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  • MIL-OSI Video: Department of State Press Briefing – March 28, 2025 – 2:00PM

    Source: United States of America – Department of State (video statements)

    Spokesperson Tammy Bruce leads the Department Press Briefing, at the Department of State, on March 28, 2025

    ———-
    Under the leadership of the President and Secretary of State, the U.S. Department of State leads America’s foreign policy through diplomacy, advocacy, and assistance by advancing the interests of the American people, their safety and economic prosperity. On behalf of the American people we promote and demonstrate democratic values and advance a free, peaceful, and prosperous world.

    The Secretary of State, appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate, is the President’s chief foreign affairs adviser. The Secretary carries out the President’s foreign policies through the State Department, which includes the Foreign Service, Civil Service and U.S. Agency for International Development.

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    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChzfHw0aE4g

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Success at the 2025 Local Government Awards!

    Source: Northern Ireland City of Armagh

    Councils throughout Northern Ireland celebrated as the ten award winners of the 2025 Local Government Awards were announced at an event hosted by Barra Best at the Game of Thrones Studio in Banbridge last night (Thursday 27 March).

    Coordinated by the Northern Ireland Local Government Association (NILGA), the awards ceremony also marked the 10th anniversary of the newly established councils and the evolving role of councillors, who are vital in advocating and delivering for their communities and the wider region.

    This year’s awards attracted 69 entries and were designed to celebrate the exceptional efforts of councils in their communities. They highlighted the innovative service provision, new initiatives, and the personal commitment of councillors, local government staff, and local government partners.

    The award categories focused on showcasing the dedication, hard work, and creative approaches that local councils demonstrate daily, while also creating opportunities for local government staff and elected members to shine.

    Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council collected two awards on the night.

    Food Heartland took home the award for ‘Best Outcome of the Past Decade Award.’ This council-led initiative connects farmers, food producers and chefs across the borough to work collaboratively to foster a vibrant food culture and showcase the region’s exceptional culinary offerings.

    Local Government Awards 2025. Best Outcome of the Past Decade Award. Winner: Food Heartland – Armagh City, Banbridge & Craigavon Borough Council. The award was presented by Jonathon Carr West, CEO, LGiU.

    ABC Place Plans, which helps to empower communities, promotes collaboration and integrates sustainability to strengthen civic pride, enhance wellbeing and ensure long-term prosperity and resilience of our towns and cities, won the ‘Innovative Planning for the Future Award.’

    Local Government Awards 2025. Innovative Planning for the Future Award Winner: ABC Place Plans – Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council. The award was presented by Stephanie Singer, Director, Quadra Consulting.

    NILGA President, Cllr Alison Bennington stated, “Councils across Northern Ireland are committed to enhancing the communities they serve while also supporting broader government and civic initiatives. Our councils undertake valuable work and dedicate time and resources to modernise and improve their areas for local communities, businesses, and visitors, as well as for wider government and civic society.

    “The Local Government Awards are a testament to these services and provide benchmarks for broader government. They offer fantastic learning tools for councils in an environment where every penny and resource counts.

    “We can improve by learning from the best. This is a passion of NILGA, which is evident in each of our ambitious and resourceful councils. Congratulations to our winners and finalists and thank you to everyone who took the time to nominate and support the 2025 Local Government Awards.”

    Celebrating a “Decade of Achievement” for Northern Ireland’s councils, Communities Minister Gordon Lyons said “Councils play a central role in delivering a wide range of services and in helping to develop and grow the local economy – making life better for all our citizens.

    The Minister continued, “Councils have made significant progress, taking on planning responsibilities, introducing Community Planning, and working in partnership with central government to develop and deliver City and Growth Deals. This has brought decision-making closer to local communities, ensuring services are tailored to meet specific needs. Local councils have also driven economic regeneration by partnering with businesses, investing in infrastructure, and promoting tourism. Initiatives like Labour Market Partnerships and the £1 billion investment in City and Growth Deals are creating jobs, boosting entrepreneurship, and enhancing connectivity.”

    APSE Chief Executive Mo Baines remarked, “Across local government, day in and day out, our unsung frontline heroes go above and beyond to deliver for their local communities. The Local Government Awards highlight their commitment to the goals of continuous improvement and excellence in public services. From maintaining beautiful parks and managing waste collection to attracting businesses and promoting arts, culture, and leisure, it is a privilege to recognise the fantastic work that local councils do on the front lines.”

    The awards cover ten categories, with sponsor partners and support bodies including agendaNi, the Association for Public Service Excellence (APSE), CCLA Good Investment, Greenwich Leisure Limited (GLL), Hays Recruitment, the Local Government Information Unit (LGiU), the Local Government Staff Commission (LGSC), Quadra Consulting, the Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI), and the William Johnston Memorial Trust (WJMT).

    Also shortlisted for the awards were the Inclusive ABC Initiative (Local Government Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Award), Council-wide Quality Management System (Best Use of Data and Technology Award) and ABC Safeguarding Officer, Gary Scott (Employee of the year).

    Click here for a full list of the winners.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Alexander Novak held a meeting on improving the investment climate in the North Caucasus Federal District

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

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

    Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak held a meeting at the Government Coordination Center on improving the investment climate in the constituent entities of the Russian Federation that are part of the North Caucasus Federal District. The meeting was attended by Minister of Economic Development Maxim Reshetnikov, Minister of Construction and Housing and Utilities Irek Fayzullin, Minister of Energy Sergey Tsivilev, representatives of federal executive bodies, heads and representatives of constituent entities that are part of the North Caucasus Federal District, representatives of development institutions, investment banks, as well as PJSC Gazprom, OOO Gazprom Mezhregiongaz, PJSC Rosseti, JSC Kavkaz.RF, JSC Rosagroleasing, etc.

     

    “One of the tasks set by the President is to achieve the national goal of a sustainable, dynamic economy. A national project has been formed, the goals of which also include ensuring investment growth by 60% by 2030. Of course, the regions will play a decisive role in solving this problem: the quality of work with businesses, the effectiveness of investments and the speed of project implementation depend on them. Let me remind you that, based on the results of last year, very good results were achieved in terms of investment growth rates – plus 7.4%, in 2023 the growth was 9.8%. In total, this is almost 20% of accumulated growth,” said Alexander Novak, opening the meeting.

    The Deputy Prime Minister emphasized the significant role of investment activity in the North Caucasus in achieving the national goal of investment growth. “The Federal District demonstrates historical leadership in core non-resource industries, including light industry and the agricultural sector. The infrastructure and transport and logistics potential of the district serve as the basis for reorienting the country’s foreign economic activity from the West to the South. In the North Caucasus Federal District, as in other regions of Russia, private investment plays a key role – it should become the main driver of growth. The priority task is to create favorable conditions through various formats of investor support, including risk sharing, access to long-term money and improvement of the administrative and legal environment,” said the Deputy Prime Minister.

    He named three main areas of work in the North Caucasus Federal District.

    The first is the creation of institutional conditions at the local level by introducing a regional investment standard. This work needs to be expanded from the federal and regional to municipal levels. The next stage should be a systemic restart of work to improve the investment climate. To this end, on the instructions of the President, the Ministry of Economic Development, together with the Agency for Strategic Initiatives, is forming a national business model.

    The second direction is related to the replication and fine-tuning of federal support instruments. The project financing factory, mechanisms of agreements on the protection and encouragement of capital investments are in demand. An important instrument for attracting investment to the regions are special economic zones and PPP mechanisms, infrastructure instruments and targeted support measures.

    The third block of work should be aimed at increasing the investment attractiveness of the subjects of the North Caucasus Federal District – solving issues related to the specifics of the regions. In this direction, it is necessary to solve the problems of increasing the activity of credit institutions, as well as trust in investors implementing projects in the Caucasus. Regions need to work more actively to bring business out of the shadows.

    Minister of Economic Development Maxim Reshetnikov and Minister of Energy Sergey Tsivilev reported on the achievements in the field of breakthrough investment projects in the Caucasus and on the progress of the implementation of programs for the modernization of the energy infrastructure of the North Caucasus Federal District. In order to ensure sufficient power supply capacity for the population and industry, the task was set to combat illegal cryptocurrency mining in the region.

    According to the Minister of Construction and Housing and Utilities Irek Faizullin, the collection of payments for housing and utilities services in the North Caucasus Federal District remains low: in a number of regions it does not exceed 43%. He also paid special attention to the problems of accidents in heating networks, the need to update the water disposal infrastructure and compliance with the deadlines and quality of construction of infrastructure facilities in the housing and utilities sector, etc.

    Following the meeting, Alexander Novak instructed the authorities of the North Caucasus Federal District regions to actively engage in targeted work with businesses, inform entrepreneurs and SMEs about available opportunities, including new government support measures. The Agency for Strategic Initiatives, together with the Ministry of Economic Development, was instructed to introduce indicators for assessing the use of government support measures in the North Caucasus Federal District, as well as to work out the launch of new programs together with development institutions and investment banks, taking into account the existing experience of applying support measures for breakthrough investment projects.

    The Deputy Prime Minister paid special attention to the need to bring the collection rates for energy supply, gas and housing and communal services to the level of the Russian average. To this end, he instructed to implement the best available practices and tools for improving payment discipline used in the leading regions of Russia, including those subjects of the North Caucasus Federal District where the collection rate exceeds 98%. The regions should exchange information with each other on the use of such practices. Gazprom, together with regional authorities, was instructed to consolidate abandoned networks in order to minimize gas losses in them, and to monitor work to prevent emergency situations. Rosseti will have to analyze the implementation of the Rosseti North Caucasus program of measures to reduce losses in power grids, as well as analyze their investment program to determine measures to develop regional energy systems.

    At the end of the meeting, Alexander Novak invited representatives of federal and regional executive authorities, as well as representatives of development institutions, banks and businesses to take part in the Caucasus Investment Forum, which will be held in the city of Mineralnye Vody in Stavropol Krai on May 25–27. The Deputy Prime Minister called the forum an important discussion platform that helps increase the investment attractiveness of the region. “Last year, 100 agreements worth more than 106 billion rubles were signed at the forum, including 7 agreements with foreign companies. Therefore, I count on your active participation in the forum, as well as companies and partners from your regions,” said Alexander Novak.

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI: Top Producing Branch Manager Ted Edginton Joins Rate in Bloomfield Hills, MI

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    BIRMINGHAM, Mich., March 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Rate, a leader in fintech mortgage solutions, today announced the addition of Ted Edginton as its new Producing Branch Manager in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. With over 22 years of career experience as a senior loan officer, Edginton has a track record of success, industry knowledge, and a client-first approach to Rate’s team.

    Edginton joins Rate after over two decades with U.S. Bank, where he built a reputation for top-tier service and consistent production. Recognized for his high volume and unit production year after year, he has been a member of the President’s Circle and Legends of Possible since 2008.

    “My team and I made a strategic move to Rate because of the strength of its product offerings and focus on the client experience,” said Edginton. “With Rate’s platform, I can serve my clients faster, more efficiently, and with more options tailored to their needs with less stress. I’m excited to bring this level of service to even more people in my community.”

    Known for his commitment to service, Edginton prides himself on being accessible to clients, outlining a clear path to the finish line, and treating every borrower like family. His expertise spans a wide range of products, including VA, FHA, Construction-Perm/Rehab, Reverse, Physician, programs for the self employed, and other unique Portfolio Loans.

    “We’re all very excited to welcome Ted to the Rate team,” said Jeff Nelson, Chief Production Officer-East at Rate. “His expertise and success are a wonderful addition to a great Rate family.”

    Beyond his professional accomplishments, Edginton is actively involved in the local community, including the Greater Metropolitan Association of Realtors (GMAR) in Southeast Michigan and the Michigan Realtors Association. He also was the first non-Realtor inducted into the Realtor Hall of Fame in Washinton D.C. and is continually recognized in Hour Magazine as an annual Mortgage All Star. His dedicated engagement reinforces his strong referral network and commitment to supporting local agents and clients.

    With this move, Rate continues to expand its footprint in Michigan, focusing on personalized service, powerful products, and a team of trusted experts like Edginton.

    About Rate

    Rate Companies is a leader in mortgage lending and digital financial services. Headquartered in Chicago, Rate has over 850 branches across all 50 states and Washington D.C. Since its launch in 2000, Rate has helped more than 2 million homeowners with home purchase loans and refinances. The company has cemented itself as an industry leader by introducing innovative technology, offering low rates, and delivering unparalleled customer service. Honors and awards include: Top 5 Mortgage Lender by Inside Mortgage Finance for 2024; Best Mortgage Lender for First-Time Homebuyers by NerdWallet for 2023; HousingWire’s Tech100 award for the company’s industry-leading FlashClose℠ digital mortgage platform in 2020, MyAccount in 2022, and Language Access Program in 2023; the most Scotsman Guide Top Originators for 11 consecutive years; Chicago Agent Magazine’s Lender of the Year for seven consecutive years; and Chicago Tribune’s Top Workplaces list for seven straight years. Visit rate.com for more information.

    Press Contact

    press@rate.com

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f5d5241a-e42d-4056-96eb-25926084c7ec

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Mortgage Rates Expected to Move Lower in 2025 and 2026

    Source: Fannie Mae

    WASHINGTON, DC – Mortgage rates are now expected to end 2025 and 2026 at 6.3 percent and 6.2 percent, respectively, downward revisions of three-tenths for each, according to the March 2025 commentary from the Fannie Mae (FNMA/OTCQB) Economic and Strategic Research (ESR) Group. The lower mortgage rate outlook resulted in a small upward revision to the ESR Group’s existing home sales outlook in 2025, though expectations for total home sales remain subdued. On a Q4/Q4 basis, real gross domestic product (GDP) is now expected to be 1.7 percent in 2025 and 2.1 percent in 2026, modest downward revisions owing to weaker incoming data and greater clarity on trade policy.

    “We expect the recent pullback in mortgage rates will provide a small boost to home sales this year,” said Mark Palim, Fannie Mae Senior Vice President and Chief Economist. “While our latest forecast calls for a period of modestly slower economic growth, historically, interest rates have been the most important driver of home sales. We think mortgage rates will move even lower within the next quarter and ultimately close the year at approximately 6.3 percent, which could be low enough to generate some extra sales from any would-be buyers still waiting on the sidelines.”

    Visit the Economic and Strategic Research site at fanniemae.com to read the full March 2025 Economic Outlook, including the Economic Developments Commentary, Economic Forecast, and Housing Forecast. To receive e-mail updates with other housing market research from Fannie Mae’s Economic and Strategic Research Group, please click here .

    Opinions, analyses, estimates, forecasts, beliefs, and other views of Fannie Mae’s Economic and Strategic Research (ESR) Group included in these materials should not be construed as indicating Fannie Mae’s business prospects or expected results, are based on assumptions, and are subject to change without notice. How this information affects Fannie Mae will depend on many factors. Although the ESR Group bases its opinions, analyses, estimates, forecasts, beliefs, and other views on information it considers reliable, it does not guarantee that the information provided in these materials is accurate, current, or suitable for any particular purpose. Changes in the assumptions or the information underlying these views could produce materially different results. The analyses, opinions, estimates, forecasts, beliefs, and other views published by the ESR Group represent the views of that group as of the date indicated and do not necessarily represent the views of Fannie Mae or its management.

    About the ESR Group
    Fannie Mae’s Economic and Strategic Research Group, led by Chief Economist Mark Palim, studies current data, analyzes historical and emerging trends, and conducts surveys of consumer and mortgage lender groups to provide forecasts and analyses on the economy, housing, and mortgage markets.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: AMERICA/ARGENTINA – A society that gives space to God, that seeks to be guided by Him is a society that is a sign of hope

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Friday, 28 March 2025

    Diocesis de La Rioja

    La Rioja (Agenzia Fides) – “Social pastoral care is a fundamental dimension of the Church’s mission, which seeks to make the Kingdom of God present amidst the difficulties and challenges of daily life,” said Dante Braida, President of the Episcopal Commission for Social Pastoral Care and Bishop of the Diocese of La Rioja, who pointed out that “this action promotes a Church close to its citizens, concerned with the problems of its community and committed to justice and solidarity.” The Prelate considers social pastoral care a fundamental area in the Church’s interaction with society, especially in the context of an outgoing Church.Bishop Braida’s goal is “a social pastoral ministry that strengthens and promotes four main axes: the social dimension of faith, so that every Christian can exercise their identity in the social commitments they assume; participation as a citizen, that is, as part of social life; the protection of the environment and the way in which we deal with addictions, the meaning and care of life and everything that damages it, such as drug trafficking.””There are many reasons to have hope,” the bishop continued. “When a family is founded, opens itself to life, grows, and raises its children, that is a very strong sign of hope. When people launch new entrepreneurial initiatives to serve society; when children, adolescents, and young people want to study and develop professionally in sports, the arts, and science. Other signs of hope are when society cares for its elderly; a society that cultivates its faith, that gives space to God and wants to be guided by Him, that is a sign of hope.””Local parishes, in particular, and the entire diocese, which has a diverse population and significant social challenges, are committed to addressing the social reality of their community. The support of priests, sisters, and lay people, as well as that of Bishop Braida, is fundamental,” Sister Silvia Somaré, missionary of the “Hermanas Esclavas del Corazón de Jesús” (ecj) in La Rioja and member of the diocesan press office, told Fides. “The presence of indigenous communities is notable, as is the existence of rural areas with high rates of poverty and difficulties in accessing basic services. Another precarious situation is social inequality, manifested in the gap between the most privileged and the most vulnerable. This situation is exacerbated in some suburbs of the capital and in the inland cities, where a lack of opportunities and unstable job security lead to exclusion and marginalization.”In light of this reality, several social pastoral measures have been launched to support the most vulnerable communities and promote their integral development. These measures are based on the principles of the Church’s social doctrine, which promotes human dignity, social justice, and the common good. Among the most important initiatives are the distribution of food and the establishment of community kitchens for families in vulnerable situations; initiatives aimed at strengthening the social fabric and creating development opportunities for communities through training workshops, micro-enterprises, and productive projects; support for the homeless, drug addicts, or victims of violence through comprehensive assistance programs, personalized care, and support through soup kitchens; the promotion of local culture and identity; and networking with other institutions.”The entire Church in La Rioja remains committed to building a more just and fraternal society, where everyone has the opportunity to develop their potential and live with dignity,” Sister Silvia concluded. (AP) (Agenzia Fides, 28/3/2025)
    Diocesis de La Rioja

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    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: AFRICA/DR CONGO – The drama of Congolese refugees in Burundi

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Kinshasa (Agenzia Fides) – “The new Congolese refugees who arrived in Burundi on March 15, 2025, are currently living a difficult life due to the lack of continuous support from United Nations agencies and international humanitarian organizations,” reads a statement from the Congolese human rights organization ACMEJ, sent to Fides. “Fortunately, the Burundian authorities continue to welcome the refugees and ensure a very high level of protection and security,” continues the statement from the civil society association based in the Congolese province of South Kivu.More than 63,000 Congolese from South Kivu province have been forced to flee due to the advance of the M23 troops, who have taken over the capital of this province in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (see Fides, 17/2/2025).”Most of these Congolese refugees in Rugombo, in the Burundian province of Cibitoke, consider themselves fortunate to have good diplomatic relations between Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo,” the ACMEJ statement reads. “The refugees ask UNHCR personnel working in Burundi to show the same goodwill by applying the guiding principles of international refugee law,” the statement continues.According to the ACMEJ, “the Congolese refugees would not be willing to go to the new camp in Rutana, on the border with Tanzania,” which is located in the opposite direction from the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo, which would further displace these people from their homes. The new refugee camp is, in fact, more than 200 km from the camp in Rugombo. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides, 28/3/2025)
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    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: ASIA/MYANMAR – Severe earthquake in the north of the country: “There is little or no aid”

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Archdiocese of Mandalay

    Mandalay (Agenzia Fides) – “The tragedy is that there is little or no aid. We see so much solidarity among the people, but we note the complete absence of the state. The Sagaing area, epicenter of the earthquake, is one of the areas where clashes are most intense due to the ongoing civil war. In the general instability, there is no organized aid for the victims,” said a local Fides source from the Catholic community of Mandalay, near Sagaing, where the earthquake of March 28 caused the greatest damage. “In the areas not controlled by the army, the so-called ‘liberated areas,’ there are no functioning civil institutions, so everything is left to the goodwill of the population or the organization of ethnic minority communities and armies,” continued the Fides source, who requested anonymity for security reasons. “In the areas controlled by the junta, some fire brigades are operating in the capital, Naypyidaw, and in Mandalay, where several multi-storey buildings have collapsed. Many other areas are completely abandoned. The state is completely uninterested in its citizens, their condition, and their well-being.”Two powerful earthquakes measuring 7.7 and 6.4 on the Richter scale struck Myanmar on March 28 at 12:50 p.m. local time, with the epicenter in the Mandalay area. Dozens of people were seriously injured, and scenes of panic ensued in the streets of Mandalay, with people running to open spaces to save their lives. The tremors were also felt in neighboring Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, and the adjacent Chinese region of Yunnan. Official figures on casualties and damage are not yet available. The ruling military junta has now declared a state of emergency in six regions, requested humanitarian assistance from the international community, and ordered the closure of airports in the capital, Naypyidaw, and Yangon. The colonial-era “Old Sagaing Bridge,” built 91 years ago by the British Empire over the Irrawaddy River, collapsed. Several Catholic churches in Mandalay were damaged: St. Michael’s Catholic Parish was the hardest hit, while 20 people were killed when a mosque collapsed in Mandalay. St. Joseph’s Cathedral in the city of Taunggyi, Shan State, was also damaged. Many churches in Mandalay, Naypyidaw, Yangon, and Taunggyi suspended liturgical celebrations and asked the faithful for gestures of solidarity with those now homeless.Earthquakes are relatively frequent in Myanmar, and in the past they have affected the Sagaing fault, which runs from north to south through the center of the country. In 2016, a magnitude 6.8 earthquake in the ancient capital Bagan caused the walls of Buddhist temples to collapse. According to experts, rapid development in Myanmar’s cities, combined with outdated infrastructure and poor urban planning, has made the country’s most populous areas particularly vulnerable to the effects of earthquakes. Due not least to the four-year civil war, the country has a very poor health system, especially in rural areas. (PA) (Agenzia Fides, 28/3/2025)
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    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: The results of the VI International Arctic Forum “The Arctic: Territory of Dialogue” have been summed up

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

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

    The 6th International Arctic Forum “The Arctic: Territory of Dialogue” was held in Murmansk on March 26–27. The organizer was the Roscongress Foundation with the support of the Russian Government.

    “The International Arctic Forum “The Arctic: Territory of Dialogue” – 2025 was attended by about 1.3 thousand participants and media representatives from 21 countries, as well as about 230 representatives of Russian and foreign businesses from more than 110 companies. The business program included 20 events with the participation of more than 150 speakers. The forum turned out to be truly international and significant. At the plenary session, the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin announced a number of fundamental decisions for the socio-economic development of the Arctic. The most important task of the IAF is to discuss current problems that the Government of Russia, federal ministries and regions must jointly solve for the successful operation of enterprises, improving the standard of living of people, supporting the territories as a whole,” emphasized Deputy Prime Minister – Plenipotentiary Representative of the President in the Far Eastern Federal District Yuri Trutnev.

    The IAF has become a platform for international dialogue on issues such as the development of the Northern Sea Route, increasing the investment and entrepreneurial potential of the Arctic zone, as well as environmental issues, humanitarian and cultural cooperation.

    “Right now, the Arctic is becoming a territory of opportunities for the entire country. Given the revision of traditional technological chains, given participation in large-scale Arctic projects, huge prospects are opening up for enterprises across the country and creative, artistic people. The development of the Northern Sea Route as the main transport artery in the Arctic, the construction of new railway approaches to northern ports will also have a multiplier effect for the entire country. Within the framework of the upcoming major international forums, including the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum and the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, the Arctic theme will be taken into account and allocated to a separate block of the business program of events,” said Anton Kobyakov, Advisor to the President of Russia, Executive Secretary of the Organizing Committee for the Preparation and Holding of the International Arctic Forum “The Arctic – Territory of Dialogue”.

    One of the central topics of the forum was the discussion of state policy in the Arctic, aimed at the comprehensive development of the Far North and the growth of the well-being of the region’s residents.

    “The mechanisms of state support need to be improved for the accelerated development of the macro-region, the implementation of investment projects, and the improvement of the quality of life of people. Based on the results of the implementation of the first stage of the Arctic development strategy until 2035, proposals will be prepared to update this fundamental document,” said Minister for the Development of the Far East and Arctic Alexey Chekunkov at a joint meeting of the State Council commissions on the development of the Arctic and the Northern Sea Route.

    The forum was held under the motto “Live in the North!” The event brought together representatives of federal and regional authorities, businesses and the expert community.

    “Our strategic plan is “Live in the North!” This is the motto of today’s forum. For us, this is a plan in addition to national projects. Clear, worked out with people, designed, aimed at ensuring investment growth and, of course, increasing people’s incomes and their quality of life,” noted Murmansk Region Governor Andrei Chibis during a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin as part of the MAF.

    Business program

    The business program of the forum included 20 sessions divided into four thematic blocks: “The Arctic and the NSR: how to win in the competitive struggle of world routes”, “The Arctic and the NSR: a pole for attracting investments”, “The Arctic and the NSR: development of key settlements”, “International cooperation and ecology”. More than 150 speakers took part in the discussions.

    The forum included a joint meeting of the State Council commissions on the development of the Arctic and the Northern Sea Route, which united five State Council commissions – in the areas of “Northern Sea Route and the Arctic”, “International Cooperation and Export”, “Energy”, “Youth and Children”, and “Efficient Transport System”.

    The session “The Arctic: Bridges of Cooperation between Peoples and States” summed up the results of the VIII International Scientific and Practical Conference “The Universe of the Polar Bear: Effective Cooperation in the Arctic”.

    Also, for the first time, the MAF hosted a special session dedicated to the role of women in the development of northern regions – the “Arctic Living Room”.

    Plenary session

    The key event of the forum was the plenary session with the participation of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

    “Development of the Russian North, overcoming the challenges of harsh nature, the state’s entry into new promising frontiers – these tasks inspired many generations of our ancestors: sailors and Novgorod merchants of the Middle Ages, Arctic pioneers of the 16th and 17th centuries, industrialists of the 18th and 19th centuries, scientists, polar explorers, engineers, workers of the Soviet Union, teams of companies of modern Russia, which launched large Arctic projects in the early 2000s. And today, the northern vector of development is in the foreground, it is our sovereign, historical choice. And this means that the tasks that we set and solve in the Arctic, the projects that we implement here, must be of an appropriate, historical scale, with an expectation of decades, maybe even centuries. We will do everything to strengthen Russia’s global leadership in the Arctic, and, despite all the current difficulties and complexities, we will ensure the comprehensive development of this region and create a solid foundation for future generations,” the head of state noted.

    Participants

    The forum brought together about 1.3 thousand participants and media representatives from 21 countries, including Russia (Argentina, Great Britain, Venezuela, Vietnam, Germany, India, Kazakhstan, Qatar, China, UAE, Republic of Belarus, Republic of Korea, Russia, USA, Serbia, Singapore, Turkey, Finland, France, Switzerland, Japan).

    The forum was attended by Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office Maxim Oreshkin, Presidential Adviser and Special Representative of the President for International Cooperation in Transport Igor Levitin, Presidential Aide Alexei Dyumin, Presidential Aide Nikolai Patrushev, and Presidential Adviser Anton Kobyakov.

    The forum was attended by Deputy Prime Minister Vitaly Savelyev and Deputy Prime Minister – Presidential Plenipotentiary Representative in the Far Eastern Federal District Yuri Trutnev, Presidential Plenipotentiary Representative in the Northwestern Federal District Alexander Gutsan, Presidential Plenipotentiary Representative in the Siberian Federal District Anatoly Seryshev, Minister for the Development of the Far East and Arctic Alexey Chekunkov and Minister of Industry and Trade Anton Alikhanov.

    The forum participants included seven heads of federal services and agencies and ten heads of constituent entities of the Russian Federation.

    The Chairman of the Committee of Senior Arctic Officials, Norwegian diplomat Morten Höglund, addressed the forum participants with a video message. In addition, the forum site was visited by the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Korea Lee Do-hoon.

    The forum brought together about 230 representatives of Russian and foreign businesses from more than 110 companies.

    ​

    Media

    The forum was attended by 305 media representatives from Russia and nine foreign countries (Great Britain, Venezuela, Vietnam, Germany, Qatar, Serbia, Turkey, Finland, France).

    ​

    Agreements

    Nine agreements were signed at MAF-2025:

    ● PJSC Rosseti North-West, JSC Rosseti Scientific and Technical Center and the Novosibirsk State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering signed a strategic partnership agreement;

    ● JSC Far East and Arctic Development Corporation signed an agreement on information interaction with the Association of Tour Operators of Russia, as well as with JSC Arsenal on cooperation in the extraction and enrichment of rare metal ores in the Murmansk region within the framework of the Kulyok – Rare Earths project with a total investment volume of 10 billion rubles;

    ● The Federal Agency for Nationalities Affairs and PJSC Mining and Metallurgical Company Norilsk Nickel signed an additional cooperation agreement;

    ● a cooperation agreement was signed between the Government of the Republic of Karelia and Vodohod LLC;

    ● the Ministry of Property Relations of the Murmansk Region and the public-law company Roskadastr signed an agreement on the implementation of the pilot project “Involvement of real estate objects in economic circulation in the Murmansk Region”;

    ● the government of the Murmansk region and the Avito company signed a cooperation agreement;

    ● the government of the Murmansk region, Sberbank of Russia PJSC and the V.A. Almazov National Medical Research Center signed a cooperation agreement;

    ● The Arkhangelsk Region Government and the United Volunteer Center of the Murmansk Region signed an agreement on cooperation in the development of volunteerism and strengthening cooperation in the regions of the Arctic zone, scaling up practices to support the wives of military personnel in the Northern Fleet.

    Sports program

    The sports program included eight events. The Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of Russia in the Northwestern Federal District Alexander Gutsan and the Governor of the Murmansk Region Andrei Chibis took part in the ceremonial event dedicated to the 90th Festival of the North. The program of competitions, which will last until mid-April, included cross-country skiing, biathlon, speed skating and alpine skiing, bandy and others.

    For the forum participants, Arctic team building, exercise in ties, ice floating, alpine skiing and snowboarding, snow fights, as well as an introduction to traditional sports of the peoples of the North were organized.

    The forum included a presentation of the Arctic Mosaic sports, health and strength festival, which will be held annually in different regions of the Arctic zone. Under the auspices of the MAF, the IV All-Russian Arctic Games were held in Salekhard and Labytnangi, the program of which included nine sports.

    The final and largest event of the MAF-2025 sports program will be the 51st Murmansk Ski Marathon. On March 29 and 30, 2.5 thousand athletes will take to the start line of the 25 km and 50 km races at the Dolina Uyuta sports complex. The marathon participants will be Olympic winners and medalists Nikita Kryukov, Alexey Petukhov, Maxim Vylegzhanin and Alexander Bessmertnykh.

    Cultural program

    The cultural program included the opening of the Taste of the Arctic gastrofestival, where a joint team of restaurateurs and chefs from the subjects of the Russian Arctic zone presented a menu of regional cuisine. The Sami Village and the Taste the North ice bar operated on the site. There was also an Arctic crafts fair.

    The Murmansk Regional Museum of Local History offered the forum participants excursions that told about the uniqueness of the Murmansk Region. Thematic exhibitions were timed to coincide with the MAF. Among them was an exhibition of paintings dedicated to the development of the Arctic and the Northern Sea Route, from the collections of the Murmansk Regional Art Museum.

    There was also a ceremony of donating works of art to the Murmansk Region and the opening of the exhibition “H2O. Art about water and more…”. Seven paintings and three sculptures were donated to the Murmansk Regional Art Museum from the Siyanie Contemporary Art Center and the collections of Vladimir Nekrasov and Andrey Malakhov.

    In addition, forum participants were able to take a tour of the icebreaker Lenin, the world’s first vessel with a nuclear power plant, which provided navigation along the Northern Sea Route for about 30 years. The icebreaker has guided thousands of ships through the Arctic and traveled a total of 654,400 nautical miles. It has now become a calling card of the Murmansk Region and one of the most visited tourist sites in the Kola North.

    The Murmansk Drama Theatre hosted an “Art Cocktail”, during which the audience saw the play “Prologue to the Murmansk Region” and a concert by the Pacific Fleet ensemble.

    On March 30, a creative evening of People’s Artist of Russia Alexander Oleshko “Set the Mood” will take place.

    ​

    Project “Soul of Russia. Arctic”

    As part of the project, seven films were screened in partnership with Roskino, including the films North Pole and Village of Widows, which were dedicated to the Year of Defender of the Fatherland and the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War.

    Creative meetings “Inspired by the Arctic” were held, during which viewers met with the production designer of the Soyuzmultfilm studio, creator of the animated series “Umka” Anna Popova, director of the film “North Pole” Alexander Kott, scriptwriter and producer of the film “Widows’ Village” Olga Martisova.

    During the children’s program “Arctic Film Vacations” they showed “The Best Episodes of Soyuzmultfilm Series” and “Warm Animation from Soyuzmultfilm”.

    The business program included a session entitled “The Northern Creative Path: A Territory of Business Opportunities,” where the contribution of creative industries to the economic growth of the northern territories, the use of the wealth of national cultural traditions to create unique brands, and other issues were discussed.

    Expert and analytical support

    The Roscongress Foundation’s information and analytical system continued to develop the Summary service, which uses artificial intelligence to obtain brief analytical summaries of discussions with descriptions of key conclusions, problems, and solutions voiced during the discussions.

    Based on the results of the forum, an analytical report “Results of the International Arctic Forum 2025” will be prepared, which will be available in electronic form in the information and analytical system of the Roscongress Foundation roscongress.org.

    Expert and analytical support for the forum was provided by experts representing the country’s leading scientific and educational centers that conduct research on a wide range of topics on the Arctic agenda, including the Murmansk Arctic University, the Northern (Arctic) Federal University named after M.V. Lomonosov, the St. Petersburg State University of Economics, the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, the National Research University Higher School of Economics, the G.P. Luzin Institute of Economic Problems of the Kola Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Institute of Regional Economic Problems of the Russian Academy of Sciences, etc.

    Partners

    The co-organizer of the forum is the state corporation Rosatom, the strategic partner is PJSC Rosseti, the strategic scientific partner is the National Research Center Kurchatov Institute, the communications partner is the media holding MAER, the business program partners are VTB Bank, PJSC Novatek, MMC Norilsk Nickel, PhosAgro, and the business partner is VEB.RF.

    The information partners were the TV channel Rossiya 24, MIA Rossiya Segodnya, the TASS information agency, MIC Izvestia, the Vedomosti newspaper, the RT TV channel, the Business FM radio station, Sputnik, the Arguments and Facts newspaper, Rossiyskaya Gazeta, the Mir TV channel, the Komsomolskaya Pravda publishing house, Lenta.ru, Gazeta.Ru, Shkulev Media – Vokrug Sveta, the Federal Press information agency, the Expert magazine, the Regional Russia magazine, Vesti FM, the NEWS.ru portal, the GoArctic portal, the Arktik-TV TV channel, the Murmansk State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company, the TV21 TV channel, the Murmansk Herald, the Vecherniy Murmansk newspaper and the Severpost information agency.

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: As federal environmental priorities shift, sovereign Native American nations have their own plans

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Alyssa Kreikemeier, Assistant Professor of History, University of Idaho

    Billy Frank Jr., left, a Nisqually tribal elder, was arrested dozens of times while trying to assert his native fishing rights during the ‘Fish Wars’ of the 1960s and 1970s. In this 2014 photo, he stands with Ed Johnstone of the Quinault tribe. AP Photo/Ted S. Warren

    Long before the large-scale Earth Day protests on April 22, 1970 – often credited with spurring significant environmental protection legislation – Native Americans stewarded the environment. As sovereign nations, Native Americans have been able to protect land, water and air, including well beyond their own boundaries.

    Their actions laid the groundwork for modern federal law and policy, including national legislation aimed at reducing pollution. Now the Trump administration is seeking to weaken some of those limits and eliminate programs aimed at improving the environments in which marginalized people live and work.

    As an environmental historian, I study how Native Americans have shaped environmental management. Tribal nations are the longest stewards of the lands today known as the United States. My work indicates not only that tribal nations contributed to the origins and evolution of modern environmental management on tribal and nontribal lands, but also that they are well poised to continue environmental management and scientific research regardless of U.S. government actions.

    Environmental sovereignty

    Native peoples stewarded and studied their environments for millennia before European colonization. Today, Native nations continue to use science, technology and Indigenous knowledge to benefit their own people and the broader population.

    Their stewardship continues despite repeated and ongoing efforts to dispossess Native peoples. In 1953, Congress reversed centuries of federally recognizing tribal authority, passing a law that terminated tribal nations’ legal and political status and federal obligations under treaties and legal precedents, including requirements to provide education and health care.

    This termination policy subjected tribal nations and reservation lands to state jurisdiction and relocated at least 200,000 Native people from tribal lands to urban centers.

    A groundswell of Native American resistance captured national attention, including protests and tactics such as “fish-ins,” which involved fishing at traditional grounds guaranteed by treaties but not honored by land use at the time. Their efforts led federal courts to affirm the very rights termination had sought to expunge.

    Native nations regained federally recognized rights and political power at the same time as the national environmental awakening. In fact, tribal nations exercised environmental sovereignty in ways that restored federal recognition and influenced broader U.S. environmental law and policy.

    Air quality

    In the 1960s, air pollution in America posed a serious health threat, with smog killing Americans on occasion and harming their long-term health. Under the 1970 Clean Air Act amendments, the federal government set national standards for air quality and penalties for polluters.

    As early as 1974, the Northern Cheyenne Tribe in southeastern Montana began monitoring its own air quality. Finding that its air was substantially cleaner than other areas of the country, the tribe used a new approach to push the Environmental Protection Agency to approve enhanced protections beyond the minimum federal standards. The Northern Cheyenne wanted to prevent polluting industries from moving into locations with cleaner air that could be polluted without exceeding the federal limits. That protection was codified in the 1977 Clean Air Act amendments, which established legal protections and a process for communities to claim greater pollution protections nationwide.

    In 1978, the Northern Cheyenne used their higher standards to limit pollution sources on private land upwind of tribal lands, temporarily blocking the construction of two additional coal-fired power plants.

    Within a decade, the Assiniboine and Sioux nations at Fort Peck and the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes also claimed enhanced air protection and developed air quality monitoring programs even before most state governments did. Dozens of tribal nations have taken control of their air quality in the years since.

    This September 1941 photo shows Native Americans fishing for salmon at Celilo Falls, Ore.
    Russell Lee/Library of Congress via AP

    Waterways

    Native nations also exercise sovereignty over waterways. In the Pacific Northwest, people whose ancestors have lived in the area for at least 16,000 years have moved to protect themselves and their lands from the effects of massive hydropower projects.

    The Columbia River Basin hydropower project, which began in the 1930s, now includes over 250 dams that together generate nearly half of the United States’ hydropower. Its dams and associated development stretch from the Canadian Rockies to Southern California, with effects crossing dozens of Native nations as well as international and state boundaries. The construction of the dams inundated multiple tribal nations’ lands and displaced thousands of Native people.

    When four dams were built on the lower Snake River in Idaho in the 1960s, they inundated ancestral lands and fishing grounds of Columbia River Native Americans, including the Nez Perce Tribe. The dams decimated fish populations many tribes have long relied upon for both sustenance and cultural practices and destroyed ancient and culturally significant fishing sites, including Celilo Falls near The Dalles, Oregon, which had been fished for at least 10,000 years.

    Nez Perce scientists and environmental managers, working alongside other Northwest tribes, have documented the near extinction of numerous species of salmon and steelhead fish, despite federal, state and tribal agencies investing billions of dollars in hatchery programs to boost fish populations. The Nez Perce Department of Fisheries Resources Management protects and restores aquatic ecosystems. In collaboration with nearby communities, the tribe also restores significant areas of habitat on nontribal lands. That includes decommissioning many miles of logging roads, removing mine tailings and sowing tens of thousands of native plants.

    The Nez Perce and other tribes advocate for the removal of those four dams to restore salmon populations. They cite, among other evidence, a 2002 Army Corps of Engineers study that found removal was the most effective way to meet the Endangered Species Act’s requirements to restore decimated fish populations.

    As part of a collaboration between federal agencies and Native tribes, juvenile coho salmon are released into the Columbia River Basin.
    AP Photo/Gillian Flaccus

    Taking a long view

    Native Americans and tribal nations see environmental sovereignty as essential to their past, present and future.

    In 2015, the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes became the first Native nation to take over a federal dam when they purchased the Selis Ksanka Qlispe dam, operating on the Flathead River in Montana. Managed by a tribal corporation, the dam produces enough hydropower to supply 100,000 homes, bringing millions of dollars to tribal coffers rather than enriching a corporation in Pennsylvania.

    Over the decades, Native nations have partnered with federal agencies and used federal laws and funds to manage their environments. They have also built connections between tribes and nations across the continent.

    For instance, the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission coordinates and assists Columbia Basin tribes with environmental management and fishing rights. In northern New Mexico, the Indigenous women of Tewa Women United work against the legacy and ongoing effects of nuclear research affecting their homelands and communities from Los Alamos National Laboratory.

    Across the U.S., the Indian Land Tenure Foundation works with Native peoples to secure control of their homelands through land return and legal reforms, while Honor the Earth organizes Indigenous peoples in North America and globally to advance social change rooted in Indigenous sovereignty through treaty organizing and advocacy.

    Tribal governments have been hit hard by the shifts in federal priorities, including Trump administration funding cuts that have slowed scientific research, such as environmental monitoring and management on tribal lands.

    Tribal governance takes a long view based in Native peoples’ deep history with these lands. And their legal and political status as sovereign nations – backed by the U.S. Constitution, treaties, more than 120 Supreme Court rulings and the plain text of federal laws – puts Native nations in a strong position to continue their efforts, no matter which ways the federal winds blow.

    I have conducted research for the National Park Service as an employee of the University of New Mexico’s School for Architecture and Planning. My research at the University of Idaho has been partially supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation’s Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research.

    – ref. As federal environmental priorities shift, sovereign Native American nations have their own plans – https://theconversation.com/as-federal-environmental-priorities-shift-sovereign-native-american-nations-have-their-own-plans-251685

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Department confirms rescue of 23 South Africans from Myanmar

    Source: South Africa News Agency

    The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) has confirmed that 23 South Africans – who were part of a group of 7 000 people from various countries – have been rescued from Myanmar.

    “Our citizens returned to South Africa a few hours ago, assisted by DIRCO and the Border Management Authority. DIRCO facilitated the repatriation of the South African nationals and provided financial assistance,” the department said in a statement issued on Thursday afternoon. 

    Before leaving South Africa last year, these men and women were lured by an employment agency to Thailand under the pretences of lucrative jobs that were advertised on various social media platforms. 

    “These adverts promised the victims good salaries, free accommodation, comprehensive travel expenses, and other lucrative benefits. Once in Thailand, they were transported to Myanmar against their will.” 

    The victims were held captive for more than four months in a cybercrime compound in Myanmar, which borders Thailand. 

    “They were subjected to brutal treatment, including intimidation, physical torture, and forced labour. They were also compelled to engage in illicit activities, including online scams that targeted individuals worldwide.”

    In addition, DIRCO said, they were under 24-hour armed security and a ransom of about R50 000 was demanded for their release. 

    “They were forced to work for 16 hours a day and were frequently beaten or tortured if they refused, and they survived on spoiled food and contaminated water without access to medical treatment.”

    The department explained that the repatriation of the South African victims was part of the bilateral cooperation agreement to combat human trafficking and other forms of transnational organised crime signed by Thailand and South Africa in 2023. 

    “The government is grateful for the assistance provided by Thai authorities in facilitating the repatriation of the victims.”

    Victim support

    The Department of Social Development (DSD) and the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI) have since conducted an initial screening of the victims to verify their identity and family information.

    Following the screening interviews, the DPCI will transport the victims to health facilities to undergo health screenings. 

    Temporary accommodation will be provided for those from outside Gauteng, enabling them to reunite with their families and relatives, while those who live in the province will be transported home by DPCI. 

    Investigation

    According to the department, the DPCI will investigate the matter and follow up appointments will be scheduled at a later stage with the victims to gather comprehensive statements, as their emotional and physical wellbeing must be taken into consideration.

    “The DPCI will continue to work with all the relevant government departments to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the victims, as well as the successful arrest and conviction of traffickers in South Africa.” 

    The department said the South African government strongly condemns any acts of trafficking and has introduced relevant legislation to deal harshly with this heinous crime. 

    The government has urged citizens to exercise extreme caution when considering employment opportunities abroad. 

    “If the promise of employment is too good to be true, you must exercise caution and be suspicious.”

    All countries with embassies and liaison offices in South Africa are listed on the DIRCO website www.dirco.gov.za .

    Travellers are also advised to register on the DIRCO Travel Smart app, a digital platform that provides support and information to South African citizens travelling or residing in foreign countries.

    However, those who suspect that their loved one or someone else is a victim of human trafficking can report the matter to the SAPS Crime Stop hotline on 08000 10111, the nearest police station, the DSD, or a designated child protection organisation.

    “Your safety and well-being are in your hands. Stay vigilant and protect yourself and your loved ones from falling victim to these malicious schemes. Let us all work together to stop trafficking in persons,” the department said. 

    Use the following helplines to report suspected incidents of human trafficking:

    • Childline – 116

    • Film and Publication Board – 0800 148 148

    • GBV Command Centre – 0800 428 428

    • National Human Trafficking Hotline – 0800 222 777. – SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Human Settlements moves help  Eastern Cape storms victims

    Source: South Africa News Agency

    Friday, March 28, 2025

    Human Settlements disaster relief teams from all spheres of government have arrived Amatole District Municipality, in Eastern Cape, to assess damage and give immediate help to communities affected by heavy storms.

    The storms ripped through several municipalities on Tuesday, leaving a trail of destruction, including electricity infrastructure and properties.

    The department said that after receiving notification on Tuesday, Human Settlements Minister, Thembi Simelane, immediately deployed three teams from the Emergency Housing Unit to assess the situation and determine the kind of help necessary in relation to the provision of much needed shelter during these difficult times.

    “The teams will do a verification process in the three affected municipalities in the Amatole District, which include Great Kei, Raymond Mhlaba and Amahlathi Local Municipalities. However, people in need of immediate accommodation have been temporarily housed in mass care centres available in the area,” the department said in a statement on Wednesday.

    The Minister has also tasked officials to work around the clock to relocate other victims to the Temporary Emergency Housing units, with the assistance of the local municipalities.

    Based on the preliminary report from the deployed teams, the department said there is a need to relocate families whose mud houses collapsed during storms to Temporary Residential Units (TRUs) and provide building materials for the communities to rebuild their destroyed structures.

    “The team will have a clear magnitude of the of disaster once the verification process has been completed,” the department said. – SAnews.gov.za
     

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Ruth and Phil – 35 years of parent and child fostering

    Source: City of Derby

    Ruth and Phil have dedicated their lives to fostering, providing a loving and stable home to children and young parents in need. This March, they will celebrate an incredible 35 years as foster carers, a journey that has touched the lives of over 300 children. Their story is one of kindness, patience, and unwavering commitment to helping others, making an invaluable contribution to the fostering community.

    Over the years, fostering has evolved, becoming more professional with better support and respect for carers. Ruth and Phil have embraced these changes, adapting to new training and digital record-keeping. One of Ruth’s unique approaches is writing letters to the children in her care, rather than just keeping bullet-pointed notes. “It gives them a picture of their growing up,” she explains. “When they look back, they won’t just see reports and assessments; they’ll see their own story, their milestones, and memories.”

    Specialising in parent and child fostering, Ruth and Phil offer a safe home for young parents and their babies, helping them navigate the challenges of early parenthood. They have supported young mothers, some arriving before birth and others straight from the hospital, ensuring they receive the care and guidance needed to develop their parenting skills. Their role requires 24/7 support, attending appointments and being constantly available, yet they describe it as incredibly rewarding. “You see the difference you’re making every day,” says Phil. “Watching a young mum grow in confidence, seeing her bond with her baby, and knowing you’ve helped create that stability—it’s an amazing feeling.”

    Their dedication extends beyond fostering. Ruth has worked closely with local authority professionals to improve awareness and support for parent and child fostering, advocating for better resources and recognition. Despite the difficulties of recruiting carers for this specialised role, she remains committed to encouraging others to step forward. “If you have the heart for it, don’t let doubts hold you back,” she advises. “Start the process, have the conversations—you never know where it might lead.”

    Family is at the heart of Ruth and Phil’s fostering journey. With five children of their own, 14 grandchildren, and their first great-grandchild on the way, they embrace every foster child and parent as part of their extended family. “From the moment they walk through our door, they’re family,” Ruth says.

    Ruth and Phil’s impact on fostering cannot be overstated. Their years of dedication, their ability to create a home filled with love and learning, and their passion for helping young parents succeed make them truly remarkable. Their story is one of hope, compassion, and the power of family.

    Councillor Paul Hezelgrave, Lead Council’s Cabinet Member for Foster East Midlands praised Ruth and Phil’s dedication, stating,

    Their commitment to fostering is truly inspiring. Their specialist skills in parent and child placements provide invaluable support to local authorities, helping vulnerable families stay together. They’ve changed countless lives, offering stability, love, and guidance to children and young parents in need.

    Right now, there is an urgent need for local authority foster carers. Across Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham, and Nottinghamshire, over 3,300 children are in care, but only half find foster homes. More carers are needed for children of all ages, especially for siblings, teenagers, children with special need and parent and child.

    Foster for East Midlands Councils, is a regional fostering hub which was launched in collaboration with four local councils in May 2024 to enhance recruitment and support for foster carers. This dedicated team guides prospective carers through every step of the process from enquiry to application. Once approved the support network of the councils provides 24/7 support and comprehensive training ensuring carers are well-prepared to meet the diverse needs of children in their care.

    For more information, visit fosterforeastmidlands.org.uk, attend a fostering information event, or call us at 0303 3132 950.

    Upcoming Foster for East Midlands Councils information events:

    Register on the webpage https://fosterforeastmidlands.org.uk/events/

    • ONLINE – Wednesday 2 April,30pm to 7.30pm, join our zoom call.
    • IN PERSON Wednesday 9 April, 6pm to 7pm, Tesco Bulwell, NottinghamNG6 8EQ,
    • ONLINE Tuesday 15 April,12pm to 1pm, join our zoom call.
    • IN PERSON Wednesday 23 April, 6.30pm to 7.30pm, Buxton Methodist Church, Chapel Street, BuxtonSK17 6HX
    • IN PERSON Thursday 8 May, 5pm to 6pm, Newark Library, Beaumond Gardens, Newark-On-Trent, Nottinghamshire NG24 1UW

    Ruth and Phil have dedicated their lives to fostering, providing a loving and stable home to children and young parents in need. This March, they will celebrate an incredible 35 years as foster carers, a journey that has touched the lives of over 300 children. Their story is one of kindness, patience, and unwavering commitment to helping others, making an invaluable contribution to the fostering community.

    Over the years, fostering has evolved, becoming more professional with better support and respect for carers. Ruth and Phil have embraced these changes, adapting to new training and digital record-keeping. One of Ruth’s unique approaches is writing letters to the children in her care, rather than just keeping bullet-pointed notes. “It gives them a picture of their growing up,” she explains. “When they look back, they won’t just see reports and assessments; they’ll see their own story, their milestones, and memories.”

    Specialising in parent and child fostering, Ruth and Phil offer a safe home for young parents and their babies, helping them navigate the challenges of early parenthood. They have supported young mothers, some arriving before birth and others straight from the hospital, ensuring they receive the care and guidance needed to develop their parenting skills. Their role requires 24/7 support, attending appointments and being constantly available, yet they describe it as incredibly rewarding. “You see the difference you’re making every day,” says Phil. “Watching a young mum grow in confidence, seeing her bond with her baby, and knowing you’ve helped create that stability—it’s an amazing feeling.”

    Their dedication extends beyond fostering. Ruth has worked closely with local authority professionals to improve awareness and support for parent and child fostering, advocating for better resources and recognition. Despite the difficulties of recruiting carers for this specialised role, she remains committed to encouraging others to step forward. “If you have the heart for it, don’t let doubts hold you back,” she advises. “Start the process, have the conversations—you never know where it might lead.”

    Family is at the heart of Ruth and Phil’s fostering journey. With five children of their own, 14 grandchildren, and their first great-grandchild on the way, they embrace every foster child and parent as part of their extended family. “From the moment they walk through our door, they’re family,” Ruth says.

    Ruth and Phil’s impact on fostering cannot be overstated. Their years of dedication, their ability to create a home filled with love and learning, and their passion for helping young parents succeed make them truly remarkable. Their story is one of hope, compassion, and the power of family.

    Councillor Paul Hezelgrave, Lead Council’s Cabinet Member for Foster East Midlands praised Ruth and Phil’s dedication, stating, “Their commitment to fostering is truly inspiring. Their specialist skills in parent and child placements provide invaluable support to local authorities, helping vulnerable families stay together. They’ve changed countless lives, offering stability, love, and guidance to children and young parents in need.”

    Right now, there is an urgent need for local authority foster carers. Across Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham, and Nottinghamshire, over 3,300 children are in care, but only half find foster homes. More carers are needed for children of all ages, especially for siblings, teenagers, children with special need and parent and child.

    Foster for East Midlands Councils, is a regional fostering hub which was launched in collaboration with four local councils in May 2024 to enhance recruitment and support for foster carers. This dedicated team guides prospective carers through every step of the process from enquiry to application. Once approved the support network of the councils provides 24/7 support and comprehensive training ensuring carers are well-prepared to meet the diverse needs of children in their care.

    For more information, visit fosterforeastmidlands.org.uk, attend a fostering information event, or call us at 0303 3132 950.

    Upcoming Foster for East Midlands Councils information events:

    Register on the webpage https://fosterforeastmidlands.org.uk/events/

    • ONLINE – Wednesday 2 April,30pm to 7.30pm, join our zoom call.
    • IN PERSON Wednesday 9 April, 6pm to 7pm, Tesco Bulwell, NottinghamNG6 8EQ,
    • ONLINE Tuesday 15 April,12pm to 1pm, join our zoom call.
    • IN PERSON Wednesday 23 April, 6.30pm to 7.30pm, Buxton Methodist Church, Chapel Street, BuxtonSK17 6HX
    • IN PERSON Thursday 8 May, 5pm to 6pm, Newark Library, Beaumond Gardens, Newark-On-Trent, Nottinghamshire NG24 1UW

    Ruth and Phil have dedicated their lives to fostering, providing a loving and stable home to children and young parents in need. This March, they will celebrate an incredible 35 years as foster carers, a journey that has touched the lives of over 300 children. Their story is one of kindness, patience, and unwavering commitment to helping others, making an invaluable contribution to the fostering community.

    Over the years, fostering has evolved, becoming more professional with better support and respect for carers. Ruth and Phil have embraced these changes, adapting to new training and digital record-keeping. One of Ruth’s unique approaches is writing letters to the children in her care, rather than just keeping bullet-pointed notes. “It gives them a picture of their growing up,” she explains. “When they look back, they won’t just see reports and assessments; they’ll see their own story, their milestones, and memories.”

    Specialising in parent and child fostering, Ruth and Phil offer a safe home for young parents and their babies, helping them navigate the challenges of early parenthood. They have supported young mothers, some arriving before birth and others straight from the hospital, ensuring they receive the care and guidance needed to develop their parenting skills. Their role requires 24/7 support, attending appointments and being constantly available, yet they describe it as incredibly rewarding. “You see the difference you’re making every day,” says Phil. “Watching a young mum grow in confidence, seeing her bond with her baby, and knowing you’ve helped create that stability—it’s an amazing feeling.”

    Their dedication extends beyond fostering. Ruth has worked closely with local authority professionals to improve awareness and support for parent and child fostering, advocating for better resources and recognition. Despite the difficulties of recruiting carers for this specialised role, she remains committed to encouraging others to step forward. “If you have the heart for it, don’t let doubts hold you back,” she advises. “Start the process, have the conversations—you never know where it might lead.”

    Family is at the heart of Ruth and Phil’s fostering journey. With five children of their own, 14 grandchildren, and their first great-grandchild on the way, they embrace every foster child and parent as part of their extended family. “From the moment they walk through our door, they’re family,” Ruth says.

    Ruth and Phil’s impact on fostering cannot be overstated. Their years of dedication, their ability to create a home filled with love and learning, and their passion for helping young parents succeed make them truly remarkable. Their story is one of hope, compassion, and the power of family.

    Councillor Paul Hezelgrave, Lead Council’s Cabinet Member for Foster East Midlands praised Ruth and Phil’s dedication, stating, “Their commitment to fostering is truly inspiring. Their specialist skills in parent and child placements provide invaluable support to local authorities, helping vulnerable families stay together. They’ve changed countless lives, offering stability, love, and guidance to children and young parents in need.”

    Right now, there is an urgent need for local authority foster carers. Across Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham, and Nottinghamshire, over 3,300 children are in care, but only half find foster homes. More carers are needed for children of all ages, especially for siblings, teenagers, children with special need and parent and child.

    Foster for East Midlands Councils, is a regional fostering hub which was launched in collaboration with four local councils in May 2024 to enhance recruitment and support for foster carers. This dedicated team guides prospective carers through every step of the process from enquiry to application. Once approved the support network of the councils provides 24/7 support and comprehensive training ensuring carers are well-prepared to meet the diverse needs of children in their care.

    For more information, visit fosterforeastmidlands.org.uk, attend a fostering information event, or call us at 0303 3132 950.

    Upcoming Foster for East Midlands Councils information events:

    • ONLINE – Wednesday 2 April,30pm to 7.30pm, join our zoom call.
    • IN PERSON Wednesday 9 April, 6pm to 7pm, Tesco Bulwell, NottinghamNG6 8EQ,
    • ONLINE Tuesday 15 April,12pm to 1pm, join our zoom call.
    • IN PERSON Wednesday 23 April, 6.30pm to 7.30pm, Buxton Methodist Church, Chapel Street, BuxtonSK17 6HX
    • IN PERSON Thursday 8 May, 5pm to 6pm, Newark Library, Beaumond Gardens, Newark-On-Trent, Nottinghamshire NG24 1UW

    Register your place on the events web page

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reflecting on Progress: CIRCA’s Decade of Increasing Connecticut’s Climate Resilience

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, the Connecticut Institute for Resilience and Climate Adaptation (CIRCA) was created to help build climate resiliency in the state of Connecticut. This past October saw CIRCA’s 10th anniversary, which was marked by an event that drew researchers, policymakers, and stakeholders from across the state.

    CIRCA works closely with communities and decision-makers to develop resilience in many ways, from crafting policy, assessing climate vulnerability, supporting clean energy projects, mapping community and environmental justice communities across the state, and many more. Though much has been accomplished, more work is ahead as the climate crisis grows more pressing.

    CIRCA Executive Director and Professor in the Department of Marine Sciences James O’Donnell reflects on last year, a year where overall, while Connecticut was spared hurricanes, areas of the state like Western Connecticut and Norwich experienced major flooding disasters.

    “We were relatively lucky in 2024 since we didn’t have a hurricane, but floods like those in Monroe, Oxford, and Norwich could occur almost anywhere in Connecticut, we’re pretty exposed,” says O’Donnell.

    Addressing the issue of exposure is not an easy undertaking, but CIRCA has made significant progress in building relationships with stakeholders and decision-makers both at the state and local levels. Carrying policies and resilience-building planning efforts from idea to finished product takes a lot of time, coordination, and outreach, and all of this takes expertise, and that is what CIRCA’s team of experts offers – help in building climate resilience.

    O’Donnell draws on the example of how he is currently serving on a legislative committee that was established to make recommendations on how to best support and expand tourism in southeastern Connecticut, an area that is also vulnerable to the impacts of sea level rise and more frequent flood events.

    “They’re concerned about flooding in Mystic, and they realize all of the tourism center, businesses, and the attractions of Mystic Seaport and downtown are largely in the flood zone,” O’Donnell says.

    In the winter of 2023, the area in question was underwater several times, says O’Donnell, and those cases were not the result of storms. With rising sea levels and changes in variations in the circulation of the North Atlantic, this trend of flooding will continue to increase, and in the case of Mystic, O’Donnell says we can expect up to 20 inches of sea level rise by 2050.

    “Sea level increase in the Northwest Atlantic is increasing faster than everywhere else in the world, and it’s a consequence of the patterns of ocean circulation and changes in ocean circulation that a result from warming of the ocean and atmosphere.”

    But for stakeholders and policymakers, having experts to consult and who can provide support and information for making decisions that will ultimately save lives is valuable. O’Donnell says that in his role working with politicians and decision-makers, his role as a physicist is to help answer questions and provide insights.

    “The question of what will happen is not hard to project. The question is, what do you do, and who pays for it? That’s the hard part.”

    Seeing a project through requires many factors to coalesce, from idea to finished project. O’Donnell says a significant step starts with ensuring all stakeholders are on board with a plan. He draws on an example of a project in Bridgeport that CIRCA started working on in 2017. The plan is to build a berm to protect a neighborhood from sea level rise, and all property owners need to agree before the project can proceed. If anyone objects, the plans need to be modified. After everyone approves the project, the permitting process can begin, followed by getting bids from contractors, and if bids come in higher than expected, either more funding needs to be secured, or the project needs to be redesigned to lower costs, which starts the whole process over.

    “It has been eight years, and there’s no construction yet. We’ve got an inventory of around 150 projects that have been identified through a process we call the Resilient Connecticut Planning Process, and those projects are all over the state. We’ve advanced about 15 in a substantial way, and we’ve helped in some other ones. The project pipeline starts, and it ends, and there are steps along the way, and the goal is to advance things up the pipeline, but it takes years.”

    O’Donnell says in the case of Mystic, in planning ways to sustain tourism, some people are more interested in short-term questions such as where a parking structure should be built, but even a seemingly simple project like this one benefits from climate resilience expertise,

    “My role there is to help them appreciate what areas might be vulnerable in the future. Many of the attractions at Mystic Seaport and some of their infrastructure is in the flood zone. They need to think about how to protect it and ensure that they can sustain visitor interest and make it convenient for people to visit.”

    The value of CIRCA’s expertise was appreciated at the 10th-anniversary celebration of CIRCA, says O’Donnell,

    “One of the things that was really rewarding from our meeting in October is realizing how climate is considered now, compared to 10 years ago. We had a bi-partisan panel of three Republicans and three Democrats from across the state and they were all very, very supportive and interested in being informed. The other thing that’s happened is several state agencies have created climate planning offices, so they’ve hired people to provide climate-informed perspectives on the work that the agency is doing, including former employees of CIRCA. They poach people from our program, which is a good thing!”

    CIRCA is not just focused on flooding, says O’Donnell, more recently, they have started to work on the serious problem of heat stress across the state, especially in urban areas like Hartford and Stamford. Researchers are working to measure and understand current and historical data to track the trends to better predict conditions in the future.

    “We currently get two or three days a year when it is above 90 oF at night, and we can expect an increase in the future. When that happens, people feel uncomfortable, and people who are vulnerable suffer, so we’re going to be we have to anticipate that as well. It’s also a significant impact for people who work outside. There are other climate-related impacts that we should plan for.”

    As the climate crisis worsens, besides pushing resilience projects ahead, O’Donnell stresses that it is essential that we reduce our emissions as soon as possible.

    “If we don’t reduce our emissions, things will get worse late in this century. We’re committed to warming and we’re committed to sea level rise, but what we do now will affect what it’s going to be like in 2100 and it’s a huge difference to what it will be like in 2200. If we don’t rapidly shut down emissions now, we’re talking about building much higher flood walls. It is important to make people aware that we can adapt to small changes, but it will be a different world if we don’t reduce our greenhouse gas emissions.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: NextNRG, Inc. Reports February 2025 Revenue Exceeding January’s Record, Driving Continued Momentum in Smart Fueling Operations

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    February Revenue up 139% Year-over-Year from $2.1m to $5.9m

    With Second Consecutive Month of Record Performance, February Revenue Surpasses January Despite Fewer Operating Days

    MIAMI, March 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — NextNRG, Inc. (“NextNRG” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: NXXT), a pioneer in AI-driven energy innovation—transforming how energy is produced, managed, and delivered through its advanced Utility Operating System, smart microgrid technology, wireless EV charging, and on-demand mobile fuel delivery solutions—today announced certain unaudited financial results for February 2025 from its EzFill, mobile fueling division.

    The Company delivered another month of record revenue and fuel volume, continuing the strong momentum established in the new year, despite fewer operational days in February.

    Company revenue for February 2025 reached a new high of more than $5.09 million from $2.1 million, representing a 139% increase over February 2024. Gallons delivered reached approximately 1.44 million from 543k, up 166% year-over-year. Both revenue and gallons delivered outperformed January 2025 results.

    NextNRG Executive Chairman and CEO Michael D. Farkas commented, “We believe our back-to-back record months underscore the power of our growing platform and the momentum we’ve built through strategic expansion. The successful integration of the Shell Oil fleet and our long-term agreement with a global e-commerce leader are now fueling real, measurable growth. As we scale with continued discipline, demand from fleet partners continues to rise, validating our model and vision for the future. With EzFill’s on-demand fueling operating efficiently and NextNRG’s smart energy infrastructure, we are positioned to lead the transformation of how energy is delivered in a connected, AI-driven world.”

    About NextNRG, Inc.
    NextNRG Inc. (NextNRG) is Powering What’s Next by implementing artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) into renewable energy, next-generation energy infrastructure, battery storage, wireless electric vehicle (EV) charging and on-demand mobile fuel delivery to create an integrated ecosystem.

    At the core of NextNRG’s strategy is its Utility Operating System, which leverages AI and ML to help make existing utilities’ energy management as efficient as possible, and the deployment of NextNRG Smart Microgrids, which utilize AI-driven energy management alongside solar power and battery storage to enhance energy efficiency, reduce costs and improve grid resiliency. These microgrids are designed to serve commercial properties, schools, hospitals, nursing homes, parking garages, rural and tribal lands, recreational facilities and government properties, expanding energy accessibility while supporting decarbonization initiatives.

    NextNRG continues to expand its growing fleet of fuel delivery trucks and national footprint, including the acquisition of Yoshi Mobility’s fuel division and Shell Oil’s trucks, further solidifying its position as a leader in the on-demand fueling industry. NextNRG is also integrating sustainable energy solutions into its mobile fueling operations. The company hopes to be an integral part of assisting its fleet customers in their transition to EVs, supporting more efficient fuel delivery while advancing clean energy adoption. The transition process is expected to include the deployment of NextNRG’s innovative wireless EV charging solutions.

    To find out more visit: www.nextnrg.com

    Forward-Looking Statements
    This press release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.  Any statement describing NextNRG’s goals, expectations, financial or other projections, intentions, or beliefs is a forward-looking statement and should be considered an at-risk statement. Words such as “expect,” “intends,” “will,” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, those related to NextNRG’s business and macroeconomic and geopolitical events. These and other risks are described in NextNRG’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time. NextNRG’s forward-looking statements involve assumptions that, if they never materialize or prove correct, could cause its results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Although NextNRG’s forward-looking statements reflect the good faith judgment of its management, these statements are based only on facts and factors currently known by NextNRG. Except as required by law, NextNRG undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements for any reason. As a result, you are cautioned not to rely on these forward-looking statements.

    Investor Relations Contact:
    NextNRG, Inc.
    Sharon Cohen
    SCohen@nextnrg.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: A Letter From Independent Director Bob Pease to Phillips 66 Shareholders

    Source: Phillips

    HOUSTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Phillips 66 (NYSE: PSX) today released the following letter from Independent Director Bob Pease to the Company’s shareholders:
    Shareholders of Phillips 66:
    I joined the Phillips 66 Board of Directors in February 2024. My appointment came as a result of an agreement between Elliott Management and Phillips 66. At the time, Elliott Management said I would bring to the Board “extensive experience in refining and energy more broadly.”
    Now Elliott wants me off the Board.
    Today I’m writing you, our shareholders, to lay out the truth about the Phillips 66 Board and why my own view of Elliott’s campaign for change at the Phillips 66 has evolved.
    I’ll start first with why I agreed to join the Phillips 66 Board in this relatively unusual manner. I’m a refinery guy first and foremost, holding numerous leadership roles, particularly in downstream businesses. When I joined the Board, Elliott’s primary demand was for Phillips 66 to improve its performance in refining. My experience was a perfect fit. Joining the Board then with Elliott’s endorsement felt like a win-win.
    I worried that joining a board with the endorsement of a well-known activist hedge fund may not be the best way to win the hearts and minds of other board members. I have been around long enough to know human nature, so I believed it would take some time to have an impact on this Board.
    I was wrong. My experience, insight and voice were immediately welcomed. In fact, I was encouraged early on to look closely at refining plans and challenge management.
    The level of debate, in-depth analysis and looking under every stone that I have seen so far on this Board is exactly what shareholders should want in the Board room.
    The Phillips 66 Board has delivered strong operational performance in refining while constantly exploring opportunities to create value across the full portfolio. Our integrated model has delivered synergies between the businesses and less volatile cash flows – it is a competitive advantage. We have set ambitious goals and are committed to maintaining best-in-class asset integrity while delivering a secure, competitive, and growing dividend; pursuing further accretive growth; and returning over 50% of our net operating cash flow to shareholders through share repurchases and dividends.
    You simply don’t achieve results like this without a high functioning, deeply engaged Board.
    In my view, it was Elliott’s inconsistent engagement that has proven most peculiar. There would be long silences, followed by rapid public action. What I saw from the Board was a clear commitment to getting to the right answer but a real struggle to understand and engage with an apparently highly distracted shareholder in Elliott.
    We have only been met with a declaration that there were “no next steps” and then continued public assaults, even while Elliott refused to allow us to meet their nominees. Then came their notification that Elliott would in fact be running four nominees for election at the 2025 Annual General Meeting. With my re-nomination to the Board confirmed, that meant I would be targeted for replacement by Elliott’s nominees, just a year after they publicly supported me. I do not know why Elliott now wants me off the Board.
    The Phillips 66 Board is committed to shareholder value creation.
    We are committed to challenging management to deliver results. We are committed to acting, when necessary, but we are not a group that makes sweeping, irreversible costly change in response to short-term market fluctuations and speculative valuations.
    We will always act in the best interest of our long-term shareholders for long-term value creation.
    Sincerely,
    Bob Pease Independent Director
    About Phillips 66
    Phillips 66 (NYSE: PSX) is a leading integrated downstream energy provider that manufactures, transports and markets products that drive the global economy. The company’s portfolio includes Midstream, Chemicals, Refining, Marketing and Specialties, and Renewable Fuels businesses. Headquartered in Houston, Phillips 66 has employees around the globe who are committed to safely and reliably providing energy and improving lives while pursuing a lower-carbon future. For more information, visit phillips66.com or follow @Phillips66Co on LinkedIn.
    Forward-Looking Statements
    This document contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws relating to Phillips 66’s operations, strategy and performance. Words such as “anticipated,” “committed,” “estimated,” “expected,” “planned,” “scheduled,” “targeted,” “believe,” “continue,” “intend,” “will,” “would,” “objective,” “goal,” “project,” “efforts,” “strategies” and similar expressions that convey the prospective nature of events or outcomes generally indicate forward-looking statements. However, the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. Forward-looking statements included in this news release are based on management’s expectations, estimates and projections as of the date they are made. These statements are not guarantees of future events or performance, and you should not unduly rely on them as they involve certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Therefore, actual outcomes and results may differ materially from what is expressed or forecast in such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements include: changes in governmental policies or laws that relate to our operations, including regulations that seek to limit or restrict refining, marketing and midstream operations or regulate profits, pricing, or taxation of our products or feedstocks, or other regulations that restrict feedstock imports or product exports; our ability to timely obtain or maintain permits necessary for projects; fluctuations in NGL, crude oil, refined petroleum, renewable fuels and natural gas prices, and refining, marketing and petrochemical margins; the effects of any widespread public health crisis and its negative impact on commercial activity and demand for refined petroleum or renewable fuels products; changes to worldwide government policies relating to renewable fuels and greenhouse gas emissions that adversely affect programs including the renewable fuel standards program, low carbon fuel standards and tax credits for renewable fuels; potential liability from pending or future litigation; liability for remedial actions, including removal and reclamation obligations under existing or future environmental regulations; unexpected changes in costs for constructing, modifying or operating our facilities; our ability to successfully complete, or any material delay in the completion of, any asset disposition, acquisition, shutdown or conversion that we have announced or may pursue, including receipt of any necessary regulatory approvals or permits related thereto; unexpected difficulties in manufacturing, refining or transporting our products; the level and success of drilling and production volumes around our midstream assets; risks and uncertainties with respect to the actions of actual or potential competitive suppliers and transporters of refined petroleum products, renewable fuels or specialty products; lack of, or disruptions in, adequate and reliable transportation for our products; failure to complete construction of capital projects on time or within budget; our ability to comply with governmental regulations or make capital expenditures to maintain compliance with laws; limited access to capital or significantly higher cost of capital related to illiquidity or uncertainty in the domestic or international financial markets, which may also impact our ability to repurchase shares and declare and pay dividends; potential disruption of our operations due to accidents, weather events, including as a result of climate change, acts of terrorism or cyberattacks; general domestic and international economic and political developments, including armed hostilities (such as the Russia-Ukraine war), expropriation of assets, and other diplomatic developments; international monetary conditions and exchange controls; changes in estimates or projections used to assess fair value of intangible assets, goodwill and property and equipment and/or strategic decisions with respect to our asset portfolio that cause impairment charges; investments required, or reduced demand for products, as a result of environmental rules and regulations; changes in tax, environmental and other laws and regulations (including alternative energy mandates); political and societal concerns about climate change that could result in changes to our business or increase expenditures, including litigation-related expenses; the operation, financing and distribution decisions of equity affiliates we do not control; and other economic, business, competitive and/or regulatory factors affecting Phillips 66’s businesses generally as set forth in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Phillips 66 is under no obligation (and expressly disclaims any such obligation) to update or alter its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
    Additional Information
    On March 26, 2025, Phillips 66 filed a preliminary proxy statement on Schedule 14A (the “Proxy Statement”) and accompanying WHITE proxy card with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) in connection with its 2025 Annual Meeting of Shareholders (the “2025 Annual Meeting”) and its solicitation of proxies for Phillips 66’s director nominees and for other matters to be voted on. The Proxy Statement is in preliminary form and Phillips 66 intends to file and mail to shareholders of record entitled to vote at the 2025 Annual Meeting a definitive proxy statement and other documents, including a WHITE proxy card. Phillips 66 may also file other relevant documents with the SEC regarding its solicitation of proxies for the 2025 Annual Meeting. This communication is not a substitute for any proxy statement or other document that Phillips 66 has filed or may file with the SEC in connection with any solicitation by Phillips 66. PHILLIPS 66 SHAREHOLDERS ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO READ THE PROXY STATEMENT (AND ANY AMENDMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTS THERETO) AND ACCOMPANYING WHITE PROXY CARD AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT SOLICITATION MATERIALS FILED WITH THE SEC AS THEY CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION. Shareholders may obtain copies of the Proxy Statement, any amendments or supplements to the Proxy Statement and other documents (including the WHITE proxy card) filed by Phillips 66 with the SEC without charge from the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Copies of the documents filed by Phillips 66 with the SEC also may be obtained free of charge at Phillips 66’s investor relations website at https://investor.phillips66.com or upon written request sent to Phillips 66, 2331 CityWest Boulevard, Houston, TX 77042, Attention: Investor Relations.
    Certain Information Regarding Participants
    Phillips 66, its directors, its director nominees and certain of its executive officers and employees may be deemed to be participants in connection with the solicitation of proxies from Phillips 66 shareholders in connection with the matters to be considered at the 2025 Annual Meeting. Information regarding the names of such persons and their respective interests in Phillips 66, by securities holdings or otherwise, is available in the Proxy Statement, which was filed with the SEC on March 26, 2025, and will be included in Phillips 66’s definitive proxy statement, once available, including in the sections captioned “Beneficial Ownership of Phillips 66 Securities” and “Appendix C: Supplemental Information Regarding Participants in the Solicitation.” To the extent that Phillips 66’s directors and executive officers who may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation have acquired or disposed of securities holdings since the applicable “as of” date disclosed in the Proxy Statement, such transactions have been or will be reflected on Statements of Changes in Ownership of Securities on Form 4 or Initial Statements of Beneficial Ownership of Securities on Form 3 filed with the SEC. These documents are or will be available free of charge at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

    Source: Phillips 66

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Decarbonisation in the maritime sector is a priority for the MCA

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    News story

    Decarbonisation in the maritime sector is a priority for the MCA

    The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) is focussed on securing a clean, green maritime future for everyone.

    The launch of the Department for Transport’s Maritime Decarbonisation Strategy is enforcement of just that, outlining ambitious goals for the maritime sector. This includes reducing fuel lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions by 30 per cent by 2030, 80 per cent by 2040, and achieving zero emissions by 2050.

    From supporting the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition, which funds a diverse range of sustainable projects, to welcoming the world’s first dual-fuelled ammonia-powered vessel to the UK, the MCA is already at the forefront of supporting and developing these significant changes to the maritime sector.

    Marine Guidance Notice 664 is just one important example of the MCA’s work in this field, which has enabled around 25 vessels using emission reduction, autonomy and other forms of ‘smart’ maritime technology to be considered using a flexible process as an alternative to prescriptive requirements.

    MCA Director of UK Technical Maritime Services Fraser Heasley said:

    Decarbonisation in the maritime sector has always been a priority for the MCA, with our experts advising on future fuels, the placement of wind farms, green shipping corridors, and training a new generation of green seafarers, but there is always more work to be done.

    We welcome the Maritime Decarbonisation Strategy, and look forward to working further with DfT, industry, ship owners and operators, energy companies, investors, and research centres, to make the goals of the strategy a reality.

    Read more about DfT’s Maritime Decarbonisation Strategy here –Course charted for carbon free shipping by 2050 – GOV.UK.

    Press office

    Email public.relations@mcga.gov.uk

    Press enquiries (Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm) 0203 817 2222

    Outside these hours or on bank holidays and weekends, for media enquiries ONLY, please send an email outlining your query and putting #Urgent in the subject title.

    Updates to this page

    Published 28 March 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI: Vicon’s new markerless system enabling Dreamscape Immersive’s latest VR experience

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    28 March 2025

    Oxford Metrics plc

    (“Oxford Metrics” or the “Group”)

    Vicon’s new markerless system enabling Dreamscape Immersive’s latest VR experience

    New location-based VR technology to launch at Dreamscape’s Geneva flagship store in partnership with Swiss research partner, Artanim

    Oxford Metrics plc (LSE: OMG), the smart sensing and software company servicing life sciences, entertainment, engineering and smart manufacturing markets, announces that Vicon, its motion capture division, will be powering Dreamscape’s latest Location Based Virtual Reality (“LBVR”) experience, with its recently launched Vicon Markerless system.

    For Dreamscape, markerless motion capture can now provide a more true-to-life adventure than any other immersive VR experience by allowing more free-flowing movement and exploration without the need for markers and less user gear. Bringing smoother user journeys, this technological upgrade also has a major impact on staff operations and will ultimately facilitate Dreamscape’s international locations rollout.

    Located exclusively at their flagship store in Geneva, this new technology will be implemented across all industry sectors where Dreamscape is active including Entertainment, Education and Corporate solutions.

    Entitled ‘The House of Wonders’, the new six person, markerless and multimodal LBVR experience has been created in partnership with Audemars Piguet, the Swiss haute horlogerie manufacturer. ‘The House of Wonders’ experience delves participants into the hidden depths of enchanting workshops, where they meet a cast of passionate artisans and participate in the creation of a mechanical marvel. The VR technology bringing the experience to life was developed in collaboration with Artanim, the Swiss research institute.

    Imogen O’Connor, Oxford Metrics CEO commented on the collaboration: “Hot off the heels of our markerless launch, it’s great to announce that our innovative technology will be powering Dreamscape’s latest VR experience. Collaborating with Dreamscape on this project offered Vicon a unique opportunity to continue our work with a world leader in Location Based Virtual Reality and demonstrates the value of our markerless motion capture technology. This is only the beginning. Vicon’s system is a first-of-its-kind platform for markerless motion capture for creators, story tellers and 3D artists across Location Based Virtual Reality, Game, Film and Episodic TV.”

    Commenting on the new experience, Caecilia Charbonnier, Co-founder & CIO of Dreamscape, said: “We’ve long anticipated the moment when markerless motion capture could transition from concept to reality, reaching the level of precision needed to unlock its full potential. With Vicon’s decades-long legacy of setting the gold standard in motion capture technology and Dreamscape’s unwavering mission to create seamless, immersive experiences, our collaboration on this project was a natural fit.”

    The collaboration between Vicon and Artanim was key to ensure the desired requirements for the VR use case were met.

    Sylvain Chagué, co-founder and CTO of Artanim and Dreamscape, said: “Delivering best in class virtual body ownership and immersion in VR demands both accurate tracking and very low latency. We dedicated substantial R&D efforts to evaluating computational performance of machine learning-based tracking algorithms, carefully implementing and refining this multi-modal tracking solution – seamlessly integrating full-body markerless motion capture and VR headset tracking for an unparalleled experience.”  

    For further information please contact:

    Oxford Metrics +44 (0) 1865 261860
    Imogen O’Connor, CEO  
    Zoe Fox, CFO
    Emma Colven, Head of Communications    		  
    FTI Consulting +44 (0)20 3727 1000
    Matt Dixon / Emma Hall / Jemima Gurney  

    About Oxford Metrics

    Oxford Metrics is a smart sensing and software company that enables the interface between the real world and its virtual twin. Our smart sensing technology helps over 10,000 customers in more than 70 countries, including all of the world’s top 10 games companies and all of the top 20 universities worldwide. Founded in 1984, we started our journey in healthcare, expanded into entertainment, winning an OSCAR® and an Emmy®, moved into defence, engineering and smart manufacturing. We have a strong track record of creating value by incubating, growing and then augmenting through acquisition, unique technology businesses.

    The Group trades through its market-leading division Vicon, Industrial Vision Systems, and recently acquired, The Sempre Group. Vicon is a world leader in motion measurement analysis to thousands of customers worldwide, including Red Bull, Imperial College London, Dreamscape Immersive, Industrial Light & Magic, and NASA. Industrial Vision Systems is a specialist in machine vision software and technology for high precision, automated quality control systems trusted by blue-chip, smart manufacturing companies across the globe including BD, DePuy, Jaguar Land Rover, Johnson & Johnson, Zytronic and Alkegen. Sempre is a measurement specialist solving manufacturing challenges across multiple industries. Through their expert in-house consultants and partnerships with over 25 well-known manufacturers including Jenoptik, Renishaw and Micro-Vu, Sempre offers an extensive range of products and software to customers in aerospace, automotive, medical, energy and precision engineering.

    The Group is headquartered in Oxford with offices in the United Kingdom, United States and Germany. Since 2001, Oxford Metrics (LSE: OMG), has been a quoted company listed on AIM, a market operated by the London Stock Exchange. For more information about Oxford Metrics, visit www.oxfordmetrics.com.

    About Dreamscape

    Dreamscape Immersive is a world-leading VR company pioneering immersive experiences for entertainment, enterprise, and education.

    Dreamscape combines the emotional power of Hollywood storytelling, the visceral excitement of major theme parks and cutting-edge motion capture technology to create stories and worlds that push the boundaries of virtual reality.

    Dreamscape was founded in 2017 by technology experts, cinematic heavyweights, and live events professionals. The company’s location-based VR venues began rolling out across the United States and the Middle East in December 2018 to unprecedented audience enthusiasm. Most recently, Dreamscape introduced Dreamscape Learn, a new partnership with the nation’s leading innovator in education Arizona State University, to transform learning through exploration. The company is headquartered in Los Angeles, California, with its European headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. To learn more about Dreamscape, visit our site at: dreamscapeimmersive.com.

    About Artanim

    A Swiss leading non-profit center in motion capture technologies, Artanim Foundation was founded in Geneva, Switzerland in 2011. The foundation pursues two strategic lines of research related to motion capture:

    • Virtual and augmented reality: Artanim develops virtual or augmented reality applications that emphasize on real-time interaction and virtual characters animation using state-of-the-art technologies. Part of this R&D effort has resulted in the commercial exploitation of story-based full-roam VR experiences as offered by Dreamscape, the leading VR company, leveraging Artanim’s breakthrough VR platform to create the ultimate immersive experience for location-based entertainment and education.
    • Medical research: Artanim combines motion capture with 3D medical imaging to better understand individualized human joint structures and to improve diagnosis and treatment of musculoskeletal disorders.

    Besides its research activities, Artanim develops award-winning interactive installations that can exploit the potential of virtual and augmented reality, user performance and interactive control to provide new ways of experiencing digital content. For more information about Artanim, visit: artanim.ch.

    About Reach announcements

    This is a RNS Reach announcement. Reach is an investor communication service aimed at assisting listed and unlisted companies to distribute media only / non-regulatory news releases into the public domain. Information required to be notified under the AIM Rules, Market Abuse Regulation or other regulation would be disseminated as an RNS regulatory announcement and not on Reach.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Captivision Unveils New Corporate Branding, Paving the Way for a Transformative Era of Growth

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    MIAMI, March 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Captivision Inc. (“Captivision” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: CAPT), today announced a new corporate branding and website, accessible via www.captivision.com. The new branding reflects the Company’s innovative spirit and cutting-edge technology while channeling the history and original inspiration for the Company’s founding.

    The newly launched website features captivating showcases of the company’s diverse portfolio, highlighting an array of impressive projects. It also emphasizes the company’s extensive range of services and expertise, including cutting-edge LED solutions, and highlights its collaborations with world-class clients across various industries.

    “We are excited about the growth of Captivision in multiple geographies with a broadening array of important partners and clients,” said Gary Garrabrant, Chairman and CEO of Captivision. “Our new corporate identity reflects our progress and is a milestone for our company and our stakeholders.”

    About Captivision

    Captivision is a pioneering manufacturer of media glass, combining IT building material and architectural glass. The product has a boundless array of applications including entertainment media, information media, cultural and artistic content as well as marketing use cases. Captivision can transform any glass façade into a transparent media screen with real time live stream capability. Captivision is fast becoming a solution provider across the LED product spectrum.

    Captivision’s media glass and solutions have been implemented in hundreds of locations globally across sports stadiums, entertainment venues, casinos and hotels, convention centers, office and retail properties and airports. Learn more at http://www.captivision.com/.

    Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
    This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended. These forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements relating to expectations for future financial performance, business strategies, or expectations for the Company’s respective businesses. These statements are based on the beliefs and assumptions of the management of the Company. Although the Company believes that its plans, intentions and expectations reflected in or suggested by these forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot assure you that it will achieve or realize these plans, intentions or expectations. These statements constitute projections, forecasts, and forward-looking statements, and are not guarantees of performance. Such statements can be identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. When used in this press release, words such as “believe”, “can”, “continue”, “expect”, “forecast”, “may”, “plan”, “project”, “should”, “will” or the negative of such terms, and similar expressions, may identify forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking.

    The risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: (1) the ability to raise financing in the future and to comply with restrictive covenants related to indebtedness; (2) the ability to realize the benefits expected from the business combination and the Company’s strategic direction; (3) the significant market adoption, demand and opportunities in the construction and digital out of home media industries for the Company’s products; (4) the ability to maintain the listing of the Company’s ordinary shares and warrants on Nasdaq; (5) the ability of the Company to remain competitive in the fourth generation architectural media glass industry in the face of future technological innovations; (6) the ability of the Company to execute its international expansion strategy; (7) the ability of the Company to protect its intellectual property rights; (8) the profitability of the Company’s larger projects, which are subject to protracted sales cycles; (9) whether the raw materials, components, finished goods, and services used by the Company to manufacture its products will continue to be available and will not be subject to significant price increases; (10) the IT, vertical real estate, and large format wallscape modified regulatory restrictions or building codes; (11) the ability of the Company’s manufacturing facilities to meet their projected manufacturing costs and production capacity; (12) the future financial performance of the Company; (13) the emergence of new technologies and the response of the Company’s customer base to those technologies; (14) the ability of the Company to retain or recruit, or to effect changes required in, its officers, key employees, or directors; (15) the ability of the Company to comply with laws and regulations applicable to its business; and (16) other risks and uncertainties set forth under the section of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 20-F entitled “Risk Factors.”

    These forward-looking statements are based on information available as of the date of this press release and the Company’s management team’s current expectations, forecasts, and assumptions, and involve a number of judgments, known and unknown risks and uncertainties and other factors, many of which are outside the control of the Company and its directors, officers, and affiliates. Accordingly, forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing the Company management team’s views as of any subsequent date. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update, add or to otherwise correct any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect events or circumstances after the date they were made, whether as a result of new information, future events, inaccuracies that become apparent after the date hereof or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities laws.

    Media Contact:
    Gateway Group
    Zach Kadletz
    +1 949-574-3860
    CAPT@gateway-grp.com

    Investor Contact:
    Gateway Group
    Ralf Esper
    +1 949-574-3860
    CAPT@gateway-grp.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Movement Mainnet Goes Live on Bitget Wallet with Native Integration

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador, March 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bitget Wallet, a leading Web3 non-custodial wallet, has announced its native integration of Movement, a high-performance Layer 1 blockchain built on the Move programming language. With this update, users can now seamlessly add the Movement mainnet (Beta) to their wallet, transfer and receive $MOVE tokens, and explore the growing Movement ecosystem via a dedicated DApp section.

    Designed for modular infrastructure, Movement aims to unlock new possibilities for Move developers by offering a scalable and developer-friendly blockchain environment. This integration provides Bitget Wallet users with direct access to Movement’s on-chain features, enabling a smoother and more efficient user experience.

    As part of its broader multi-chain expansion, Bitget Wallet now supports over 130 blockchains, with Movement joining its growing list of emerging ecosystems. The addition reinforces Bitget Wallet’s commitment to supporting innovative Web3 infrastructure and expanding user access to new blockchain communities. 

    Looking ahead, Bitget Wallet plans to launch token price tracking and in-wallet trading for $MOVE, alongside co-hosted ecosystem campaigns in collaboration with the Movement Foundation. “Our mission is to connect users to the next wave of Web3 innovation,” said Alvin Kan, COO of Bitget Wallet. “Integrating Movement opens new opportunities for developers and users alike to build and interact in a modular, Move-powered blockchain environment.”

    About Bitget Wallet
    Bitget Wallet is the home of Web3, uniting endless possibilities in one non-custodial wallet. With over 60 million users, it offers comprehensive onchain services, including asset management, instant swaps, rewards, staking, trading tools, live market data, a DApp browser and crypto payment solutions. Supporting over 130 blockchains, 20,000+ DApps, and millions of tokens, Bitget Wallet enables seamless multi-chain trading across hundreds of DEXs and cross-chain bridges, along with a $300+ million protection fund to ensure safety of users’ assets. Experience Bitget Wallet Lite to start a Web3 journey.

    For more information, visit: X | Telegram | Instagram | YouTube | LinkedIn | TikTok | Discord | Facebook

    For media inquiries, please contact media.web3@bitget.com

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e34ba64b-aa7c-4283-a348-fbccfb430ef6

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Int’l Day of Zero Waste- UN Chief Remarks | United Nations

    Source: United Nations (Video News)

    Remarks by António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, at the International Day of Zero Waste 2025.

    “Mr. President, Madame First Lady, Excellencies, Dear Friends,

    The waste crisis is an issue that goes to the heart of how we produce, and how we consume.

    And one that requires action at every level – local, national, and global.

    This year’s International Day focuses on fashion and textiles.

    And rightly so.

    Unless we accelerate action, dressing to kill could kill the planet.

    Textile production often uses thousands of chemicals – many of them harmful to people and the environment.

    It devours resources like land and water – putting pressure on ecosystems.

    And it belches out greenhouse gases – inflaming the climate crisis.

    Clothes are being produced and discarded at a staggering rate – driven by business models that prioritize newness, speed, and disposability.

    Every second, the equivalent of one garbage truck full of clothing is incinerated or sent to landfill.

    Excellencies, Dear Friends,

    Fashion is just the tip of a toxic iceberg.

    Waste is an issue in every sector.

    Every year, humanity produces over two billion tonnes of garbage.

    If you pack all that into shipping containers stacked end to end, they would stretch to the moon and back.

    Here on Earth, toxin-filled waste is seeping into our soil, our water, and our air. And ultimately into us.

    As usual, the poorest pay the highest price.

    More than one billion people live in slums and informal urban settlements, where waste management is non-existent and disease runs rampant.

    The rich world is flooding the Global South with garbage, from obsolete computers to single-use plastic and more.

    Many nations do not have the infrastructure to process even a fraction of what is dumped on their shores.

    As a result, materials that could be recycled are burned or sent to landfill.

    And waste pickers are exposed to toxic chemicals as they sift through potentially hazardous materials, including broken electronics, in appalling conditions.

    Excellencies, Dear Friends,

    We need a different approach: one that delivers on the commitment in the Sustainable Development Goals for sustainable production and consumption.

    And there are signs of hope.

    Change is possible. And it presents exciting opportunities.

    In fashion, for example, designers are experimenting with recycled materials.

    Consumers are increasingly demanding sustainability.

    In many countries, resale markets are booming.

    And important initiatives are bringing together large and small businesses, industry associations, civil society and many others to drive sustainability across the sector.

    They include the Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action, and the Fashion Pact.

    We must celebrate the power of these innovations to transform the industry.

    But we need more.

    And we need change in every sector.

    I welcome the work of the Chair and the First Lady and members of the United Nations Advisory Board on Zero Waste to raise awareness, and help meet the SDGs.

    The fight against waste requires us all.

    Governments must act:

    Through policies, regulations and subsidies:

    That promote sustainability, and zero waste initiatives…

    That encourage businesses to adopt positive practices…

    That provide decent jobs…

    And that empower everyone – not just the wealthy – to afford products that last.

    The current negotiations for a legally binding treaty to end plastic pollution – due in August this year – are a key opportunity for governments to drive progress.

    I urge them to take it…

    And to translate any treaty into action to support consumers to make environmentally friendly choices, and into a clear roadmap across industries.

    Addressing plastic pollution must be at the core of corporate responsibility.

    There is no space for greenwashing.

    Businesses must increase circularity, waste reduction and resource efficiency across their supply chains.

    We need accountability for corporate sustainability commitments.

    We need transparency for customers.

    And we need consumers to use their purchasing power to encourage change:

    Reducing excessive consumption, valuing products that last, and embracing exchanges and resales.

    And we need young people and civil society to keep using their voices and power to demand change through advocacy.

    Excellencies, Dear Friends,

    We must build on progress, to end the waste practices wasting our planet.

    On this International Day, let us commit to do our part to clean up our act, and build a healthier, more sustainable world for us all.

    And I thank you”.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-dhcR7MsiQ

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Russia on Moldova | Security Council Stakeout | United Nations

    Source: United Nations (Video News)

    Dmitry Polyanskiy, the Deputy Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the United Nations, on the situation in Moldova.

    Referring to news reports that a politician was detained in Moldova, Russian Deputy Ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy called the situation “intolerable” and described the region as “not stable.” The Moldovan ambassador said Polyanskiy’s statements were “misleading.”

    Speaking to reporters at UN headquarters today (Mar 27), Russian Deputy Ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy said his delegation had drawn the Security Council’s attention to the detention of Yevgenia Gutsul, the leader of Moldova’s Gagauzian autonomy and “a famous opposition politician, meaningful politician” according to Polyanskiy.

    “This is not the first case when the Moldovan authorities harass political opposition in this country,” said Polyanskiy. While stressing that Moscow had no intention of interfering in Moldova’s domestic affairs, he added that the Council “has a preventive function,” and urged members to act to prevent “a very bad and unstable situation.”

    Polyanskiy referenced Moldova’s recent presidential elections, which he said, “were largely contested and proceeded in a very, very controversial atmosphere.” He also cited “provocations against Transnistria” and political developments in neighboring Romania, describing the region as “not stable.”

    Responding shortly afterward, Moldovan Ambassador Gheorghe Leucă called the statement by Polyaskiy “misleading.” He also said, “The preventive detention of Yevgenia Gutsul, a member of the Shor criminal group, falls strictly within the competence of the prosecutorial authorities of the Republic of Moldova,” Leucă said.

    According to the Moldovan envoy, the charges are not related to Gutsul’s political role. “Her detention is not related to her role as the head of the Gagauzian autonomy, but rather to her involvement in a criminal organization,” he said.

    Leucă emphasized Moldova’s commitment to due process and judicial independence. “The Republic of Moldova is a state governed by the rule of law, where the rights of all individuals are fully protected,” he said. “Every accused person has their guaranteed right to a fair defense and the opportunity to prove their innocence in accordance with legal procedures.”

    “Any interference of any country in the internal affairs of the Republic of Moldova, as of any other state, are unwarranted and unacceptable,” Leucă concluded.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hdlC0BUSDs

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congresswoman Ramirez Statement on Cuts to Illinois Federal Funding for Health, Housing, Food Assistance

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Delia Ramirez – Illinois (3rd District)

    Chicago, IL — Today, Congresswoman Delia C. Ramirez (IL-03), Vice Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, released the following statement condemning the Trump Administration’s decisions to cut $125 million from the Illinois Department of Public Health and local health departments. The cuts also jeopardize $52.5 million in HUD-funding for housing developments, and put 1.9 million Illinoisans at risk of losing their food assistance. 

    “For anyone trying to make ‘Make America Healthy Again,’ let’s be clear: this ain’t it. The Musk-Trump Administration’s decision to fund tax breaks for billionaires by cutting the essential federal programs working people rely on will have devastating consequences. We know that housing is health care and nutritious food is medicine. The Trump-Musk administration does not care that families will be left on the street, forced to go hungry, and deprived of necessary care. 

    The taxpayers of Illinois pay roughly $156 billion in federal taxes each year, making our state one of only nine in the nation that pay MORE in federal taxes than we receive in direct benefits. These cuts, when coupled with the Administration’s intent to cut billions from Medicare and Medicaid, have deadly consequences for our communities. At a time when working families are already struggling with high costs, we should be expanding healthcare, not cutting it. We need Medicare for All!”

     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Hazardous PFAS substances in drinking water in Europe and lack of information in Greece – E-000470/2025(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    1. In December 2020, the Commission adopted the recast Drinking Water Directive[1] to be transposed by the Member States into national law and complied with its provisions by January 2023. This directive includes per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances ( PFAS) quality standards and minimum monitoring requirements for drinking water at the point of compliance such as the household tap. Member States are committed to ensuring compliance with these PFAS quality standards by January 2026. Maximum levels for specific PFAS in certain foodstuffs have been established in 2023 by a Commission Regulation[2]. Member States will report all findings of their food controls to the European Food Safety Authority.

    2. The Drinking Water Directive provides for Member States to ensure that information on the quality of water supplied is made available to consumers, including the results of PFAS monitoring from January 2026. In case of exceedances, Member States will take appropriate measures to protect human health and ensure that consumers are informed.

    3. The Commission’s Zero Pollution Action Plan[3] aims significantly to reduce pollutant levels in the environment by 2050, including PFAS pollution. Various research and innovation projects on PFAS have been funded under the Horizon 2020[4] and Horizon Europe[5] programmes. The ongoing Horizon 2020 project ‘ZeroPM’[6] developed next generation remediation techniques to sustainably remove prioritised substances from water resources and drinking water. A Greek partner is involved in the project. Information on these programmes is publicly available.

    • [1] Directive (EU) 2020/2184 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 2020 on the quality of water intended for human consumption (recast), OJ L 435, 23.12.2020, p. 1-62.
    • [2] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2023/915/oj/eng
    • [3] https://environment.ec.europa.eu/strategy/zero-pollution-action-plan_en
    • [4] https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/funding/funding-opportunities/funding-programmes-and-open-calls/horizon-2020_en
    • [5] https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/funding/funding-opportunities/funding-programmes-and-open-calls/horizon-europe_en
    • [6] https://zeropm.eu/
    Last updated: 28 March 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tornadoes Rip Through Mississippi 

    Source: NASA

    On March 13, an expansive upper-level trough moved into the U.S. High Plains, Upper Midwest, and Midwest and began colliding with warm, moist air over the Mississippi Valley. The interaction helped fuel a major storm system that spread severe thunderstorms across several states. Many of these were supercells, a type of long-lived storm with a powerful rotating updraft. These storms often generate destructive tornadoes, hail, and damaging winds.
    Among the hardest-hit states was Mississippi, where 18 tornadoes touched down during the outbreak. These included one EF-4, one EF-3, seven EF-2, seven EF-1, and two EF-0 rated events. The onslaught damaged nearly 1,000 homes and dozens of businesses and farms, according to the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency.
    In some areas, damage was even visible to the Landsat 8 satellite. The images above, captured by the OLI (Operational Land Imager) on March 22, 2025, show a lengthy damage track extending roughly 55 miles (90 kilometers), from near Progress in the southwestern part of the state toward Williamsburg. Assessments of the damage by the National Weather Service led them to assign the event an EF-4 rating, making this one of the strongest tornadoes of the outbreak. They estimated peak winds of 170 miles (274 kilometers) per hour in some areas.

    Photographs taken from the ground show how fierce winds lopped off trees, flipped cars and trucks, and tore homes from their foundations. The photograph above, from NOAA’s Damage Assessment Toolkit, shows a grove of trees with their tops sheared off and damaged cabins near Paradise Ranch RV Resort, in one of several areas in Mississippi that experienced widespread destruction.
    Three other smaller tornado tracks are also visible in the Landsat images: an EF-3 track from Tylertown to Goss, an EF-2 track from Melba to Moscos, and an EF-2 track from Bassfield to Williamsburg. In a rare occurrence, the Bassfield tornado even crossed paths with the EF-4 track, about 41 minutes after the first tornado passed, leaving an X-shaped pattern of damage in a forested area in Covington County (see below).

    One location in western Covington County just north of Spring Hill School Road was struck twice by tornadoes just 41 minutes apart this past Saturday afternoon.The first tornado was more narrow as it approached the end of its path. The next storm that followed was wider. pic.twitter.com/mzzaJZAzRw
    — NWS Jackson MS (@NWSJacksonMS) March 21, 2025

     
    The severe weather brought destruction to other states as well. According to news reports, the weather system produced at least 112 tornadoes that touched down in 14 states between March 14 and 16, taking dozens of lives, flattening scores of homes, and disrupting power supplies. Of those, at least 44 were classified as “strong” tornadoes, meaning they produced at least EF-2 damage on the Enhanced Fujita scale. For comparison, the United States typically sees 95 tornadoes in all of March.
    In the wake of these storms, the NASA Disasters Program provided multiple types of satellite imagery to the Southern Region of the National Weather Service to support their damage assessment process. National Weather Service damage assessments serve as the official record of the path and strength of each tornado and are used to inform state and federal disaster declarations, help emergency responders prioritize aid, and validate and improve early warning systems. Identifying damaged areas and tornado tracks can be challenging in rural areas with limited road access, but satellite data helps provide a more complete picture.
    At NASA’s Langley Research Center (LaRC), researchers are also harnessing satellite data to identify atmospheric patterns that can indicate severe weather on the ground. The NASA team is developing an open-source machine learning model that uses geostationary satellite data to identify potential overshooting cloud tops and above-anvil cirrus plumes, features that often appear at the tops of storms roughly 10 minutes before the most severe weather hits. According to Kristopher Bedka, an atmospheric scientist at LaRC, tracking the features can provide valuable lead time that saves lives and property.
    NASA Earth Observatory images by Wanmei Liang, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey. Photograph from NOAA’s Damage Assessment Toolkit, taken by a member of a National Weather Service storm survey team. Story by Adam Voiland.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: California urges FEMA to add businesses, non-profits, and multi-family structures to LA fire debris cleanup

    Source: US State of California 2

    Mar 27, 2025

    What you need to know: California has formally requested that the federal government add commercial structures and multi-family units to the ongoing fire debris removal efforts in Los Angeles. 

    LOS ANGELES – Working to expand the scope of the fast-moving wildfire clean up effort currently underway in Los Angeles, Governor Gavin Newsom has asked the federal government to make more structures eligible for debris removal.

    In a letter sent to FEMA, Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) Director Nancy Ward requested that commercial and multi-family residential properties be included in the US Army Corps of Engineers debris removal program, specifically the special inclusion of small businesses and residential apartments, condominiums, and mobile homes.

    “Our state stands with Los Angeles residents and businesses. We are dedicated to restoring all parts of our communities swiftly and safely after these fires and are grateful to our federal partners for their continued support.”

    Governor Gavin Newsom

    Under Governor Gavin Newsom’s leadership, California has expedited the cleanup process by cutting red tape and eliminating bureaucratic barriers, allowing highly trained crews to enter impacted communities sooner and help survivors rebuild their lives faster.

    Debris removal from private commercial property is typically the responsibility of property owners and is usually not eligible for federal programs. 

    If this request is approved, it would expand the scope of cleanup to a number of facility types that are not currently eligible for debris removal including non-profits, houses of worship, businesses, and multi-family housing structures.

    Deadline quickly approaching

    The rapid pace of this cleanup makes it even more critical for survivors to apply for assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), and to complete a Right-of-Entry (ROE) form for no-cost debris removal. 

    There are now just a handful of days left before the March 31 deadline.

    If you are eligible and want to participate in the cost-free government cleanup service, you must complete the ROE form.

    After submitting, you can track your submission through the county recovery and US Army Corps of Engineers pages. County staff may contact you if additional documentation is needed to process your form. Once approved, officials will begin the cleanup process.

    The US Army Corps of Engineers has established a Debris Call Center to help answer questions regarding Private Property Debris Removal.  Hours of operation are from 6:00 AM to 6:30 PM; call 213-308-8305 for assistance. 

    Track LA’s recovery, including the latest air quality results, at CA.gov/LAfires.

    Press Releases, Recent News

    Recent news

    Mar 27, 2025

    News What you need to know: Governor Newsom is taking additional steps to speed up the rebuilding process for Los Angeles by further suspending CEQA and the California Coastal Act to expedite the rebuilding of utility and telecommunication infrastructure, including…

    Mar 26, 2025

    News Highlights California’s economic investments in creative economy, LA’s recovery What you need to know: Governor Newsom today joined Anna Wintour to welcome the Vogue World event to Hollywood, promoting the state’s proposal to more than double California’s Film…

    Mar 26, 2025

    News What you need to know: Financial assistance for Los Angeles fire recovery has now surpassed $2 billion, survivors may apply until March 31st, 2025. LOS ANGELES – Building upon California’s ongoing support for disaster survivors and small businesses, Governor…

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Lombardo Advocates for Nevada Representation on Joint Task Force on Federal Land for Housing

    Source: US State of Nevada

    Carson City, NV March 27, 2025

    Today, Governor Joe Lombardo sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum and U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Scott Turner, following their recent announcement of the Joint Task Force on Federal Land for Housing. In his letter, Governor Lombardo praised the launch of the unprecedented task force, while requesting representation for Nevada on the task force.

    “As you know, more than 85% of Nevada’s land is managed by the federal government. This significantly limits our ability to expand housing availability, since growth is stifled by the lack of land available for development,” writes Governor Lombardo in his letter. “As your agencies stand up the Task Force, I hope you will consider including stakeholders from Nevada. Our lands experts, housing partners, and local governments stand ready to assist and support you.”

    The full letter is attached.

    ### 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: ECB Consumer Expectations Survey results – February 2025

    Source: European Central Bank

    28 March 2025

    Compared with January 2025:

    • median consumer perceptions of inflation over the previous 12 months decreased, while median inflation expectations for the next 12 months and for three years ahead remained unchanged;
    • expectations for nominal income growth over the next 12 months increased, while expectations for spending growth over the next 12 months decreased;
    • expectations for economic growth over the next 12 months became more negative, while the expected unemployment rate in 12 months’ time increased;
    • expectations for growth in the price of homes over the next 12 months remained unchanged, while expectations for mortgage interest rates 12 months ahead declined.

    Inflation

    The median rate of perceived inflation over the previous 12 months decreased in February to 3.1%, from 3.4% in January. This is its lowest level since September 2021. Median expectations for inflation over the next 12 months were unchanged at 2.6%, as were those for inflation three years ahead at 2.4%. Inflation expectations at the one-year and three-year horizons thus remained below the perceived past inflation rate. Uncertainty about inflation expectations over the next 12 months decreased slightly in February to its lowest level since January 2022. While the broad evolution of inflation perceptions and expectations remained relatively closely aligned across income groups, over the previous year and a half inflation perceptions and expectations for lower income quintiles were, on average, slightly above those for higher income quintiles. Younger respondents (aged 18-34) continued to report lower inflation perceptions and expectations than older respondents (those aged 35-54 and 55-70), albeit to a lesser degree than in previous years. (Inflation results)

    Income and consumption

    Consumers’ nominal income growth expectations over the next 12 months increased to 1.0% in February from 0.9% in January. Perceived nominal spending growth over the previous 12 months decreased further to 4.9% in February, from 5.1% in January and 5.2% in December. This decrease was observed across most income groups. Expected nominal spending growth over the next 12 months also decreased to 3.5% in February, the same value as in December, from 3.6% in January. (Income and consumption results)

    Economic growth and labour market

    Economic growth expectations for the next 12 months were more negative, standing at -1.2%, compared with -1.1% in January, but still above the December value of -1.3%. Expectations for the unemployment rate 12 months ahead increased to 10.5%, the same as in December, from 10.4% in January. Consumers continued to expect the future unemployment rate to be only slightly higher than the perceived current unemployment rate (10.0%), implying a broadly stable labour market. Expectations for both economic growth and the unemployment rate remained broadly stable in the previous fourth months, fluctuating within a narrow range. (Economic growth and labour market results)

    Housing and credit access

    Consumers expected the price of their home to increase by 3.0% over the next 12 months, which was unchanged from January. Households in the lowest income quintile continued to expect higher growth in house prices than those in the highest income quintile (3.5% and 2.7% respectively). Expectations for mortgage interest rates 12 months ahead declined slightly to 4.4% from 4.5%. As in previous months, the lowest income households expected the highest mortgage interest rates 12 months ahead (5.0%), while the highest income households expected the lowest rates (3.9%). The net percentage of households reporting a tightening (relative to those reporting an easing) in access to credit over the previous 12 months declined, as did the net percentage of those expecting a tightening over the next 12 months. (Housing and credit access results)

    The release of the Consumer Expectations Survey (CES) results for March is scheduled for 29 April 2025.

    For media queries, please contact: Nicos Keranis, Tel: +49 172 758 7237

    Notes

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Over 700 Landlord Licenses issued and £45,000 in fines as Salford improves housing conditions

    Source: City of Salford

    A review of Salford City Council’s Selective Licensing Scheme in Eccles, Barton, and Winton shows it is helping to improve housing conditions and make landlords more responsible.

    Introduced in September 2022, the five-year scheme ensures landlords meet required standards for privately rented properties, helping to tackle poor property and tenancy management. So far, 704 properties have been licensed under the scheme, with more applications in progress. The council is also taking action against landlords who have not yet applied.

    The scheme, which requires landlords to obtain a licence and meet a set of management conditions, has helped ensure that privately rented homes meet safety standards, including annual gas safety checks, functioning smoke alarms, and electrical safety compliance. Over 400 landlords and property managers have been checked to make sure they are responsible and fit to manage rental homes.

    Lead Member for Housing and Anti-Poverty, Councillor Tracy Kelly, said: “This scheme is making a real difference by improving private rental housing in Eccles, Barton, and Winton. It ensures tenants have safe, good-quality homes while holding landlords to account. We will continue to work with landlords who follow the rules but take strong action against those who don’t.”

    The scheme has also helped to resolve tenant complaints, improve landlord engagement, and support wider enforcement efforts. So far, the council has issued civil penalties amounting to £45,250 against landlords failing to comply, demonstrating a firm stance on upholding housing standards.

    Salford City Council will keep working to find unlicensed properties and make sure landlords follow their responsibilities, helping to improve housing for local people.

    This is in line with our organisational priority to ensure a good home for all as everyone deserves a decent and affordable place to call home.

    Get more information on the Selective Licensing Scheme. 

    Share this

    Date published
    Friday 28 March 2025

    Press and media enquiries

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Commission influence on Parliament through lobby groups – P-000351/2025(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    The EU programme for the environment and climate action (LIFE Programme[1]) provides, amongst others, financial support for the functioning of non-governmental organisations (NGOs), supporting civil society’s participation in policy making, in line with the LIFE Regulation[2] and the EU Financial Regulation[3].

    Operating grants awarded under the LIFE Programme do not mandate NGOs to influence the legislative process and decision-making towards a specific direction or targeting specific Members of the European Parliament.

    These grants are awarded following a competitive procedure. Applicants submit proposals that include their work programme of activities in areas indicated in the LIFE Regulation. This work programme is annexed to the grant agreement.

    The Commission agrees that work programmes involving specifically detailed activities directed at EU institutions and some of their representatives, even if they do not breach the legal framework and contractual provisions, may entail a reputational risk for the Union.

    To mitigate this risk, the Commission issued guidance[4] for both existing grant agreements and future calls, addressed to all Commission services and applicable to all spending programmes. The guidance clarifies which activities should not be mandated as a requirement or condition for Union financing.

    The Commission adheres to its transparency obligations. The NGOs benefiting from LIFE support and the amount received are published annually in the Commission’s Financial Transparency System[5] and on the LIFE website[6]. The Commission proactively shares the objectives and outcomes of EU-funded projects on the Funding & Tenders Portal[7].

    The Commission has no indication that ongoing LIFE operating grant agreements breach the provisions of the LIFE Regulation or the Financial Regulation.

    It therefore has no legal grounds to terminate any ongoing operating grant agreements. Amendments could only be done if mutually agreed with beneficiaries.

    Nearly all LIFE operating grants containing detailed work programmes expired by end 2024, and the Commission is taking action to ensure the application of the guidance for future calls and agreements.

    • [1] https://cinea.ec.europa.eu/programmes/life_en
    • [2] Regulation (EU) 2021/783 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2021 establishing a Programme for the Environment and Climate Action (LIFE), and repealing Regulation (EU) No 1293/2013.
    • [3] Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 September 2024 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union (recast), ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/2509/oj
    • [4] https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/common/guidance/guidance-funding-dev-impl-monit-enforce-of-eu-law_en.pdf
    • [5] https://ec.europa.eu/budget/financial-transparency-system/index.html
    • [6] https://cinea.ec.europa.eu/programmes/life/life-operating-grants_en
    • [7] https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/home

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