, and that the occupation must end immediately.

    The truth is that, even before the 2023 Hamas attacks, Israel had been besieging Gaza by land, sea and air for many, many years. Nothing — people or trade — went in or out without the Israeli military’s say-so.

    Israeli officials instituted a secret policy of putting the population there on a strict “diet” – a war crime then as now — one that ensured most of Gaza’s young became progressively more malnourished.

    Drones whined constantly overhead, as they do now, watching the population from the skies 24 hours a day and occasionally raining down death. Fishermen were shot and their boats sunk for trying to fish their own waters. Farmers’ crops were destroyed by herbicides sprayed from Israeli planes.

    And when the mood took it, Israel sent in fighter jets to bomb the enclave or sent soldiers in on military operations, killing hundreds of civilians at a time.

    When Palestinians in Gaza went out week after week to stage protests close to the perimeter fence of their concentration camp, Israeli snipers shot them, killing some 200 and crippling many thousands more.

    Yet, despite all this, Israel and Western capitals insisted on the story that Hamas “ruled” Gaza, and that it alone was responsible for what went on there.

    Fiction important to West
    “That fiction was very important to the Western powers. It allowed Israel to evade accountability for the crimes against humanity committed in Gaza over the past two decades – and it allowed the West to avoid complicity charges for arming the criminals.

    Instead, the political and media class perpetuated the myth that Israel was engaged in a “conflict” with Hamas — as well as intermittent “wars” in Gaza — even as Israel’s own military termed its operations to destroy whole neighbourhoods and kill their residents “mowing the lawn”.

    Israel, of course, viewed Gaza as its lawn to mow. And that is precisely because it never stopped occupying the enclave.

    Even today Western media outlets collude in the fiction that Gaza is free from Israeli occupation by casting the slaughter there — and the starvation of the population — as a “war”.

    But the “day after” — signalled by Israel’s promised “capture” and “reoccupation” of Gaza — brings a conundrum for Israel and its Western sponsors.

    Until now Israel’s every atrocity has been justified by Hamas’ violent breakout on 7 October 2023.

    Israel and its supporters have insisted that Hamas must return the Israelis it took captive before there can be some undefined “peace”. At the same time, Israel has also maintained that Gaza must be destroyed at all costs to root out Hamas and eliminate it.

    Goals never looked consistent
    These two goals never looked consistent — not least because the more Palestinian civilians Israel killed “rooting out” Hamas, the more young men Hamas recruited seeking vengeance.

    The constant stream of genocidal rhetoric from Israeli leaders made clear that they believed there were no civilians in Gaza — not “uninvolved” –– and that the enclave should be levelled and the population treated like “human animals”, punished with “no food, water or fuel”.

    Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich reiterated that approach last week, vowing that “Gaza will be entirely destroyed” and that its people would be ethnically cleansed — or, as he put it, forced to “leave in great numbers to third countries”.

    Israeli officials have echoed him, threatening to “flatten” Gaza if the hostages are not released. But in truth, the captives held by Hamas are just a convenient pretext.

    Smotrich was more honest in observing that the hostages’ release was “not the most important thing”. His view is apparently shared by the Israeli military, which has reportedly put that aim last in a list of six “war” objectives.

    More important to the military are “operational control” of Gaza, “demilitarization of the territory” and “concentration and movement of the population”.

    With Israel about to be indisputably, visibly in direct charge of Gaza again — with the cover stories stripped away of a “war”, of the need to eliminate of Hamas, of civilian casualties as “collateral damage” — Israel’s responsibility for the genocide will be incontestable too, as will the West’s active collusion.

    Mossad agents’ letter
    That was why more than 250 former officials with Mossad, Israel’s spy agency — including three of its former heads — signed a letter this week decrying Israel’s breaking of the ceasefire in early March and its return to “war”.

    The letter called Israel’s official objectives “unattainable”.

    Similarly, the Israeli media reports large numbers of Israel’s military reservists are no longer showing up when called for a return to duty in Gaza.

    Israel’s western patrons must now grapple with Israel’s “plan” for the ruined territory. Its outline has been coming more sharply into focus in recent days.

    In January Israel formally outlawed the United Nations refugee agency Unrwa that feeds and cares for the large proportion of the Palestinian population driven off their historic lands by Israel in earlier phases of its decades-long colonisation of historic Palestine.

    Gaza is packed with such refugees – the outcome of Israel’s biggest ethnic cleansing programme in 1948, at its creation as a “Jewish state”.

    Removing Unrwa had been a long-held ambition, a move by Israel designed to help rid it of the yoke of aid agencies that have been caring for Palestinians – and thereby helping them to resist Israel’s efforts at ethnic cleansing – as well as monitoring Israel’s adherence, or rather lack of it, to international law.

    Private contractor scheme
    For the ethnic cleansing and genocide programmes in Gaza to be completed, Israel has needed to produce an alternative system to Unrwa’s.

    Last week, it approved a scheme in which it intends to use private contractors, not the UN, to deliver small quantities of food and water to Palestinians. Israel will allow in 60 trucks a day — barely a tenth of the absolute minimum required, according to the UN.

    There are several catches. To stand any hope of qualifying for this very limited aid, Palestinians will need to collect it from military distribution points located in a small area at the southern tip of the Gaza strip.

    In other words, some two million Palestinians will have to crowd into a location that has no chance of accommodating them all, and even then will have only a tenth of the aid they need.

    They will have to relocate too without any guarantee from Israel that it won’t continue bombing the “humanitarian zones” they have been herded into.

    These military distribution zones just so happen to be right next to Gaza’s sole, short border with Egypt — exactly where Israel has been seeking to drive the Palestinians over the past 19 months in the hope of forcing Egypt to open the border so the people of Gaza can be ethnically cleansed into Sinai.

    Under Israel’s scheme, Palestinians will be screened in these military hubs using biometric data before they stand any hope of receiving minimum calorie-controlled handouts of food.

    Once inside the hubs, they can be arrested and shipped off to one of Israel’s torture camps.

    Torture and abuse rife
    Just last week Israel’s Haaretz newspaper published testimony from an Israeli soldier turned whistleblower — confirming accounts from doctors and other guards — that torture and abuse are rife against Palestinians, including civilians, at Sde Teiman, the most notorious of the camps.

    Last Friday, shortly after Israel announced its “aid” plan, it fired a missile into an Unrwa centre in Jabaliya camp, destroying its food distribution centre and warehouse.

    Then on Saturday, Israel bombed tents used for preparing food in Khan Younis and Gaza City. It has been targeting charity kitchens and bakeries to close them down, in an echo of its campaign of destruction against Gaza’s hospitals and health system.

    In recent days, a third of UN-supported community kitchens — the population’s last life line — have closed because their stores of food are depleted, as is their access to fuel.

    According to the UN agency OCHA, that number is rising “by the day”, leading to “widespread” hunger.

    Facing ‘catastrophic hunger’
    The UN reported this week that nearly half a million people in Gaza — a fifth of the population — faced “catastrophic hunger”.

    Predictably, Israel and its ghoulish apologists are making light of this sea of immense suffering. Jonathan Turner, chief executive of UK Lawyers for Israel, argued that critics were unfairly condemning Israel for starving Gaza’s population, and ignoring the health benefits of reducing “obesity” among Palestinians.

    In a joint statement last week, 15 UN agencies and more than 200 charities and humanitarian groups denounced Israel’s “aid” plan. The UN children’s fund Unicef warned that Israel was forcing Palestinians to choose between “displacement and death”.

    But worse, Israel is setting up its stall once again to turn reality on its head.

    Those Palestinians who refuse to cooperate with its “aid” plan will be blamed for their own starvation. And international agencies who refuse to go along with Israeli criminality will be smeared both as “antisemitic” and as responsible for the mounting toll of starvation on Gaza’s population.

    There is a way to stop these crimes degenerating further. But it will require Western politicians and journalists to find far more courage than they have dared muster so far. It will need more than rhetorical flourishes. It will need more than public handwringing.

    Are they capable of more? Don’t hold your breath.

    Jonathan Cook is an award-winning British journalist. He was based in Nazareth, Israel, for 20 years and returned to the UK in 2021. He is the author of three books on the Israel-Palestine conflict, including Disappearing Palestine: Israel’s Experiments in Human Despair (2008). In 2011, Cook was awarded the Martha Gellhorn Special Prize for Journalism for his work on Palestine and Israel. This article was first published in Middle East Eye and is republished with the author’s permission.

     

    This article was first published on Café Pacific.

    MIL OSI AnalysisEveningReport.nz

  • MIL-OSI Russia: The press secretary of the President of Belarus called the results of the talks in Istanbul a tactical success for the Russian leadership

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

    MINSK, May 18 /Xinhua/ — Press secretary of the President of Belarus Natalya Eismont called the results of the talks in Istanbul a tactical success for the Russian leadership. She told TASS on Saturday.

    Commenting on the results of the negotiations between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul, she noted that no other results were expected. “The negotiations, their first round, fortunately took place and had at least some result. In general, we agree with the Americans in assessing the results of this round – this is certainly a tactical success for the Russian leadership so far,” N. Eismont said.

    When asked about Belarus’s readiness to host a new round of negotiations if Russia and Ukraine agree on it, N. Eismont responded as follows:

    “As for the possible organization of the next rounds of negotiations. I will emphasize the main thing: Belarus has never asked for the role of mediator – neither before nor now. This is our principled position. But if in the name of peace among our neighbors, in our brotherly Ukraine, this is necessary and all parties agree with this, we will organize the process in a way that no other country organizes. First of all, because this directly concerns the future of Belarus,” N. Eismont summarized. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Tornadoes hit US states of Missouri and Kentucky, 21 killed

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

    WASHINGTON, May 17 (Xinhua) — At least 21 people were killed in tornadoes that swept through parts of the U.S. states of Missouri and Kentucky from Friday into Saturday morning, local authorities said.

    Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said Saturday morning that 14 people have been confirmed dead in the region.

    “Kentucky, we start today with the difficult news that we have lost at least 14 people as a result of yesterday’s storms, but unfortunately the death toll will continue to rise as more information becomes available,” Beshear said in a post on X’s social media.

    Earlier, Laurel County Sheriff John Root in southeastern Kentucky called the tornado “a mass casualty event.”

    In addition, five people were killed in St. Louis and two in Scott County in southeastern Missouri, according to NBC News, and local officials said more than 5,000 homes were damaged by the storm Friday afternoon.

    According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, there are about 1,200 tornadoes in the country each year. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Secretary-General’s press encounter at the League of Arab States [scroll down for Arabic]

    Source: United Nations secretary general

    A very good afternoon to all of you.
     
    I am pleased to be in Baghdad once again, this time for this Summit of the League of Arab States in a crucial moment for the region.
     
    The ground is moving under our feet in this region. 
     
    But the tectonic shifts are not a force of nature. 
     
    The problems of violence and volatility are the results of concrete choices of people. 
     
    And the solutions are also in the hands of decisionmakers.
     
    Solutions that, above all, are focused on making the most of the tremendous potential and opportunity throughout this region.
     
    We know the people of the Arab world demand and deserve a better future. 
     
    The people of Lebanon – where the ceasefire and territorial integrity must be respected and all commitments implemented. 
     
    The people of Syria – who need to see a path towards a political transition that is inclusive of all segments of the population – and a future of accountability, national healing, and further integration into the international community and economy with the lifting of sanctions.     
     
    The people of Yemen – who have been suffering from years of war and devastation and yearn for a peaceful future.
     
    And people in every corner of the Arab world who seek the same as those anywhere — a future of justice, dignity, human rights, security peace and hope.
     
    One issue is at the heart of the region’s unrealized hope:  the unresolved question of Palestine.
     
    A two-State solution — Israel and Palestine living side by side in peace and security, with Jerusalem as the capital of both States – is not just a vision.
     
    It is a necessity.
     
    That goal has never been more imperative – but unfortunately also never more distant. 
     
    A two-State future is disappearing before our eyes and we need to reverse this trend. 
     
    In Gaza, the situation for Palestinians is beyond description … beyond atrocious … and beyond inhumane.
     
    A policy of siege and starvation makes a mockery of international law.
     
    The blockade against humanitarian aid must end immediately.
     
    I say once again:  Nothing justifies the atrocious October 7 terror attacks by Hamas.
     
    But nothing justifies the collective punishment of the Palestinian people.
     
    We need a permanent ceasefire — the unconditional release of all hostages –the free flow of humanitarian aid – and irreversible action towards a two-State solution.
     
    The high-level conference in June, co-chaired by France and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, is an important opportunity we cannot lose. 
     
    This is a moment for moral clarity and concrete action.
     
    The choices ahead will shape the region for years to come. 
     
    We can and must rise to this moment with courage, unity, and vision.
    I am convinced that the Arab world has the strength, the wisdom, and the opportunity to lead the way toward peace, dignity, and a future worthy of all its people.
     
    Shukran.

    ***
     

             مساء الخير لكم جميعا.

             يسعدني أن أكون في بغداد مرة أخرى هذه المرة لحضور مؤتمر قمة جامعة الدول العربية في وقت حاسم للمنطقة.

             إن الأرض تهتز من تحت أقدامنا في هذه المنطقة.

             لكن هذه التحولات التكتونية ليست قوة من قوى الطبيعة.

             فمشاكل العنف والتقلبات هي نتائج خيارات محددة يتخذها الناس.

             والحلول هي أيضا بيد صانعي القرار.

             وهذه الحلول ينبغي أن تركز، أولا وقبل كل شيء، على الاستفادة القصوى من الإمكانات التي تزخر بها المنطقة والفرص الهائلة المتاحة في أنحائها قاطبة.

             ونحن نعلم أن شعوب العالم العربي تطالب بمستقبل أفضل وتستحقه.

             شعب لبنان – حيث يجب احترام وقف إطلاق النار واحترام سلامة الأراضي وتنفيذ جميع الالتزامات.

             شعب سوريا – الذي يتوق إلى مسار صوب انتقال سياسي يشمل جميع شرائح السكان – ومستقبل تتحقق فيه المساءلة وتضمَّد جراح الوطن وتتعزز عملية الاندماج في المجتمع الدولي والاقتصاد الدولي وترفع العقوبات.

             شعب اليمن – الذي يعاني ويلات الحرب والدمار على مدى سنوات ويتوق إلى مستقبل يستتب فيه السلام.

             وكذلك الشعوب في كل ربع من ربوع العالم العربي التي تنشد ما تنشده الشعوب في أي مكان آخر ألا وهو أن تعيش في مستقبل تتحقق فيه آمالها وتسود فيه العدالة والكرامة وحقوق الإنسان والسلام والأمن.

             على أن قضية واحدة تكمن في صلب أمل لم يتحقق في المنطقة – قضية فلسطين التي لم تجد طريقها إلى الحل بعد.

             إن تحقيق حل الدولتين – إسرائيل وفلسطين – تعيشان جنباً إلى جنب في سلام وأمن وتتخذان القدس عاصمة لهما بكلتيهما، ليس مجرد هدف نصبو إليه.

             وإنما هو ضرورة لا مفر منها.

             ولم يسبق أبدا أن كان بلوغ هذا الهدف أشد إلحاحا ولكن للأسف لم يكن أيضا أكثر بعدا.

             لقد صار مستقبل الدولتين يتلاشى أمام أعيننا ونحتاج إلى عكس هذا المسار.

             ففي غزة، لم تعد الكلمات كافية لوصف هول الوضع الذي يقاسيه الفلسطينيون هناك إذ تجاوزت الأحداث التي يتعرضون لها كل الحدود بشاعة وقسوة.

             إن فرض سياسة الحصار والتجويع هو استخفاف بالقانون الدولي.

             ولذلك، فمن الواجب أن يُرفع الحصار عن دخول المساعدات الإنسانية فورا.

             وأكرر هنا قولي ألا شيء يبرر الهجمات الإرهابية الفظيعة التي نفذتها حماس في 7 تشرين الأول/أكتوبر.

             لكن لا شيء يبرر العقاب الجماعي الذي يُمارَسُ على الشعب الفلسطيني.

             إننا بحاجة إلى وقف دائم لإطلاق النار – والإفراج غير المشروط عن جميع الرهائن – وحرية تدفق المساعدات الإنسانية – والعمل الذي لا رجعة فيه صوب تحقيق حل الدولتين.

             وسيكون المؤتمر رفيع المستوى المزمع عقده في حزيران/يونيه برئاسة مشتركة بين فرنسا والمملكة العربية السعودية فرصة مهمة في هذا الشأن لا يمكننا تفويتها.

             فهذه لحظة للتمسك الواضح بالمبادئ الأخلاقية واتخاذ إجراءات ملموسة.

             وستحدد الخيارات المتخذة شكل المنطقة لسنوات قادمة.

             بإمكاننا ومن واجبنا أن نرتقي إلى مستوى تلك اللحظة، متحلين بالشجاعة والوحدة والطموح.

             وإنني على يقين بأن العالم العربي لديه من القوة والحكمة والفرص ما يتيح له أن يقود الجهود نحو تحقيق السلام والكرامة وبناء مستقبل يليق بجميع أبنائه.

             شكرًا.

    MIL OSI United Nations News

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Secretary-General’s remarks at the League of Arab States Summit [scroll down for Arabic]

    Source: United Nations secretary general

    As salaam alaikum.

    Your Excellency President Rashid, thank you for your invitation and your hospitality.

    Your Highnesses, your Excellencies,

    Secretary-General Aboul Gheit,

    Ladies and Gentlemen

    I am honoured to be with you to further strengthen our partnership with the League of Arab States.

    The region and the world face trials and tests on all fronts.

    Starting with Gaza.

    Nothing justifies the atrocious October 7 terror attacks by Hamas.

    And nothing justifies the collective punishment of the Palestinian people.

    We need a permanent ceasefire, now.

    The unconditional release of all hostages, now.

    And the free flow of humanitarian aid ending the blockade, now.

    I am alarmed by reported plans by Israel to expand ground operations and more.

    And I emphasize that the United Nations will not participate in any so-called aid operation that does not adhere to international law and the humanitarian principles of humanity, impartiality, independence and neutrality.

    And I reiterate my appeal for the urgent and full support of UNRWA’s work, including financial support.

    We reject the repeated displacement of the Gaza population – and we obviously reject any question of forced displacement outside of Gaza.

    We must also stay focused on the terrible situation in the occupied West Bank.

    Let’s be clear:   
     
    Annexation is illegal.  Settlements are illegal. 

    Only a two-State solution can deliver sustainable peace:

    Israel and Palestine living side-by-side in peace and security, with Jerusalem as the capital of both states, in line with UN resolutions, international law, and previous agreements.

    The high-level conference in June, co-chaired by France and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, is an important opportunity. 

    The world, the region – and, most of all, the people of Palestine and Israel — cannot afford to watch the two-State solution disappear before our eyes.

    That goal has never been more imperative – but unfortunately it also looks more distant. 

    The international community has an enormous responsibility in this decisive moment. 

    Excellencies,

    In Lebanon, Security Council resolution 1701 is unequivocal:
    sovereignty and territorial integrity of Lebanon must be respected, and the Government of Lebanon must have control over all Lebanese territory.

    And I welcome the stated commitment by Lebanese officials to ensure a state monopoly over weapons.

    I also encourage continued progress on reforms – as well as efforts to deploy the Lebanese Armed Forces to southern Lebanon, with the support of UNIFIL.

    In Syria, sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity are critical.

    And we must firmly support an inclusive, Syrian-led and Syrian-owned political process, based on the key principles of Security Council resolution 2254 – a process that safeguards the rights and participation of all Syrians regardless of ethnicity and religion, and ensures their protection.

    This is the pathway to a peaceful, independent and democratic future, and an economic revival as sanctions are removed.

    Excellencies, Highnesses

    In Yemen, Houthi attacks in the Red Sea have significantly damaged the regional and global economies.

    I welcome the announcement made by the Sultanate of Oman on 6 May that the United States and the Houthis would cease hostilities.

    The trajectory of violence must cease – as we work for a negotiated Yemeni-led political settlement.

    UN staff and others that were arbitrarily arrested must be released.

    In Sudan, renewed and coordinated multilateral engagement is crucial to help stem appalling violence, famine, and mass displacement.

    And I am very grateful to the Arab League and to the AU for the excellent coordination meeting that we managed to have yesterday.

    I commend the efforts of the League of Arab States to strengthen multilateral coordination.

    In Somalia, unity and inclusive dialogue are imperative.

    The assistance of Somalia’s partners will be essential in the fight against Al Shabaab and strengthening peace and security in the country.

    That is why I put forward a recommendation to the Security Council to enable predictable and sustainable financing for the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia. 

    In Libya, we are actively engaging with national and international actors to end the confrontation between armed groups, to preserve the independence of key oversight institutions, to address the obstacles preventing national elections, and set the course for long-term stability and prosperity — in line with the Libyan people’s needs and aspirations.

    And once again, the League of Arab States is a vital partner in these efforts.

    Finally, here in Baghdad, I want to recognize and commend the progress Iraq has made since the restoration of sovereignty in 2004 — strengthening institutions, resolving outstanding disputes through dialogue, providing humanitarian assistance and fostering sustainable development and human rights.

    And I sincerely hope that all pending issues will find a just solution by dialogue. 
    The United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq has accompanied the country on this path and we are working to ensure the successful delivery of its residual mandate and an orderly drawdown by 31 December 2025.

    We are committed to continue supporting the Government and people of Iraq towards a peaceful, democratic and prosperous future.

    Highnesses, Excellencies,

    Despite the enormous challenges, let us draw lessons and hope from here in Baghdad. 

    Working in unity and solidarity, we can help resolve conflicts and build a future of peace and prosperity.

    That is the shared goal of the League of Arab States and the United Nations – and I look forward to continue to deepen our partnership together. 

    Shukran.
    ***

    السلام عليكم.
    فخامة الرئيس رشيد، أشكركم على دعوتكم إياي وعلى كرم ضيافتكم.
    أصحاب الجلالة،
    أصحاب السمو الملكي،
    أصحاب المعالي والسعادة،
    الأمين العام السيد أحمد أبو الغيط،
    يشرفني أن أكون معكم اليوم لمواصلة تعزيز شراكتنا مع جامعة الدول العربية.
    إنّ المنطقة والعالم يواجهان مِحناً وشدائد على كافة الجبهات.
    بدءاً بغزة.
    فلا شيء يبرر الهجمات الإرهابية الشنيعة التي نفذتها حماس في السابع من تشرين الأول/أكتوبر.
    ولا شيء يبرر العقاب الجماعي الذي يُمارَسُ على الشعب الفلسطيني.
    إننا بحاجة إلى وقف دائم لإطلاق النار، الآن.
    وإلى الإفراج غير المشروط عن جميع الرهائن، الآن.
    وإلى ضمان التدفق الحر للمعونة الإنسانية وإنهاء الحصار، الآن.
    وإنني أشعر بالجزع إزاء التقارير التي تفيد باعتزام إسرائيل توسيع نطاق العمليات البرية وأكثر من ذلك.
    وأؤكد أن الأمم المتحدة لن تشارك في ما يُسمّى بأيّ عمليةٍ لتقديم المعونة لا تمتثل للقانون الدولي ولمبادئ العمل الإنساني المتمثلة في الإنسانية، والنزاهة، والاستقلالية، والحياد.
    وأكرر مناشدتي تقديم الدعم العاجل والكامل لعمل الأونروا، بما في ذلك الدعم المالي.
    ونحن نرفض التهجير المتكرر لسكان غزة – وأي تفكير في تهجيرهم القسري خارج غزة.
    وعلينا أيضاً ألا نحوّل تركيزنا عما تعيشه الضفة الغربية المحتلة من أوضاع رهيبة.
    ولنكُن واضحين:
    ضمّ الأراضي عملٌ غير قانوني. والمستوطنات غير قانونية.
    وحلّ الدولتين هو السبيل الوحيد إلى تحقيق السلام المستدام:
    أي أن تعيش إسرائيل وفلسطين جنباً إلى جنب في سلام وأمن وتتخذان القدس عاصمةً للدولتين، بما يتماشى مع قرارات الأمم المتحدة وما ينص عليه القانون الدولي والاتفاقات السابقة.
    والمؤتمر الرفيع المستوى المقرر عقده في حزيران/يونيه، برئاسة مشتركة بين فرنسا والمملكة العربية السعودية، فرصةٌ مهمة.
    فالعالم والمنطقة – والأهم من ذلك، شعبا فلسطين وإسرائيل – لا يَسعهم أن يروا حلَّ الدولتين يتلاشى أمام أعيننا.
    ولم يكن هذا الهدف أكثر إلحاحا – لكن للأسف يبدو أيضا أنه يبدو أبعد من أي وقت مضى.
    ويتحمل المجتمع الدولي مسؤولية كبيرة في هذه اللحظة الحاسمة.
    أصحاب المعالي والسعادة،
    في لبنان، قرار مجلس الأمن 1701 واضحٌ لا لبس فيه: يجب احترام سيادة لبنان وسلامة أراضي لبنان، ويجب أن تكون لحكومة لبنان السيطرة على جميع الأراضي اللبنانية.
    وإنني أرحب بالالتزام الذي أعلنه المسؤولون اللبنانيون بضمان أن يكون السلاح بيد الدولة فقط.
    كما أشجع على مواصلة إحراز تقدم على طريق الإصلاحات – وأشجع كذلك الجهود المبذولة لنشر القوات المسلحة اللبنانية إلى جنوب لبنان، بدعم من قوة الأمم المتحدة المؤقتة في لبنان.
    وفي سوريا، يشكّل ضمان السيادة والاستقلال والوحدة وسلامة الأراضي أمرا حاسم الأهمية.
    ويجب علينا أن ندعم بقوة عمليةً سياسية شاملة للجميع يقودها السوريون ويمسكون بزمامها، استناداً إلى المبادئ الرئيسية لقرار مجلس الأمن 2254 – عملية تصون حقوق جميع السوريين وتكفل مشاركتهم بغض النظر عن أصلهم العرقي أو ديانتهم وتضمن حمايتهم.
    فهذا هو السبيل إلى مستقبل يعمه السلام وينعم فيه السوريون بالاستقلال والديمقراطية، وإلى انتعاش اقتصادي يتحقق بالتزامن مع رفع العقوبات.
    أصحاب المعالي والسعادة،
    في اليمن، ألحقت هجمات الحوثيين في البحر الأحمر أضرارا كبيرة بالاقتصادات الإقليمية والعالمية.
    يجب أن يتوقف مسار العنف – ونحن نعمل على التوصل إلى تسوية سياسية تفاوضية بقيادة يمنية.
    أرحب بإعلان سلطنة عمان 6 أيار/مايو بأن الولايات المتحدة والحوثيين سيوقفون الأعمال العدائية.
    لا بد أن يتوقف مسار العنف – بينما نعكف على التوصل إلى تسويةٍ سياسية تفاوضية بقيادة يمنية.
    ويجب الإفراج عن موظفي الأمم المتحدة وغيرهم ممن اعتُقلوا تعسفاً.
    وفي السودان، يتسم التعاون متعدد الأطراف المتجدِد والمنسّق بأهميته البالغة من أجل المساعدة على وقف العنف المروع والمجاعة والنزوح الجماعي.
    وأنا ممتن للغاية لجامعة الدول العربية وللاتحاد الأفريقي على الاجتماع التنسيقي الممتاز الذي تمكنا من عقده أمس.
    وإنني أثني على الجهود التي تبذلها جامعة الدول العربية لتعزيز التنسيق المتعدد الأطراف.
    وفي الصومال، لا مناص عن الوحدة والحوار الشامل للجميع.
    وستكون المساعدة المقدّمة من شركاء الصومال حيويةً في محاربة حركة الشباب وتعزيز السلام والأمن في البلد.
    ولهذا السبب تقدّمتُ بتوصية إلى مجلس الأمن لإتاحة تمويل مستدام يمكن التنبؤ به لبعثة الاتحاد الأفريقي للدعم وتحقيق الاستقرار في الصومال.
    وفي ليبيا، نعمل بنشاط مع الجهات الفاعلة الوطنية والدولية لوضع حد للمواجهات بين المجموعات المسلحة، والحفاظ على استقلالية مؤسسات الرقابة الرئيسية، وتذليل العقبات التي تحول دون إجراء انتخابات وطنية، وتحديد المسار المؤدي إلى الاستقرار والازدهار على المدى الطويل – بما يلبي احتياجات الشعب الليبي وتطلعاته.
    ومرة أخرى، تشكّل جامعة الدول العربية شريكاً حيوياً في هذه الجهود.
    وأخيراً، أود هنا في بغداد أن أنوه وأشيد بالتقدم الذي أحرزه العراق منذ استعادته السيادة في عام 2004 – على صعيد تقوية المؤسسات، وحلّ المنازعات غير المحسومة عن طريق الحوار، وتقديم المساعدات الإنسانية، وتعزيز التنمية المستدامة وحقوق الإنسان.
    وآمل مخلصاً أن يتم التوصل إلى حلٍّ عادل لكافة المسائل العالقة عبر الحوار.
    ولقد صاحبت العراق في مساره هذا بعثةُ الأمم المتحدة لتقديم المساعدة إلى العراق، ونحن نعمل جاهدين على ضمان تنفيذ البعثة ما تبقى من ولايتها بنجاح وانسحابها المنظم بحلول 31 كانون الأول/ ديسمبر 2025.
    وإننا ملتزمون بمواصلة دعم حكومة العراق وشعبه على الطريق نحو مستقبل يعمه السلام والديمقراطية والازدهار.
    أصحاب المعالي والسعادة،
    على الرغم من التحديات الهائلة، دعونا نستخلص العِبر ونستمد الأمل من هنا في بغداد.
    فبالعمل في إطار من الوحدة والتضامن، يمكننا أن نساعد على حلّ النزاعات وأن نبني مستقبلاً يسوده السلام والازدهار.
    هذا هو الهدف المشترك الذي تتقاسمه جامعة الدول العربية والأمم المتحدة – وإني أتطلع إلى مواصلة تعميق شراكتنا معاً.
    شكراً.
     

    MIL OSI United Nations News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Lofgren, Salinas, Padilla, Bennet Reintroduce Legislation to Provide Disaster Relief for Farmworkers

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Zoe Lofgren (D-San Jose)

    Washington, DC – Today, U.S. Representative Zoe Lofgren (CA-18) and Rep. Andrea Salinas (OR-06), the daughter of a former farmworker and a leader in the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, along with U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-CA) and Michael Bennet (D-CO), reintroduced the Disaster Relief for Farm Workers Act. This legislation would provide compensation for farmworkers who lose out on wages due to extreme weather, public health emergencies, and other disasters beyond their control. The bill was first introduced in the 118th Congress.

    “When extreme weather occurs, farmworkers across our country continue to feed the nation. And yet, these essential workers and their families face great uncertainty when unexpected disasters harm their communities and livelihood. For example, hundreds of farmworkers in my congressional district faced displacement and lost wages after severe flooding devastated the Pajaro community in early 2023. We owe them – and all farmworkers – more. The Disaster Relief for Farm Workers Act ensures America’s indispensable farmworkers can receive disaster relief funding they need and have earned,” said Rep. Lofgren.

    “Extreme weather and natural disasters are only getting worse with climate change. Unfortunately, many of the hardworking individuals who grow and harvest our food do not receive direct financial support when they are forced to miss work and lose wages as a result of these disasters,” said Rep. Salinas. “My legislation would finally correct this injustice by providing federal disaster relief for farmworkers. This change is well-deserved and long-overdue, and I will continue to advocate for the brave men and women who help feed America.”

    “California’s farm workers often work under extreme conditions to help put food on the table for hundreds of millions of Americans,” said Sen. Padilla. “But increasingly frequent natural disasters, including historic flooding in Pajaro, have devastated California’s agricultural communities. We must protect the heart of our nation’s food supply by providing critical emergency assistance to these essential workers.”

    “Agriculture is the backbone of Colorado’s economy and central to our Western way of life, but as climate-fueled disasters become increasingly common, our state’s farm workers are paying the price,” said Sen. Bennet. “Our bill will help ensure the people that grow America’s fruits, vegetables, and other crops get the assistance they need in the wake of emergencies like drought, wildfires, and other natural disasters.”

    Oregon is home to over 100,000 farmworkers, many of whom live and work in the Willamette Valley and power the state’s $42 billion agriculture economy. Yet despite their importance to our food systems, the average farmworker family in Oregon earns less than $25,000 per year. Ninety-six percent reported living in overcrowded housing and about thirty percent are living below the poverty line. When farmworkers cannot work due to extreme weather or other unexpected disasters, they can lose wages and even their jobs—pushing them deeper into housing and food insecurity.

    The Disaster Relief for Farm Workers Act would address this problem by providing direct relief funding for farmworkers. Specifically, this bill would:

    • Make grants available to eligible farmworker organizations to provide emergency relief to farm workers affected by a disaster.
    • Ensure USDA develops and executes a promotional plan prior to and throughout the distribution of the relief grants to increase awareness of the assistance available.
    • Require USDA to work with eligible farmworker organizations.
    • Provide definitions for a covered disaster, eligible farmworker organization, and migrant or seasonal farmworker.
    • Amend Section 2281 of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 to allow for emergency assistance for farmworkers.

    In addition to Reps. Lofgren and Salinas, the Disaster Relief for Farm Workers Act is cosponsored by Reps. Nanette Barragán (CA-44), André Carson (IN-07), Judy Chu (CA-28), Jim Costa (CA-21), Suzan DelBene (WA-01), Lloyd Doggett (TX-37), Maxwell Frost (FL-10), Robert Garcia (CA-42), Jared Huffman (CA-02), Kevin Mullin (CA-15), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-AL), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Melanie Stansbury (NM-01), Marilyn Strickland (WA-10), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Paul Tonko (NY-20), and Juan Vargas (CA-52).

    The legislation is endorsed by the following organizations, in alphabetical order: A Better Balance, Alianza Americas, Alianza Nacional de Campesinas, Association of Farmworker Opportunity Programs (AFOP), Borderlands Resource Initiative, California Human Development, Campesinos Sin Fronteras, Care in Action, CASA of Oregon, Center for Employment Training, Central Coast Alliance United for a Sustainable Economy (CAUSE), Central Valley Opportunity Center, Centro de los Derechos del Migrante, Inc (CDM), Child Labor Coalition, CHILDREN AT RISK, CIERTO, Civic Empowerment Coalition, Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA), Columbia Legal Services, CRLA Foundation, Davidson County Local Food Network, El Futuro es Nuestro, Farm Worker Ministry Northwest, Farmworker and Landscaper Advocacy Project-FLAP, Farmworker Housing Development Corporation (FHDC), Farmworker Justice, Food Empowerment Project, GALEO Impact Fund, Hand in Hand/Mano en Mano, Hispanic Affairs Project, Hispanic Federation, Houston Immigration Legal Services Collaborative, Immigrant Defenders Law Center, La Union del Pueblo Entero (LUPE), Latino Outdoors, League of Conservation Voters, Make the Road CT, Make the Road NJ, Make the Road NV, Make the Road NY, Make the Road PA, Make the Road States, Michiganders for a Just Farming System, National Association of Social Workers, National Association of Social Workers – Florida and Virgin Islands Chapter, National Consumers League, National Domestic Workers Alliance, National Employment Law Project, National Migrant and Seasonal Head Start Association, NC FIELD, Inc., NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice, North Carolina Council of Churches, North Carolina Farmworker Advocacy Network, North Carolina Justice Center, Nourish Up, Opportunity Arizona, Oregon Human Development Corporation, Organización en California de Lideres Campesinas, Inc, PCUN, Oregon’s Farmworker Union, Pesticide Action and Agroecology Network (PAN), Popular Democracy, Presente.org, Progress Michigan, Proteus Inc., Puente de la Costa Sur, Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF), Slow Food USA, Student Action with Farmworkers, Sur Legal Collaborative, TODEC Legal Center, Toxic Free North Carolina, UFW Foundation, Unidos Yamhill County, United Farm Workers, Voces Unidas de las Montañas.

    “Farm workers are always on the front lines of fires, floods, and storms — yet are too often excluded from federal disaster relief programs,” said Teresa Romero, President of United Farm Workers (UFW). “If the federal government can provide emergency support to farm owners who lose crops in natural disaster, then the federal government can emergency provide support to farm workers who lose work in that same disaster. The Disaster Relief for Farm Workers Act will ensure that farm workers who put food on all our tables can continue to put food on their family’s table when disaster strikes.”

    “Every year we see an alarming number of natural disasters that drastically and disproportionately impact the farm worker community. As climate change gets worse, these types of disasters will only worsen and farm workers are the ones who are affected the most by these calamities. Just last year, we saw heavy California rains flooding Ventura County farm areas and Hurricane Helen devastating Georgia’s farm worker communities, leading to organizations like ours stepping up to do what we can. But that is not enough. We must have a federal response to these kinds of disasters. From wildfires to tornadoes to hurricanes, farm workers have little to no safety net to help them recover from unexpected disasters,” said Erica Lomeli Corcoran, Chief Executive Officer at UFW Foundation. “This is exactly why the UFW Foundation is supporting the Disaster Relief for Farm Workers Act. It would provide resources and aid to those who truly need it and would ensure that those responsible for our nation’s food supplies are not overlooked, as they have been in the past. Farm workers have been largely ignored and neglected by the law, shut out from basic protections provided to all workers. It is time that Congress acts and ensures that our nation’s farm workers are given the support they need to overcome times of emergencies and to provide equity to all workers.” 

    “Farmworkers are frontline workers, which means they are the hardest hit by the impacts of extreme weather conditions across the country. Many farmworkers feel that they are risking their health with extreme heat and colder days, but losing even one day of work is not an option for their families’ economic situation. Outdoor protections are important, yet there are days that are becoming too extreme to even be outside. Our vision is to be a resilient workforce for the agricultural industry. Disaster relief means we can start investing in addressing the issues that workers are facing today by building resilience for climate change in the future, without sacrificing the economic well-being of farmworkers,” said Reyna Lopez, Executive Director of Pineros y Campesinos Unidos del Noreste (PCUN).

    To read the full text of the legislation, click here.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Golden votes against cutting funds that support Maine’s marine resources, Acadia National Park

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02)

    WASHINGTON — In an early morning vote today, Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02) opposed the House Natural Resources Committee’s (HNRC) portion of the GOP’s reconciliation budget. 

    The final package proposes $1 billion in federal spending cuts, including cuts targeting several programs that support Maine’s marine resources economy, coastal communities and Acadia National Park. The committee advanced the package in a 26-17 vote. 

    “Maine’s way of life and economy are inextricably tied to our lands and waters. When I joined this committee this year, I pledged to advocate for Maine’s natural resources and to use my position to champion investment and stewardship to support our state,” Golden said. “This proposal would undermine investments in our marine resources and Acadia National Park. I could not, in good conscience, support it.” 

    The package proposes $100 million in cuts for Inflation Reduction Act funding for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Affected funding streams support fisheries, marine and coastal habitats, and stock assessments. They have supported projects in Maine including fish passage restoration for Atlantic salmon and other migratory species; rebuilding salt marshes to reduce roadway flooding hazards in communities Downeast; and an initiative to recover, recycle and refabricate marine debris material in the Gulf of Maine, such as ghost lobster traps and derelict aquaculture gear.

    “I have gone toe to toe with NOAA to oppose regulatory proposals that could harm Maine’s fishing communities, and to demand regulators give Maine lobstermen and fishermen a seat at the table,” Golden said. “But the funding streams targeted for cuts in this bill support worthy conservation, restoration, and infrastructure efforts that have helped protect Maine’s natural resources and make our communities more resilient. There’s no reason to put them on the chopping block.”

    The package advanced out of committee also would slash $279 million from the National Park Service, threatening funding streams that have supported resiliency, habitat restoration and jobs at Acadia National Park.

    House and Senate Republicans sent reconciliation instructions to all House Committees on April 10. Those instructions required the Natural Resources Committee to cut funding by $1 billion — part of the GOP’s plan to slash health care and cut taxes for the wealthy while adding more than $ 7 trillion in new debt over the next decade. 

    Congressman Golden voted against the GOP’s reckless reconciliation plan in February and again in April, and has been critical of efforts to undermine working families and the fiscal stability of the nation while padding giveaways to the wealthy. 

    “There’s a better way forward: Congress could target tax cuts to working families, paid for by allowing the expiration of tax cuts for the very wealthy,” Golden said in April. “We don’t need to take away anyone’s health care or pass trillions in new deficit spending to pass a budget that puts the middle class first.”

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Chu Responds to Film Unions’, Studios’ Call for Expanded Film Incentives

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Judy Chu (CA2-27)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Last week, President Trump announced his intention to impose tariffs on foreign films, a proposal which could have devastating impacts on the American film industry as well as all American service exports. Earlier this week, film and television unions and studios joined together with the Trump administration’s “Special Ambassadors” to Hollywood in sending a letter to President Trump urging support for expanded tax incentives for U.S. film and TV production. Rep. Judy Chu (CA-28), a long-time proponent of federal incentives including the Section 181 federal tax deduction for domestic film and television production, released the following statement: 

    “President Trump identified a serious and growing problem: that film and television production has been moving out of the United States and to the more than 80 countries that offer tax incentives for productions. This trend has hurt not just my district in Southern California, but communities across the country that have hosted film shoots, studios, prop manufacturers, and the thousands of good-paying jobs that go into making a movie or TV show a reality. Unfortunately, the President’s proposal to impose tariffs on foreign films is ill-conceived and would do more harm than good. 

    “Instead, we need to invest in domestic incentives that will make America more attractive for film productions so that we can bring these jobs back to the United States and maintain our economic and cultural leadership in entertainment. That means extending and expanding Section 181, the only federal tax incentive specifically for domestic film and television production. Section 181 is set to expire at the end of this year, and as a Member of the House Ways and Means Committee, I am working in a bipartisan manner to extend and improve this deduction. We must also think bigger and create new credits and incentives that will put us on equal or better footing with the countries that have been able to attract productions that would otherwise have happened here in the United States. 

    “I urge the President to back away from his dangerous threat of film tariffs and instead work with me and my colleagues in Congress on incentives that will restore this great American industry.” 

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ranking Member Hoyer, Rep. Lynch Mobilize to Combat Attacks on Federal Workers Included in Republicans’ Extreme Budget Bill

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steny H Hoyer (MD-05)

    WASHINGTON, DC – Congressmen Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05), the Ranking Member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government (FSGG), and Stephen F. Lynch (MA-08) hosted a roundtable yesterday with major federal employee groups and civil service organizations to coordinate action against the Republican Budget’s House Oversight Reconciliation provisions that steal earned wages, benefits, and retirement security from federal workers to subsidize tax giveaways to billionaires. Republicans’ budget includes provisions to steal earned retirement benefits, decrease the take home pay of existing and new federal employees, claw back already-promised retirement payments, and force new federal employees to choose between being subject to President Trump’s political purges of the federal workforce or receiving a smaller paycheck for their entire career.

    The roundtable follows a full Committee markup of the Reconciliation bill in which Oversight Committee Democrats offered twenty-five amendments that would add commonsense safeguards to the bill.  All Democratic amendments were rejected by Committee Republicans.

    “Republicans’ House Oversight Reconciliation provisions are the latest salvo in Donald Trump’s effort to demean, vilify, and traumatize our federal workers,” said Ranking Member Hoyer. “These are patriotic professionals who serve the American people every single day. Donald Trump, Elon Musk, Russell Vought, and DOGE’s illegal purge of our federal workers was never about improving efficiency and reducing waste – something every American supports. Their assault on the civil service is about consolidating their own power and dismantling vital services for Americans across the country. Whether it’s on Capitol Hill, in the courts, or on the picket line, I will keep working with Democrats to fight against the actions of this administration and fight for our federal workers.” 

    “The Trump Administration’s unprecedented assault on our civil service is creating a breakdown across federal agencies that Americans will feel for years to come.  Unfortunately, the Republicans’ reconciliation print is an effective greenlight for the Administration to continue to attack the federal workforce—it will reduce the pay of federal workers; it will break promises on entitled retirement benefits; it will deter current and federal employees from seeking justice against wrongful employment actions; and it will provide a back-door Schedule P/C, formerly known as Schedule F, to purge the federal workforce in Trump’s favor,” said Rep. Lynch. “Oversight Democrats are ready to solve the nation’s greatest crises, but we cannot in good conscience do that by sacrificing the well-being of federal employees and the quality of the federal civilian workforce. That’s why we must continue to stand up against Oversight Republicans’ reconciliation proposals.”

    Participants in the roundtable included representatives from:  AFL-CIO; American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE); American Postal Workers Union (APWU); Democracy Forward; FAA Managers Association (FAAMA); International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF); International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE); National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association (NARFE); National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE-IAM); National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU); National Association of Letter Carrier (NALC); National Postal Mail Handlers Union (NPMHU); National Rural Letter Carriers’ Association (NRLCA); Senior Executives Association, Professional Managers Association, and National Association of Assistant U.S. Attorneys; Service Employees International Union (SEIU); and Federal Managers Association (FMA).

    “Today’s hearing made it unmistakably clear that punitive cuts to federal employee benefits aren’t about saving money. They are about making life miserable for Americans serving in the federal government and driving experienced and dedicated employees away from federal service — harming every state, district, community, family, business, and individual who depend on the services these workers provide.  AFGE urges Members on both sides of the aisle to take notice of today’s discussion and reject the package of proposed changes to FERS that will reduce the take home pay of most federal workers and sharply reduce their expected retirement benefit,” said Dr. Everett B. Kelley, National President of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE).

    “The physical demands of firefighting add up over the years, leaving many fire fighters sick or injured as a result of their service to the community. These dedicated public servants shouldn’t have to worry about quality healthcare and making ends meet if they’re forced to retire early. Benefits like the Special Retirement Supplement are key to ensuring fire fighters a dignified retirement until their Social Security benefits begin. Congress must preserve this annuity for federal fire fighters and reject this portion of the proposed reconciliation bill,” said International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) General President Edward A. Kelly.

    “Members of the National Postal Mail Handlers Union dedicated their lives to serving the United States Postal Service and its customers, but our hard work is being met with threats against our earned federal retirement benefits. Make no mistake, these proposed changes do nothing but harm the middle-class workers we represent. This is not how Congress makes America great again,” said National Postal Mail Handlers Union National President Paul V. Hogrogian.

    “The federal employee pay and benefit cuts included in the Republican budget constitute a complete abandonment of the commitment Congress has made to AUSAs and other federal civil servants. If these cuts are approved, the resulting increased workforce turnover, staff attrition with loss of expertise, and decreased morale in U.S. Attorney’s Offices will have real costs for taxpayers and undermine the capacity of those offices to accomplish their important public safety mission. NAAUSA calls on Congress to reject these cuts,” said Steve Wasserman, President of the National Association of Assistant United States Attorneys (NAAUSA). “The notion that we need to propose cuts elsewhere so that the Republicans can balance the budget on the backs of underpaid and underfunded federal prosecutors and Medicaid recipients to fund a tax cut for the super wealthy is grossly offensive. It is a false choice.”

    “Federal employees are not the cause of the government’s debt nor deficit. Career federal employees who reach the Senior Executive Service (SES) ranks in government have forgone significant income opportunities while serving their nation. In addition to being dedicated to serving the mission of their agencies, career executives have signed on to Federal service with the promise of a pension and stable retirement — key parts of the government’s employment value proposition. Many dedicated senior executives made professional and family financial decisions based on these commitments.  Congress should keep the promises made to executives who have faithfully served the nation, often for decades,” said Marcus Hill, President of the Senior Executives Association (SEA). “SEA believes it is short-sighted to impose pay cuts that will only make the government less competitive and attractive as an employer for the talent needed to serve America, now and into the future. The association is open to discussing changes that can improve the system for future employees, but Congress should not disadvantage current federal employees who have devoted their lives and careers to public service.”

    “The $50 billion in cuts to federal employee pay and benefits are not just numbers on a spreadsheet—they represent broken promises and disrupted lives,” said Kelly Reyes, Executive Director of the Professional Managers Association (PMA). “Our members have spent 25–30 years building a stable future based on longstanding agreements with the government, and now they’re questioning whether they can afford to retire. One manager described it as ‘changing the terms of the mortgage the day before closing.’ These proposals don’t just impact today’s workforce—they send a chilling message to the next generation, making it nearly impossible for government to recruit top talent in critical fields like accounting, cybersecurity, and data science, where private-sector competition is fierce. PMA members aren’t just thinking about themselves—they’re thinking about the teams they lead, the services they deliver, and the future of federal service itself. We are not opposed to hard conversations about sustainability, but changes of this magnitude must be prospective, not retroactive. Congress must honor the social contract made with current federal employees.”

    “The reconciliation provisions that the Republican majority on the House Oversight Committee advanced are a part of the Trump Administration’s effort to dismantle the government, eliminate federal employee unions, and inject political corruption into the civil service,” said International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE) President Matt Biggs.  “The reconciliation provisions that cut federal retirement benefits break a commitment to federal workers who’ve dedicated their careers to public service and, if enacted, will be the last straw for so many highly qualified and knowledgeable workers at federal agencies who are being bullied, disrespected, and unlawfully fired and denied workforce protections by the Trump Administration. Our union will continue building bipartisan opposition to these provisions, and we applaud Oversight Committee Democrats for their strong defense of the merit-based, nonpartisan civil service.”

    “These proposals are a disgusting attack on every letter carrier, postal employee and federal employee,” said National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) President Brian L. Renfroe.  “Letter carriers earn their retirement benefits through hard work and already pay their fair share. If enacted, this would amount to a nearly 11 percent pay cut for some letter carriers, which is especially egregious since the Postal Service is an independent, off-budget agency. Taxpayers don’t fund USPS or our retirement benefits. NALC’s 295,000 active and retired letter carriers will continue fighting until these unfair attacks are off the table.”

    “The APWU is vehemently opposed to the proposed pension cuts,” said American Postal Workers Union (APWU) Legislative and Political Director Judy Beard.  “No worker should have the benefits they were promised placed in jeopardy to finance tax cuts for the wealthy. We must also fight to keep these benefits intact since they encourage people to apply for jobs at the United States Postal Service.”

    “The Oversight and Government Reform Committee’s reconciliation plan, which aims to cut $51 billion off the backs of federal and postal employees over the next decade, is simply wrong,” said Don Maston, National Rural Letter Carriers’ Association (NRLCA) President.  “Federal and postal employees don’t enter public service to get rich—they do it to serve their country and to be the backbone of the essential services that keep this nation running. They do it for stable, secure jobs with decent benefits.  To change pension and retirement benefits mid-career is not just unfair, it’s a broken promise to the workers who have dedicated their lives to serving the public. Federal workers cannot continue to be the easy target for budget savings.  The proposals put forth by the Oversight Committee are, in effect, substantial pay cuts for hardworking postal and federal employees, and must be removed from the final bill.  The NRLCA thanks Congressman Lynch and Congressman Hoyer for organizing this Roundtable discussion and ensuring our voices are heard.”

    “Federal and postal employees paid into and earned their accrued retirement benefits – they are not gifts,” said National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association (NARFE) Vice President John Hatton.  “No matter the degree of change, clawing back the full amount of those accrued benefit is theft, plain and simple.  What if a private-sector company took back a portion of vested contributions into a defined contribution plan?  Would that even be legal? Would that really be any different than cutting back the vested portion of a defined benefit plan?  Yet not only does this provision apply to vested federal employees, it applies to individuals who are currently eligible for retirement, or who become eligible in the next few years, taking away hard-earned benefits that they have relied upon in planning for retirement.”
     

    Congressmen Steny H. Hoyer and Stephen F. Lynch’s roundtable with
    major federal employee groups and civil service organizations.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Moolenaar Receives Commitment From Agriculture Secretary Rollins to Solve Farm Labor Issue

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman John Moolenaar (4th District of Michigan)

    Headline: Moolenaar Receives Commitment From Agriculture Secretary Rollins to Solve Farm Labor Issue

    Today, Congressman John Moolenaar, the only member of the House Appropriations Committee from Michigan, questioned U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Brooke Rollins in a budget hearing. In his questioning, Moolenaar secured a commitment from Rollins to address a long term solution on the Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR), which hurts Michigan farmers in it’s current formulation by requiring them to pay high wages for H-2A migrant farm workers. 

    “Michigan farmers utilize H-2A employees to grow and harvest the food we rely on every day. Unfortunately federal regulations require family farmers who take advantage of the program to take on unsustainable labor costs, making it difficult to make ends meet. I am grateful Secretary Rollins recognizes this and committed today to working with Congress and the Department of Labor to find a long-term solution to the AEWR calculation which will allow Michigan farmers to thrive,” said Moolenaar. 

    In February, Moolenaar introduced the Supporting Farm Operations Act, bipartisan legislation which sets the AEWR back to 2023 levels and freezes the wage rate until the end of 2026. Michigan farmers who utilize the program are currently required to pay H-2A employees $18.15 per hour, in addition to housing and transportation costs. 

    Moolenaar’s questioning of Secretary Rollins can be viewed here. 

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Schakowsky, Padilla, Merkley Introduce Bicameral Bill to Strengthen Nursing Staff Standards, Improve Patient Care

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (9th District of Illinois)

    Full Text of Bill (PDF)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, on International Nurses Day, U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky and U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) introduced the Nurse Staffing Standards for Hospital Patient Safety and Quality Care Act to improve hospital patient care and nurse retention by setting mandatory minimum registered nurse-to-patient staffing ratios. 

    There are no federal mandates regulating the number of patients a registered nurse (RN) can care for at one time in U.S. hospitals. As a result, RNs are consistently required to care for more patients than is safe, negatively impacting patient outcomes. Studies show that when RNs are forced to care for too many patients at one time, patients are at higher risk of preventable medical errors, avoidable complications, falls and injuries, pressure sores, increased length of hospital stay, higher numbers of hospital readmissions, and death. For each additional surgical patient in a registered nurse’s workload above the baseline nurse-to-patient ratio of 1:4, the likelihood of patient death within 30 days increases by seven percent.

    “I am proud to reintroduce the Nurse Staffing Standards for Hospital Patient Safety and Quality Care Act with Senators Padilla and Merkley that will establish registered nurse-to-patient ratios in hospitals, provide whistleblower protection for nurses who advocate on behalf of their patients, and invest in training and career development to retain hardworking nurses in the workforce,” said Congresswoman Schakowsky. “For years, I’ve talked to exhausted nurses who have said they go home at night, wondering if they forgot to turn a patient because they were stretched far too thin. Study after study shows that safe nurse-to-patient staffing ratios result in higher quality care for patients, lower health care costs, and a better workplace for nurses. It is past time that we act on the evidence, give nurses the support they deserve, and put patients over profits. Let’s get it done!”

    “Every patient deserves access to quality care, but the registered nursing staffing crisis across the country is putting patients at risk and leading to preventable health complications, especially in communities of color,” said Senator Padilla. “The numbers are clear: California’s mandatory minimum nurse-to-patient ratio is saving lives. Extending safe staffing at hospitals across the country is long overdue and is essential to retaining our nursing workforce and improving health outcomes.”

    “As the husband of a nurse, I’ve seen how our health care heroes give so much to keep communities in Oregon healthy every day,” said Senator Merkley, Co-Chair of the Senate Nursing Caucus. “As we celebrate National Nurses Week, I am committed to fighting for safe staffing levels for both nurses and patients, to enhance the quality of patient care, reduce medical errors, and increase nurse retention. Nurses make the world so much better, one bedside at a time, and Congress must do all it can to tackle the challenges these life-saving professionals face.”
     
    “Nurses are constantly forced by our employers to care for too many patients than is safe. Yet, during National Nurses Week, those same employers hang banners or give out a free cookie to show their appreciation of us. It’s a slap in the face,” said Nancy Hagans, RN and NNU president. “Our patients deserve high-quality care, and nurses have always stood up to protect our patients. It’s time hospital managers are mandated to staff our units safely for our patients’ sake and to actually give nurses the resources and respect we deserve.”

    “Nurses know from caring for patients at the bedside, that safe nurse-to-patient staffing ratios save lives. CNA fought for and won legislation in California ensuring safe staffing ratios, and unfortunately two decades later, we are still the only state in the country with a law of its kind,” said Sandy Reding, RN and CNA/NNOC President. “Nurses come to California from all over because of our ratios, and we are proud to continue the fight on the national level until every nurse is guaranteed safe staffing ratios, and our patients and our profession are protected.”

    “The understaffing crisis at hospitals and health care facilities puts 60 million older Americans at risk every year,” said Richard Fiesta, Executive Director of the Alliance for Retired Americans. “This legislation will improve patient safety and health outcomes by requiring all healthcare facilities to maintain adequate nurse staffing ratios. Nurses, patients, and family members deserve nothing less.”

    “As some in Congress try to cut healthcare to hand tax breaks to billionaires, others are trying to invest in the safe staffing levels needed for high-quality patient care. All too often, patients face interminable delays, overcrowded waiting rooms, and understaffing that puts them in danger. It does not have to be this way. In many cases, we have enough qualified nurses, but they’ve been driven from the bedside by a healthcare system that puts profits over patients. With this bill, Rep. Schakowsky and Sens. Padilla and Merkley give us a path forward that holds hospitals accountable for staffing levels. These standards will improve outcomes for patients, make healthcare careers more sustainable and, in a medical emergency, reassure families that their local hospital is a safe place to get the care they need,” said Randi Weingarten, President, AFT: Education, Healthcare, Public Services.

    “Hospitals across the U.S. are faced with an intensifying staffing crisis, leaving dedicated nurses with no choice but to turn to jobs with better working conditions, regrettably leaving the patients they love and care for,” said Martha Baker, RN, Chairperson of the Nurse Alliance of SEIU Healthcare. “Congress needs to pass safe staffing ratios to allow all nurses—regardless of where we live or where we work—to provide the high-quality care that our patients need and deserve.

    “One nurse can be responsible for the care of an entire hospital floor — keeping multiple patients alive and on the path to recovery,” said AFSCME President Lee Saunders. “They are truly the front-line heroes of our health care system, but they’re also human. Too often, they’re stretched thin, working exhausting hours that put patient care and their own health at risk. The Nurse Staffing Standards for Hospital Patient Safety and Quality Care Act gives nurses the backup they need to keep themselves and their patients safe and healthy. On behalf of the over 60,000 nurses in our AFSCME family, we thank Senator Padilla and Representative Schakowsky for championing real solutions for care and safety.”

    Studies have also found that registered nurse staffing levels in hospitals that serve communities of color are often lower, exacerbating health care disparities. Setting a single standard of nursing care across hospitals would improve outcomes for patients, including patients of color, through reduced readmission rates, increased satisfaction, and better obstetrical outcomes.

    Specifically, the Nurse Staffing Standards for Hospital Patient Safety and Quality Care Act would:

    • Require hospitals to annually develop safe staffing plans that meet the bill’s mandated minimum RN staffing ratios and provide for additional staffing based on individual patient care needs;
    • Mandate that hospitals post notices on minimum ratios and maintain records on RN and other staffing;
    • Provide whistleblower protections, including administrative complaint process and cause of action, for nurses who speak out against assignments that are unsafe for the patient or nurse;
    • Authorize the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services to enforce the minimum RN staffing ratios through administrative complaints and civil penalties.

    The bill is endorsed by organizations including National Nurses United, California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee, Alliance for Retired Americans, American Federation of Teachers (AFT), SEIU Healthcare, and American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME).

    ###
     

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-Evening Report: A life of service: celebrating the career of Luamanuvao Dame Winnie Laban

    SPECIAL REPORT: By Moera Tuilaepa-Taylor, RNZ Pacific manager

    At this year’s May graduation ceremony, Te Herenga Waka Victoria University’s Luamanuvao Dame Winnie Laban, was awarded an honorary doctorate in recognition for her contribution to education.

    Although she has now stepped down from the role, Luamanuvao served as the university’s Assistant Vice-Chancellor, Pasifika, for 14 years. In that time has worked tirelessly to raise Pasifika students’ achievement.

    “It’s really important that they [Pasifika students] make the most of the opportunities that education has to offer,” she said.

    “Secondly, education teaches you how to write, to research, to critique, but more importantly, become an informed voice and considering what’s happening in society now with AI and also technology and social media, it’s really important that we can tell our stories and share our values, and we counter that by receiving a good education and applying ourselves to do well.”

    When asked about the importance of service, Luamanuvao explained “there’s a saying in Samoan, ‘o le ala i le pule o le tautua’ so the road to authority and leadership is through service”.

    “And we’ve always been taught how important it is not to indulge in our own individual success, but to always become a voice and support our brothers and sisters, and our families and in our communities who are especially struggling.”

    Juliana Faataualofa Lafaialii, Samoa’s Deputy Head of Mission/Counsellor to NZ (from left); Philippa Toleafoa; Luamanuvao Dame Winnie Laban; Afamasaga Faamatalaupu Toleafoa, Samoa’s High Commissioner to NZ; and Labour MP Pesetatamalelagi Barbara Edmonds . Image: Pesetatamalelagi Barbara Edmonds/RNZ Pacific

    As she accepted her honorary doctorate, she spoke about the importance of women taking on leadership roles.

    ‘Our powerful women’
    “Yes, many Pacific people will know how powerful our women are, especially our mothers, our grandmothers, and great grandmothers. We actually come from cultures of very powerful and very strong women . . .  it’s not centered in the individual women. It’s centered on the well-being of our families, and our communities. And that’s what women leadership is all about in the Pacific.”

    She did not expect the honourary doctorate from Te Herenga Waka Victoria University because “I’ve always been aspirational for others. And we Pacific people have been brought up that we are the people of the ‘we’ and not the me.”

    The number of Pasifika students enrolled at the University, during Luamanuvao’s time as Assistant Vice-Chancellor, increased from 4.70 percent in 2010 to 6.64 pecent in 2024. She said she “would have loved to have doubled that number” so that it was more in line with the number of Pasifika people living in New Zealand.

    Luamanuvao Dame Winnie Laban and supporters during an International Women’s day event in Wellington. Image: RNZ Pacific

    Two of the initiatives she started, during her time at the University, was the Pasifika Roadshow taking information about university life out to the wider community and the Improving Pasifika Legal Education Project.

    Helping Pasifika Law students succeed was very important to her. While Pasifika make up make up only 3 percent of Lawyers, they are overrepresented in the legal system, comprising 12 percent of the prison population.

    Another passion of hers was encouraging Pasifika to enter academia. “I think we’ve had an increase in Pacific academics in some areas. For example, with the Faculty of Law, we’ve got two senior Pacific women in lecturer positions . . . We’ve also got four associate professors, and now I’ve finished, there’s also a vacancy for another.”

    Prior to her work in education Luamanuvao was the first Pasifika woman to enter New Zealand politics, in 1999.

    First Pacific woman MP
    “I was fortunate that when I ran for Parliament, I ran first as a list MP, and as you know, within the parties, they have selection process that are quite robust, and so I became the first Pacific woman MP.”

    “What motivated me was the car parts factory that closed in Wainuiomata, and most of the workers were men, but they were also Pacific, Māori and palagi, who basically arrived at work one morning and were told the factory was closing.”

    “But what really hit me, and hurt me, that these were not the values of Aotearoa. They’re not the values of our Pacific region. These are human beings, and for many men, particularly, to have a job, it’s about providing for your family. It’s about status.

    “So, if factories were going to close down, where was the planning to upskill them so they could continue in employment? None of them wanted to go for the unemployment benefit.

    “They wanted to continue in paid work. So it’s those milestones that I make it worthwhile. It’s just a pity, because election cycles are three years, and as you know, people will vote how they want to vote, and if there’s a change, all the hard work you’ve put in gets reversed and but fundamentally, I believe that New Zealand and Pacific people have wonderful values that all of us try to live by, and that will continue to feed the light and ensure that people have a choice.”

    Luamanuvao Dame Winnie Laban PhD and her husband Dr Peter Swain. Image: Trudy Logologo/RNZ Pacific

    Although she first entered Parliament as a list MP, she subsequently won the Mana electorate seat. She retained the seat ,for the Labour party, from 2002 until she stepped away from politics in 2010.

    During that time she was Minister of Pacific Peoples, 2007-2008, and even though Labour was defeated in the 2008 election, she continued to hold the Mana seat by a comfortable margin.

    Mentoring many MPs
    Although she has left political life, Luamanuvao has also been involved in mentoring many Pasifika Members of Parliament, and helping them cope with the challenges and opportunities that go with the role.

    One of the primary motivators in her life has been the struggles of her parents, who left Samoa in 1954 to build a better future for their children, in New Zealand. She acknowledged that all of her successes can be attributed to her parents and the sacrifices they made.

    “Yes, well, I think everybody can look at a genealogy of history of families leaving their homeland to come to Aotearoa, why, to build a better life and opportunities, including education for their children.

    “And I often remind our generation of young people now that your parents left their home, for you. And I’ve often reflected because my parents have passed away on the pain of leaving their parents, but there was always this loving generosity in that both my parents were the eldest of huge families.

    “They left everything for them, and actually arrived in New Zealand with very little. But there was this determination to succeed.

    “Secondly, they are a minority in a country where they’re not the majority, or they are the indigenous people of their country. So also, overcoming those barriers, their hard work, their dreams, but more importantly, the huge love for our communities and fairness and justice was installed in Ken and I my brother, from a very young age, about serving and about giving and about reciprocity.”

    Although she has left her role in tertiary education Luamanuvao vows to continue working to support the next generation of Pasifika leaders, in New Zealand and around the Pacific region.

    Her lifelong commitment to service, continues as she’s a founding member of The Fale Malae Trust, a group whose vision is to build an internationally significant, landmark Fale Malae on the Wellington waterfront.

    This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

    MIL OSI AnalysisEveningReport.nz