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Category: Great Britain

  • Italy on the cusp of first T20 World Cup appearance

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Cricket minnows Italy are on the cusp of sealing their first appearance at the Twenty20 World Cup after stunning Scotland in the European qualifying tournament on Wednesday.

    Their 12-run victory in Voorburg, the Netherlands, kept Italy top of the Europe Regional Final standings and in pole position for the 20-overs showpiece to be held in India and Sri Lanka next year.

    A win over the Dutch, who are second in the standings, in their final match on Friday would seal their place but Italy’s superior net run rate means even a narrow loss could send them through if other results go their way.

    “I am really proud of the boys for this moment,” said captain Joe Burns, who played 23 tests for Australia before switching allegiance to Italy last year.

    “Hopefully this is the stepping stone for a lot to come. It’s a very emotional group at the moment. Being on the verge of a World Cup? It’s very surreal.”

    With the top two in the standings to advance, Scotland can still qualify but need a big win against Jersey on Friday and an Italy victory against the Dutch.

    “A lot of the credit has to go to Italy, who outskilled us with the ball in those conditions,” Scotland captain Richie Berrington said.

    “Obviously today’s a tough one, but it’s important we learn what we can from this game. We will be looking to come back strong.

    “We have to focus on coming back on Friday and looking to win that game then the rest takes care of itself.”

    (Reuters)

  • Lauren James double helps England bounce back at Euros with 4-0 win over Dutch

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    England’s Lauren James scored twice, while Georgia Stanway and Ella Toone also found the net to put the defending women’s European champions back on track at Euro 2025 with an emphatic 4-0 victory over the Netherlands on Wednesday.

    Four days after a lacklustre 2-1 loss to France, aruthless England came out firing on all cylinders in front of a festive crowd that included Britain’s Prince William.

    England and the Netherlands both have three points from their opening two games in Group D, level with France who can go three points clear at the summit if they beat Wales later on Wednesday.

    England play tournament debutants Wales in their final group game on Sunday, when the Netherlands play France.

    James put England on the scoresheet in the 22nd minute when goalkeeper Hannah Hampton picked out Alessia Russo with a stunning long ball. Russo, who had a hat-trick of assists to win the player of the match award, slipped it to James on the edge of the box who worked the ball onto her left foot before unleashing a screamer into the top corner.

    Stanway doubled England’s lead seconds before halftime when the Dutch struggled to clear the ball and the midfielder was there to fizz a first-time shot past wrong-footed goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar.

    An unmarked James, who recently returned after missing almost three months with a hamstring injury, completed her double in the 60th with an easy shot from inside the box.

    James received a standing ovation — and a kiss blown from her proud dad — when coach Sarina Wiegman replaced her with Chloe Kelly midway through the second half.

    “I enjoyed it a lot. The goals say it all,” said James.

    “We bounced back from our previous game and today we showed we’re more than capable of showing the world what we can do.”

    MORE MISERY

    Toone, who had replaced Beth Mead in the starting 11, added more misery for the Dutch in the 67th minute. Russo held up the ball in the penalty area before sending it to a running Toone, who calmly slotted home.

    Wiegman, who coached the Netherlands to the Euro 2017 title, was delighted with her team’s response after the defeat to France, as they thoroughly smothered the Dutch, taking 17 shots to the Netherlands’ four.

    “How we came together, how we played down the pitch and of course I’m very happy with the score because that’s a massive help because goal difference can make the difference,” Wiegman said.

    “Also the days into this game, how we looked at each other’s eyes and said, ‘OK what do we do?’, and execution of the game plan. I think that really helped.”

    The Lionesses also kept Vivianne Miedema, who scored her 100th international goal in the Netherlands’ 3-0 win over Wales in their tournament opener, under wraps.

    “It’s tough, we need to accept it because we don’t deserve anything else today,” Miedema said. “England came out the way we thought they would and we weren’t intense anywhere on the pitch.

    “We need to look at ourselves — we wanted to press high which didn’t work because we couldn’t cover the distances. We know how good England are but I don’t think today really reflected how we are and how good we can be.”

    (Reuters)

  • MIL-Evening Report: Queensland’s horrific lion attack shows wild animals should not be kept for our amusement

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Georgette Leah Burns, Associate Professor, Griffith School of Environment and Science, Griffith University

    Luciano Gonzalez/Anadolu via Getty Images

    Last weekend, a woman was mauled by a lioness at Darling Downs Zoo in Queensland, and lost her arm. The zoo, which keeps nine lions, has been operating for 20 years and had never experienced an incident such as this.

    The victim was a relative of the zoo owner, Steve Robinson, who told the media the lions were not aggressive and the lioness was thought to be “just playing”.

    Although attacks like this are extremely rare, they are obviously of great concern. The incident should prompt a rethink of our approach to wild animals in captivity, and whether it’s morally acceptable – or safe – to keep them there at all.

    Why do zoos exist?

    Zoos, aquariums and other settings where wild animals are kept captive exist for two main reasons: human entertainment and profit-making.

    Surveys show zoo visitors have a preference for large mammals such as elephants, primates and big cats.

    Some animals are more tolerant of captivity conditions and exposure to humans than others. Fish, for example, seem to respond more neutrally to human presence than most other species.

    But a recent study found captive animals generally demonstrate abnormal behaviour more often than non-captive ones.

    For most wild animals, captivity deprives them of the ability to engage in natural behaviour, which harms their welfare. For example, free-living dolphins and whales have long-range migration patterns which require vast ocean spaces. They are also highly social and display complex communication behaviour.

    Some countries have banned keeping dolphins and whales in captivity for entertainment because it causes the animals to suffer sensory deprivation and stress, among other harms.

    Captive dolphins were once common in aquariums and marine parks across Australia. But now only one facility, Sea World in Queensland, still breeds dolphins for entertainment.

    And earlier this year, the last elephants at Perth Zoo were moved to a 12-hectare habitat in South Australia to improve their welfare.

    Another important welfare question is whether the captive animal has “agency” – that is, whether it can make choices as it would in the wild.

    Can it choose, for example, which other animals it has relationships with? Or whether it has privacy? Having control over such decisions enhances the quality of life for the captive animal.

    It’s important to note that some zoos can deliver positive outcomes for animals. Many play an important conservation role, such as running captive breeding programs for endangered species.

    An example is a long-running program across several Australian zoos and other organisations to recover populations of the critically endangered Regent Honeyeater. The program has released more than 400 zoo-bred birds into the wild.

    However, such conservation programs do not necessarily need to involve zoos to succeed.

    Weighing up the risks

    No matter how domesticated they might seem, some wild animals in captivity will always pose a risk to humans. Their behaviour can be unpredictable and, as the recent Queensland example shows, even a “playing” lioness can cause enormous physical harm to people.

    Wild animals are called wild for a reason. To be kept in captivity, most animals require training so they can be safely handled. The Darling Downs Zoo incident shows despite this precaution, things can still go wrong.

    But humans will, understandably, always be fascinated by other animals, and want to see them up close. So what are the alternatives to zoos?

    Open range-zoos, such as the one to which the Perth elephants were moved, can offer a better option for some animals.

    Another option is to recreate the zoo experience using technology. Artificial intelligence, virtual reality and augmented reality can be used to create images of animals that look and seem real.

    In Australia, examples include Brisbane’s Hologram Zoo and a high-tech puppetry experience touring Australia which replicates a real shark dive.

    Overseas, animatronic displays have been created to replace dolphin shows.

    Questions about animals kept in captivity require us to consider how much risk to human safety we accept, and the extent to which we prioritise human amusement over animal welfare. In searching for answers, we can start by asking whether we need zoos at all.

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

    – ref. Queensland’s horrific lion attack shows wild animals should not be kept for our amusement – https://theconversation.com/queenslands-horrific-lion-attack-shows-wild-animals-should-not-be-kept-for-our-amusement-260805

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SPC Jul 10, 2025 0600 UTC Day 1 Convective Outlook

    Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

    SPC AC 100553

    Day 1 Convective Outlook
    NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
    1253 AM CDT Thu Jul 10 2025

    Valid 101200Z – 111200Z

    …THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS LATE THIS
    AFTERNOON INTO TONIGHT ACROSS PARTS OF WESTERN AND CENTRAL
    KANSAS…CENTRAL AND EASTERN NEBRASKA…WESTERN IOWA AND PARTS OF
    SOUTHEASTERN SOUTH DAKOTA…

    …SUMMARY…
    Strong thunderstorms posing a risk for severe hail, damaging wind
    gusts and perhaps a couple of tornadoes are possible late this
    afternoon into tonight across parts of the central Great Plains into
    mid Missouri Valley.

    …Discussion…
    Stronger westerlies will remain confined to the higher latitudes
    through this period, with one significant short wave perturbation
    forecast to accelerate from eastern portions of the Canadian
    Northwest Territories through areas northeast of Hudson Bay,
    accompanied by a deepening surface cyclone. It appears that the
    leading edge of cooler, drier air in the wake of this cyclone will
    advance south of the international border into the northern Rockies
    and through adjacent portions of the northern U.S. Great Plains,
    trailed by another notable mid-level short wave impulse, which
    models indicate will dig near/east of the Canadian through northern
    U.S. Rockies. As this occurs, mid-level troughing within weaker
    flow in lower latitudes is forecast to slowly dig from the northern
    Great Basin toward the central Great Plains, suppressing stronger
    ridging in the subtropical to southern mid-latitudes, initially
    centered over the Southwest.

    This will be preceded by a couple of convectively generated or
    augmented perturbations migrating across the mid Missouri Valley and
    Upper Midwest, a modest mid-level trough slowly turning
    east-northeast of the lower Great Lakes vicinity, and several weak
    perturbations progressing through broad, weak cyclonic flow across
    the Southeast through southern Atlantic Seaboard.

    …Great Plains into Midwest…
    Uncertainties remain concerning potential convective evolution
    through this period. Models suggest that surface boundaries may
    remain relatively diffuse, but residual seasonably moist
    boundary-layer air may become characterized by sizable CAPE with
    daytime heating, beneath steep lower/mid-tropospheric lapse rates,
    including warm elevated mixed layer air.

    There does appear at least a somewhat consistent signal within
    various convection allowing guidance that an MCV associated with
    ongoing convection across parts of the middle Missouri Valley could
    provide a focus for strong thunderstorm development later today
    across parts of the Upper Midwest. Otherwise, in advance of the
    digging upstream troughing, models indicate that a modest belt of
    southwesterly low-level flow (including 20-30+ kt in the 850-700 mb
    layer) will generally persist through the day east of the lee
    surface trough, from the Texas Panhandle/South Plains into the
    middle Missouri Valley. It appears that this will coincide with a
    corridor of stronger heating/deeper boundary-layer mixing across the
    higher plains, where thunderstorm activity initiating during the
    late afternoon may pose a risk for damaging wind gusts.

    Within the more moist low-level environment across eastern Nebraska
    into western Iowa, the wind fields, aided by veering with height,
    might become at least marginally conducive to a couple of
    supercells, in the presence of sizable CAPE, before forcing for
    ascent associated with the approaching mid-level trough tends to
    support upscale growing clusters this evening.

    …Upper Ohio Valley into portions of New England…
    Near the southern periphery of the mid-level troughing shifting east
    or east-northeast of the lower Great Lakes region, models indicate
    that scattered thunderstorm development is probable during peak
    afternoon heating, in the presence of moderate CAPE (1000-2000+
    J/kg) and shear enhanced at least somewhat by a belt of 20-30 kt
    westerly mid-level flow. This environment may become conducive to
    small hail and potentially damaging wind gusts, before activity
    weakens this evening.

    …Southeast/Southern Atlantic Seaboard…
    Aided by forcing for ascent associated with the mid-level
    perturbations, in the presence of weak mid-level inhibition, one or
    two upscale growing clusters of storms may overspread the southern
    Atlantic Piedmont and coastal plain late this afternoon and evening.
    Forecast soundings indicate that a seasonably moist environment may
    become characterized by moderate CAPE, with perhaps a sufficient
    degree of sub-saturation to allow for evaporative cooling in
    downdrafts to contribute to modest surface cold pool development.
    In the presence of weak deep-layer southwesterly mean flow on the
    order of 10-15 kt, the potential for development of sufficiently
    strong rear inflow to support surface gusts in excess of 50 kt
    appears low, but even with peak gusts generally on the order of
    35-50 kt, sporadic damage will still be possible.

    ..Kerr/Weinman.. 07/10/2025

    CLICK TO GET WUUS01 PTSDY1 PRODUCT

    NOTE: THE NEXT DAY 1 OUTLOOK IS SCHEDULED BY 1300Z

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Does Australia really take too long to approve medicines, as the US says?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nial Wheate, Professor, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University

    Australia’s drug approval system is under fire, with critics in the United States claiming it is too slow to approve life-saving medicines.

    Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration balances speed with a rigorous assessment of safety, efficacy and cost-effectiveness.

    So does Australia really lag behind the US Food and Drug Administration? And do we need to change how we approve medicines?

    The drug development pipeline

    Drug development usually begins when something new is discovered about a disease. This usually involves identifying either a change in an important protein or finding a new protein involved in the disease.

    When scientists know the shape of the protein, they can design a drug that can block or activate it.

    Scientists will then undertake laboratory, petri dish-type, experiments to see if the drug works on the protein in the way they designed. If it passes those tests, they will then move onto animal testing and formulation.

    Formulation is the step where scientists decide what form the medicine will take, such as a tablet, injection or patch. There are more than 150 different pharmaceutical dosage forms to choose from.

    The final steps are human testing. This requires the completion of three types of clinical trials. Each seeks to answer different specific questions about the drug:

    • Phase I trials: is the drug safe? What are its side effects?
    • Phase II trials: does the drug work?
    • Phase III trials: is the drug better than currently available medicines?

    At the end of the trials, a company can apply to the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) for approval to market and sell the drug.

    Getting a drug to market is time-consuming and costly. It takes around 15 years from the initial concept and design to government approval and costs more than A$3.5 billion.

    But the failure rate is high: more than 90% of drugs that undergo development never gain government approval.

    How are drugs approved in Australia?

    The decision to approve new medicines for sale in Australia is made based on safety and efficacy evidence provided by the sponsoring company.

    Once approved, the drug is added to the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods.

    Listing a medicine on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) is a separate process from approval, and is based on financial considerations and a cost-benefit analysis, rather than safety and efficacy.

    The TGA typically takes 240 to 260 working days (around a full calendar year) from receiving a new medicine application to an approval decision. This is longer than it takes the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) – 180 to 300 days.

    Where there is a pressing need, the approval process can be faster. The first COVID treatment was approved in Australia just two weeks after it was submitted for consideration.

    Then why do Americans often get medicines first?

    There can be several reasons why a drug approval can be delayed in Australia when it has already been approved overseas.

    First, with a population of 27 million out of 8 billion world-wide, Australia is a relatively small market. So it is not always a high priority for companies to apply for approval here. Regions with large populations such as China, India and Europe are a bigger focus for companies. This can therefore delay when they submit to Australia.

    Other reasons for delays can be that the TGA requires additional safety or efficacy evidence other regions did not request, or because new information about the drug has come to light since the drug was approved overseas.

    What about delays getting drugs onto the PBS?

    When a drug is listed on the PBS, Australians can access the medicine for $31.60 (or $7.70 concession) instead of the cost of a private prescription which might be hundreds or even thousands of dollars.

    The time it takes for medicines to be approved on the PBS has also been a focus of criticism.

    The Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC), which makes PBS listing recommendations to the Federal Minister of Health, only sits three to six times per year.

    US Chamber of Commerce vice president John Murphy claims the PBAC takes, on average, 32 months to make a recommendation about listing a drug after an application has been submitted.

    Once a recommendation is made, the minister usually takes a minimum of five months to make a final decision.



    Read more:
    Australia’s PBS means consumers pay less for expensive medicines. Here’s how this system works

    To speed up the process, the TGA does allow parallel applications for drug approval and PBS listing.

    The time taken to make a PBS listing decision is reasonable, given the scheme’s overall cost. In 2023–24, the total cost of the PBS to the government was $17.7 billion. So a decision to list can’t be made lightly.

    So should Australia change how it approves medicines?

    Criticising the time it takes to get regulatory approvals appears to be part of a wider plan of attack by the US government. It is putting pressure on Australia to open its market to higher prices for medicines made by US pharmaceutical companies.

    Australia has a world-class regulatory agency in the TGA which ensures medicines that are approved are both safe and effective. And the PBS scheme is a key part of our public health care system and the envy of the world.

    The Australian government should resist any changes to the regulatory approval processes that come from the US.

    Nial Wheate in the past has received funding from the ACT Cancer Council, Tenovus Scotland, Medical Research Scotland, Scottish Crucible, and the Scottish Universities Life Sciences Alliance. He is a fellow of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute. Nial is the chief scientific officer of Vaihea Skincare LLC, a director of SetDose Pty Ltd (a medical device company) and was previously a Standards Australia panel member for sunscreen agents. He is a member of the Haleon Australia Pty Ltd Pain Advisory Board. Nial regularly consults to industry on issues to do with medicine risk assessments, manufacturing, design and testing.

    – ref. Does Australia really take too long to approve medicines, as the US says? – https://theconversation.com/does-australia-really-take-too-long-to-approve-medicines-as-the-us-says-260910

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • Pant flays ‘irritating’ Dukes ball in England test series

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    India vice captain Rishabh Pant said the Dukes balls being used in the current test series against England are losing their shape very quickly and cannot be good for the game.

    India captain Shubman Gill was the first to criticise the balls after his team levelled the five-match series with a comprehensive victory in the second test at Edgbaston.

    “I feel it’s a big problem because the ball is getting out of shape,” Pant told reporters on the eve of the third test at Lord’s beginning on Thursday.

    “When you see the ball, you can see it’s de-shaped but the rules are such … it’s not up to the players.”

    India, despite having rested pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, took 20 wickets at Edgbaston where they racked up 587 in the first innings and declared their second on 427-6.

    Pant could not recall another series where the ball lost its shape so quickly.

    “It’s definitely irritating for the players because every ball plays differently,” said the 27-year-old.

    “When it becomes softer it’s not doing much but as soon as they change the ball it starts to do enough.

    “As a batsman, you keep adjusting to it but at the same time, I feel it’s not good for cricket eventually.”

    India will take a late decision on whether to play left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav at Lord’s but Bumrah’s return is a major boost for the tourists.

    Asked for his view on what made Bumrah, arguably the best all-format bowler of his generation, so special, Pant said, “I think everything – how accurate he is and the way his mind works. He’s just amazing.”

    While batting against Bumrah is a tricky task, keeping to him is not a cakewalk either, Pant said.

    “I think it’s more difficult for the wicketkeeper behind the wicket than for a batsman, especially in England,” Pant said referring to the late movement that Bumrah regularly generates.

    (Reuters)

  • Djokovic sets up Sinner showdown, Swiatek reaches first Wimbledon semi-final

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Novak Djokovic’s pursuit of yet more career milestones continued unabated as he reached a record 14th Wimbledon semi-final and a showdown with world number one Jannik Sinner on Wednesday.

    The 38-year-old Serb recovered from a set down to beat Flavio Cobolli 6-7(6) 6-2 7-5 6-4 and is now only two victories away from an unprecedented 25th Grand Slam title.

    Blocking his path next is a rather more formidable Italian in the form of Sinner who eased any worries about an elbow injury to beat American powerhouse Ben Shelton 7-6(2) 6-4 6-4.

    In the women’s quarter-finals, Poland’s claycourt specialist Iga Swiatek broke new ground by reaching her first Wimbledon semi-final, beating Liudmila Samsonova 6-2 7-5.

    The eighth seed will face Switzerland’s unseeded Belinda Bencic who edged out Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva 7-6(3) 7-6(2) to also reach her first semi-final at the grasscourt slam.

    By reaching a record-extending 52nd Grand Slam semi, Djokovic also kept alive his hopes of equalling Roger Federer’s men’s record eight Wimbledon singles titles.

    It remains a tall order even for a player widely regarded as the greatest of all time, especially with top seed Sinner and Spain’s holder Carlos Alcaraz, the two new powers in men’s tennis, most people’s bet to contest the final on July 13.

    But no one should be writing off Djokovic who has won 44 of his last 46 matches at the All England Club and seems to know every single blade of grass on the historic Centre Court.

    “It means the world to me that at 38 I am able to play in the final stages of Wimbledon,” Djokovic, who suffered a nasty slip on match point but appeared unscathed, said.

    “Competing with youngsters makes me feel young, like Cobolli today. I enjoy running and sliding around the court. Speaking of the young guys, I will have Sinner in the next round so I look forward to that. That is going to be a great match-up.”

    SINNER INJURY

    Sinner may well have been back home in Italy had Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov not damaged his right pectoral muscle and retired with a two-set lead in the fourth round on Monday.

    The three-times Grand Slam champion also sustained an elbow injury early on in that match and there was some doubt about his physical state ahead of his clash with 10th seed Shelton.

    But he produced a clinical performance, reeling off seven successive points to win the first-set tiebreak and then pouncing in the 10th game of the next two sets to match his run to the semi-final two years ago when he lost to Djokovic.

    Sinner, bidding to become the first Italian to win a Wimbledon singles title, wore a protective sleeve on his right arm but was rock solid against the big-serving Shelton.

    “I had quite good feelings in the warm-up today,” Sinner, who dropped only six points on his first serve, said.

    “I put into my mind that I’m going to play today. So the concerns were not that big if I would play or not.

    “It was just a matter of what my percentage is. Today was very high, so I’m happy.”

    Swiatek appears to have finally overcome her grass court demons and the four-times French Open champion could not hide her delight at reaching the semi-final at the sixth attempt.

    “Honestly, it feels great. I have goosebumps after this win. I am super happy and super proud of myself and I will keep going. I worked really hard to progress here on this surface.”

    Former Olympic champion Bencic became the first Swiss woman to reach the semis since Martina Hingis in 1998 after stunning 18-year-old seventh seed Andreeva on Centre Court.

    “It’s crazy, it’s unbelievable. It’s a dream come true,” the 28-year-old mother said. “I’m just speechless.”

    Bencic will face Swiatek on Thursday after top seed Aryna Sabalenka takes on 13th-seeded American Amanda Anisimova.

    The first silverware of this year’s tournament will also be decided on Thursday when Dutchman Sem Verbeek and Czech Katerina Siniakova face Britain’s Joe Salisbury and Brazil’s Luisa Stefani in the mixed doubles final on Centre Court.

    (Reuters)

  • Dominant France thrash Wales 4-1 at Euro 2025 to go top of group

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    France produced a dominant display to thrash Wales 4-1 and go top of Group D at Euro 2025 on Wednesday, outclassing their opponents who scored their first goal at a major championship.

    After England beat the Netherlands 4-0 earlier in the day, France went top of the group on six points, followed by the English and the Dutch on three points each.

    Wales, who face England in their final group game on Sunday, have yet to register a point but still have a mathematical chance of going through to the knockouts. France face the Netherlands in their last group game.

    Clara Mateo was at the centre of much of France’s attacking play and lashed them into an early lead, controlling a flick-on from a corner on her chest and firing a volley into the net in the eighth minute.

    The moment thousands of Wales fans had been waiting for came five minutes later when Ceri Holland broke down the left and though her first attempt to find Jess Fishlock was blocked, she managed to steer the ball to the 38-year-old, who poked home Wales’ maiden goal at the women’s European Championship finals.

    That was as good as it got for Wales, who looked set to go into the break level only for Holland to chop down Mateo in the box and Kadidiatou Diani’s spot kick crept over the line after striking the foot of keeper Safia Middleton-Patel.

    Middleton-Patel was at fault just after the break as she lost control of the ball in the box, allowing Mateo to tee up Amel Majri, who thumped it into the net.

    After that the Welsh wilted as the French dominated, with Grace Geyoro scoring their fourth in the 63rd minute, steering home a ball from the right following an extended period of possession to crown a convincing win.

    “We’ve got six points after two matches and that’s what we need to remember. It won’t be an easy (next) game because the Netherlands will have no choice but to attack and score goals,” France coach Laurent Bonadei said.

    Mateo was impressed with how her side bounced back from Fishlock’s equalising goal and how they went on to dominate.

    “We had a bit of a scare at the start of the game but we had confidence in ourselves. It was a great evening, there are different strikers and that’s important for everyone’s confidence,” she said.

    (Reuters)

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Death at O’Sullivan Beach

    Source: New South Wales – News

    Police are investigating after a body was located at O’Sullivan Beach this morning.

    Just before 10.30am on Thursday 10 July, police and paramedics were called to the O’Sullivan Beach boat ramp after a person was seen floating in the water.

    The 29-year-old Christie Downs man was brought to shore but sadly could not be revived.

    The death is not being treated as suspicious, and police are preparing a report for the Coroner.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Skorts revolutionised how women and girls play sport. But in 2025, are they regressive?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jennifer E. Cheng, Researcher and Lecturer in Sociology, Western Sydney University

    If you watched any of the 2025 Wimbledon womens’ matches, you’ll have noticed many players donning a skort: a garment in which shorts are concealed under a skirt, or a front panel resembling a skirt.

    You may even remember skorts from your schooling days, as they’re commonly offered in girls’ uniforms throughout Australia.

    The skort (a portmanteau of skirt and shorts) has played a truly unique role in the history of women’s clothing. They were once a progressive item of clothing, as they afforded women the opportunity to partake in activities that would have been difficult in a skirt or dress.

    Their role in contemporary society, however, is a bit more complicated.

    Rebellious beginnings

    The first garments resembling skorts were developed in the 1890s so women could ride bicycles without their skirt getting caught in the chains. While the puffy “bloomers” had already been invented a few decades earlier, women who wore them often faced ridicule.

    Skorts were considered revolutionary at a time when men both figuratively and literally wore the pants.

    Back then, they were usually a pair of loose pants under a front panel resembling a skirt. The aim was to retain the wearer’s femininity, and not offend those who thought pants were a purely masculine article of clothing.

    A drawing from an 1896 patent of a ‘cycling skirt’.

    The skort as we know it today, and as is seen across the sporting world, was popularised in the 1960s by American fashion designer Leon Levin.

    This skirt was said to offer “the freedom of shorts and soft lines of a skirt”. The underlying message: even as women participate in traditionally “masculine” activities, they should be careful not to look too masculine.

    Sport management academic M. Katie Flanagan argues women may be convinced that exercising in a skort achieves an acceptable gender performance. In other words, they are socialised to think they have to “perform” their gender by wearing the “correct” clothing.

    Skorts in sport and school

    In the sporting world, skorts are deliberately designed to be trendy and attractive, rather than purely functional.

    One study on women golfers found they were more satisfied with their uniforms if they were happy with both the comfort and attractiveness, indicating women’s sportswear isn’t just about fit and practicality.

    Skorts have historically also had class associations. As recently as ten years ago, sport skorts were an expensive item reserved for those from the middle and upper classes. Women from lower economic classes also tended to not have the time and/or resources to engage in the activities skorts were designed for, namely tennis and golf.

    More recently, however, discount stores have made skorts accessible to those on a budget.

    School skorts, a topic of my ongoing research, are particularly affordable at discount stores. A generic discount store skort may cost about A$10, compared to A$20–40 for one purchased directly from a school.

    Some schools offer skorts to girls as the equivalent of sports shorts or as part of the everyday uniform. Other schools seem to prefer culottes as an alternative to a dress or skirt – shorts that are loose enough to resemble a skirt.

    Many schools still don’t offer shorts to girls as part of the everyday uniform. Whether or not girls are allowed to wear the “boys’” shorts comes down to the individual school.

    From rebellion to restriction

    One 2019 review of school uniform policies in South Australia found 98.6% of public schools included shorts as a uniform option for girls, compared to just 26.4% of private schools.

    Researchers Sarah Cohen-Woods and Rachel Laattoe found girls in private schools were often restricted in their choices, having to choose between skorts and culottes as an alternative to a skirt or dress.

    Across Australia, all state and territory education policies – most of which came into effect between 2017 and 2019 – mandate public schools must offer girls the option of wearing shorts and pants.

    However, the wordings of these policies differ widely. While New South Wales, Victoria and Norther Territory specifically mention shorts and pants must be offered to girls, Queensland, Western Australia and Tasmania specify schools must offer unisex or gender neutral items to all students.

    South Australia’s and Australian Capital Territory’s policies further state uniform items should be categorised by type of clothing, or in non-gender specific terms.

    However, in some states, including New South Wales, schools are free to interpret the policy as they wish, which is why some only offer culottes or skorts to girls. There is generally no oversight or enforcement of policies to force schools to offer actual shorts to girls.

    A similar debate is happening in women’s sports. Ireland’s Camogie Association only ended the compulsory skorts policy in May, after years of complaints by players. Dublin captain Aisling Maher said she was “sick of being forced to wear a skort that is uncomfortable and unfit for purpose”.

    “In no other facet of my life does someone dictate that I have to wear something resembling a skirt because I am a girl. Why is it happening in my sport?” Maher said.

    A camogie team pictured in Waterford, Ireland, 1915. The Irish stick-and-ball team sport is played by women.
    Wikimedia

    A garment for the male gaze

    In recent years, many stores have advertised skorts for fashion. Target, for instance, currently sells a tailored skort described as a “must have for any trendsetter looking to stand out in a crowd”.

    There are conflicting arguments about whether skorts are progressive or regressive. On one hand, they allow women and girls to move freely during physical activities, without having to worry about their underwear being visible.

    On the other, they set a precedent in regards to how women and girls ought to perform their gender, by avoiding looking too “masculine” – which makes them somewhat misogynistic.

    The skort is an object of dual meanings: at once a skirt and a pair of shorts – at once progressive and regressive.

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

    – ref. Skorts revolutionised how women and girls play sport. But in 2025, are they regressive? – https://theconversation.com/skorts-revolutionised-how-women-and-girls-play-sport-but-in-2025-are-they-regressive-260420

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Australian clean energy innovators showcase solutions in India

    Source: Australian Attorney General’s Agencies

    The latest of the Albanese Labor Government’s new trade and investment missions took place in India this week building on the government’s commitment to create jobs and drive growth through stronger international partnerships.

    This mission, one of five announced by the Prime Minister in April, will be attended by 30 delegates from across 22 innovative Australian companies, showcasing Australia’s cutting-edge clean energy solutions.

    Led by the Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade) in partnership with the New South Wales and Victorian Governments, and supported by Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia, the mission will deepen our energy cooperation with one of our most important trade and investment partners.

    Australia is a world leader in clean energy innovation, and businesses are well placed to partner with India as it transitions to a low-emissions future. India has set a commendable target to install 500 GW of non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030, and Australian companies can play a key role in supporting that growth while opening up significant export opportunities.

    Trade missions such as these are a critical part of the Government’s strategy to diversify and strengthen Australia’s trade and investment relationships. They showcase the best of Australian innovation to the world and deliver concrete commercial outcomes for our exporters.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Payback time as Pedro goals cover part of transfer fee

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

    Very few new signings have made an instant sporting and economic impact in the same way that striker Joao Pedro did for Chelsea, as his goals took his new side to the FIFA Club World Cup final in a 2-0 victory over Fluminense on Tuesday.

    Joao Pedro of Chelsea reacts after scoring his first goal during the semifinal match between Fluminense FC (Brazil) and Chelsea FC (England) at the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 at the MetLife Stadium, New Jersey, the United States, July 8, 2025. (Xinhua/Li Ming)

    Pedro only signed from Brighton & Hove Albion a week ago, flying straight to the United States from Brazil to join up with his new side, as he was allowed to play in the Club World Cup – unlike Jamie Gittens, who has also joined Chelsea but is unable to play in the tournament as he has already represented Borussia Dortmund.

    It took Pedro just 18 minutes to open the scoring with a stunning curling shot into the corner of the Fluminense net.

    He sealed the win 11 minutes into the second half after latching onto Enzo Fernandez’s through ball and scoring with a shot that bounced off the crossbar and into the net.

    The fact Pedro scored goals after so little time adapting to his new teammates could be a sign that Chelsea’s long search for a center-forward is finally over.

    In just one game, Pedro has already paid back a big chunk of his transfer fee. Chelsea paid Brighton 55 million pounds (75 million U.S. dollars) for his services, and by taking Chelsea to the final against either Paris Saint-Germain or Real Madrid, he has already earned the club a further 21 million pounds in prize money – over a third of his fee.

    If Chelsea wins the final and Pedro scores again, he will have already paid for himself.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: City calls for groups to be part of 2025 Seniors Festival

    Source: New South Wales Ministerial News

    The City of Greater Bendigo wants to hear from local community groups and organisations interested in holding a free or low-cost event or activity as part of this year’s Greater Bendigo Seniors Festival set to take place from October 5 to October 12, 2025.

    This year’s festival will celebrate with the theme Connect Create Celebrate!

    City of Greater Bendigo Acting Director Healthy Communities and Environments Andie West said the City is calling on local community groups and organisations to hold an event or activity during this year’s festival, to showcase their group, provide entertainment, activities and a chance for older adults to connect with others.

    “We are looking for groups to hold activities and events that older people will enjoy such as, craft and gardening activities, tours, morning teas, entertainment, information sessions, learning opportunities, come and try days or exercise programs and events that promote positive ageing,” Ms West said.

    “The annual Seniors Festival recognises and celebrates the valuable contribution of older adults to our community and encourages them to discover new activities and interests in our community.

    “It’s a great way for groups and organisations to connect with older adults who make up a large part of our population.

    “If you think your group or organisation can host a great event for older adults in the spirit of the festival then we want to hear from you.

    “We have limited space in the printed program but would love to include as many events as possible that meet the broad needs of the community.

    “Community events and activities registered by Wednesday August 6, 2025, where possible, will be listed and promoted in the printed and online festival program.

    “Groups and organisations are also encouraged to promote events through their own networks and on the Connect Greater Bendigo events calendar.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Outdoor, under lights fitness sessions on offer!

    Source: New South Wales Ministerial News

    The City of Greater Bendigo has partnered with Peter Krenz Centre to deliver a series of low-cost outdoor fitness sessions for people of all fitness levels to shake off the chill and fire up their fitness under lights!

    The Lights On sessions offer community members four exciting six-week programs which will take place at both Ewing Park and Lake Neangar on Tuesday and Thursday evenings between July 21 and August 31.

    The programs aim to give residents, in particular women and gender diverse community members, more opportunities to be physically active in the evening through the darkest part of the year.

    The sessions will be guided by qualified fitness instructors and the program options include:

    • Outdoor Equipment Circuit (cardio focus) – 5.30pm Tuesdays, Ewing Park
    • Beginners Running Program – 6.30pm Tuesdays, Ewing Park
    • Outdoor Equipment Circuit – 5.30pm Thursdays, Lake Neangar
    • Outdoor Equipment Circuit – 6.30pm Thursdays, Lake Neangar

    Each six-week program costs $30 (or $5 per session) and includes six 45-minute sessions of either an outdoor equipment circuit, combining outdoor fitness equipment and bodyweight exercises, or a beginner’s running program.

    Community members can choose one program and enjoy 6 weeks of community, health, and fun! 16 – 17-year-olds are welcome to register and participate, provided they have parental permission.

    To sign up to the program or for more information, visit:

    MIL OSI News –

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

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Barrier to social housing now lifted for vulnerable people

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary, Angela Rayner said:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Further information

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

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

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

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

    Updates to this page

    Published 10 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

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

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Charity Commission Chief Executive, David Holdsworth, said: 

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

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

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

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

    ENDS 

    Notes to editors  

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Updates to this page

    Published 10 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Earth’s ‘oldest’ impact crater is much younger than previously thought – new study

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Aaron J. Cavosie, Senior Lecturer, School of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Curtin University

    Outcrops of shocked rocks from the Miralga impact structure. Aaron Cavosie

    Ever been late because you misread a clock? Sometimes, the “clocks” geologists use to date events can also be misread. Unravelling Earth’s 4.5-billion-year history with rocks is tricky business.

    Case in point: the discovery of an ancient meteorite impact crater was recently reported in the remote Pilbara region of Western Australia. The original study, by a different group, made headlines with the claim the crater formed 3.5 billion years ago. If true, it would be Earth’s oldest by far.

    As it turns out, we’d also been investigating the same site. Our results are published in Science Advances today. While we agree that this is the site of an ancient meteorite impact, we have reached different conclusions about its age, size and significance.

    Let’s consider the claims made about this fascinating crater.

    One impact crater, two versions of events

    Planetary scientists search for ancient impacts to learn about Earth’s early formation. So far, nobody has found an impact crater older than the 2.23-billion-year-old Yarrabubba structure, also in Australia. (Some of the authors from both 2025 Pilbara studies were coauthors on the 2020 Yarrabubba study.)

    The new contender is located in an area called North Pole Dome. Despite the name, this isn’t where Santa lives. It’s an arid, hot, ochre-stained landscape.

    The sun sets on the arid landscape of North Pole Dome in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.
    Alec Brenner

    The first report on the new crater claimed it formed 3.5 billion years ago, and was more than 100 kilometres in diameter. It was proposed that such a large impact might have played a role in forming continental crust in the Pilbara. More speculatively, the researchers also suggested it may have influenced early life.

    Our study concludes the impact actually happened much later, sometime after 2.7 billion years ago. This is at least 800 million years younger than the earlier estimate (and we think it’s probably even younger; more on that in a moment).

    We also determined the crater was much smaller – about 16km in diameter. In our view, this impact was too young and too small to have influenced continent formation or early life.

    So how could two studies arrive at such different findings?

    Subtle clues of an impact

    The originally circular crater is deeply eroded, leaving only subtle clues on the landscape. However, among the rust-coloured basalts are unique telltale signs of meteorite impact: shatter cones.

    Outcrop photo of shatter cones in basalt at the Miralga impact structure. The black pen cap is 5cm long.
    Alec Brenner

    Shatter cones are distinctive fossilised imprints of shock waves that have passed through rocks. Their unique conical shapes form under brief but immense pressure where a meteorite strikes Earth.

    Both studies found shatter cones, and agree the site is an ancient impact.

    This new crater also needed a name. We consulted the local Aboriginal people, the Nyamal, who shared the traditional name for this place and its people: Miralga. The “Miralga impact structure” name recognises this heritage.

    Determining the timing of the impact

    The impact age was estimated by field observations, as neither study found material likely to yield an impact age by radiometric dating – a method that uses measurements of radioactive isotopes.

    Both studies applied a geological principle called the law of superposition. This states that rock layers get deposited one on top of another over time, so rocks on top are younger than those below.

    Example of the law of superposition, known as Hutton’s unconformity, at Siccar Point Scotland. The gently dipping layered rocks at the top left were deposited onto – and are therefore younger than – the nearly vertical layered rocks at the bottom right.
    Anne Burgess/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

    The first group found shatter cones within and below a sedimentary layer known to have been deposited 3.47 billion years ago, but no shatter cones in younger rocks above this layer. This meant the impact occurred during deposition of the sedimentary layer.

    Their observation seemed to be a “smoking gun” for an impact 3.47 billion years ago.

    As it turns out, there was more to the story.

    Our investigation found shatter cones in the same 3.47 billion-year-old rocks, but also in younger overlying rocks, including lavas known to have erupted 2.77 billion years ago.

    Outcrop of shatter cones in 2.77-billion-year-old basalt at the Miralga impact structure. These lavas are the youngest rocks in the area we found to have shatter cones. They have distinctive holes (vesicles) representing trapped gas bubbles. The pen is 15cm long.
    Aaron Cavosie

    The impact had to occur after the formation of the youngest rocks that contained shatter cones, meaning sometime after the 2.77-billion-year-old lavas.

    At the moment, we don’t know precisely how young the crater is. We can only constrain the impact to have occurred between 2.7 billion and 400 million years ago. We’re working on dating the impact by isotopic methods, but these results aren’t yet in.

    Smaller than originally thought

    We made the first map showing where shatter cones are found. There are many hundreds over an area 6km across. From this map and their orientations, we calculate the original crater was about 16km in diameter.

    A 16km crater is a far cry from the original estimate of more than 100km. It’s too small to have influenced the formation of continents or life. By the time of the impact, the Pilbara was already quite old.

    Artist’s depiction looking northwest across the Pilbara, over the 16km-wide Miralga crater. The crater is shown 3km above the modern land surface to account for the deep erosion that has since erased it. The crater size is based on the distribution of shatter cones (inset). The cones point up and back towards the original ‘ground zero’ of the impact. Maps produced using Google Earth Studio.
    Alec Brenner

    A new connection to Mars

    Science is a self-policing sport. Claims of discovery are based on data available at the time, but they often require modification based on new data or observations.

    While it’s not the world’s oldest, the Miralga impact is scientifically unique, as craters formed in basalt are rare. Most basalts there formed 3.47 billion years ago, making them the oldest shocked target rocks known.

    Prior to impact, these ancient basalts had been chemically altered by seawater. Sedimentary rocks nearby also contain the earliest well-established fossils on Earth. Such rocks likely covered much of early Earth and Mars.

    This makes the Miralga impact structure a playground for planetary scientists studying the cratered surface (and maybe early life) of Mars. It’s an easily accessible proving ground for Mars exploration instruments and imagery, right here on Earth.

    Aaron J. Cavosie receives or has received funding from the Australian Research Council, the US National Science Foundation, and NASA.

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

    – ref. Earth’s ‘oldest’ impact crater is much younger than previously thought – new study – https://theconversation.com/earths-oldest-impact-crater-is-much-younger-than-previously-thought-new-study-259803

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Salem Man Sentenced to More Than Three Years in Prison for Drug Conspiracy and Possession Charges

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BOSTON – A Salem, Mass. man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for his participation in a North Shore-based drug trafficking organization (DTO) that distributed tens of thousands of counterfeit prescription pills containing fentanyl and methamphetamine and laundered the proceeds.  

    Gino Castillo, 35, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to 37 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. In April 2025, Castillo pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine.

    Castillo was among 27 individuals charged, beginning in October 2022, in connection with a wide-ranging conspiracy to traffic counterfeit prescription pills. Castillo was charged, by indictment, on April 24, 2024. All 27 individuals have pleaded guilty; 22 have been sentenced.

    The DTO distributed counterfeit pills containing fentanyl and methamphetamine, among other drugs, to individuals in the Lynn area. In May 2022, Castillo bought 500 pills containing fentanyl from members of the DTO for redistribution to others. In October 2022, Castillo was observed assisting a DTO leader, Lawrence Michael Nagle Jr., with moving into an apartment on Phillips Street in Salem where drugs would be stored. During a search at the Salem location on Oct. 25, 2022 counterfeit pills were located in a safe in the bedroom and  hidden in the tank of a toilet.  

    Lawrence Michael Nagle, Jr. pleaded guilty in April 2025 and is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 5, 2025.

    United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Division; and Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Beverly, Everett, Peabody, Revere, Salem, Saugus and Swampscott Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys K. Nathaniel Yeager, Samuel R. Feldman, John O. Wray and Alexandra Amrhein of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
            
    This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Professor Sir Cato T. Laurencin of UConn Honored by the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    The 2025 President’s Circle Reception was part of the annual meeting and hosted by AIMBE President, Lola Eniola-Adefeso, Ph.D. The event brought together AIMBE Fellows and supporters to recognize those who have gone above and beyond in advancing AIMBE’s mission of advocacy for medical and biological engineering.

    Each year, a leader from AIMBE, or the broader medical and biological engineering community, is invited to serve as the designated honored guest. Dr. Cato T. Laurencin of UConn was invited because of his exceptional leadership in biomedical engineering, and his pioneering work in regenerative engineering. His presence highlighted the importance of continued advocacy and engagement at the highest levels of science and policy.

    AIMBE is the authoritative voice and advocate for the value of medical and biological engineering to society.

    Laurencin is the University Professor at UConn and the Albert and Wilda Van Dusen Distinguished Endowed Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at UConn School of Medicine, professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, professor of Materials Science and Engineering, and professor of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Connecticut. He is the CEO of The Cato T. Laurencin Institute for Regenerative Engineering, a cross-university institute created and named in his honor at UConn.

    Laurencin is a fellow of AIMBE and previously served on its board of directors. He served as chair of the College of Fellows for AIMBE. He received the Pierre Galletti Award, the highest honor of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering. More recently, Laurencin received the Professional Impact Award for Leadership from AIMBE recognizing his work as the founder of the field of Regenerative Engineering.

    In 2025, he has received the Paul Terasaki Innovation Award from the Paul Terasaki Foundation,  and the Bioactive Materials Lifetime Achievement Award. He will receive the Dickson Prize in Medicine this year. Many of the Dickson Prize awardees have gone on to receive the Nobel Prize.

    Laurencin was bestowed Knight Commander of the Order of St. Lucia, under the auspices of King Charles III of England by the Governor General of Saint Lucia. He is recognized as the leading international figure in polymeric biomaterials chemistry and engineering who has made extraordinary scientific contributions and with profound contributions to improving human health.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Changes to services at Dornoch Service Point

    Source: Scotland – Highland Council

    Users and customers of Dornoch Service Point are being advised by The Highland Council that the way in which services are being delivered at the Service Point is changing. 

    From Monday 4 August, customers will be able to: 

    • access pay, report and request services through a dedicated direct phone line in the library to a service specialist team. 
    • arrange appointments on request for registration (births, deaths, marriages) or general council services. 
    • buy Citylink bus tickets from library staff. 
    • receive advice and signposting from library staff. 

    Since 2019, there has been a fall in customers using the service point in Dornoch by over 50% and the service therefore needs to be delivered in a different way. 

    On average, there are now only 17 pay, report or request transactions per week.  90% of all births and deaths are now done by choice over the telephone rather than in the office. 

    The changes will take place from Monday 4 August when new ways of working will begin. This means that services will be available during library opening times. 

    The freephone facility to access Pay, Report and Request transactions will be available during office opening hours (Monday to Friday 9-5).  

    Services will be delivered in partnership with High Life Highland. 

    Service Point users will still be able to purchase CityLink bus Tickets from High Life Highland. 

    In person appointments can be requested via the Council’s Golspie office where a member of staff will attend in Dornoch for a pre-agreed appointment. 

    To register a birth or death, appointments will be made as they currently are via the Council’s registration offices.  People will continue to have a choice whether they wish to do this in person or over the telephone. 

    Phone: 01862 810594 or 01408 635218 

    Email: sutherland.registrars@highland.gov.uk 

    For any other queries please contact: sutherland.servicepoint@highland.gov.uk 

    9 Jul 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Convicted criminal Trump should not be welcomed in Scotland

    Source: Scottish Greens

    09 Jul 2025 External Affairs

    Scotland must make it clear – Trump is not welcome here.

    More in External Affairs

    The President of the United States and convicted criminal Donald Trump is set to visit Scotland later this month, according to latest reports.

    The US President was found guilty of 34 felonies in 2023 relating to falsified business records, after he paid $130,000 in hush money to cover up an affair with an American porn star. Trump also has dozens of sexual assault allegations against him dating back to the 1970’s.

    The Scottish Greens have long called for an investigation into Donald Trump’s finances in Scotland through an Unexplained Wealth Order (UWO).

    A UWO is a power held by the Scottish Government to investigate the finances of politically active individuals who have gained wealth through suspicious means. Given Donald Trump’s Menie Estate golf course, which he is set to visit this month, was cited in one of his felony charges, it’s now clearer than ever that a UWO must be used.

    Scottish Greens Co-Leader Patrick Harvie MSP said:

    “There is no way that Donald Trump should be welcomed to Scotland. He is a convicted felon and political extremist who has shown a complete lack of respect for human rights and democracy in America and around the world.

    “His Vice President has attacked the democratic system of Scotland when he lied about a bill my colleague Gillian Mackay passed and his former billionaire bestie Elon Musk has spread misinformation about our country online, as well as other far right conspiracy theories.

    “At home, Donald Trump has sent troops onto the streets to threaten his own citizens, he is constructing a concentration camp in Florida and he has underfunded crucial services which have already cost the lives of working-class people.

    “Not to mention his contempt for international law by welcoming Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netenyahu to Washington D.C. – a man who has an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court for war crimes – and celebrating the collective punishment of innocent civilians in Gaza and the West Bank.

    “I am urging the SNP Government to make it clear that Trump is not welcome in Scotland. Because I am sure that on the streets of Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and anywhere else he may go, the people of Scotland will make it clear that Donald Trump is not welcome here.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: President of Human Rights Council appoints Max du Plessis of South Africa as member of Iran fact-finding mission

    Source: APO


    .

    The President of the Human Rights Council, Ambassador Jürg Lauber (Switzerland), has announced the appointment of Mr. Max du Plessis of South Africa to serve as an independent member of the Fact-Finding Mission on the Islamic Republic of Iran. Mr. du Plessis replaces Ms. Shaheen Sardar Ali of Pakistan on the three-member investigative panel and joins Ms. Sara Hossain of Bangladesh and Ms. Viviana Krsticevic of Argentina. Ms. Hossain serves as chair of the Fact-Finding Mission.

    The Human Rights Council established the Fact-Finding Mission with resolution S-35/1 of 24 November 2022, adopted at a special session, to “investigate alleged human rights violations in the Islamic Republic of Iran related to the protests that began on 16 September 2022, especially with respect to women and children”. The three-person Mission was further requested to “establish the facts and circumstances surrounding the alleged violations and collect, consolidate and analyse evidence of such violations and preserve evidence, including in view of cooperation in any legal proceedings”.

    The mandate of the Fact-Finding Mission was subsequently extended for one year with resolution 55/19 of 4 April 2024 entitled “Situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran.” 

    In April 2025, with its resolution 58/21, the Council extended the Fact-Finding Mission’s mandate for an additional year and expanded its scope to, among other things, thoroughly and independently monitor and investigate allegations of recent and ongoing serious human rights violations in Iran. This resolution requests the Fact-Finding Mission to present a report to the Human Rights Council at its 61st session in February/March 2026, and to present an oral update, to be followed by an interactive dialogue, to the United Nations General Assembly at its 80th session (2025-2026).

    Mr. du Plessis is a South African barrister and academic whose career has been characterised by his involvement on justice and human rights issues. He has a Bachelor of Laws from the University of South Africa and the University of Natal (South Africa), completed his Master of Laws at the University of Cambridge (United Kingdom) and completed his PhD studies at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa).

    His legal career began in 2000 when he became an advocate at the High Court of South Africa. His expertise in international, administrative, and constitutional law lead to a role as a senior research fellow in the International Crime in Africa Programme at the Institute for Security Studies. Mr. du Plessis has practiced law in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and has been a visiting expert at the International Criminal Court.

    Throughout his career Mr. du Plessis has been an adjunct professor at the University of Cape Town and Nelson Mandela University. He also served as a visiting professor at Law Futures Centre, Griffith University (Australia), Oxford Institute for Ethics, Law and Armed Conflict, Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford (United Kingdom), St. John’s College, University of Cambridge (United Kingdom), the London School of Economics (United Kingdom), Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard University (United States), and others.

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations: Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: PM remarks at the British Museum: 9 July 2025

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Speech

    PM remarks at the British Museum: 9 July 2025

    Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s remarks at the British Museum.

    It’s really fantastic to see you here and to just really take in this incredible place that is the British Museum, a world-class institution, which I’m really proud to say is also right in the heart of my constituencies, so welcome to my manor.

    Mr President, Emmanuel, Mrs Macron, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, you’re very, very welcome here and it is fantastic to see you. We have thousands of visitors here every day from all over the globe to admire the Museum’s incredible collection of world history all around us here, every single day. So it’s a real pleasure to welcome two special sets of guests this afternoon, our brilliant French guests and friends who are all here, but also young people representing the next generation and that is so important as we contemplate our history because I know just how important access to the arts, to culture and history is for the next generation.

    Its potential to spark the imagination. There’ll be very many people who come here and have their imagination sparked and that has put a light on for them and for so many other people to transform young people’s lives by bringing history and culture and art into it. And opening their eyes to new possibilities and opportunities and encourage them to reach the full extent of their ambitions and their talents. So no matter where you’re from or who you are, it’s here to bring us together to remind us of our shared history but also the common bonds that endure across languages, across borders and cultures – and that’s what today is all about, making sure that everyone can appreciate our incredible history, inviting young people to bridge our past and our future and igniting the passions and the talent of the next generation.

    And we are celebrating a brilliant initiative today. Everybody is walking around here with a smile on their face and when the President yesterday announced to both Houses what was going to be happening here there was a great cheer went up and that was representative I think of how this is being felt across the entire country.

    It is a brilliant initiative because what Emmanuel, my friend, announced yesterday, this cultural exchange between our two nations, two of the great treasures of our history, the priceless artefacts of Sutton Hoo, which we’ve just been to see upstairs, absolutely incredible story, incredible artefacts. And the Bayeux Tapestry, which means so much and again the smiles as people saw just the depiction on the wall behind me as we walked in tells you just how much this means. Because for Sutton Hoo 1,300 years ago in East Anglia, a wealthy man, we don’t know who it was, probably a King, was buried in a lavish funeral ceremony, an Anglo-Saxon era that of course was put to an end 300 years later by William the Conqueror at the Battle of Hastings, but it is an incredible piece of history that we have here just imagining what that must have been like changing our perception of that era of history frankly and bringing so much learning to us, and of course the Battle of Hastings illustrated by the remarkable Bayeux Tapestry – the beginning of a thousand years of shared culture that is now defined by mutual admiration and kinship, as well of course by some healthy competition as anyone who was watching the Euros on Saturday will attest, but that history, that long history forms the foundation of the European continent as we know it today. Now both these treasures contain stories of war and of peace, of power and of politics, alliances and enemies that we still know all too well in our modern world. They show us how connected our countries have always been, they deepen our appreciation of our shared history and enrich the relationship between our two nations today because we are now entering a new era of world history, a time of huge change and turmoil that has led to insecurity for so many people and in this new world our alliances are in my view more important than ever.

    The strength and solidarity of countries that share the same values, the same aims, the same hope for the future so just as we stood together in the last century to bring peace to Europe and it was a real privilege, Emmanuel, to mark Armistice Day in France, walking with you the same route as Churchill and de Gaulle once walked. Thank you so much again for that invitation to be there at that very special moment and today the UK is proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with France leading the coalition of the willing to support Ukraine, as well of course us working together to call for a sustainable peace in the Middle East. And at home we’re working together for our shared security and prosperity, creating jobs and growth for our people, tackling irregular migration, strengthening our defences to protect Europe from any threats, growing our economies and collaborating on the technologies of the future, and forging closer connections between our peoples with this cultural exchange, giving people across Britain the chance to admire a Bayeux Tapestry, and there will be so many people who will want to come here to see that as soon as they can, and people across France to enjoy the treasures of ancient England. Well timed for the thousandth anniversary of William the Conqueror’s birth in 2027, so as we look back together today we are also inspired to look forward towards the future and remember that it is for us to write our own chapter of history now as two nations who forged peace, made our people better off and remain the strongest of allies and the closest of friends and on that note it is a pleasure to welcome my friend, Mr President, Emmanuel, to speak to you today.

    Thank you so much.

    Updates to this page

    Published 9 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: From Kabul to the catwalk – the surprising global history behind fashion’s fur revival

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Magnus Marsden, Professor of Social Anthropology, University of Sussex

    The winter season of 2024-25 marked a resurgence of fur clothing – both faux and real – in fashion across Europe and North America. Shearling jackets and embroidered “Penny Lane coats” featured widely in reports on the latest fashion trends. Vintage fur coats are also back in vogue.

    To many, the resurgence came as a surprise. The anti-fur movement, especially influential in the 1980s, continues to shape perceptions of fur. In the 2010s, cities including New York and Los Angeles banned the use of fur to make clothes. The UK meanwhile banned the farming of fur-bearing animals, and, alongside the EU, has committed itself to legislating against all fur imports.

    Just last year the town of Worthing, in England, debated whether their mayor should wear ceremonial robes trimmed with fur or not. Despite these trends, many young people have embraced the renewed trend of wearing real fur.

    Some clothes made from animal skins became popular during the counter-cultural movement of the 1960s, but historically, fur has mostly marked status, wealth and luxury. Today, many critics interpret fur’s return to fashion as a cultural expression of rightwing politics.

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    Fur is prominent in the “boom boom” fashion trend, which emphasises excess and “male-coded values”. It has been described by fashion journalists as “over-the-top and unashamed about its own greed and lack of wokeness”.

    Fur clothing is a reminder of the moral tensions between need and desire, and luxury and excess. In addition to being inter-generational, these debates are also about gender. For much of the 20th century, fur coats symbolised femininity, erotic power and class position in the west. But by the 1980s, advertising campaigns depicted women who wore fur as either stupid and unthinking or thinking and unspeakably cruel, leading many to jettison it.

    Anti-fur protests were held across the US in 1994.

    Fur’s return to fashion has injected old debates with new significance. Some young people are willing to wear faux fur because it does not involve killing animals. But others argue that, because it is made from synthetic material, faux fur is actually more environmentally damaging and prefer to wear the real thing. They claim that wearing vintage fur is a form of “sustainable consumption” but are challenged by those who argue that this fashion trend ultimately justifies killing animals to make clothes.

    The boom boom trend is said to embody a contemporary expression of 1980s “conspicuous consumerism”, but in an era of economic austerity the adoption of fur by young people suggests the clothes they wear identify their desires rather than their financial reality.

    A global history of fur

    Today, as in the 1980s, the perspectives, interests and experiences of non-Europeans are often unheard in debates around fur. A decline of fur-bearing animal populations in North America and Siberia from the early 19th century, led to a global expansion in fur farming.



    Read more:
    How central Asian Jews and Muslims worked together in London’s 20th-century fur and carpet trade

    From the 1850s, for example, Central Asia supplied furs to Europe and North America. Local artisans cured the pelts of karakul lambs – a native breed – to yield a rich and glossy fur. In central and south Asia, men of high status wore karakul hats; in Europe and America, they were mostly used to make women’s coats.

    After the Russian revolution of 1917, many nomadic and semi-nomadic pastoralists, who raised sheep and other animals, left central Asia and moved with their flocks to neighbouring Afghanistan. The trade in karakul fur grew in the country, and foreign currency reserves came to depend on lambskins sold at auctions in London and New York.

    In the 1960s, sheepskin coats made in Afghanistan – known as “Afghans” – became popular in the west, being worn by stars including Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones. The 1969 British edition of Vogue featured an interview with an icon of “oriental chic”, the “beautiful, dashing, intelligent, adventurous” Afghan socialite, Safia Tarzi, who lived in Paris, and ran a boutique clothing shop in Kabul.

    The Afghan coat enjoyed a resurgence in 2000 having been worn by the character Penny Lane (Kate Hudson) in the film Almost Famous.



    Read more:
    Friday essay: how ‘Afghan’ coats left Kabul for the fashion world and became a hippie must-have

    In the 1980s, the anti-fur campaign contributed to a declining market for karakul. For decades, rumours of Central Asian shepherds extracting lambs from the wombs of sheep to ensure a steady yield of delicate pelts had circulated. Moral opposition to the practice was not confined to the west.

    During my research on globally dispersed activists, intellectuals and merchants from Afghanistan, a man from Afghanistan, now based in London, told me that his father banned his family from wearing karakul hats because sheep and their lambs were treated cruelly.

    In the 1990s, civil war destroyed much of the infrastructure of the karakul industry in Afghanistan, but a trickle of pelts reached auction houses located in Frankfurt, Copenhagen and Helsinki.

    In the 2000s, international development organisations attempted to revive the trade, though sales never returned to anyway near the levels of the 1970s. By the 2010s, families in northern Afghanistan struggling economically opted to send sons to travel illegally to Turkey to find work as shepherds for commercially oriented Turkish farmers.

    Promotional videos of fashion houses occasionally touch on the Penny Lane coat’s ties to Afghanistan, but media coverage of fur fashions rarely address its historical connections to central Asia.

    Magnus Marsden received funding from the Arts and Humanities Research Council including for the research upon which this article is based.

    – ref. From Kabul to the catwalk – the surprising global history behind fashion’s fur revival – https://theconversation.com/from-kabul-to-the-catwalk-the-surprising-global-history-behind-fashions-fur-revival-256382

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Lioness Lucy Bronze uses ‘cycle syncing’ to get an edge on her competition — here’s how the practise works

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Mollie O’Hanlon, PhD Candidate, Exercise Physiology, Nottingham Trent University

    Bronze has said ‘cycle syncing’ has been important for her performance. Jose Breton- Pics Action/ Shutterstock

    England footballer Lucy Bronze recently said in an interview that “cycle syncing” gives her an edge on the pitch. This practice involves aligning your training schedule to the different phases of your menstrual cycle.

    Cycle syncing has become increasingly popular in recent years – especially among athletes who are looking to get an edge over the competition. Even Chelsea women’s football team have put this new approach to use, tailoring training schedules according to each player’s menstrual cycle.

    For the average person, tailoring your workouts to your menstrual cycle is probably not going to have much of an impact. But for a professional athlete such as Bronze, cycle syncing could be a gamechanging strategy in shaping her elite performance.

    Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.

    The menstrual cycle begins and ends with menstruation (a period). While the length of the menstrual cycle varies for each person, it’s usually around 28 days.

    The menstrual cycle is underpinned by fluctuations in levels of the female sex hormones oestrogen and progesterone. This is why the cycle is divided into three key phases: early follicular, late follicular and the luteal phase.

    The early follicular phase usually lasts around seven days and begins with the start of your period. This is when hormone levels are at their lowest.

    The late follicular phase follows on from the first seven days, and is where ovulation happens – usually around day 14 of the cycle, though this will depend on cycle length. Ovulation is when the egg is released and you’re at your most fertile.

    After that comes the luteal phase (lasting around 12-14 days), when progesterone peaks to prepare the body for pregnancy. If pregnancy doesn’t happen, hormones drop and the cycle begins again.

    It’s no secret that mood and energy levels can shift – sometimes significantly – throughout the menstrual cycle. This is why some female athletes have begun using cycle syncing. By tailoring training schedules to match hormonal fluctuations, women are gaining a deeper understanding of their bodies and the symptoms they experience throughout each phase – empowering them to train smarter, not harder.

    Bronze said the strategy has transformed her performance, saying that during certain phases of her cycle she feels “physically capable of more and can train harder”.

    Despite these testimonials, scientists are yet to reach a definitive conclusion on how the menstrual cycle affects athletic performance.

    Bronze is just one of many female athletes putting ‘cycle syncing’ to the test.
    Christian Bertrand/ Shutterstock

    So far, there’s some suggestion that there may be a slight dip in performance (specifically to strength and endurance) during the early follicular phase. However, these effects are minimal – and highly dependent on the person. It’s also not entirely clear what mechanisms underpin these small performance dips that some women experienced.

    Other research suggests that certain aspects of the neuromuscular system (the network of nerves and muscles that make movement possible) – specifically how our muscles generate force – is altered during the luteal phase. Research has also found that certain muscles may fatigue less quickly during this phase as well.

    This implies that during the luteal phase, there may be changes in signals from the brain and spinal cord to the skeletal muscles. However, no changes in the neuromuscular function have been observed.

    Part of the reason it’s so difficult for researchers to gather enough evidence to draw firm conclusions on the menstrual cycle’s potential effects on athletic performance is because of the huge variability in menstrual cycle characteristics, which makes it difficult to study. Phase length, hormone levels and symptoms can differ widely between women – and even from cycle to cycle.

    The small effects seen in these studies will have little effect on how most of us train or exercise. But for an elite athlete, these minuscule differences could have an effect on their training and competition, which may be why so many are willing to give the practice a try.

    So while it isn’t entirely clear how much influence certain menstrual cycle phases have on performance, how you feel during different phases could certainly affect your ability to train at your best.

    Around 77% of female athletes experience negative symptoms in the days leading up to and during menstruation. Fatigue, feeling less motivated and even experiencing digestive issues such as bloating and nausea, could all affect your ability to train at your best.

    Trying cycle syncing

    If you’re still interested in giving cycle syncing a try to see if it has any effect for you, the best place to start is by tracking your menstrual cycle. This will help you understand your body, how you feel in each phase of your cycle and what effect certain symptoms have on your training.

    It’s recommended you track your cycle for at least three months before making any changes to your training to establish a baseline and spot trends over time.

    For example, if you notice you often feel fatigued when training in your luteal phase, it may help to focus on ensuring you fuel well with carbohydrates before and during workouts. Or on days where you feel more energetic and motivated to train, you might be able to push yourself a bit harder in your workouts.

    Whether you’re playing for England in the Euros or simply working towards your own fitness goals, understanding your cycle can help you train smarter, manage your symptoms better and stay consistent with your training.

    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. Lioness Lucy Bronze uses ‘cycle syncing’ to get an edge on her competition — here’s how the practise works – https://theconversation.com/lioness-lucy-bronze-uses-cycle-syncing-to-get-an-edge-on-her-competition-heres-how-the-practise-works-260153

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: The Story of a Heart by Rachel Clarke is a powerful account of one child’s gift to another

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Leah McLaughlin, Research Fellow in Health Services, Bangor University

    What does it mean to save a life – and what does it cost? In The Story of a Heart, Rachel Clarke answers this not with slogans or sentiment, but with quiet, searing honesty. This book, which won this year’s Women’s prize for non-fiction, is about organ donation, yes, but it’s also about family, grief, love, courage, and the astonishing edges of human experience.

    At its centre are two children: Max Johnson, a healthy, active nine-year-old whose heart suddenly begins to fail, and Keira Ball, another nine-year-old – vibrant, horse-loving, full of life who tragically dies in a car accident. In a moment of unimaginable grief, Keira’s parents donate her organs. Her heart goes to Max.

    A child dies. A child lives.

    That is the simple, brutal, beautiful truth this book never looks away from. But Clarke does more than tell the story of heart. She immerses us in it – every breath, every monitor beep, every unbearable choice.

    I read this as a health services researcher who has spent years working in the emotionally complex, ethically charged, and often hidden world of organ donation. My work explores how families navigate these unimaginable scenarios, particularly in the context of recent legislative change. Clarke’s account captures, with rare precision and compassion, the silences, the emotional labour of clinicians, and the profound weight of choice that families like Keira’s carry.

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    As both a doctor and a mother, Clarke brings sensitivity to every page. We feel Max’s steady decline: the exhaustion, the fear, the silence that descends as even the doctors grow unsure. We witness Keira’s final hours, the heroic efforts to save her, and the moments where unbearable grief oscillates between hope and despair, eventually giving way to a different kind of gift.

    There are no easy heroes in this story, only ordinary people facing the unthinkable with extraordinary grace. Clarke brings them to life with aching clarity: the cardiologist who, in the dim light of a hospital room, sketches Max’s failing heart on a napkin so his mother can understand what words can’t explain; the ICU nurse who stays long after her shift ends, gently brushing the hair of a child who will never wake up; the donation nurse who enters a family’s darkest hour not with answers, but with quiet presence and unwavering care; the surgeon who steadies his hands – and his heart – when every second matters.

    And in the chaos of resuscitation, amid alarms and broken bodies, a teddy bear is tucked beneath Keira’s arm: “Someone in the crash team has seen Keira not simply as a body, inert and unresponsive, but as a vulnerable child in need of compassion.”

    The Story of a Heart is also a book about history. It’s not just about one child’s transplant, but about medicine, surgery, and the heart itself. Clarke weaves in the stories of early transplant pioneers, accidental discoveries, and the scientific stumbles and breakthroughs that built modern practice. She brings it all to life with a storyteller’s flair, making science feel intimate, alive, and deeply human.

    What the heart means

    What sets the heart apart, Clarke reminds us, is not just its function, but its symbolism. No other organ holds such emotional weight. “Hearts sing, soar, race, burn, break, bleed, swell, hammer and melt,” she writes. They are not just organs, they are vessels for our hopes, fears and deepest longings.

    Clarke shows how, across history, the heart was seen as the source of emotion, morality – even the soul – and how that deep humanism still pulses through our language and culture today. We have our hearts broken, wear our hearts on our sleeves, and as Clarke puts it: “When trying to express our truest and most sincere selves, we do so by saying we speak from the heart, or about all that our heart desires.”

    But what makes The Story of a Heart so exceptional is its emotional truth. Clarke never shies away from the pain. Max’s parents watch their son fade, terrified to even touch him. Keira’s father buys her a pink princess dress for her funeral. Max, wired to machines, records a goodbye message; we learn later he even tried to take his own life. And yet, there is light.

    Keira’s sisters climb into bed with her, painting her nails and sliding Haribo sweet rings onto her fingers. Then comes a moment so clear, so quietly astonishing, it takes everyone’s breath away. Katelyn, Keira’s older sister, turns to the doctor and asks, with calm, steady eyes: “Can we donate her organs?”

    This isn’t a clinical decision or a well-rehearsed conversation. It is an unprompted act of extraordinary love. These moments – fragile, generous, profoundly human – are the true beating heart of Clarke’s book.

    From there, we are guided into a world so few know and even fewer ever witness: the quiet choreography that carries a gift of life from one person to another. What Katelyn sets in motion with just five words unfolds with such precision, that reading it feels like witnessing a kind of living magic.

    The aftermath is just as moving. Max recovers quickly, walks again, laughs again. The two families meet. There are no big speeches, just quiet awe. And beyond that: a law is passed. Max and Keira’s Law brings in an opt-out system of donation in England. Two children. One legacy. A country changed.

    And still, Clarke doesn’t let us forget the hard truths. Not every child survives. Not every family gets a miracle. Transplants are fragile. But in that fragility, she shows us, is the real miracle. Max goes fishing with his dad, the sky glows orange – Keira’s favourite colour. That is enough.

    At the moment organ donation consent rates for children are declining in the UK, and there are more children on the transplant wait list than ever before. The Story of a Heart asks us to see the children, the families, and the quiet acts of love behind every donation. It’s a powerful reminder that the greatest gifts are often given in the darkest hours.

    This book will break your heart – and fill it up again. It’s not just essential reading for anyone interested in organ donation and transplant. It’s essential reading for anyone who has ever loved.

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

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

    – ref. The Story of a Heart by Rachel Clarke is a powerful account of one child’s gift to another – https://theconversation.com/the-story-of-a-heart-by-rachel-clarke-is-a-powerful-account-of-one-childs-gift-to-another-260611

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: RNLI issues safety advice ahead of hot weather

    Source: Northern Ireland City of Armagh

    As Northern Ireland prepares for a spell of hot weather, the RNLI is urging families to enjoy themselves but to put safety first.

    The RNLI is asking anyone planning a trip to the coast or inland waterways to make sure they keep themselves and their families safe by following this advice:

    • Visit a lifeguarded beach and swim between the red and yellow flag.
    • Check the weather forecast, tide times and read local hazard signage to understand local risks.
    • Keep a close eye on your family – on the beach and in the water – don’t allow your family to swim alone.
    • If you fall into the water unexpectedly, Float to Live.
    • In an emergency, dial 999 and ask for the Coastguard.

    RNLI lifeguards will be providing a daily patrol between 10am and 6pm on beaches at Benone, Downhill, Castlerock, Portstewart Strand, Portrush East and Portrush West Strands, Whiterocks and Ballycastle on the Causeway Coast and Tyrella, Cranfield and Murlough in County Down. Lifeguards are trained in casualty care and water rescue and will be on hand to offer water safety advice to the public and provide information on sea conditions that day.

    Linda-Gene Byrne, RNLI Water Safety Lead, said: “We are expecting people to head to the coast during the hot weather, it is a great way to have fun, relax and cool off in high temperatures. Choosing a lifeguarded beach will mean our lifeguards can ensure you enjoy a safe visit. Please head to a lifeguarded beach, swim between flags. Remember where there are no flags, there are no lifeguards.

    “If you find yourself in trouble, Float to Live. Knowing this technique and encouraging your family to practice it, could save your life. Whether you get into difficulty in the water at the coast or on any of our inland waters, Float to Live: Tilt your head back, with your ears submerged. Relax and try to breathe normally. Move your hands and legs to help you stay afloat if you need to. It’s fine if your legs sink – we all float differently. By doing this, you give yourself the chance to rest and recover your breathing. Once you’ve regained control of your breathing, you can call for help or swim to safety.”

    For more information and advice on water safety please visit RNLI.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Fresh action in London’s town centres to build on crime reductions achieved in capital

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    London’s town centres, high streets and communities will see an enhanced police and local authority presence this summer as part of partnership work to build on reductions in theft, burglary, robbery, ASB and retail crime achieved in the capital so far this year.

    The Met Police have identified the top 32 town centres and high street locations3 across London that have the biggest challenge with anti-social behaviour, theft and street crime and they will be the focus for enhanced partnership action with local authorities, businesses and communities to tackle crime.

    Every single borough will see increased police and partner activity in the hotspot areas including Stratford, Woolwich Town Centre, Finsbury Park, Croydon Town Centre, Shepherds Bush Green, Elephant and Castle, Seven Sisters and London’s West End.

    London is a global destination, particularly over the summer months with five million additional visitors expected over the peak tourism season and with school summer holidays beginning soon, our town centres will be very busy. At a time of high demand for policing, the Mayor of London, Met police, local authorities and partners are strengthening their joint work to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour impacting our town centres and high streets.

    The top twenty town centre and high streets being focused on by police, MOPAC, local authorities and community partners as part of Safer Summer Streets make up only a small percentage of London overall, but account for almost 10 per of knife crime, 24 per cent of theft person offences and 6 per cent of all ASB calls.*

    There will be increased police patrols, intelligence-led plain-clothed operations in hotspot areas, and officers will relentlessly target wanted and prolific offenders who commit multiple offences, particularly shoplifting and ASB, seeking long sentences and Criminal Behaviour Orders.

    These summer plans are based on strong partnership working, with the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC), the Met, local authorities, businesses, community organisations sharing information using a new approach so issues can be identified and acted upon quickly. Local solutions will include the designing out of offences through local authority powers related to licensing, parking, waste management and trading standards.

    Thanks to the hard work of the police, London’s Violence Reduction Unit, Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC), local authorities and partners, the first six weeks of this financial year have seen promising reductions in a number of crime types compared to the same period last year.

    • Knife crime – down by 18.1 per cent
    • Residential burglary – down by 17.7 per cent
    • Theft from the person – down by 15.6 per cent
    • Personal robbery – down by 12.8 per cent.
    • Shoplifting – the Met have solved 163 per cent more cases this year than in the same period as last year.

    These reductions are in addition to the latest Office for National Statistics Crime stats which show that overall, the violent crime with injury rate is lower in London than in the rest of England and Wales1. Gun crime with lethal barrel discharges, knife crime with injury for those aged under 25 and homicides in the capital have all fallen since 2016.2

    Through more precise targeting of the most dangerous offenders and greater focus on the issues that matter most to Londoners, the Met are arresting more than 1,000 more criminals each month.

    Whilst there have been significant reductions in some crime types since the start of the financial year and since 2016, it’s clear that more needs to be done to ensure everyone in the capital is safe and feels safe.

    The intensified action to tackle anti-social behaviour and theft is part of ongoing work by the Met and Mayor of London to boost local neighbourhood teams and put high visibility policing at the heart of fighting crime and rebuild community confidence. It is backed with record funding from City Hall which has helped to London’s Safer Neighbourhood teams. Over the last two years the Met has put an additional 500 Met officers and staff ranging from Superintendent to PCSOs into neighbourhood teams and continue to increase officers in these teams, working closer than ever with communities to understand and deal with local priorities.

    It also forms part of the Home Office’s national Safer Streets Summer Initiative running from 30 June until the end of September 2025, which will see officers in London focusing on reducing town centre criminality including shop theft, street crime and anti-social behaviour.

    On Wednesday morning, London’s Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime Kaya Comer-Schwartz will join Deputy Commissioner Matt Jukes, Enfield Council Leader Cllr Elgin Erbil and neighbourhood officers in Enfield to see the ‘Safer Streets Summer’ in action.

    Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime, Kaya Comer-Schwartz, said: “The safety of our town centres is more than just policing – it’s about building stronger, more connected communities where everyone feels secure.

    “That’s why I was really pleased to meet with local partners and community groups today – along with the police – to strengthen our collaborative work to tackle shoplifting, theft and anti-social behaviour in all its forms.

    “We have seen this in action today in Enfield, with officers speaking with local people and business owners addressing their concerns. Across our city there will be partnership led operations to tackle shoplifting and clear, visible neighbourhood officers out on patrol, keeping our communities safe and working to build safer town centres and a safer London for everyone.”

    Deputy Commissioner for the Metropolitan Police, Matt Jukes, said: “Our intelligence and data-led approach to tackle the crimes that matter most to Londoners – such as shoplifting, robbery and anti-social behaviour – is already working.

    “We’re arresting 1,000 more criminals each month, neighbourhood crime is down 19 per cent and we’ve solved 163 per cent more shoplifting cases this year.

    “In 32 of the hardest hit areas, we’re working with the community, councils, businesses and partners, to focus our resources and bear down on prolific offenders and gangs who blight too many neighbourhoods across the capital.”

    Cllr Ergin Erbil, Leader of Enfield Council, said: “Creating a safer Enfield is our priority. Everyone deserves to feel safe in their neighbourhood and community, and here in Enfield we’re proud to be working closely with the Met Police, the Mayor of London and our partners to make that a reality. Safer Streets Summer is a powerful example of what can be achieved when we come together to cut crime and antisocial behaviour.

    “Alongside improved policing, Enfield Council is spending time and money towards making our streets safer for those who live and work in Enfield. For example, our dedicated summer parks patrols, launched last month, are helping to stop and prevent antisocial behaviour by providing a visible presence and reassurance. Police officers and our council teams are patrolling our parks and town centres side by side.

    “Likewise, our partnership with local policing teams and other partners in Upper Edmonton and Edmonton Green has meant we are tackling serious organised crime and the causes of crime through three steps called Clear Hold Build. Our residents on the most affected estates are telling us they feel safer and better protected. Consequently, they are working with us to combat crime and improve our neighbourhoods.

    “We’re committed to building safer, stronger town centres where residents, businesses and visitors can feel safer and can thrive.”

    Hannah Wadey, CEO, Safer Business Network said: “Businesses across London have a crucial role to play in keeping our public spaces safe, and Safer Streets Summer is a great example of what we can achieve when we all work together. From preventing crime and anti-social behaviour to creating welcoming environments, this work is vital for our communities and businesses are proud to play their part. When people feel safe, our town centres thrive.”

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Skip company to pay over £48,000 for operating illegal waste site

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Skip company to pay over £48,000 for operating illegal waste site

    A Birmingham skip hire company must pay financial penalties of more than £48,000 after the Environment Agency brought a prosecution for operating illegally.

    • Investigation by Environment Agency finds company without necessary environmental permit
    • Court issues remediation order for site to be cleared of waste within 3 months
    • Case heard at Birmingham magistrates on Monday 7 July 2025.

    At Birmingham magistrates’ court on 7 July 2025, Action Skip Hire Limited of Trent Street, Digbeth, were found guilty of 2 offences and admitted another.

    The court imposed a fine of £12,000 for operating a regulated facility in Oxford Street, Birmingham, without the necessary environmental permit. They were also ordered to pay a surcharge of £190 and costs of £26,376.58.

    The company was fined a further £6,000 for failing to comply with a Notice to provide waste transfer notes. They were ordered to pay a £2,000 surcharge and costs of £1,522.38.

    The court was told that the company held an environmental permit for a waste site at Trent Street, Digbeth. However, not for land off Oxford Street where the company illegally stored and processed wastes.

    Officers from the Environment Agency visited the Oxford Street site on 10 August 2023 following reports of waste activity taking place.

    Investigations found the site were storing mixed general and construction and demolition wastes including trommel fines, tyres, mattresses and wood.

    Further investigations revealed that the land was leased to Action Skip Hire Limited. Inspections by Environment Agency Officers during September and October of 2023 showed that the Oxford Street site was still being used for waste activities.

    This resulted in the Environment Agency serving a Section 59 (1) (a) Enforcement Notice on 20 November 2023 requiring the company to remove waste from the land. The notice was not complied with.

    Further visits were carried out throughout 2024 which found wastes remaining on the site.

    A spokesperson for the Environment Agency said:

    We welcome this outcome and will continue to work tirelessly to pursue and prosecute those involved in illegal waste activities.

     Failure to comply with these legal requirements is a serious offence that can damage the environment and undermine legitimate businesses.

     Anyone with suspicions of waste crime can call our incident hotline, 0800 807060, or Crimestoppers, on 0800 555111.

    Background

    • Between 1 February 2021 and the 16 July 2024, at a site off Oxford Street, Birmingham, B5 5NY, did operate a regulated facility, namely a waste operation for the deposit, treatment, and storage of waste, except under and to the extent authorised by an environmental permit. Contrary to Regulations 12 (1) (a) and 38 (1) (a) Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016

    • On and after 29 February 2024 Action Skip Hire Limited failed, without reasonable excuse, to comply with a notice dated the 20 November 2023 and served on the company pursuant to Section 59 (1) (a) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 in that the company failed to remove controlled waste from land off Oxford Street, Birmingham, B5 5NY.

    • On 28 November 2024 Action Skip Hire Limited failed to comply with the requirements of a Notice dated 20 November 2024, which required that written descriptions of waste removed from 39 Trent Street, Birmingham, B5 5NL, covering the period 5 August 2024 to 19 November 2024, be provided to the Environment Agency within 7 days, contrary to Section 34(5) and (6) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and Regulation 35 of the Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2011.

    Remediation Order:

    A Regulation 44 Remediation Order was issued to the Company requiring them to remove all waste from the site within 3 months.

    Updates to this page

    Published 9 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Antidepressant withdrawal: new review downplays symptoms but misses the mark for long-term use

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Mark Horowitz, Visiting Clinical Research Fellow in Psychiatry, UCL

    marevgenna/Shutterstock.com

    A new review of antidepressant withdrawal effects – written by academics, many of whom have close ties to drug manufacturers – risks underestimating the potential harms to long-term antidepressant users by focusing on short-term, industry-funded studies.

    There is growing recognition that stopping antidepressants – especially after long-term use – can cause severe and sometimes debilitating withdrawal symptoms, and it is now acknowledged by the UK government as a public health issue.

    One of the main reasons this issue took decades to recognise after the release of modern antidepressants onto the market is because medical guidelines, such as those produced by Nice (England’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence), had for many years declared withdrawal effects to be “brief and mild”.

    This description was based on studies run by drug companies, where people had only taken the medication for eight to 12 weeks. As a result, when patients later showed up with severe, long-lasting symptoms, many doctors didn’t take them seriously because these experiences contradicted what the guidelines led them to expect.

    Our recent research helps explain this mismatch. We found a clear link between how long someone takes antidepressants and how likely they are to experience withdrawal symptoms – and how severe these symptoms are.

    We surveyed NHS patients and found that people who had used antidepressants for more than two years were ten times more likely to have withdrawal effects, five times more likely for those effects to be severe, and 18 times more likely for them to be long lasting compared with those who had taken the drugs for six months or less.

    For patients who used antidepressants for less than six months, withdrawal symptoms were mostly mild and brief. Three-quarters reported no or mild symptoms, most of which lasted less than four weeks.

    Only one in four of these patients was unable to stop when they wanted to. However, for long-term users (more than two years), two-thirds reported moderate or severe withdrawal effects, with one-quarter reporting severe withdrawal effects. Almost one-third of long-term users reported symptoms that lasted for more than three months. Four-fifths of these patients were unable to stop their antidepressants despite trying.

    About 2 million people on antidepressants in England have been taking them for over five years, according to a BBC investigation. And in the US at least 25 million people have taken antidepressants for more than five years. What happens to people in eight-to-12-week studies is a far cry from what happens to millions of people when they stop.

    Studying what happens to people after just eight to 12 weeks on antidepressants is like testing car safety by crashing a vehicle into a wall at 5km/h – ignoring the fact that real drivers are out on the roads doing 60km/h.

    History repeating itself?

    Against this backdrop, a review has just been published in Jama Psychiatry. Several of the senior authors declare payments from drug companies. In what looks like history repeating itself, the review draws on short-term trials – many funded by the pharmaceutical industry – that were similar to those used to shape early treatment guidelines. The authors conclude that antidepressants do not cause significant withdrawal effects.

    Their main analysis is based on eleven trials that compared withdrawal symptoms in people who had stopped antidepressants with those who had continued them or stopped taking a placebo. Six of these trials had people on antidepressants for eight weeks, four for 12 weeks and just one for 26 weeks.

    They reported a slightly higher number of withdrawal symptoms in people who had stopped antidepressants, which they say does not constitute a “clinically significant” withdrawal syndrome. They also suggest the symptoms could be explained by the “nocebo effect” – where negative expectations cause people to feel worse.

    In our view, the results are likely to greatly underestimate the risk of withdrawal for the millions of people on these drugs for years. The review found no relationship between the duration of use of antidepressants and withdrawal symptoms, but there were too few long-term studies to test this association properly.

    The review probably underestimates, in our view, short-term withdrawal effects too by assuming that the fact that people experience withdrawal-like symptoms when stopping a placebo or continuing an antidepressant cancels out withdrawal effects from antidepressants. But this is not a valid assumption.

    We know that antidepressant withdrawal effects overlap with side-effects and with everyday symptoms, but this does not mean they are the same thing. People stopping a placebo report symptoms such as dizziness and headache, because these are common occurrences. However, as was shown in another recent review, symptoms following discontinuation of a placebo tend to be milder than those experienced when stopping antidepressants, which can be intense enough to require emergency care.

    So deducting the rate of symptoms after stopping a placebo or continuing an antidepressant from antidepressant withdrawal symptoms is likely to underestimate the true extent of withdrawal.

    The review also doesn’t include several well-designed drug company studies that found high rates of withdrawal symptoms. For example, an American study found that more than 60% of people who stopped antidepressants (after eleven months) experienced withdrawal symptoms.

    The authors suggest that depression after stopping antidepressants is probably a return of the original condition, not withdrawal symptoms, because similar rates of depression were seen in people who stopped taking a placebo. But this conclusion is based on limited and unreliable data (that is, relying on participants in studies to report such events without prompting, rather than assessing them systematically) from just five studies.

    We hope uncritical reporting of a review based on the sort of short-term studies that led to under-recognition of withdrawal effects in the first place, does not disrupt the growing acceptance of the problem and slow efforts by the health system to help potentially millions of people who may be severely affected.

    The authors and publisher of the new review have been approached for comment.

    Mark Horowitz is the author of the Maudsley Deprescribing Guidelines which outlines how to safely stop antidepressants, benzodiazepines, gabapentinoids and z-drugs, for which he receives royalties. He is co-applicant on the RELEASE and RELEASE+ trials in Australia funded by the NHMRC and MRFF examining hyperbolic tapering of antidepressants. He is co-founder and consultant to Outro Health, a digital clinic which helps people to safely stop no longer needed antidepressants in the US. He is a member of the Critical Psychiatry Network, an informal group of psychiatrists.

    Joanna Moncrieff was a co-applicant on a study of antidepressant discontinuation funded by the UK’s National Institute for Health Research. She is co-applicant on the RELEASE and RELEASE+ trials in Australia funded by the NHMRC and MRFF examining hyperbolic tapering of antidepressants. She receives modest royalties for books about psychiatric drugs. She is co-chair person of the Critical Psychiatry Network, an informal group of psychiatrists.

    – ref. Antidepressant withdrawal: new review downplays symptoms but misses the mark for long-term use – https://theconversation.com/antidepressant-withdrawal-new-review-downplays-symptoms-but-misses-the-mark-for-long-term-use-260708

    MIL OSI Analysis –