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Category: housing

  • MIL-OSI Security: Miske Enterprise Member Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for Racketeering Conspiracy, Robbery, and Drug Trafficking

    Source: US FBI

    HONOLULU – Acting United States Attorney Ken Sorenson announced that Lance L. Bermudez, 34, of Honolulu, Hawaii was sentenced yesterday in federal court by U.S. District Chief Judge Derrick K. Watson to 360 months of imprisonment followed by five years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, racketeering conspiracy, and Hobbs Act Robbery. Bermudez is the last defendant to be sentenced for his role in the Miske Enterprise.

    As part of his 2022 plea agreement, Bermudez admitted that he and other members of the Enterprise participated in a murder-for-hire conspiracy with codefendant Michael J. Miske and other Enterprise members. Miske put a murder contract out on an individual he believed was cooperating with law enforcement. Bermudez agreed to commit the murder for $60,000 and laid in wait outside of the victim’s home on multiple occasions, waiting for the right opportunity to kill the victim. The murder did not ultimately occur because Miske eventually rescinded the contract. Bermudez also admitted to taking part in multiple attempted murders where he shot victims from his vehicle. Further, Bermudez admitted to burning a van at Miske’s direction that Bermudez later discovered was utilized in the abduction and murder of 21-year-old Johnathan Fraser. Bermudez also admitted to committing several armed robberies of Honolulu area drug dealers and then selling the stolen drugs to others in the community.

    Bermudez was charged alongside twelve other defendants, all of whom pled guilty except for Michael J. Miske who proceeded to trial and was found guilty of racketeering conspiracy, murder, and 11 other felony charges on July 18, 2024.

    Seven other members and associates of the Miske Enterprise pled guilty to various offenses in related cases.

    “You terrorized this city and this county to a greater extent than anyone I can remember,” Judge Watson advised Bermudez during today’s sentencing before reciting the litany of racketeering acts for which the Court found Bermudez responsible.  Judge Watson called out the “brazenness” and “unprecedented” nature of Bermudez’s acts of violence, noting that he had never seen the same level of violence even collectively among multiple coconspirators that here was attributed solely to Bermudez.

    “For his grisly work in pummeling victims with his fists, Lance Bermudez was coined with the nickname, ‘The Hammah.’  Yesterday, Bermudez was at the business end of the federal justice hammer as U.S. District Chief Judge Derrick Watson sentenced him to a lengthy 30-year sentence for his violent role in promoting the nefarious and illicit activities of the Miske organization.  Bermudez’s sentence is the final one to be handed down against the members of the Miske Enterprise and is the capstone of our investigation into the violent and corrupt activities of Michael Miske and his henchmen,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Ken Sorenson.  “Our decade-long effort with our outstanding law enforcement partners has now resulted in the federal convictions of 20 Miske confederates who now can no longer victimize Hawaii’s citizens and communities.  While the work against the Miske Enterprise is done, the people of Hawaii can rest assured that the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Hawaii and our dedicated and resolute law enforcement partners at the Honolulu Division of the FBI, Internal Revenue Service, and Homeland Security Investigations, among others, will continue to tirelessly hunt down and prosecute those who operate violent criminal enterprises in our state and endanger our citizens.”

    “Mr. Bermudez was a key member of the Miske Enterprise, actively participating in a longstanding pattern of violence and racketeering activity involving murder-for-hire, armed robbery, and drug trafficking,” said FBI Honolulu Special Agent in Charge David Porter.  “This sentencing reflects years of collaboration between FBI Honolulu and our law enforcement partners.  The FBI remains steadfast in its commitment to dismantle violent criminal enterprises, hold their members accountable, and pursue justice for victims.” 

    “Mr. Bermudez’s account of attempted murder-for-hire reminds us that even the worst crimes have a price,” said Adam Jobes, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation’s Seattle Field Office. “IRS-CI follows the money to uproot organizations that profit from violence.”

    “Today’s sentencing marks a significant step towards justice for the victims and the community terrorized by the Miske Enterprise.  The severity of the crimes committed by Lance L. Bermudez underscores the necessity of our relentless collaborative efforts to dismantle such criminal organizations and ensure the safety and security of our citizens,” said Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Lucy Cabral-DeArmas.  “We remain steadfast in our commitment to holding accountable those who engage in such egregious acts of violence and criminal conduct.”

    This prosecution was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation.  OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

    This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Criminal Investigation Division of the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, with assistance from the Honolulu Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Coast Guard Investigative Service, the United States Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force, the Cybercrime Lab of the Department of Justice Criminal Division Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, the Hawaii Criminal Justice Data Center, the Honolulu Fire Department, the Hawaii National Guard, 93rd Civil Support Team, the Office of Investigations–Office of the Inspector General for the Social Security Administration, and the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark Inciong, Michael Nammar, KeAupuni Akina, and Aislinn Affinito prosecuted the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

    July 17, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Miske Enterprise Member Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for Racketeering Conspiracy, Robbery, and Drug Trafficking

    Source: US FBI

    HONOLULU – Acting United States Attorney Ken Sorenson announced that Lance L. Bermudez, 34, of Honolulu, Hawaii was sentenced yesterday in federal court by U.S. District Chief Judge Derrick K. Watson to 360 months of imprisonment followed by five years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, racketeering conspiracy, and Hobbs Act Robbery. Bermudez is the last defendant to be sentenced for his role in the Miske Enterprise.

    As part of his 2022 plea agreement, Bermudez admitted that he and other members of the Enterprise participated in a murder-for-hire conspiracy with codefendant Michael J. Miske and other Enterprise members. Miske put a murder contract out on an individual he believed was cooperating with law enforcement. Bermudez agreed to commit the murder for $60,000 and laid in wait outside of the victim’s home on multiple occasions, waiting for the right opportunity to kill the victim. The murder did not ultimately occur because Miske eventually rescinded the contract. Bermudez also admitted to taking part in multiple attempted murders where he shot victims from his vehicle. Further, Bermudez admitted to burning a van at Miske’s direction that Bermudez later discovered was utilized in the abduction and murder of 21-year-old Johnathan Fraser. Bermudez also admitted to committing several armed robberies of Honolulu area drug dealers and then selling the stolen drugs to others in the community.

    Bermudez was charged alongside twelve other defendants, all of whom pled guilty except for Michael J. Miske who proceeded to trial and was found guilty of racketeering conspiracy, murder, and 11 other felony charges on July 18, 2024.

    Seven other members and associates of the Miske Enterprise pled guilty to various offenses in related cases.

    “You terrorized this city and this county to a greater extent than anyone I can remember,” Judge Watson advised Bermudez during today’s sentencing before reciting the litany of racketeering acts for which the Court found Bermudez responsible.  Judge Watson called out the “brazenness” and “unprecedented” nature of Bermudez’s acts of violence, noting that he had never seen the same level of violence even collectively among multiple coconspirators that here was attributed solely to Bermudez.

    “For his grisly work in pummeling victims with his fists, Lance Bermudez was coined with the nickname, ‘The Hammah.’  Yesterday, Bermudez was at the business end of the federal justice hammer as U.S. District Chief Judge Derrick Watson sentenced him to a lengthy 30-year sentence for his violent role in promoting the nefarious and illicit activities of the Miske organization.  Bermudez’s sentence is the final one to be handed down against the members of the Miske Enterprise and is the capstone of our investigation into the violent and corrupt activities of Michael Miske and his henchmen,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Ken Sorenson.  “Our decade-long effort with our outstanding law enforcement partners has now resulted in the federal convictions of 20 Miske confederates who now can no longer victimize Hawaii’s citizens and communities.  While the work against the Miske Enterprise is done, the people of Hawaii can rest assured that the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Hawaii and our dedicated and resolute law enforcement partners at the Honolulu Division of the FBI, Internal Revenue Service, and Homeland Security Investigations, among others, will continue to tirelessly hunt down and prosecute those who operate violent criminal enterprises in our state and endanger our citizens.”

    “Mr. Bermudez was a key member of the Miske Enterprise, actively participating in a longstanding pattern of violence and racketeering activity involving murder-for-hire, armed robbery, and drug trafficking,” said FBI Honolulu Special Agent in Charge David Porter.  “This sentencing reflects years of collaboration between FBI Honolulu and our law enforcement partners.  The FBI remains steadfast in its commitment to dismantle violent criminal enterprises, hold their members accountable, and pursue justice for victims.” 

    “Mr. Bermudez’s account of attempted murder-for-hire reminds us that even the worst crimes have a price,” said Adam Jobes, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation’s Seattle Field Office. “IRS-CI follows the money to uproot organizations that profit from violence.”

    “Today’s sentencing marks a significant step towards justice for the victims and the community terrorized by the Miske Enterprise.  The severity of the crimes committed by Lance L. Bermudez underscores the necessity of our relentless collaborative efforts to dismantle such criminal organizations and ensure the safety and security of our citizens,” said Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Lucy Cabral-DeArmas.  “We remain steadfast in our commitment to holding accountable those who engage in such egregious acts of violence and criminal conduct.”

    This prosecution was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation.  OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

    This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Criminal Investigation Division of the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, with assistance from the Honolulu Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Coast Guard Investigative Service, the United States Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force, the Cybercrime Lab of the Department of Justice Criminal Division Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, the Hawaii Criminal Justice Data Center, the Honolulu Fire Department, the Hawaii National Guard, 93rd Civil Support Team, the Office of Investigations–Office of the Inspector General for the Social Security Administration, and the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark Inciong, Michael Nammar, KeAupuni Akina, and Aislinn Affinito prosecuted the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

    July 17, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Stifel Ranks No. 1 in J.D. Power Study for Third Straight Year

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    ST. LOUIS, July 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Stifel Financial Corp. (NYSE: SF) today announced that its Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated broker-dealer subsidiary ranked No. 1 in employee advisor satisfaction among wealth management firms in the J.D. Power 2025 U.S. Financial Advisor Satisfaction StudySM.

    This marks the third straight year that Stifel has earned the top ranking, which is calculated based on responses submitted by Stifel advisors. Stifel’s overall score was 819 out of 1,000 – 214 points higher than the employee segment average and up 52 points from last year.

    In addition to finishing No. 1 overall, Stifel ranked first in five individual categories: compensation, leadership and culture, operational support, products and marketing, and technology.

    “I am thrilled that J.D. Power has named Stifel the No. 1 wealth management firm for employee advisor satisfaction for the third consecutive year,” said Ron Kruszewski, Chairman and CEO of Stifel. “This recognition means even more because it comes directly from our advisors. Ranking No. 1 in overall satisfaction – and in five of six categories – is a powerful testament to the culture we’ve built at Stifel. But we don’t view this as a victory lap – we view it as a challenge. A challenge to keep raising the bar, to keep listening, and to continuously improve.”

    “This is a tremendous honor for the firm, our advisors, and the colleagues who support them,” said Jim Zemlyak, President of Stifel and Head of Global Wealth Management. “Our unique culture is built around respect for our advisors, and we continually invest in their success by providing them the resources and support needed to deliver exceptional service to their clients.”

    Stifel is home to approximately 2,340 advisors with approximately $517 billion in client assets as of June 30, 2025.

    Stifel Company Information
    Stifel Financial Corp. (NYSE: SF) is a financial services holding company headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, that conducts its banking, securities, and financial services business through several wholly owned subsidiaries. Stifel’s broker-dealer clients are served in the United States through Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated, including its Eaton Partners business division; Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, Inc.; Miller Buckfire & Co., LLC; and Stifel Independent Advisors, LLC; and in the United Kingdom and Europe through Stifel Nicolaus Europe Limited. The Company’s broker-dealer affiliates provide securities brokerage, investment banking, trading, investment advisory, and related financial services to individual investors, professional money managers, businesses, and municipalities. Stifel Bank and Stifel Bank & Trust offer a full range of consumer and commercial lending solutions. Stifel Trust Company, N.A. and Stifel Trust Company Delaware, N.A. offer trust and related services. To learn more about Stifel, please visit the Company’s website at www.stifel.com. For global disclosures, please visit www.stifel.com/investor-relations/press-releases.

    For further information,
    contact Brian Spellecy
    (314) 342-2000        

    The MIL Network –

    July 17, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: When big sports events expand, like FIFA’s 2026 World Cup matches across North America, their climate footprint expands too

    Source: The Conversation – USA (2) – By Brian P. McCullough, Associate Professor of Sport Management, University of Michigan

    Lionel Messi celebrates with fans after Argentina won the FIFA World Cup championship in 2022 in Qatar. Michael Regan-FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images

    When the FIFA World Cup hits North America in June 2026, 48 teams and millions of soccer fans will be traveling to and from venues spread across the United States, Canada and Mexico.

    It’s a dramatic expansion – 16 more teams will be playing than in recent years, with a jump from 64 to 104 matches. The tournament is projected to bring in over US$10 billion in revenue. But the expansion will also mean a lot more travel and other activities that contribute to climate change.

    The environmental impacts of giant sporting events like the World Cup create a complex paradox for an industry grappling with its future in a warming world.

    A sustainability conundrum

    Sports are undeniably experiencing the effects of climate change. Rising global temperatures are putting athletes’ health at risk during summer heat waves and shortening winter sports seasons. Many of the 2026 World Cup venues often see heat waves in June and early July, when the tournament is scheduled.

    There is a divide over how sports should respond.

    Some athletes are speaking out for more sustainable choices and have called on lawmakers to take steps to limit climate-warming emissions. At the same time, the sport industry is growing and facing a constant push to increase revenue. The NCAA is also considering expanding its March Madness basketball tournaments from 68 teams currently to as many as 76.

    Park Yong-woo of team Al Ain from Abu Dhabi tries to cool off during a Club World Cup match on June 26, 2025, in Washington, D.C., which was in the midst of a heat wave. Some players have raised concerns about likely high temperatures during the 2026 World Cup, with matches scheduled June 11 to July 19.
    AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson

    Estimates for the 2026 World Cup show what large tournament expansions can mean for the climate. A report from Scientists for Global Responsibility estimates that the expanded World Cup could generate over 9 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, nearly double the average of the past four World Cups.

    This massive increase – and the increase that would come if the NCAA basketball tournaments also expand – would primarily be driven by air travel as fans and players fly among event cities that are thousands of miles apart.

    A lot of money is at stake, but so is the climate

    Sports are big business, and adding more matches to events like the World Cup and NCAA tournaments will likely lead to larger media rights contracts and greater gate receipts from more fans attending the events, boosting revenues. These are powerful financial incentives.

    In the NCAA’s case, there is another reason to consider a larger tournament: The House v. NCAA settlement opened the door for college athletic departments to share revenue with athletes, which will significantly increase costs for many college programs. More teams would mean more television revenue and, crucially, more revenue to be distributed to member NCAA institutions and their athletic conferences.

    When climate promises become greenwashing

    The inherent conflict between maximizing profit through growth and minimizing environmental footprint presents a dilemma for sports.

    Several sport organizations have promised to reduce their impact on the climate, including signing up for initiatives like the United Nations Sports for Climate Action Framework.

    However, as sports tournaments and exhibition games expand, it can become increasingly hard for sports organizations to meet their climate commitments. In some cases, groups making sustainability commitments have been accused of greenwashing, suggesting the goals are more about public relations than making genuine, measurable changes.

    For example, FIFA’s early claims that it would hold a “fully carbon-neutral” World Cup in Qatar in 2022 were challenged by a group of European countries that accused soccer’s world governing body of underestimating emissions. The Swiss Fairness Commission, which monitors fairness in advertising, considered the complaints and determined that FIFA’s claims could not be substantiated.

    Alessandro Bastoni, of Inter Milan and Italy’s national team, prepares to board a flight from Milan to Rome with his team.
    Mattia Ozbot-Inter/Inter via Getty Images

    Aviation is often the biggest driver of emissions. A study that colleagues and I conducted on the NCAA men’s basketball tournament found about 80% of its emissions were connected to travel. And that was after the NCAA began using the pod system, which is designed to keep teams closer to home for the first and second rounds.

    Finding practical solutions

    Some academics, observing the rising emissions trend, have called for radical solutions like the end of commercialized sports or drastically limiting who can attend sporting events, with a focus on fans from the region.

    These solutions are frankly not practical, in my view, nor do they align with other positive developments. The growing popularity of women’s sports shows the challenge in limiting sports events – more games expands participation but adds to the industry’s overall footprint.

    Further compounding the challenges of reducing environmental impact is the amount of fan travel, which is outside the direct control of the sports organization or event organizers.

    Many fans will follow their teams long distances, especially for mega-events like the World Cup or the NCAA tournament. During the men’s World Cup in Russia in 2018, more than 840,000 fans traveled from other countries. The top countries by number of fans, after Russia, were China, the U.S., Mexico and Argentina.

    There is an argument that distributed sporting events like March Madness or the World Cup can be better in some ways for local environments because they don’t overwhelm a single city. However, merely spreading the impact does not necessarily reduce it, particularly when considering the effects on climate change.

    How fans can cut their environmental footprint

    Sport organizations and event planners can take steps to be more sustainable and also encourage more sustainable choices among fans. Fans can reduce their environmental impact in a variety of ways. For example:

    • Avoid taking airplanes for shorter distances, such as between FIFA venues in Philadelphia, New York and Boston, and carpool or take Amtrak instead. Planes can be more efficient for long distances, but air travel is still a major contributing factor to emissions.

    • While in a host city, use mass transit or rent electric vehicles or bicycles for local travel.

    • Consider sustainable accommodations, such as short-term rentals that might have a smaller environmental footprint than a hotel. Or stay at a certified green hotel that makes an effort to be more efficient in its use of water and energy.

    • Engage in sustainable pregame and postgame activities, such as choosing local, sustainable food options, and minimize waste.

    • You can also pay to offset carbon emissions for attending different sporting events, much like concertgoers do when they attend musical festivals. While critics question offsets’ true environmental benefit, they do represent people’s growing awareness of their environmental footprint.

    Through all these options, it’s clear that sports face a significant challenge in addressing their environmental impacts and encouraging fans to be more sustainable, while simultaneously trying to meet ambitious business and environmental targets.

    In my view, a sustainable path forward will require strategic, yet genuine, commitment by the sports industry and its fans, and a willingness to prioritize long-term planetary health alongside economic gains – balancing the sport and sustainability.

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

    – ref. When big sports events expand, like FIFA’s 2026 World Cup matches across North America, their climate footprint expands too – https://theconversation.com/when-big-sports-events-expand-like-fifas-2026-world-cup-matches-across-north-america-their-climate-footprint-expands-too-259437

    MIL OSI –

    July 17, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: The golden oyster mushroom craze unleashed an invasive species – and a worrying new study shows it’s harming native fungi

    Source: The Conversation – USA (2) – By Aishwarya Veerabahu, Ph.D. Candidate in Botany, University of Wisconsin-Madison

    Golden oyster mushrooms can be cultivated, but they can also escape into the wild. DDukang/iStock/Getty Images Plus

    Golden oyster mushrooms, with their sunny yellow caps and nutty flavor, have become wildly popular for being healthy, delicious and easy to grow at home from mushroom kits.

    But this food craze has also unleashed an invasive species into the wild, and new research shows it’s pushing out native fungi.

    In a study we believe is the first of its kind, fellow mycologists and I demonstrate that an invasive fungus can cause environmental harm, just as invasive plants and animals can when they take over ecosystems.

    A scientist documents golden oyster mushrooms growing wild in a Wisconsin forest, where these invasive fungi don’t belong. DNA tests showed the species had pushed out other native fungi.
    Aishwarya Veerabahu

    Native mushrooms and other fungi are important for the health of many ecosystems. They break down dead wood and other plant material, helping it decay. They cycle nutrients such as carbon and nitrogen from the dead tissues of plants and animals, turning it into usable forms that enter the soil, atmosphere or their own bodies. Fungi also play a role in managing climate change by sequestering carbon in soil and mediating carbon emissions from soil and wood.

    Their symbiotic relationships with other organisms also help other organisms thrive. Mycorrhizal fungi on roots, for example, help plants absorb water and nutrients. And wood decay fungi help create wooded habitats for birds, mammals and plant seedlings.

    However, we found that invasive golden oyster mushrooms, a wood decay fungus, can threaten forests’ fungal biodiversity and harm the health of ecosystems that are already vulnerable to climate change and habitat destruction.

    The dark side of the mushroom trade

    Golden oyster mushrooms, native to Asia, were brought to North America around the early 2000s. They’re part of an international mushroom culinary craze that has been feeding into one of the world’s leading drivers of biodiversity loss: invasive species.

    As fungi are moved around the world in global trade, either intentionally as products, such as kits people buy for growing mushrooms at home, or unintentionally as microbial stowaways along with soil, plants, timber and even shipping pallets, they can establish themselves in new environments.

    Where golden oyster mushrooms, an invasive species in North America, have been reported in the wild, including in forests, parks and neighborhoods. Red dots indicate new reports each year. States in yellow have had a report at some point. Aishwarya Veerabahu

    Many mushroom species have been cultivated in North America for decades without becoming invasive species threats. However, golden oyster mushrooms have been different.

    No one knows exactly how golden oyster mushrooms escaped into the wild, whether from a grow kit, a commercial mushroom farm or outdoor logs inoculated with golden oysters – a home-cultivation technique where mushroom mycelium is placed into logs to colonize the wood and produce mushrooms.

    As grow kits increased in popularity, many people began buying golden oyster kits and watching them blossom into beautiful yellow mushrooms in their backyards. Their spores or composted kits could have spread into nearby forests.

    Evidence from a pioneering study by Andrea Reisdorf (née Bruce) suggests golden oyster mushrooms were introduced into the wild in multiple U.S. states around the early 2010s.

    Species the golden oysters pushed out

    In our study, designed by Michelle Jusino and Mark Banik, research scientists with the U.S. Forest Service, our team went into forests around Madison, Wisconsin, and drilled into dead trees to collect wood shavings containing the natural fungal community within each tree. Some of the trees had golden oyster mushrooms on them, and some did not.

    We then extracted DNA to identify and compare which fungi, and how many fungi, were in trees that had been invaded by golden oyster mushrooms compared with those that had not been.

    We were startled to find that trees with golden oyster mushrooms housed only half as many fungal species as trees without golden oyster mushrooms, sometimes even less. We also found that the composition of fungi in trees with golden oyster mushrooms was different from trees without golden oyster mushrooms.

    For example, the gentle green “mossy maze polypore” and the “elm oyster” mushroom were pushed out of trees invaded by golden oyster mushrooms.

    Mossy maze polypore growing on a stump. This is one of the native species that disappeared from trees when the golden oyster mushroom moved in.
    mauriziobiso/iStock/Getty Images Plus

    Another ousted fungus, Nemania serpens, is known for producing diverse arrays of chemicals that differ even between individuals of the same species. Fungi are sources of revolutionary medicines, including antibiotics like penicillin, cholesterol medication and organ transplant stabilizers. The value of undiscovered, potentially useful chemicals can be lost when invasive species push others out.

    The invasive species problem includes fungi

    Given what my colleagues and I discovered, we believe it is time to include invasive fungi in the global conversation about invasive species and examine their role as a cause of biodiversity loss.

    That conversation includes the idea of fungal “endemism” – that each place has a native fungal community that can be thrown out of balance. Native fungal communities tend to be diverse, having evolved together over thousands of years to coexist. Our research shows how invasive species can change the makeup of fungal communities by outcompeting native species, thus changing the fungal processes that have shaped native ecosystems.

    There are many other invasive fungi. For example, the deadly poisonous “death cap” Amanita phalloides and the “orange ping-pong bat” Favolaschia calocera are invasive in North America. The classic red and white “fly agaric” Amanita muscaria is native to North America but invasive elsewhere.

    The orange ping-pong bat mushroom is invasive in North America. These were photographed in New Zealand.
    Bernard Spragg. NZ/Flickr Creative Commons

    The golden oyster mushrooms’ invasion of North America should serve as a bright yellow warning that nonnative fungi are capable of rapid invasion and should be cultivated with caution, if at all.

    Golden oyster mushrooms are now recognized as invasive in Switzerland and can be found in forests in Italy, Hungary, Serbia and Germany. I have been hearing about people attempting to cultivate them around the world, including in Turkey, India, Ecuador, Kenya, Italy and Portugal. It’s possible that golden oyster mushrooms may not be able to establish invasive populations in some regions. Continued research will help us understand the full scope of impacts invasive fungi can have.

    What you can do to help

    Mushroom growers, businesses and foragers around the world may be asking themselves, “What can we do about it?”

    For the time being, I recommend that people consider refraining from using golden oyster mushroom grow kits to prevent any new introductions. For people who make a living selling these mushrooms, consider adding a note that this species is invasive and should be cultivated indoors and not composted.

    If you enjoy growing mushrooms at home, try cultivating safe, native species that you have collected in your region.

    Most mushrooms you see in the grocery store are grown indoors.

    There is no single right answer. In some places, golden oyster mushrooms are being cultivated as a food source for impoverished communities, for income, or to process agricultural waste and produce food at the same time. Positives like these will have to be considered alongside the mushrooms’ negative impacts when developing management plans or legislation.

    In the future, some ideas for solutions could involve sporeless strains of golden oysters for home kits that can’t spread, or a targeted mycovirus that could control the population. Increased awareness about responsible cultivation practices is important, because when invasive species move in and disrupt the native biodiversity, we all stand to lose the beautiful, colorful, weird fungi we see on walks in the forest.

    Aishwarya Veerabahu receives funding from UW-Madison Dept. of Botany, the UW Arboretum, the Society of Ecological Restoration, and the Garden Club of America. Aishwarya Veerabahu was an employee of the USDA Forest Service.

    – ref. The golden oyster mushroom craze unleashed an invasive species – and a worrying new study shows it’s harming native fungi – https://theconversation.com/the-golden-oyster-mushroom-craze-unleashed-an-invasive-species-and-a-worrying-new-study-shows-its-harming-native-fungi-259006

    MIL OSI –

    July 17, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Paolo Borsellino: the murder of an anti-mafia prosecutor and the enduring mystery of his missing red notebook

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Felia Allum, Professor of Comparative Organised Crime and Corruption, University of Bath

    It has been 33 years since anti-mafia prosecutor Paolo Borsellino was blown up by Cosa Nostra in front of his mother’s home in Palermo, Sicily. His death on July 19 1992 came 57 days after the murder of his colleague, Giovanni Falcone. This was the peak of Cosa Nostra’s attack on state representatives.

    A vital document was lost that day – a red notebook believed to have been in Borsellino’s work bag. This loss has hampered attempts to understand how deep into the Italian state Cosa Nostra’s activities run.

    The early 1990s were a turbulent time in Italy. The fall of the Berlin wall in 1989 broke the Italian party system and wiped out the traditional political parties, which had been based around the opposing forces of the Christian Democrats (supported by the US and the Vatican) and the Communist party.

    The Christian Democrats, in power during the post-war period, had often protected Cosa Nostra. But losing power meant an inability to honour its “pact” with mafiosi. This led to the mafia attacking anyone who got in its way.

    Falcone and Borsellino, as anti-mafia prosecutors, had got under the skin of Cosa Nostra. Their work zoned in on its mentality and activities. They were the driving force behind the 1986 “maxi trial” that saw hundreds of mafiosi prosecuted. This was the first time important mafia bosses were imprisoned. Falcone and Borsellino had brought a new understanding to the internal workings of the mafia, including its links with politics and money laundering operations.

    The mafia was deploying terrorist tactics against state representatives and institutions in the early 1990s in what appears to have been an attempt to get the state to negotiate with it. Borsellino, it is believed, was investigating this when he was murdered.

    The red notebook

    Crucially, on the day Borsellino was murdered, his work bag, which contained his red notebook (“l’agenda rossa”) disappeared from the wreckage of his car.

    He carried his red notebook around with him everywhere, making copious notes of his investigations and ideas. Had it been recovered, l’agenda rossa could have revealed the possible links between state representatives (including with the police and judiciary), businessmen and Cosa Nostra.

    It could, in effect, have mapped out how and to what extent Cosa Nostra had infiltrated the Italian state and the nature of its relationships with the new political class, the business elite, freemasons and other covert actors.

    A photograph of a police officer walking off with what looks very much like the bag that presumably contained the notebook has circulated ever since. But this is where the trail ends. The bag – minus the notebook – was later found in the office of the head of the flying squad, with no explanation as to how and why it got there.

    The disappearance of the red notebook remains a persistent enigma – and one which continues to haunt contemporary Italy because of what it might suggest about the nation’s underworld and political class.

    This photo could even suggest that the goal of killing Borsellino was not just to eliminate a zealous public prosecutor but to remove a pantheon of knowledge about organised crime and its infiltration into the public realm as part of a more orchestrated plan.

    Then, in 1993, Cosa Nostra suddenly and inexplicably ceased its terrorist tactics against the state. It was as though a truce had been reached. Could this be the case?

    Many have speculated that there was a secret dialogue and a trattativa – a state-mafia negotiation entered and a deal struck between state representatives and Cosa Nostra leaders to stop the violence. In exchange for an end to the violence, it was suggested that state representatives promised softer anti-mafia laws. It’s possible that the disappearance of Borsellino’s red notebook could have been part of the deal.

    Interpreting history

    The history of these dynamics between state and the mafia has since been written and re-written, dividing Italians and mafia scholars.

    At the heart of all these disagreements lie two questions: was the notebook taken intentionally and why did Cosa Nostra stop its attacks on the state at the specific moment that it did?. The answer to these would essentially establish whether or not there was a negotiated peace between the mafia and the state.

    In 2014, high-profile politicians, police officers and mafiosi were put on trial, accused of playing a role and enabling these negotiations. This was, in effect, the Italian state putting itself on trial.

    Some legal experts and historians have argued that the theory of coordinated action by state representatives and mafiosi was always an absurd hypothesis. While there might have been some random informal contacts, they contest that there was never a formal pact. The end of Cosa Nostra‘s violence, they argue, was due to a combination of other factors, including greater enforcement of the law.

    Others argue that there is evidence of a pact. These include first-hand accounts from former criminals. But of course it is hard to make these stories stick because all evidence of a relationship of this kind would, by definition, be covert and off the books. As with many trials and in particular, mafia trials, there are no facts, just interpretations of facts.

    In 2018, some state representatives and mafiosi were found guilty. But in 2023, the Italian supreme court overturned the 2018 ruling and concluded that there was no pact and no state-mafia negotiation.

    All involved were cleared for different reasons as the court attempted to draw a line under the intrigue by articulating a clear position. But with the mafia, answers are rarely that simple. And history is not only written in the courtroom.

    Borsellino’s legacy is celebrated in Italy to this day – but the unresolved matter of his missing notebook haunts the country more profoundly. His bag – minus the notebook – has recently been put on show at the Italian senate to celebrate his life. The display is also a reminder of how much remains unresolved from that period.

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

    – ref. Paolo Borsellino: the murder of an anti-mafia prosecutor and the enduring mystery of his missing red notebook – https://theconversation.com/paolo-borsellino-the-murder-of-an-anti-mafia-prosecutor-and-the-enduring-mystery-of-his-missing-red-notebook-259101

    MIL OSI –

    July 17, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Heinrich, Luján Demand Answers on Trump Admin Re-Adding Medical Debt onto Credit Reports

    US Senate News:

    Source: US Senator for New Mexico Ben Ray Luján

    Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) joined Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Banking Committee Ranking Member Elizabeth Warren (D- Mass.), Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and 24 other Senators in pushing the Trump administration for answers regarding the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) decision to vacate the medical debt rule finalized in January 2025. The letter demands CFPB share any data the agency relied on in deciding to petition a court to vacate the rule and any communications it had with entities during the process that would profit from its decision.

    “On April 30, 2025, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) asked a court to vacate the agency’s recently released rule to remove medical debt from consumer credit reports. We write to request the information you relied on in making that determination, including any communications with collection agencies that stand to profit from it,” the Senators said.

    “Medical debt collections information is often inaccurate, and studies show that it is not useful in determining a consumer’s ability to repay other debts…Almost half of all medical bills contain at least one error, and almost half of nonprofit hospitals have routinely and mistakenly billed patients who were eligible for free or discounted care,” they continued.

    At the conclusion of the letter, the Senators emphasize the need for transparency into the agency’s decision-making process.

    “On April 30, the CFPB filed a joint motion with the industry groups that oppose the rule, petitioning the court to vacate it – lining the pockets of corporations off the backs of American consumers. Given the substantial evidence that the CFPB’s rule was well-considered and would help consumers without reducing the accuracy of their credit scores, we write to request that the CFPB make public all information relied on by the agency in its decision to drop the rule, including any communications with the debt collection industry,” the Senators closed.

    Senator Luján has long worked to support Americans facing medical debt. In March 2024, Senator Luján called on CFPB Director Rohit Chopra to eliminate reporting of all medical debt in consumers’ credit reports. In November 2024, Senator Lujánintroduced the Medical Bankruptcy Fairness Act to ease the burden on Americans forced into bankruptcy because of unforeseen medical expenses. Senator Luján continues to stand up in defense of New Mexicans by holding the CFPB under President Trump accountable.

    In addition to Senators Heinrich, Lujan, Warnock, Warren, Schumer, and Merkley, the letter was signed by U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Adam Schiff (D-CA), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), John Fetterman (D-PA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Tina Smith (D-MN), Jack Reed (D-RI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Angus King (I-ME), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Peter Welch (D-VT), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), and Jacky Rosen (D-NV).

    Read the full letter HERE, and the text is below

    Dear Acting Director Vought,

    On April 30, 2025, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) asked a court to vacate the agency’s recently released rule to remove medical debt from consumer credit reports. We write to request the information you relied on in making that determination, including any communications with debt collection agencies that stand to profit from it.

    Medical debt collections information is often inaccurate, and studies show that it is not useful in determining a consumer’s ability to repay other debts. One major credit scoring company, VantageScore, has stopped using medical debt in its newer models entirely. Almost half of all medical bills contain at least one error, and almost half of nonprofit hospitals have routinely and mistakenly billed patients who were eligible for free or discounted care. People often receive collection notices for debts they did not owe, in the wrong amount, or that should have been covered by insurance—but still end up experiencing long-lasting damage to their credit scores.

    Listing medical debt on a person’s credit report drives down their credit score, which hurts their ability to purchase a car, buy a home or rent an apartment, get utility service, start a business, or access other banking services. This has profound effects on families that can last generations. To make matters worse, medical debt is the most common reason debt collectors contact consumers; the debt collection industry makes one-fourth of its annual revenue from health care debt. Including medical debt on credit reports makes consumers more vulnerable to predatory debt collection practices.

    Medical debt on credit reports also blocks working families from access to credit that they would be able to repay.The CFPB found that people who had all their medical debts completely removed from their credit reports experienced an average credit score increase of 20 points, in some cases elevating families into a higher credit score tier.

    In response to growing data that medical debt is not a good indicator of creditworthiness, states across the country have acted to ban the inclusion of medical debt on credit reports. And on January 7, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) issued a final rule to remove medical debt from consumer credit reports. The rule would remove an estimated $49 billion in medical bills from the credit reports of 15 million Americans, prohibit credit reporting companies from sharing medical debt information with lenders, and bar lenders from considering medical debt in underwriting decisions. It was designed to help the millions of Americans who are struggling to make ends meet, by lowering costs and increasing access to affordable credit for working families without affecting the predictive value of their credit reports. The rule would also help reduce the effects of structural racism and other prejudices. People of color are disproportionately harmed by the inclusion of medical debt on credit reports. Meanwhile, adults with a disability and new moms are more than twice as likely to carry medical debt.

    Despite the critical importance of the medical debt rule, on April 30, the CFPB filed a joint motion with the industry groups that oppose the rule, petitioning the court to vacate it—lining the pockets of corporations off the backs of American consumers. Given the substantial evidence that the CFPB’s rule was well-considered and would help consumers without reducing the accuracy of their credit scores, we write to request that the CFPB make public all information relied on by the agency in its decision to drop the rule, including any communications with the debt collection industry, by July 28, 2025. We specifically request that CFPB publicly publish all data about how medical debt relates to key economic indicators, including:

    • Barriers to home and car ownership, including challenges getting loans or not being approved to rent or lease,
    • Paying higher premiums for auto, homeowner’s and other types of insurance,
    • Losing job opportunities as a result of credit reporting on background checks,
    • Obstacles to starting small businesses because of challenges with securing loans,
    • Paying more for everyday services such as household utilities or cell phone contracts

    We are particularly concerned about the outsize impact that medical debt has on the credit scores of seniors, veterans, new parents, people with disabilities, cancer patients and survivors, and small business owners.

    Thank you for your attention to this matter.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    July 17, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Northpoint Asset Management Selects AppFolio to Unlock Performance Across its Diverse Portfolio

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SANTA BARBARA, Calif., July 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — AppFolio (NASDAQ:APPF), the technology leader powering the future of the real estate industry, announced that it has been selected by Northpoint Asset Management to power its operations.

    Headquartered in Salt Lake City, UT, Northpoint is a full-service property management company for long-term single and multifamily rental homes, managing over 8,000 units. With more than $5 billion in real estate assets managed, Northpoint identified the need for a performance-first platform that could unify data, streamline operations, and deliver real-time insights to owners. Northpoint chose AppFolio Property Manager Max, an enterprise-grade solution specifically tailored for large residential operators, for its intuitive user experience and leadership in AI.

    “It’s essential that our tools evolve with us as we expand our geographic footprint and portfolio,” said Adam Haleck, CEO at Northpoint Asset Management. “AppFolio will free our team from task-based silos, allowing us to focus on holistic outcomes and unlocking tangible performance.”

    “Moving to AppFolio was a seamless experience, which speaks volumes about the partnership. AppFolio’s significant and ongoing investment in product development, along with their client-first support team, reinforces our confidence that Northpoint’s residents and owners will continue to have the best experiences and outcomes,” Haleck continued.

    “Northpoint Asset Management is a forward-thinking operator that recognizes the power of a unified experience across its entire business,” said Marcy Campbell, Chief Revenue Officer at AppFolio. “We’re excited to help Northpoint harness the full performance potential of their operations, empowering their teams to act proactively, delight stakeholders, and thrive.”

    This partnership underscores how leading operators are choosing AppFolio Realm, the company’s AI-native product suite, to help them free up staff while delivering improved outcomes. AppFolio Realm-X – its embedded generative AI – continues to expand its capabilities, including the recently announced AppFolio Realm-X Performers, which empower operators to delegate entire workflows through agentic AI.

    About Northpoint Asset Management, Inc.
    Northpoint, a founder-led business, is a full-service property management company for long-term single and multifamily rental homes with 40+ office locations across the US. Northpoint manages real estate for thousands of clients across the US, including some of the nation’s largest-institutional investors.

    About AppFolio
    AppFolio is the technology leader powering the future of the real estate industry. Our innovative platform and trusted partnership enable our customers to connect communities, increase operational efficiency, and grow their business. For more information about AppFolio, visit appfolio.com.

    For more information, please contact:
    AppFolio
    appfolio@missionnorth.com

    The MIL Network –

    July 17, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Northpoint Asset Management Selects AppFolio to Unlock Performance Across its Diverse Portfolio

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SANTA BARBARA, Calif., July 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — AppFolio (NASDAQ:APPF), the technology leader powering the future of the real estate industry, announced that it has been selected by Northpoint Asset Management to power its operations.

    Headquartered in Salt Lake City, UT, Northpoint is a full-service property management company for long-term single and multifamily rental homes, managing over 8,000 units. With more than $5 billion in real estate assets managed, Northpoint identified the need for a performance-first platform that could unify data, streamline operations, and deliver real-time insights to owners. Northpoint chose AppFolio Property Manager Max, an enterprise-grade solution specifically tailored for large residential operators, for its intuitive user experience and leadership in AI.

    “It’s essential that our tools evolve with us as we expand our geographic footprint and portfolio,” said Adam Haleck, CEO at Northpoint Asset Management. “AppFolio will free our team from task-based silos, allowing us to focus on holistic outcomes and unlocking tangible performance.”

    “Moving to AppFolio was a seamless experience, which speaks volumes about the partnership. AppFolio’s significant and ongoing investment in product development, along with their client-first support team, reinforces our confidence that Northpoint’s residents and owners will continue to have the best experiences and outcomes,” Haleck continued.

    “Northpoint Asset Management is a forward-thinking operator that recognizes the power of a unified experience across its entire business,” said Marcy Campbell, Chief Revenue Officer at AppFolio. “We’re excited to help Northpoint harness the full performance potential of their operations, empowering their teams to act proactively, delight stakeholders, and thrive.”

    This partnership underscores how leading operators are choosing AppFolio Realm, the company’s AI-native product suite, to help them free up staff while delivering improved outcomes. AppFolio Realm-X – its embedded generative AI – continues to expand its capabilities, including the recently announced AppFolio Realm-X Performers, which empower operators to delegate entire workflows through agentic AI.

    About Northpoint Asset Management, Inc.
    Northpoint, a founder-led business, is a full-service property management company for long-term single and multifamily rental homes with 40+ office locations across the US. Northpoint manages real estate for thousands of clients across the US, including some of the nation’s largest-institutional investors.

    About AppFolio
    AppFolio is the technology leader powering the future of the real estate industry. Our innovative platform and trusted partnership enable our customers to connect communities, increase operational efficiency, and grow their business. For more information about AppFolio, visit appfolio.com.

    For more information, please contact:
    AppFolio
    appfolio@missionnorth.com

    The MIL Network –

    July 17, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Muhammadu Buhari: Nigeria’s military leader turned democratic president leaves a mixed legacy

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Kester Onor, Senior Research Fellow, Nigerian Institute of International Affairs

    Nigeria’s former president, Muhammadu Buhari, who died in London on 13 July aged 82, was one of two former military heads of state who were later elected as civilian presidents. Buhari was the military head of state of Nigeria from 31 December 1983 to 27 August 1985 and president from 2015 to 2023.

    The other Nigerian politician to have been in both roles is former president Olusegun Obasanjo . He was a military ruler between 1976 and 1979 and elected president between 1999 and 2007.

    Buhari led Nigeria cumulatively for nearly a decade. His time as military head of state was marked with a war against corruption but he couldn’t do as much during his time as president under democratic rule.

    As a political scientist who once served in the Nigerian Army, I believe that former president Buhari’s government’s war on terrorism was largely underwhelming, despite promises and early gains.

    In his elected role, Buhari maintained a modest personal lifestyle and upheld electoral transitions. Nevertheless his presidency was marred by economic mismanagement, a failure to implement bold structural reforms, ethnic favouritism, and an unfulfilled promise of change.

    He did leave tangible infrastructural footprints, a focus on agriculture, and foundational efforts in transparency and anti-corruption.

    So his mark on Nigeria’s development trajectory was mixed.

    Early years

    Buhari was born on 17 December 1942, to Adamu and Zulaiha Buhari in Daura, Katsina State, north-west Nigeria. He was four years old when his father died. He attended Quranic school in Katsina. He was a Fulani, one of the major ethnic nationalities in Nigeria.

    After completing his schooling, Buhari joined the army in 1961. He had military training in the UK, India and the United States as well as Nigeria.

    In 1975 he was appointed military governor of North Eastern State (now Borno State), after being involved in ousting Yakubu Gowon in a coup that same year. He served as governor for a year.

    Buhari later became federal commissioner for petroleum resources, overseeing Nigeria’s petroleum industry under Obasanjo. Obasanjo had become head of state in 1976 when Gowon’s successor, Murtala Muhammed, was assassinated in a failed coup that year.

    In September 1979, he returned to regular army duties and commanded the 3rd Armoured division based in Jos, Plateau State, north central. Nigeria’s Second Republic commenced that year after the election of Shehu Shagari as president.

    The coup that truncated the Shagari government on 31 December 1983 saw the emergence of Buhari as Nigeria’s head of state.

    Buhari’s junta years

    Buhari headed the military government for just under two years. He was ousted in another coup on 27 August 1985.

    While at the helm he vowed that the government would not tolerate kick-backs, inflation of contracts and over-invoicing of imports. Nor would it condone forgery, fraud, embezzlement, misuse and abuse of office and illegal dealings in foreign exchange and smuggling.

    Eighteen state governors were tried by military tribunals. Some of the accused received lengthy prison sentences, while others were acquitted or had their sentences commuted.

    His government also enacted the notorious Decree 4 under which two journalists, Nduka Irabor and Dele Thompson, were jailed. The charges stemmed from three articles published on the reorganisation of Nigeria’s diplomatic service.

    Buhari also instituted austerity measures and started a “War Against Indiscipline” which sought to promote positive values in the country. Authoritarian methods were sometimes used in its implementation. Soldiers forced Nigerians to queue, to be punctual and to obey traffic laws.

    He also instituted restrictions on press and political freedoms. Labour unions were not spared either. Mass retrenchment of Nigerians in the public service was carried out with impunity.

    While citizens initially welcomed some of these measures, growing discontent on the economic front made things tougher for the regime.



    Read more:
    Why Buhari won even though he had little to show for first term

    Buhari, the democrat

    Buhari’s dream to lead Nigeria again through the ballot box failed in 2003, 2007 and 2011. To his credit, he didn’t give up. An alliance of opposition parties succeeded in getting him elected in 2015.

    The legacy he left is mixed.

    Buhari’s government deepened national disunity.

    His appointments, often skewed in favour of the northern region and his Fulani kinsmen, fuelled accusations of tribalism and marginalisation. His perceived affinity with Fulani herdsmen, despite widespread violence linked to some of them, further eroded public trust in his leadership.

    His anti-corruption mantra largely did not succeed. While some high-profile recoveries were made, critics argue that his anti-corruption war was selective and heavily politicised.

    Currently, his Central Bank governor is on trial for corruption charges.

    The performance of the economy was also dismal under his tenure. Not all these problems could be laid at his feet. Nevertheless his inability to tackle the country’s underlying problems, such as insecurity, inflation and rising unemployment, all contributed. He presided over two recessions, rising unemployment, inflation, and a weakened naira.

    He did, however, succeed on some fronts.

    He tried with infrastructure. The Lagos-Ibadan expressway, a major road, was almost completed and he got the railways working again, completing the Abuja-Kaduna and Lagos-Ibadan lines. He also completed the Second Niger Bridge.

    There was an airport revitalisation programme which led to improvements in Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt airports.

    Buhari signed the Petroleum Industry Act after nearly 20 years’ delay. This is now attracting more investments into the oil industry.

    He also initiated some social investment schemes like N-Power, N-Teach and a school feeding programme. They provided temporary jobs for some and gave some poor people more money in their pockets. N-Power is a youth empowerment programme designed to combat unemployment, improve social development and provide people with relevant skills.

    These programmes later became mired in corruption which only became known after he left office.

    There was also an Anchor Borrowers Scheme to make the country more sufficient in rice production. Again, it got enmeshed in corruption and some of its officials are currently standing trial.

    In the fight against corruption, the Buhari administration made some progress through the Treasury Single Account, which improved financial transparency in public institutions. The Whistle Blower Policy also led to the recovery of looted funds.



    Read more:
    Why Buhari’s government is losing the anti-corruption war

    Security failures

    Buhari oversaw a deterioration of Nigeria’s security landscape. Banditry, farmer-herder clashes, kidnapping and separatist agitations escalated.

    In 2015 Buhari campaigned on a promise to defeat Boko Haram and restore territorial integrity in the north-east. Initially, his administration made some progress. Boko Haram was driven out of several local government areas it once controlled, and major military operations such as Operation Lafiya Dole were launched to reclaim territory.

    However, these initial successes were not sustained. Boko Haram splintered, giving rise to more brutal factions like the Islamic State West Africa Province. This group continued to launch deadly attacks.

    Buhari’s counter-terrorism strategy was often reactive, lacking a clear long-term doctrine. The military was overstretched and under-equipped. Morale issues and allegations of corruption in the defence sector undermined operations.

    Intelligence coordination remained poor, while civil-military relations suffered due to frequent human rights abuses by security forces. Community trust in the government’s ability to provide security dwindled.

    Buhari’s second coming as Nigeria’s leader carried high expectations, but he under-delivered.

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

    – ref. Muhammadu Buhari: Nigeria’s military leader turned democratic president leaves a mixed legacy – https://theconversation.com/muhammadu-buhari-nigerias-military-leader-turned-democratic-president-leaves-a-mixed-legacy-261079

    MIL OSI –

    July 17, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: What makes ‘great powers’ great? And how will they adapt to a multipolar world?

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Andrew Latham, Professor of Political Science, Macalester College

    When greats clash! In this case, in the 1974 film ‘Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla.’ FilmPublicityArchive/United Archives via Getty Images

    Many column inches have been dedicated to dissecting the “great power rivalry” currently playing out between China and the U.S.

    But what makes a power “great” in the realm of international relations?

    Unlike other states, great powers possess a capacity to shape not only their immediate surroundings but the global order itself – defining the rules, norms and structures that govern international politics. Historically, they have been seen as the architects of world systems, exercising influence far beyond their neighborhoods.

    The notion of great powers came about to distinguish between the most and least powerful states. The concept gained currency after the 1648 Peace of Westphalia and the Congress of Vienna in 1815 – events in Europe that helped establish the notion of sovereign states and the international laws governing them.

    Whereas the great powers of the previous eras – for example, the Roman Empire – sought to expand their territory at almost every turn and relied on military power to do so, the modern great power utilizes a complex tapestry of diplomatic pressure, economic leverage and the assertions of international law. The order emerging out of Westphalia enshrined the principles of national sovereignty and territorial integrity, which allowed these powers to pursue a balance of power as codified by the Congress of Vienna based on negotiation as opposed to domination.

    This transformation represented a momentous development in world politics: At least some portion of the legitimacy of a state’s control was now realized through its relationships and capacity to keep the peace, rather than resting solely on its ability to use force.

    From great to ‘super’

    Using their material capabilities – economic strength, military might and political influence – great powers have been able to project power across multiple regions and dictate the terms of international order.

    In the 19th-century Concert of Europe, the great powers – Britain, France, Austria, Prussia and Russia – collectively managed European politics, balancing power to maintain stability. Their influence extended globally through imperial expansion, trade and the establishment of norms that reflected their priorities.

    During the 20th century, the Cold War brought a stark distinction between great powers and other states. The U.S. and the Soviet Union, as the era’s two “superpowers,” dominated the international system, shaping it through a rivalry that encompassed military alliances, ideological competition and economic systems. Great powers in this context were not merely powerful states but the central actors defining the structure of global politics.

    Toward a multipolar world

    The post-Cold War period briefly ushered in a unipolar moment, with the U.S. as the sole great power capable of shaping the international system on a global scale.

    This era was marked by the expansion of liberal internationalism, economic globalization and U.S.-led-and-constructed multilateralism.

    However, the emergence of new centers of power, particularly China and to a lesser extent Russia, has brought the unipolar era to a close, ushering in a multipolar world where the distinctive nature of great powers is once again reshaped.

    In this system, great powers are states with the material capabilities and strategic ambition to influence the global order as a whole.

    And here they differ from regional powers, whose influence is largely confined to specific areas. Nations such as Turkey, India, Australia, Brazil and Japan are influential within their neighborhoods. But they lack the global reach of the U.S. or China to fundamentally alter the international system.

    Instead, the roles of these regional powers is often defined by stabilizing their regions, addressing local challenges or acting as intermediaries in great power competition.

    Challenging greatness

    Yet the multipolar world presents unique challenges for today’s great powers. The diffusion of power means that no single great power can dominate the system as the U.S. did in the post-Cold War unipolar era.

    Instead, today’s great powers must navigate complex dynamics, balancing competition with cooperation. For instance, the rivalry between Washington and Beijing is now a defining feature of global politics, spanning trade, technology, military strategy and ideological influence. Meanwhile, Russia’s efforts to maintain its great power status have resulted in more assertive, though regionally focused, actions that nonetheless have global implications.

    Great powers must also contend with the constraints of interdependence. The interconnected nature of the global economy, the proliferation of advanced technologies and the rise of transnational challenges such as climate change and pandemics limit the ability of any one great power to unilaterally dictate outcomes. This reality forces great powers to prioritize their core interests while finding ways to manage global issues through cooperation, even amid intense competition.

    As the world continues to adjust to multiple centers of power, the defining feature of great powers remains an unmatched capacity to project influence globally and define the parameters of the international order.

    Whether through competition, cooperation or conflict, the actions of great powers will, I believe, continue to shape the trajectory of the global system, making their distinctiveness as central players in international relations more relevant than ever.

    This article is part of a series explaining foreign policy terms commonly used but rarely explained.

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

    – ref. What makes ‘great powers’ great? And how will they adapt to a multipolar world? – https://theconversation.com/what-makes-great-powers-great-and-how-will-they-adapt-to-a-multipolar-world-260969

    MIL OSI –

    July 17, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: China’s insertion into India-Pakistan waters dispute adds a further ripple in South Asia

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Pintu Kumar Mahla, Research Associate at the Water Resources Research Institute, University of Arizona

    Indian Border Security Force soldiers patrol near the line of control in Kashmir. Nitin Kanotra/Hindustan Times via Getty Images

    With the future of a crucial water-sharing treaty between India and Pakistan up in the air, one outside party is looking on with keen interest: China.

    For 65 years, the Indus Waters Treaty has seen the two South Asian rivals share access and use of the Indus Basin, a vast area covered by the Indus River and its tributaries that also stretches into Afghanistan and China.

    For much of that history, there has been widespread praise for the agreement as a successful demonstration of cooperation between adversarial states over a key shared resource. But experts have noted the treaty has long held the potential for conflict. Drafters failed to factor in the effects of climate change, and the Himalayan glaciers that feed the rivers are now melting at record rates, ultimately putting at risk the long-term sustainability of water supply. Meanwhile, the ongoing conflict over Kashmir, where much of the basin is situated, puts cooperation at risk.

    With treaty on ice, China steps in

    That latest provocation threatening the treaty was a terrorist attack in the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir on April 22, 2025. In response to that attack, which India blamed on Pakistan and precipitated a four-day confrontation, New Delhi temporarily suspended the treaty.

    But even before that attack, India and Pakistan had been locked in negotiation over the future of the treaty – the status of which has been in the hands of international arbitrators since 2016. In the latest development, on June 27, 2025, the Permanent Court of Arbitration issued a supplementary award in favor of Pakistan, arguing that India’s holding of the treaty in abeyance did not affect its jurisdiction over the case. Moreover, the treaty does not allow for either party to unilaterally suspend the treaty, the ruling suggested.

    Amid the wrangling over the treaty’s future, Pakistan has turned to China for diplomatic and strategic support. Such support was evident during the conflict that took place following April’s terrorist attack, during which Pakistan employed Chinese-made fighter jets and other military equipment against its neighbor.

    Meanwhile, in an apparent move to counter India’s suspension of the treaty, China and Pakistan have ramped up construction of a major dam project that would provide water supply and electricity to parts of Pakistan.

    So, why is China getting involved? In part, it reflects the strong relationship between Pakistan and China, developed over six decades.

    But as an expert in hydro politics, I believe Beijing’s involvement raises concerns: China is not a neutral observer in the dispute. Rather, Beijing has long harbored a desire to increase its influence in the region and to counter an India long seen as a rival. Given the at-times fraught relationship between China and India – the two countries went to war in 1962 and continue to engage in sporadic border skirmishes – there are concerns in New Delhi that Beijing may respond by disrupting the flow of rivers in its territory that feed into India.

    In short, any intervention by Beijing over the Indus Waters Treaty risks stirring up regional tensions.

    Wrangling over waters

    The Indus Waters Treaty has already endured three armed conflicts between Pakistan and India, and until recently it served as an exemplar of how to forge a successful bilateral agreement between two rival neighbors.


    Riccardo Pravettoni, CC BY-SA

    Under the initial terms of the treaty, which each country signed in 1960, India was granted control over three eastern rivers the countries share – Ravi, Beas and Satluj – with an average annual flow of 40.4 billion cubic meters. Meanwhile, Pakistan was given access to almost 167.2 billion cubic meters of water from the western rivers – Indus, Jhelum and Chenab.

    In India, the relatively smaller distribution has long been the source of contention, with many believing the treaty’s terms are overly generous to Pakistan. India’s initial demand was for 25% of the Indus waters.

    For Pakistan, the terms of the division of the Indus Waters Treaty are painful because they concretized unresolved land disputes tied to the partition of India in 1947. In particular, the division of the rivers is framed within the broader political context of Kashmir. The three major rivers – Indus, Jhelum and Chenab – flow through Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir before entering the Pakistan-controlled western part of the Kashmir region.

    But the instability of the Kashmir region – disputes around the Line of Control separating the Indian- and Pakistan-controlled areas are common – underscores Pakistan’s water vulnerability.

    Nearly 65% of Pakistanis live in the Indus Basin region, compared with 14% for India. It is therefore not surprising that Pakistan has warned that any attempt to cut off the water supply, as India has threatened, would be considered an act of war.

    It also helps to explain Pakistan’s desire to develop hydropower on the rivers it controls. One-fifth of Pakistan’s electricity comes from hydropower, and nearly 21 hydroelectric power plants are located in the Indus Basin region.

    Since Pakistan’s economy relies heavily on agriculture and the water needed to maintain agricultural land, the fate of the Indus Waters Treaty is of the utmost importance to Pakistan’s leaders.

    Such conditions have driven Islamabad to be a willing partner with China in a bid to shore up its water supply.

    China provides technical expertise and financial support to Pakistan for numerous hydropower projects in Pakistan, including the Diamer Bhasha Dam and Kohala Hydropower Project. These projects play a significant role in addressing Pakistan’s energy requirements and have been a key aspect of the transboundary water relationship between the two nations.

    Using water as a weapon?

    With it’s rivalry with India and its desire to simultaneously work with Pakistan on numerous issues, China increasingly sees itself as a stakeholder in the Indus Waters Treaty, too. Chinese media narratives have framed India as the aggressor in the dispute, warning of the danger of using “water as a weapon” and noting that the source of the Indus River lies in China’s Western Tibet region.

    Doing so fits Beijing’ s greater strategic presence in South Asian politics. After the terrorist attack, China Foreign Minister Wang Yi reaffirmed China’s support for Pakistan, showcasing the relationship as an “all-weather strategic” partnership and referring to Pakistan as an “ironclad friend.”

    And in response to India’s suspension of the treaty, China announced it was to accelerate work on the significant Mohmand hydropower project on the tributary of the Indus River in Pakistan.

    Construction at the Mohmand Dam.
    Pakistan Water and Power Development Authority

    Chinese investment in Pakistan’s hydropower sector presents substantial opportunities for both countries in regards to energy security and promoting economic growth.

    The Indus cascade project under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor initiative, for example, promises to provide cumulative hydropower generation capacity of around 22,000 megawatts. Yet the fact that project broke ground in Gilgit-Baltistan, a disputed area in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir, underscores the delicacy of the situation.

    Beijing’s backing of Pakistan is largely motivated by a mix of economic and geopolitical interests, particularly in legitimizing the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. But it comes at the cost of stirring up regional tensions.

    As such, the alignment of Chinese and Pakistani interests in developing hydro projects can pose a further challenge to the stability of South Asia’s water-sharing agreements, especially in the Indus Basin. Recently, the chief minister of the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh, which borders China, warned that Beijing’s hydro projects in the Western Tibet region amount to a ticking “water bomb.”

    To diffuse such tensions – and to get the Indus Waters Treaty back on track – it behooves India, China and Pakistan to engage in diplomacy and dialogue. Such engagement is, I believe, essential in addressing the ongoing water-related challenges in South Asia.

    Pintu Kumar Mahla is affiliated with the Water Resources Research Center, the University of Arizona. He is also a member of the International Association of Water Law (AIDA).

    Pintu Kumar Mahla has not received funding related to this article.

    – ref. China’s insertion into India-Pakistan waters dispute adds a further ripple in South Asia – https://theconversation.com/chinas-insertion-into-india-pakistan-waters-dispute-adds-a-further-ripple-in-south-asia-258891

    MIL OSI –

    July 17, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Europe is stuck in a bystander role over Iran’s nuclear program after US, Israeli bombs establish facts on the ground

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Garret Martin, Hurst Senior Professorial Lecturer, Co-Director Transatlantic Policy Center, American University School of International Service

    Iran Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, right, attends a news conference with EU foreign affairs representative Josep Borrell in Tehran on June 25, 2022. Atta KenareAFP via Getty Images

    The U.S. bombing of three Iranian nuclear facilities on June 22, 2025, sent shock waves around the world. It marked a dramatic reversal for the Trump administration, which had just initiated negotiations with Tehran over its nuclear program. Dispensing with diplomacy, the U.S. opted for the first time for direct military involvement in the then-ongoing Israeli-Iranian conflict.

    European governments have long pushed for a diplomatic solution to Tehran’s nuclear ambitions. Yet, the reaction in the capitals of Europe to the U.S. bombing of the nuclear facilities was surprisingly subdued.

    European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen noted Israel’s “right to defend itself and protect its people.” German Chancellor Friedrich Merz was equally supportive, arguing that “this is dirty work that Israel is doing for all of us.” And a joint statement by the E3 – France, the U.K. and Germany – tacitly justified the U.S. bombing as necessary to prevent the possibility of Iran developing nuclear weapons.

    Europe’s responses to the Israeli and American strikes were noteworthy because of how little they discussed the legality of the attacks. There was no such hesitation when Russia targeted civilian nuclear energy infrastructure in Ukraine in 2022.

    But the timid reaction also underscored Europe’s bystander role, contrasting with its past approach on that topic. Iran’s nuclear program had been a key focal point of European diplomacy for years. The E3 nations initiated negotiations with Tehran back in 2003. They also helped to facilitate the signing of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, which also included Russia, the European Union, China, the U.S. and Iran. And the Europeans sought to preserve the agreement, even after the unilateral U.S. withdrawal in 2018 during President Donald Trump’s first term.

    As a scholar of transatlantic relations and security, I believe Europe faces long odds to once again play an impactful role in strengthening the cause of nuclear nonproliferation with Iran. Indeed, contributing to a new nuclear agreement with Iran would require Europe to fix a major rift with Tehran, overcome its internal divisions over the Middle East and manage a Trump administration that seems less intent on being a reliable ally for Europe.

    Growing rift between Iran and Europe

    For European diplomats, the 2015 deal was built on very pragmatic assumptions. It only covered the nuclear dossier, as opposed to including other areas of contention such as human rights or Iran’s ballistic missile program. And it offered a clear bargain: In exchange for greater restrictions on its nuclear program, Iran could expect the lifting of some existing sanctions and a reintegration into the world economy.

    As a result, the U.S. withdrawal from the deal in 2018 posed a fundamental challenge to the status quo. Besides exiting, the Trump White House reimposed heavy secondary sanctions on Iran, which effectively forced foreign companies to choose between investing in the U.S. and Iranian markets. European efforts to mitigate the impact of these U.S. sanctions failed, thus undermining the key benefit of the deal for Iran: helping its battered economy. It also weakened Tehran’s faith in the value of Europe as a partner, as it revealed an inability to carve real independence from the U.S.

    U.S. President Donald Trump walks past French President Emmanuel Macron, center, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, right, in The Hague, Netherlands, on June 25, 2025.
    Christian Hartmann/AFP via Getty Images

    After 2018, relations between Europe and Iran deteriorated significantly. Evidence of Iranian state-sponsored terrorism and Iran-linked plots on European soil hardly helped. Moreover, Europeans strongly objected to Iran supplying Russia with drones in support of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine – and later on, ballistic missiles as well. On the flip side, Iran deeply objected to European support for Israel’s war in the Gaza Strip in the aftermath of the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks.

    These deep tensions remain a significant impediment to constructive negotiations on the nuclear front. Neither side currently has much to offer to the other, nor can Europe count on any meaningful leverage to influence Iran. And Europe’s wider challenges in its Middle East policy only compound this problem.

    Internal divisions

    In 2015, Europe could present a united front on the Iranian nuclear deal in part because of its limited nature. But with the nonproliferation regime now in tatters amid Trump’s unilateral actions and the spread of war across the region, it is now far harder for European diplomats to put the genie back in the bottle. That is particularly true given the present fissures over increasingly divisive Middle East policy questions and the nature of EU diplomacy.

    Europe remains very concerned about stability in the Middle East, including how conflicts might launch new migratory waves like in 2015-16, when hundreds of thousands of Syrians fled to mainland Europe. The EU also remains very active economically in the region and is the largest funder of the Palestinian Authority. But it has been more of a “payer than player” in the region, struggling to translate economic investment into political influence.

    In part, this follows from the longer-term tendency to rely on U.S. leadership in the region, letting Washington take the lead in trying to solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. But it also reflects the deeper divisions between EU member nations.

    With foreign policy decisions requiring unanimity, EU members have often struggled to speak with one voice on the Middle East. Most recently, the debates over whether to suspend the economic association agreement with Israel over its actions in Gaza or whether to recognize a Palestinian state clearly underscored the existing EU internal disagreements.

    Unless Europe can develop a common approach toward the Middle East, it is hard to see it having enough regional influence to matter in future negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program. This, in turn, would also affect how it manages its crucial, but thorny, relations with the U.S.

    Europe in the shadow of Trump

    The EU was particularly proud of the 2015 nuclear deal because it represented a strong symbol of multilateral diplomacy. It brought together great powers in the spirit of bolstering the cause of nuclear nonproliferation.

    Smoke rises from a building in Tehran after the Iranian capital was targeted by Israeli airstrikes on June 23, 2025.
    Elyas/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images

    Ten years on, the prospects of replicating such international cooperation seem rather remote. Europe’s relations with China and Russia – two key signers of the original nuclear deal – have soured dramatically in recent years. And ties with the United States under Trump have also been particularly challenging.

    Dealing with Washington, in the context of the Iran nuclear program, presents a very sharp dilemma for Europe.

    Trying to carve a distinct path may be appealing, but it lacks credibility at this stage. Recent direct talks with Iranian negotiators produced little, and Europe is not in a position to give Iran guarantees that it would not face new strikes from Israel.

    And pursuing an independent path could easily provoke the ire of Trump, which Europeans are keen to avoid. There has already been a long list of transatlantic disputes, whether over trade, Ukraine or defense spending. European policymakers would be understandably reticent to invest time and resources in any deal that Trump could again scuttle at a moment’s notice.

    Trump, too, is scornful of what European diplomacy could achieve, declaring recently that Iran doesn’t want to talk to Europe. He has instead prioritized bilateral negotiations with Tehran. Alignment with the U.S., therefore, may not translate into any great influence. Trump’s decision to bomb Iran, after all, happened without forewarning for his allies.

    Thus, Europe will continue to pay close attention to Iran’s nuclear program. But, constrained by poor relations with Tehran and its internal divisions on the Middle East, it is unlikely that it will carve out a major role on the nuclear dossier as long as Trump is in office.

    Garret Martin receives funding from the European Union for the organization, the Transatlantic Policy Center, that he co-directs.

    – ref. Europe is stuck in a bystander role over Iran’s nuclear program after US, Israeli bombs establish facts on the ground – https://theconversation.com/europe-is-stuck-in-a-bystander-role-over-irans-nuclear-program-after-us-israeli-bombs-establish-facts-on-the-ground-260740

    MIL OSI –

    July 17, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Chairman Capito Outlines Principles for Crafting the Surface Transportation Reauthorization Bill

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for West Virginia Shelley Moore Capito

    [embedded content]

    To watch Chairman Capito’s opening statement, click here or the image above.

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, led a hearing on constructing the Surface Transportation Reauthorization Bill with stakeholders’ perspectives. In her opening remarks, Chairman Capito reiterated her three principles for crafting this legislation, and how developing a bipartisan proposal in the Senate remains a central priority for the EPW Committee. 

    Below is the opening statement of Chairman Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) as delivered.

    “Thank you for joining us this morning and welcome to our three great witnesses that we have. This hearing is second in a two-part series of hearings that we are having to help guide the development of our next Surface Transportation Reauthorization Bill. 

    “Earlier this spring, we held a hearing with U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy, where he detailed how the Trump administration is administering the current law and described priorities for the next bill. Today, we will hear from new stakeholders on their priorities.

    “My vision for this legislation is simple, but important, we want to improve the movement of people and goods. Our roads and bridges are what connect us to the people and places that matter most in our lives.

    “They help businesses, large and small, create jobs, economic activities, and enable their competitiveness in the global marketplace. For example, my home state of West Virginia is pursuing important projects like Corridor H, to better link our communities to essential services and economic opportunity.

    “This legislation will provide the funding and establishes the policies and programs that enable the improvement of the surface transportation network that we all rely on. 

    “Since the enactment of the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the Committee has reviewed and conducted oversight on existing programs and policies, and we’ve learned a lot about what is working and what isn’t.

    “The IIJA met a generational level of investment in our surface transportation network, but there have been some challenges in the implementation. We know that the highway formula programs are producing results in communities across the states. We also know there have been some issues getting discretionary grant awards out the door and producing tangible improvements to that network. 

    “When Secretary Duffy appeared before the Committee, he outlined the backlog of more than 3,200 discretionary grant awards without signed grant agreements that he had inherited from the prior administration. I appreciate the Secretary’s ongoing efforts to address this backlog, and I know that the Department of Transportation is making progress on getting those agreements in place. 

    “As a matter of fact, I believe they’ve done over a thousand of those already, they have resolved those. We will apply the lessons learned from the IIJA to shape the next bill and those lessons have led me to three principles.

    “I have discussed these principles at our hearing with the Secretary, but I believe it is important that I reiterate them today.

    “Principle One: Improving the safety – and I want to emphasize safety – safety and reliability of America’s surface transportation network with impactful investments. 

    “In recent years, we’ve seen an increase in the number and scope of federal transportation programs. These programs sometimes have duplicative purposes and project eligibility. This leads to an expensive and time-intensive process to get funding out the door and lessens the impact that the legislation can make.

    “As we craft the next bill, we must prioritize investments that, instead, optimize federal funding and give state partners the confidence to invest over a longer period of time. We should focus on eliminating duplicative programs and increasing funding for the highway formula programs that our states rely on and, as I said earlier, have a proven track record of success.

    “Principle Two: Reforming and modernizing federal programs and policies to create efficiency.

    “We all know that, as currently structured, federal requirements can add red tape that increases costs and slow down the completion of projects. We all want to deliver transportation benefits faster and save money for American taxpayers. To achieve this goal, we need to take a serious look at federal requirements to determine how we can create certainty for the partners who make these projects happen and ensure that the public receives the benefits of these investments quickly.

    “Principle Three: Addressing the variety of surface transportation needs across all states. Obviously, different states have different needs, and I think we’ll hear about that today.

    “I wouldn’t expect West Virginia, with our mountainous peaks and valleys…to prioritize the same transportation projects as other states. We need to avoid top-down mandates from Washington, D.C. and give states the flexibility to address the individual improvements that their communities need.

    “It will take collaboration from my Senate colleagues, the Trump administration, and our stakeholders to complete the bill before the IIJA expires in September of 2026. We must be pragmatic, work in a bipartisan fashion to deliver a bill that sets us up for a productive conversation on this reauthorization effort with our colleagues in the House.

    “I’m really grateful, I know many of you have traveled far, to the witnesses that have joined us today. I look forward to learning about these priorities. This is an excellent opportunity ahead of us to make a pivotal impact in our surface transportation network.

    “Each of us knows how important that network is and the role that it plays in keeping our country’s economy and people on the move. I’m excited to get to work and continue the EPW Committee’s bipartisan tradition of developing legislation that delivers for the American people.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

    July 17, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senate Passes Van Orden Bill to Help Veterans Keep Their Homes

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Derrick Van Orden (Wisconsin 3rd)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Derrick Van Orden (WI-03), Chairman of the House Veterans’ Affairs Economic Opportunity Subcommittee, applauded the Senate’s passage of his bill, H.R. 1815 – the VA Home Loan Program Reform Act. 

    This legislation establishes a permanent partial claims program within the VA Home Loan Program, bringing VA in line with other federal agencies that lend money for homes and replacing the fiscally irresponsible Biden administration-era VASP program. Veterans will be permitted to have the same programs non-veterans have available to them through FHA loans, allowing veterans who have fallen behind on their mortgages to receive federal assistance.

    “Under the Biden administration, the VA created the VASP program without consulting Congress, costing the American taxpayers $5.8 billion and endangering the entire VA home loan guarantee program,” said Rep. Van Orden. “The time for faceless bureaucrats to run roughshod over elected officials is over. My bill offers a real solution to help every servicemember and veteran maintain the American Dream of homeownership. I am grateful to my Senate colleagues for passing this important bill, and I look forward to President Trump signing it into law.”

    “The VA Home Loan program has helped millions of veterans achieve the American Dream of owning a home. However, we know that veterans – like all Americans – can fall on hard times and may need a safety net in place to avoid foreclosure on their home. The VA Home Loan Program Reform Act addresses that need head on,” said Chairman Bost. “I want to thank my friend, fellow veteran, and our Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity Chairman, Rep. Van Orden, for his strong leadership on this issue on behalf of veterans and their families to modernize the VA Home Loan and create a partial claim program at VA. This is good legislation that will – without question – prevent veteran homelessness and make a real difference in veteran’s day-to-day lives. I look forward to seeing President Trump sign it into law.”

    Read the bill text here.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

    July 17, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: McClellan Demands Answers from DHS Secretary Noem on ICE Raids at Chesterfield County Courthouse

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan (Virginia 4th District)

    Washington, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan (VA-04) sent a letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Acting Director Todd Lyons to express alarm over reports about the presence of ICE agents at the Chesterfield County Courthouse.

    Over the course of several days in June, ICE detained 15 individuals who appeared at the Chesterfield County Courthouse, including 10 individuals who presented themselves voluntarily to address civil infractions. ICE provided no notice to county or court officials that they would be entering the Courthouse and operated in plain clothes and without identifying themselves.

    “The methods employed by ICE in Chesterfield County exemplify a shocking change in tactics to enforce our immigration laws that includes raids on courthouses across the nation, aggressively threatening people on the streets, arresting lawful permanent residents, and engaging in racial profiling,” wrote Congresswoman McClellan. “This represents disturbingly authoritarian behavior that not only undermines our safety, but also threatens the very foundation of our constitutional democracy.” 

    In the letter, McClellan stated that those seeking to stay in compliance with the laws should not be subject to arbitrary arrest and detention and implored the Department to consider the consequences of eroding trust in law enforcement and the judicial system. 

    “While individuals who commit crimes should face the consequences of their actions, it appears that you have focused your attention on individuals trying to comply with the law rather than those who actively pose a threat to our community,” the Congresswoman continued. “These actions have a chilling effect not only on those trying to comply with the law, but those seeking justice for themselves or others. As a result, your actions hinder public safety rather than protect it.”

    She specifically noted its impact on community members’ willingness to come forward to report crimes or cooperate with investigators, citing a recent drop in 911 calls in a predominantly Latino neighborhood in Richmond.

    “In order to restore trust among our immigrant communities and protect the civil rights and liberties of everyone in our community, I urge ICE to cease these courthouse raids in both Chesterfield and around the country,” the Congresswoman concluded.

    McClellan demanded answers to a series of questions, including:

    1. What is the review process conducted to determine which individuals’ presence at a municipal courthouse in compliance with court-mandated orders or summons rises to the level of “reasonable suspicion” that they are in the country illegally and pose a public safety or national security threat? 
    2. Both citizens and non-citizens present in the United States have a constitutional right to due process. Can you provide assurances that each individual questioned or detained was granted these rights? 
    3. How many individuals detained by ICE at the Chesterfield County Courthouse are still in DHS custody, where have they been moved, and is DHS taking steps to allow contact with legal representation?
    4. Did ICE take the appropriate steps to ensure any dependents of those who were detained by ICE were in the safe custody of family members or the appropriate authorities?
    5. There have been disturbing instances of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents detained by ICE for extended periods of time in similar immigration operations. Has ICE sufficiently determined that no individuals with lawful permanent status or citizenship were detained? Have all of these individuals been released from ICE custody?

    Read the full letter here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    July 17, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Sudan’s war is an economic disaster: here’s how bad it could get

    Source: The Conversation – Africa (2) – By Khalid Siddig, Senior Research Fellow and Program Leader for the Sudan Strategy Support Program, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)

    Since April 2023, Sudan has been engulfed in a devastating war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces. What began as a struggle for power has turned into a national catastrophe. More than 14 million people have been displaced. Health and education systems have collapsed and food insecurity threatens over half the population of about 50 million.

    The war has disrupted key sectors, triggering severe economic contractions, and worsening poverty and unemployment levels.

    Sudan’s finance minister reported in November 2023 that the war had resulted in economic losses exceeding US$26 billion – or more than half the value of the country’s economy a year earlier. The industrial sector, which includes manufacturing and oil refining, has lost over 50% of its value. Employment has fallen by 4.6 million jobs over the period of the conflict. More than 7 million more people have been pushed into poverty. The agrifood system alone has shrunk by 33.6%. These estimates exclude informal economy losses.

    My research applies economy-wide models to understand how conflict affects national development. In a recent study, my colleagues and I used this approach to answer the question: what will happen to Sudan’s economy and poverty levels if the war continues through 2025?

    To assess the economic impact of the conflict, we used a Social Accounting Matrix multiplier model. This is a tool that captures how shocks affect different sectors and other agents of the economy, such as firms, government and households.

    Based on our modelling, the answer is devastating: the conflict could shrink the size of Sudan’s economy by over 40% from 2022 levels, plunging millions more into poverty.

    We modelled two scenarios to capture the potential trajectories of Sudan’s economy.

    The extreme scenario assumes a sharp initial collapse, with a 29.5% contraction in the size of the economy in 2023 and 12.2% in 2024, followed by a 7% decline in 2025, reflecting some stabilisation over time.

    The moderate scenario, based on World Bank projections, applies a 20.1% contraction in 2023 and a 15.1% drop in 2024, also followed by a 7% reduction in 2025, indicating a slower but more prolonged deterioration.

    We estimated the annual figures and report only the aggregate impacts through 2025 for clarity.

    We found that if the conflict endures, the value of Sudan’s economy will contract by up to 42% from US$56.3 billion in 2022 (pre-conflict) to US$32.4 billion by the end of 2025. The backbone of livelihoods – agriculture – will be crippled. And the social fabric of the country will continue to fray.

    How we did it

    Our Social Accounting Matrix multiplier model used data from various national and international sources to show the impact of conflict on the value of the economy, its sectors and household welfare.

    We connected this to government and World Bank data to reflect Sudan’s current conditions.

    This allowed us to simulate how conflict-driven disruptions affect the value of the economy, its sectors and household welfare.

    What we found

    Under the extreme scenario, we found:

    • Gross domestic product collapse: Gross domestic product (GDP) measures the total value of all goods and services produced in a country within a year. It’s a key indicator of economic health. We found that the value of Sudan’s economy could contract by up to 42%. This means the country would be producing less than 60% of what it did before the conflict. This would affect incomes, jobs, government revenues and public services. The industrial sector – heavily concentrated in Khartoum – would be hardest hit, with output shrinking by over 50%. The value of services like education, health, transport and trade would fall by 40%, and agriculture by more than 35%.

    • Job losses: nearly 4.6 million jobs – about half of all employment – could disappear. Urban areas and non-farm sectors would be worst affected, with over 700,000 farming jobs at risk.

    • Incomes plummet: household incomes would decline across all groups – rich and poor, rural and urban – by up to 42%. Rural and less-educated households suffer the most.

    • Poverty spikes: up to 7.5 million more people could fall into poverty, adding to the 61.1% poverty level in 2022. In rural areas, the poverty rate could jump by 32.5 percentage points from the already high rural poverty rate pre-conflict (67.6% of the rural population). Women, especially in rural communities, are hit particularly hard. Urban poverty, which was at 48.8% pre-conflict, increases by 11.6 percentage points.

    • The agrifood system – which includes farming, food processing, trade and food services – would lose a third of its value under the extreme scenario.

    Why these findings matter

    Sudan was already in a fragile state before the war. It was reeling from decades of underinvestment, international sanctions and institutional breakdown.

    The war has reversed hard-won gains in poverty reduction. It is also dismantling key productive sectors – from agriculture to manufacturing – which will be essential for recovery once the conflict ends. Every month of continued fighting adds to the damage and raises the cost of rebuilding.

    Our projections already show major economic collapse, yet they don’t include the full extent of the damage. This includes losses in the informal economy or the strain on household coping strategies. The real situation could be even worse than what the data suggests.

    What needs to be done

    First and foremost, peace is essential. Without an end to the fighting, recovery will be impossible.

    Second, even as conflict continues, urgent action is needed to stabilise livelihoods. This means:

    • supporting agriculture in areas that remain relatively safe. Food production must be sustained to prevent famine.

    • restoring critical services where possible – particularly transport, trade and retail – to keep local economies functioning

    • protecting the most vulnerable, such as women in rural areas and the elderly, through expanded social protection and targeted cash assistance.

    Third, prepare for recovery. The international community – donors, development banks and NGOs – must begin laying the groundwork for post-conflict reconstruction now. This includes investment in public infrastructure, rebuilding institutions and re-integrating displaced populations.

    The bottom line

    Sudan’s war is more than a political crisis. It is an economic catastrophe unfolding in real time. One that is deepening poverty, destroying livelihoods and erasing years of progress.

    Our research provides hard numbers to describe what Sudanese families are already experiencing every day.

    The country’s economy is bleeding. Without a shift in the trajectory of the conflict, recovery could take decades – if it happens at all.

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

    – ref. Sudan’s war is an economic disaster: here’s how bad it could get – https://theconversation.com/sudans-war-is-an-economic-disaster-heres-how-bad-it-could-get-260609

    MIL OSI Analysis –

    July 17, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: How Derby City Council is bringing Derby’s heritage back to life

    Source: City of Derby

    Derby is blessed with no end of beautiful historic buildings, from the charming commercial units in St Peters Quarter and the Cathedral Quarter, to the 19th and 20th-Century structures that proudly showcase our heritage for industry and innovation.

    These historic buildings provide homes for residents, offices and premises for businesses, and places to shop and enjoy leisure time. All important parts of our modern and ever-changing city. However, some of Derby’s most prominent buildings have been neglected and have fallen into disrepair, standing empty for many years. Once abandoned the cost of repairing these buildings can be substantial and they become increasingly at risk of vandalism, damage and decay.

    Despite these challenges, Derby City Council’s commitment to historic buildings is unwavering. The Council doesn’t just react, it proactively works with owners, developers, and businesses to promote positive use, reuse, and conversion of such buildings throughout the city. This collaborative approach is crucial as the vast majority of historic buildings are privately owned and there is no legal requirement for owners to keep them in a good state of repair.

    The best way to conserve historic buildings is to keep them occupied, even if this is on a temporary or partial basis. That’s why the Council works in several ways with owners, architects and developers to help them repair and restore historic buildings, and develop proposals for creative new uses. This includes:

    • Helping to identify the opportunities for use
    • Advising on the requirements for planning and listed building consent
    • Helping to broker solutions between partners
    • Providing information on potential funding sources

    The impact of the Council’s work is evident in several key projects:

    • The recent refurbishment of the Grade II Listed Market Hall by the City Council  has safeguarded the future of one of the city’s most prominent sites and provided a vibrant new leisure destination.
    • The Silk Mill, the world’s first factory and also Grade II Listed, now tells Derby’s 300-year story of innovation as the Museum of Making.
    • The £75m Friar Gate Goods Yard scheme will see restoration of a 19th Century Bonded Warehouse and Engine House by a private sector developer to create over 110,000 sq ft of commercial space, with 276 new homes.
    • Along St James Street, in the heart of the city, the Council has worked with a private sector developer to restore, regenerate and revitalise more than a dozen properties. Including transforming The Tramshed, into office space, overhauling ground-floor retail units, and repurposing extensive, unused upper floors.

    To have the greatest impact, the Council uses a targeted approach to tackle those properties in the poorest condition, rather than a city-wide scattergun approach. To help identify those properties most at risk, DCC has provided £5000 of funding to the Derbyshire Historic Buildings Trust to expand their Buildings at Risk survey to cover Derby City. 

    The project has recruited and trained more than 40 volunteers to record and categorise buildings based on their state of repair. To date, over three quarters of Derby’s listed buildings have been surveyed and once collated this information will provide a valuable resource for the Council and others to target the buildings most in need of urgent attention. 

    The Vacant to Vibrant programme directly targets empty properties in the city centre, particularly within the Cathedral Quarter. This programme provides crucial funding to owners to bring historic buildings back into use. This work has had an impact on some of Derby’s most historic streets, including Foulds Guitars in the Strand Arcade, Tubo Gift Shop and Mr Shaws on Sadler Gate, and Brigdens on Irongate.

    Given the number of properties in private ownership, ensuring the future of historic buildings relies on their owners to keep them in good condition. In some cases, this can present challenges which doesn’t always result in a good outcome, which is sadly the case with the Hippodrome. 

    What we can do as a Council is continue to look at future options to help us maintain Derby’s historic properties, using our resources and our powers where necessary to ensure that they can be used and enjoyed for many years to come. 

    Councillor Nadine Peatfield, Leader of Derby City Council, said: 

    We know the value of our historic buildings and are committed to ensuring they are maintained and cared for. They have already played a crucial role in the history and identity of the city, and we want to ensure they continue to do so for many years to come.

    Given there are many historic buildings in private ownership, owners need to take their responsibility seriously in caring for the city’s heritage.

    Working closely with our partners, we’ve been able to make great progress in revitalising areas of our city centre, and this work will only continue.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    July 17, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ranking Member Frankel Statement at the Subcommittee Markup of the 2026 State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Funding Bill

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Lois Frankel (FL-21)

    Congresswoman Lois Frankel (D-FL-22), Ranking Member of the State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Subcommittee, delivered the following remarks at the Subcommittee’s markup of the fiscal year 2026 State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs funding bill:

    -As Prepared For Delivery-

    Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

    Let me start by recognizing the collegiality of Chairman Diaz-Balart and the thoughtful members on both sides of the aisle. I also want to thank the dedicated committee staff—and my own team—for their hard work and guidance. But above all, I want to express my deep gratitude to the public servants who bring American values to life around the world—diplomats, development professionals, and humanitarian workers. They serve and served in some of the most dangerous and difficult places on earth. Many have recently been forced out of their jobs, dismissed without cause or ceremony. To those who’ve served and those still standing: You are patriots. You represent the best of who we are. And we owe you more than thanks—we owe you the tools to do your job.

    With the right allocation and a White House that actually valued diplomacy, development, and humanitarianism, I believe we could have crafted a strong, bipartisan measure worthy of our nation’s leadership.

    Instead, I rise in fierce opposition to the Republican FY26 State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs bill—a reckless, shortsighted blueprint for American retreat.

    It follows a deeply troubling pattern. The White House has illegally impounded foreign aid, dismantled USAID, gutted the State Department—all without input from Congress. More than ten thousand USAID staff were dismissed. Over 5,000 aid programs have been axed. Just last week, 1,300 State Department employees were let go. Entire offices eliminated.

    And all of this in the middle of a global convergence of crises: armed conflicts, climate disasters, health emergencies, famine, mass migration, and rising authoritarianism.

    This is not theoretical. These crises are slamming into us. When fragile states collapse, migration surges. When we cancel trade support, American farmers and manufacturers lose customers. When we fail to build climate resilience, homes and crops are washed away. When global health systems fail, disease reaches our shores. And when the U.S. pulls back, China and Russia are right there to take our place.

    Worse still, our closest allies—pressured to increase military spending—are also cutting their foreign aid. So as global needs explode, the soft power of democratic nations is vanishing. And the vacuum left behind? It’s being filled by regimes that don’t share our values—or our interests.

    This bill slashes international affairs funding by 22 percent—$13 billion in deep, devastating cuts.

    It guts development and economic support: children pulled from classrooms and left without clean water; farmers cut off from tools that feed communities; young entrepreneurs abandoned, fueling extremism and instability; conflict prevention programs eliminated—so violence erupts unchecked; local organizations, our most trusted partners, shut down.

    It cuts humanitarian assistance by 42 percent. That’s not just unwise—it’s inhumane: women and girls in conflict zones left without care after suffering horrific sexual violence; refugees denied shelter, medicine, hope; food rations slashed below survival levels in places like Syria, Sudan, Bangladesh; and millions of children dying from malnutrition.

    This bill is cruel. It is cold. And it is not who we are.

    And of course, Republicans couldn’t resist another attack on women—reviving the Global Gag Rule, gutting funding for the UN Population Fund, and shortchanging family planning programs that save lives and lift up communities.

    This bill also abandons multilateral institutions like the United Nations and World Health Organization; it sidelines the U.S. from global decision-making; weakens our ability to promote peace and defend allies; forces partners into the arms of authoritarian regimes; and forfeits the power of burden-sharing through institutions like UNICEF, the World Bank, and the UN.

    It’s putting China in charge of the world.

    Let me be blunt: These cuts are not abstract. They are deadly.

    In Nigeria, malnourished infants are dying because therapeutic food deliveries have stopped. In Myanmar, hospitals are shutting their doors in the middle of conflict. In The Gambia, programs to support survivors of female genital mutilation have been halted just as the country debates re-legalizing the practice. In Ukraine, wounded soldiers are going without care. In Afghanistan, pregnant women are being turned away from clinics. In Ecuador, women entrepreneurs—stripped of support—are being pushed toward our border.

    This isn’t just a loss of aid. It’s a loss of American credibility. A loss of moral authority. A loss of global influence.

    And it will cost us dearly.

    Why should the American people care? Because when we fail to lead with compassion and common sense, the world becomes less stable, our troops face more danger, and we pay the price—again and again.

    When we cut aid, we increase the risk of war. When we defund development, we undercut diplomacy. And when we turn our back on the world, we endanger our own.

    I speak as the proud mother of a U.S. Marine veteran. I know what happens when diplomacy fails. When we fail to prevent conflict with education, aid, and engagement, the burden falls on the Pentagon—and on families whose loved ones serve our military.

    Let’s remember: The entire international affairs budget has typically been less than one percent of federal spending. But it delivers exponential returns for our safety, prosperity, and moral standing.

    These programs give youth an alternative to violence. They build markets for American goods. They prevent wars. They reduce migration pressures. They keep our troops home.

    This bill—sadly—is a missed opportunity. A failure to lead. A failure to invest in the power of peace, progress, and partnership.

    But let me end with this: Democrats are not giving up. We stand ready to work with our Republican colleagues—to fight for a bill that reflects our values, honors our commitments, and protects American lives.

    A sustained path to a safer, stronger, and more prosperous nation cannot be built on isolation and threats.

    Because we cannot bomb our way to peace. We cannot drone our way to stability. And we cannot retreat our way to safety.

    A strong America leads—not with fear, but with courage. 

    Not by pulling back, but by reaching out.

    And that’s the bill we should all fight for.

    Thank you. I yield back.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    July 17, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Sudan’s war is an economic disaster: here’s how bad it could get

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Khalid Siddig, Senior Research Fellow and Program Leader for the Sudan Strategy Support Program, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)

    Since April 2023, Sudan has been engulfed in a devastating war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces. What began as a struggle for power has turned into a national catastrophe. More than 14 million people have been displaced. Health and education systems have collapsed and food insecurity threatens over half the population of about 50 million.

    The war has disrupted key sectors, triggering severe economic contractions, and worsening poverty and unemployment levels.

    Sudan’s finance minister reported in November 2023 that the war had resulted in economic losses exceeding US$26 billion – or more than half the value of the country’s economy a year earlier. The industrial sector, which includes manufacturing and oil refining, has lost over 50% of its value. Employment has fallen by 4.6 million jobs over the period of the conflict. More than 7 million more people have been pushed into poverty. The agrifood system alone has shrunk by 33.6%. These estimates exclude informal economy losses.

    My research applies economy-wide models to understand how conflict affects national development. In a recent study, my colleagues and I used this approach to answer the question: what will happen to Sudan’s economy and poverty levels if the war continues through 2025?

    To assess the economic impact of the conflict, we used a Social Accounting Matrix multiplier model. This is a tool that captures how shocks affect different sectors and other agents of the economy, such as firms, government and households.

    Based on our modelling, the answer is devastating: the conflict could shrink the size of Sudan’s economy by over 40% from 2022 levels, plunging millions more into poverty.

    We modelled two scenarios to capture the potential trajectories of Sudan’s economy.

    The extreme scenario assumes a sharp initial collapse, with a 29.5% contraction in the size of the economy in 2023 and 12.2% in 2024, followed by a 7% decline in 2025, reflecting some stabilisation over time.

    The moderate scenario, based on World Bank projections, applies a 20.1% contraction in 2023 and a 15.1% drop in 2024, also followed by a 7% reduction in 2025, indicating a slower but more prolonged deterioration.

    We estimated the annual figures and report only the aggregate impacts through 2025 for clarity.

    We found that if the conflict endures, the value of Sudan’s economy will contract by up to 42% from US$56.3 billion in 2022 (pre-conflict) to US$32.4 billion by the end of 2025. The backbone of livelihoods – agriculture – will be crippled. And the social fabric of the country will continue to fray.

    How we did it

    Our Social Accounting Matrix multiplier model used data from various national and international sources to show the impact of conflict on the value of the economy, its sectors and household welfare.

    We connected this to government and World Bank data to reflect Sudan’s current conditions.

    This allowed us to simulate how conflict-driven disruptions affect the value of the economy, its sectors and household welfare.

    What we found

    Under the extreme scenario, we found:

    • Gross domestic product collapse: Gross domestic product (GDP) measures the total value of all goods and services produced in a country within a year. It’s a key indicator of economic health. We found that the value of Sudan’s economy could contract by up to 42%. This means the country would be producing less than 60% of what it did before the conflict. This would affect incomes, jobs, government revenues and public services. The industrial sector – heavily concentrated in Khartoum – would be hardest hit, with output shrinking by over 50%. The value of services like education, health, transport and trade would fall by 40%, and agriculture by more than 35%.

    • Job losses: nearly 4.6 million jobs – about half of all employment – could disappear. Urban areas and non-farm sectors would be worst affected, with over 700,000 farming jobs at risk.

    • Incomes plummet: household incomes would decline across all groups – rich and poor, rural and urban – by up to 42%. Rural and less-educated households suffer the most.

    • Poverty spikes: up to 7.5 million more people could fall into poverty, adding to the 61.1% poverty level in 2022. In rural areas, the poverty rate could jump by 32.5 percentage points from the already high rural poverty rate pre-conflict (67.6% of the rural population). Women, especially in rural communities, are hit particularly hard. Urban poverty, which was at 48.8% pre-conflict, increases by 11.6 percentage points.

    • The agrifood system – which includes farming, food processing, trade and food services – would lose a third of its value under the extreme scenario.

    Why these findings matter

    Sudan was already in a fragile state before the war. It was reeling from decades of underinvestment, international sanctions and institutional breakdown.

    The war has reversed hard-won gains in poverty reduction. It is also dismantling key productive sectors – from agriculture to manufacturing – which will be essential for recovery once the conflict ends. Every month of continued fighting adds to the damage and raises the cost of rebuilding.

    Our projections already show major economic collapse, yet they don’t include the full extent of the damage. This includes losses in the informal economy or the strain on household coping strategies. The real situation could be even worse than what the data suggests.

    What needs to be done

    First and foremost, peace is essential. Without an end to the fighting, recovery will be impossible.

    Second, even as conflict continues, urgent action is needed to stabilise livelihoods. This means:

    • supporting agriculture in areas that remain relatively safe. Food production must be sustained to prevent famine.

    • restoring critical services where possible – particularly transport, trade and retail – to keep local economies functioning

    • protecting the most vulnerable, such as women in rural areas and the elderly, through expanded social protection and targeted cash assistance.

    Third, prepare for recovery. The international community – donors, development banks and NGOs – must begin laying the groundwork for post-conflict reconstruction now. This includes investment in public infrastructure, rebuilding institutions and re-integrating displaced populations.

    The bottom line

    Sudan’s war is more than a political crisis. It is an economic catastrophe unfolding in real time. One that is deepening poverty, destroying livelihoods and erasing years of progress.

    Our research provides hard numbers to describe what Sudanese families are already experiencing every day.

    The country’s economy is bleeding. Without a shift in the trajectory of the conflict, recovery could take decades – if it happens at all.

    – Sudan’s war is an economic disaster: here’s how bad it could get
    – https://theconversation.com/sudans-war-is-an-economic-disaster-heres-how-bad-it-could-get-260609

    MIL OSI Africa –

    July 17, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: LaLota’s Office Returns $11.3+ Million to Suffolk Residents

    Source: US Representative Nick LaLota (NY-01)

    HAUPPAUGE, NY – Congressman Nick LaLota (NY-01) announced today that his office has recovered more than $11.3 million for Suffolk County residents since taking office in January 2023. These funds include delayed or wrongly withheld Social Security payments, Veterans’ benefits, IRS refunds, and other federal reimbursements secured through direct constituent casework. This milestone comes just days after Congressman LaLota helped deliverover $5,000 in annual SALT deduction relief for many Long Island families by negotiating key provisions in H.R. 1 – the One Big Beautiful Bill, signed into law on July 4, 2025.

    “From Day One, our team has focused on delivering results—through both legislative wins and direct constituent service,” said LaLota. “We’ve returned over $11.3 million to Long Islanders from the IRS, VA, and Social Security, and helped small business owners recover funds they were owed. Now, thanks to the SALT cap increase I fought for, middle-class families on Long Island can keep $2,500 to $7,500 more of their hard-earned income each year. Whether it’s cutting through red tape or cutting your taxes, we’re here to help. If you need assistance with a federal agency, contact my Hauppauge office at (631) 289-1097 or visit LaLota.house.gov.”

    Background:

    Federal dollars Congressman Nick LaLota’s office has returned to his constituents since taking office in January 2023 include:

    • Internal Revenue Service (IRS): $5,571,717.63

    • Social Security Administration (SSA): $1,054,559.03

    • Department of Veterans Affairs (VA): $44,903.71

    • Office of Personnel Management (OPM): $126,507.32

    • Small Business Administration (SBA): $20,833.00

    • Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS): $6,083.04

    • Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA): $315,104.84

    • Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS): $6,494.30

    • Railroad Retirement Board: $90,000.00

    • Department of Education: $109,872.55

    LaLota’s staff in Hauppauge is able to assist Long Islanders with the federal bureaucracy and receive government benefits they have earned. These include Social Security, Medicare, Veterans’ benefits, the IRS, passports and visas, and small business assistance.

    LaLota’s office in Hauppauge can be reached at 631-289-1097. Mail can be sent to 515 Hauppauge Road, Suite 3B, Hauppauge, NY 11788. Visit https://lalota.house.gov/ for more information.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

    July 17, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Government response to the ACMD’s report on barriers to research: part 2

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Correspondence

    Government response to the ACMD’s report on barriers to research: part 2

    Government response to the ACMD’s report on the consideration of barriers to research: part 2.

    Documents

    Government response to the ACMD’s report on barriers to research: part 2 (accessible)

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    Request an accessible format.
    If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email alternativeformats@homeoffice.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

    Details

    The government responds to the ACMD’s report on the consideration of barriers to research: part 2.

    Updates to this page

    Published 16 July 2025

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    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    July 17, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Mike Levin Joins Bipartisan Coalition to Reintroduce Comprehensive Immigration Reform Bill: The Dignity Act

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Levin (CA-49)

    July 15, 2025

    Washington, D.C.—Today, Rep. Mike Levin (CA-49) joined Reps. Veronica Escobar (TX-16) and Maria Elvira Salazar (FL-27), along with 17 of their colleagues, to reintroduce a historic, bipartisan immigration bill: the Dignity Act of 2025. After more than two years of negotiation, this bill is an updated compromise agreement that addresses legal status and protections for undocumented immigrants, border security, asylum reform, and visa reform.

    Watch Rep. Levin’s remarks here.

    The Dignity Act makes meaningful reforms to several aspects of our immigration system:

    • It grants legal status and protections to undocumented immigrants already living in the United States;
    • It reforms the asylum screening process to provide opportunity for review and access to council;
    • It creates new regional processing centers, so migrants do not have to make the perilous journey to the U.S.-Mexico border to seek asylum;
    • It invests in border security and modernizes our land ports of entry;
    • It mandates accountability for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE);
    • It provides protections for Dreamers, Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders, and Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) holders.

    “It’s long past time for Congress to do its job when it comes to immigration reform. Mass deportations are not the answer. Neither is punishing working families or tearing apart communities. We can invest in border security and still uphold our values. We can enforce our laws and still protect families. These ideas aren’t mutually exclusive — they’re fundamentally American,” said Rep. Levin “For those who are contributing positively to our society and economy, we need a better process and a realistic path for them to stay in this country. These are our neighbors and our friends. Let’s honor that promise — by protecting Dreamers, improving pathways to legal status, securing the border, and passing the Dignity Act.”

    The last time Congress passed immigration reform was in 1996, which was driven by Republicans and signed into law by President Bill Clinton. That bill eliminated several legal immigration pathways, essentially making fewer people eligible for legal status while making more people deportable.

    As we are witnessing historic executive overreach and redirection of resources to our border, it is clear Congress needs to update our immigration laws. And it is not like Congress has not had the opportunity; over the last 10 years, eight major pushes for immigration reform have failed:

    • In 2013, the Senate on a bipartisan basis passed the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act of 2013, but House Republicans refused to take up the bill.
    • In 2018, a bipartisan group of Senators advanced the Uniting and Securing America Act to protect Dreamers and provide pathway to citizenship, but Senate Republicans blocked it.
    • Again in 2018, the Senate tried to advance the United and Securing America Act “Common Sense” Proposal Amendment, but Senate Republicans blocked it.
    • Yet again in 2018, the Uniting and Securing America Act made it to the Senate floor but was blocked.
    • In 2019, the House passed the American Dream and Promise Act, but Senate Republicans blocked it.
    • In 2021, the House again passed the American Dream and Promise Act, but Senate Republicans again blocked it.
    • In 2021 and 2022, the President proposed record funding for more border agents, more asylum officers, more immigration judges, more border technology, and more detention capacity. Republicans in Congress failed to fund these both requests.
    • In 2024, Republican Senator James Lankford (R-OK) led a bipartisan group of senators to fund a border security and foreign aid package, which failed due to significant pushback from Republicans such as Donald Trump.

    “I have seen firsthand the devastating consequences of our broken immigration system, and as a member of Congress, I take seriously my obligation to propose a solution. Realistic, common-sense compromise is achievable, and is especially important given the urgency of this moment. I consider the Dignity Act of 2025 a critical first step to overhauling this broken system,” said Rep. Escobar. “Immigrants – especially those who have been in the United States for decades – make up a critical component of our communities and also of the American workforce and economy. The vast majority of immigrants are hard-working, law-abiding residents; and, despite how maligned they have been by the administration, most Americans recognize that it is in our country’s best interest to find a solution. We can enact legislation that incorporates both humanity and security, and the Dignity Act of 2025 offers a bipartisan, balanced approach that restores dignity to people who have tried to navigate a broken system for far too long. The reintroduction of this legislation includes changes that reflect the challenges in today’s political environment. I’m proud of my bipartisan work with Rep. Salazar, who has been a strong partner on this issue since December 2022. It is our hope that Congress seizes the opportunity to take an important step forward on this issue.”

    “The Dignity Act is a revolutionary bill that offers the solution to our immigration crisis: secure the border, stop illegal immigration, and provide an earned opportunity for long-term immigrants to stay here and work. No amnesty. No handouts. No citizenship. Just accountability and a path to stability for our economy and our future,” said Rep. Salazar.

    The Dignity Act is also cosponsored by Democratic representatives Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Susie Lee (NV-03), Salud Carbajal (CA-24), Hilary Scholten (MI-03), Nikki Budzinski (IL-13), Adam Gray (CA-13), Laura Gillen (NY-04), and Jake Auchincloss (MA-04) and Republican representatives Dan Newhouse (WA-04), Mike Lawler (NY-17), David Valadao (CA-22), Mike Kelly (PA-03), Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-08), Gabe Evans (CO-08), Marlin Stutzman (IN-03), Don Bacon (NE-02), and Young Kim (CA-40).

    A summary of the bill can be found here.

    ##

    MIL OSI USA News –

    July 17, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Bonta Sues Trump Administration for Illegally Shutting Down Longstanding Disaster Prevention Program

    Source: US State of California

    Over a billion in funding potentially at stake for California projects to address flooding, wildfires, landslides, drought, and earthquakes

    OAKLAND – California Attorney General Rob Bonta today filed a lawsuit challenging the unlawful termination of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) grant program. Since 2020, FEMA has made billions of dollars available under the BRIC program to prepare for and mitigate the risks from disasters before they happen. From flooding to wildfires to landslides to earthquakes, California is uniquely at risk from natural disasters and the largest beneficiary of this program; already, it has been awarded tens of millions of dollars, and if the program continues, could receive over a billion more for projects that FEMA had selected for grant funding. In today’s lawsuit, Attorney General Bonta, alongside a coalition of 19 other states, asks the court to compel FEMA to reverse the unlawful termination of the BRIC program so that communities across the country can protect themselves from natural disasters before they strike.  

    “Nearly thirty years ago, both Democrats and Republicans in Congress recognized a simple fact: Preparing for disasters, instead of just reacting to them, saves money and lives,” said Attorney General Bonta. “Yet in the name of cutting waste, fraud, and abuse, President Trump and his lackeys have once again jeopardized public safety with their indiscriminate slashing of pre-disaster mitigation funding. We’re taking them to court – not because we want to, but because we have to. As we continue to build a climate resilient California, we deserve a federal government that is a partner, not a roadblock in our efforts – and that’s exactly what Congress intended.” 

    Across five Presidential administrations, Congress and FEMA have worked together to provide funding through FEMA’s pre-disaster mitigation program so that communities across the nation can invest in projects that reduce harm from natural disasters. The rationale is simple: by proactively fortifying our communities against disasters before they strike, rather than just responding afterward, we will reduce injuries, save lives, protect property, and, ultimately, save money that would otherwise be spent on post-disaster costs. 

    Given the program’s effectiveness in protecting both people and pocketbooks, it is little surprise that it has had broad bipartisan support. The bill codifying the program passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 415–2 and passed the Senate by unanimous consent before President Bill Clinton signed it. More recently, during President Trump’s first term, a bipartisan group of legislators overwhelmingly passed a bill by a vote of 398–23 in the House and 93–6 in the Senate that provided the program with an additional funding stream. And in 2021, Congress invested another $1 billion in the program through the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

    In California, projects that have been awarded funding include: 

    • A project in City of Rancho Palos Verdes to reduce geologic landslide movement that threatens most of the City’s residents and infrastructure, including a major arterial roadway that provides community and emergency access, sanitation sewer lines located along this roadway, electric and communication lines, potable water lines, and gas lines. Without this project, landslide movement will continue to threaten critical infrastructure, damage homes and property, and endanger lives. 
    • A project in the City of Sacramento to mitigate flooding of five major interchanges, 3.9 miles of a major interstate highway, a runway at an airport, surface streets, 27,000 housing units, and more. Among other things, the project would have improved floodwall sections, improved levee sections, and relocated a pump station. 
    • A project in Kern County to seismically retrofit the Kern Valley Healthcare District’s hospital that provides acute care and emergency medical services to a remote population in the mid-northern region of the Kern River Valley area. Unless seismically retrofitted, the hospital may soon need to close. This would force hundreds of thousands of Californians to seek services at hospitals over two hours away. 

    In Texas, where heavy rains turned into devastating floods earlier this month, FEMA was set to provide hundreds of million in federal funding for pre-disaster mitigation projects, including for several flood mitigation projects.

    All that changed when Cameron Hamilton, who the Trump Administration unlawfully installed to act as FEMA’s Administrator, suddenly shut down the program. His unilateral decision to shutter the nation’s largest, most popular, and most cost-effective pre-disaster mitigation program is illegal. Neither Cameron Hamilton nor his successor, David Richardson, were lawfully appointed or qualified to run FEMA, as required by the Constitution’s Appointments Clause and statutory requirements. Their purported termination of the BRIC program flatly contravenes Congress’s decision to continue to fund it, in violation of the U.S. Constitution and Congress’s power of the purse. In their lawsuit filed today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, Attorney General Bonta and a coalition urge the court to reverse FEMA’s unlawful decision to shut down this program – before the devastating impact of this loss of funding results in permanent damage to our communities.  

    Attorney General Bonta joins the attorneys general of Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin, as well as the state of Pennsylvania, in filing the lawsuit.  

    A copy of the lawsuit will be available here. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

    July 17, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Bonta Sues Trump Administration for Illegally Shutting Down Longstanding Disaster Prevention Program

    Source: US State of California

    Over a billion in funding potentially at stake for California projects to address flooding, wildfires, landslides, drought, and earthquakes

    OAKLAND – California Attorney General Rob Bonta today filed a lawsuit challenging the unlawful termination of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) grant program. Since 2020, FEMA has made billions of dollars available under the BRIC program to prepare for and mitigate the risks from disasters before they happen. From flooding to wildfires to landslides to earthquakes, California is uniquely at risk from natural disasters and the largest beneficiary of this program; already, it has been awarded tens of millions of dollars, and if the program continues, could receive over a billion more for projects that FEMA had selected for grant funding. In today’s lawsuit, Attorney General Bonta, alongside a coalition of 19 other states, asks the court to compel FEMA to reverse the unlawful termination of the BRIC program so that communities across the country can protect themselves from natural disasters before they strike.  

    “Nearly thirty years ago, both Democrats and Republicans in Congress recognized a simple fact: Preparing for disasters, instead of just reacting to them, saves money and lives,” said Attorney General Bonta. “Yet in the name of cutting waste, fraud, and abuse, President Trump and his lackeys have once again jeopardized public safety with their indiscriminate slashing of pre-disaster mitigation funding. We’re taking them to court – not because we want to, but because we have to. As we continue to build a climate resilient California, we deserve a federal government that is a partner, not a roadblock in our efforts – and that’s exactly what Congress intended.” 

    Across five Presidential administrations, Congress and FEMA have worked together to provide funding through FEMA’s pre-disaster mitigation program so that communities across the nation can invest in projects that reduce harm from natural disasters. The rationale is simple: by proactively fortifying our communities against disasters before they strike, rather than just responding afterward, we will reduce injuries, save lives, protect property, and, ultimately, save money that would otherwise be spent on post-disaster costs. 

    Given the program’s effectiveness in protecting both people and pocketbooks, it is little surprise that it has had broad bipartisan support. The bill codifying the program passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 415–2 and passed the Senate by unanimous consent before President Bill Clinton signed it. More recently, during President Trump’s first term, a bipartisan group of legislators overwhelmingly passed a bill by a vote of 398–23 in the House and 93–6 in the Senate that provided the program with an additional funding stream. And in 2021, Congress invested another $1 billion in the program through the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

    In California, projects that have been awarded funding include: 

    • A project in City of Rancho Palos Verdes to reduce geologic landslide movement that threatens most of the City’s residents and infrastructure, including a major arterial roadway that provides community and emergency access, sanitation sewer lines located along this roadway, electric and communication lines, potable water lines, and gas lines. Without this project, landslide movement will continue to threaten critical infrastructure, damage homes and property, and endanger lives. 
    • A project in the City of Sacramento to mitigate flooding of five major interchanges, 3.9 miles of a major interstate highway, a runway at an airport, surface streets, 27,000 housing units, and more. Among other things, the project would have improved floodwall sections, improved levee sections, and relocated a pump station. 
    • A project in Kern County to seismically retrofit the Kern Valley Healthcare District’s hospital that provides acute care and emergency medical services to a remote population in the mid-northern region of the Kern River Valley area. Unless seismically retrofitted, the hospital may soon need to close. This would force hundreds of thousands of Californians to seek services at hospitals over two hours away. 

    In Texas, where heavy rains turned into devastating floods earlier this month, FEMA was set to provide hundreds of million in federal funding for pre-disaster mitigation projects, including for several flood mitigation projects.

    All that changed when Cameron Hamilton, who the Trump Administration unlawfully installed to act as FEMA’s Administrator, suddenly shut down the program. His unilateral decision to shutter the nation’s largest, most popular, and most cost-effective pre-disaster mitigation program is illegal. Neither Cameron Hamilton nor his successor, David Richardson, were lawfully appointed or qualified to run FEMA, as required by the Constitution’s Appointments Clause and statutory requirements. Their purported termination of the BRIC program flatly contravenes Congress’s decision to continue to fund it, in violation of the U.S. Constitution and Congress’s power of the purse. In their lawsuit filed today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, Attorney General Bonta and a coalition urge the court to reverse FEMA’s unlawful decision to shut down this program – before the devastating impact of this loss of funding results in permanent damage to our communities.  

    Attorney General Bonta joins the attorneys general of Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin, as well as the state of Pennsylvania, in filing the lawsuit.  

    A copy of the lawsuit will be available here. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

    July 17, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Africa: MSGBC Oil, Gas & Power Conference & Exhibition Returns to Senegal in December 2025

    Source: APO – Report:

    The MSGBC Oil, Gas & Power Conference & Event returns to Dakar, Senegal in December at the Centre International de Conférences Abdou Diouf. The pre-conference will take place on December 8 and the main event will take place on December 9 -10 under the theme Energy, Petroleum and Mining in Africa: Synergy for Inclusive Economic Development.

    The conference & exhibition aims to unite the MSGBC region through energy cooperation, supporting cross-border collaboration and shared development strategies to drive sustainable growth and long-term economic integration across the Basin.

    For four years, MSGBC Oil, Gas & Power has established itself as the premier platform for industry leaders, innovators and policymakers in the MSGBC region. Each edition has played a crucial role in determining the region’s energy future, driving investment and advancing project development. By connecting governments, energy companies, global operators and financiers, MSGBC Oil, Gas & Power facilitates strategic partnerships and regional cooperation.

    The MSGBC Basin is home to upstream acreage, integrated infrastructure projects and forward-looking development plans. As large-scale projects in Mauritania and Senegal have moved into production and exploration expands across The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau and Guinea-Conakry, the region requires continued technical and financial engagement to meet its energy goals.

    Join MSGBC Oil, Gas & Power 2025 in Dakar this December and be part of the region’s leading energy and mining investment platform. Register now at www.MSGBCOilGasAndPower.com.

    The event is organized with the support of Senegal’s Ministry of Energy, Petroleum and Mines, Senegal’s national oil company Petrosen E&P, COS-Petrogaz and the African Energy Chamber.

    Recent developments across the MSGBC region include the shipment of the first LNG cargo from bp and Kosmos Energy’s Greater Tortue Ahmeyim project offshore Senegal and Mauritania in April 2025. In Senegal, under the leadership of Birame Souleye Diop, Minister of Energy, Petroleum and Mines and Talla Gueye, Director General, Petrosen E&P, oil production at Woodside’s Sangomar field is ongoing, with 3.11 million barrels produced and exported in January 2025 alone and a projected output of 30.5 million barrels for the year at a plateau rate of 100,000 barrels per day.

    In Guinea-Conakry, the first locomotive for the Trans-Guinean railway, part of the Simandou iron ore development, arrived in May 2025. In The Gambia, the government announced that national electricity access is expected to reach 90% by the end of 2025. Meanwhile, Guinea-Bissau signed an oil and gas cooperation agreement with Azerbaijan in June 2025 to support technical and investment partnerships.

    Building on past successes, MSGBC 2025 will be the most impactful edition to date, offering unmatched opportunities for investors and project developers, as well as international operators and service providers.

    “Our objective is to facilitate investment and partnerships across the MSGBC region by providing direct access to decision-makers and financiers,” says Sandra Jeque, Event and Project Director at Energy Capital & Power. “This event is a platform for governments and the private sector to align on shared priorities and promote energy and mining as drivers of economic development.”

    – on behalf of African Energy Chamber.

    Media files

    .

    MIL OSI Africa –

    July 17, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Plans for 5,000 new homes in Stoke-on-Trent put forward to meet ‘urgent need’ for housing

    Source: City of Stoke-on-Trent

    Published: Wednesday, 16th July 2025

    Councillors are set to approve plans to deliver nearly 5,000 homes in the city in the next three years.

    Stoke-on-Trent City Council has devised a housing development pipeline to help meet the government’s national target of delivering 1.5 million new homes a year.

    The programme will see the authority work with Homes England, developers and landowners to deliver 4,857 houses across 23 sites in the city.

    The sites include completed and near-completed developments such as Goods Yard and Chatterley Court in Chell Heath as well as sites under development such as Scotia Road and Bournes Bank in Burslem, Booth Street in Stoke, the former Doris Robinson Court site in Meir and the former Brookhouse Primary School site in Wellfield Road, Bentilee.

    The number of applicants on the council’s housing register has been climbing over the last three years – it now stands at over 3,138 households, a 41 per cent increase in the last 12 months.

    Over half of those households (57 per cent) are in urgent and high need for accommodation.

    At the same time, the council’s housing stock has fallen by 2,550 homes (13 per cent) over the last 10 years.

    Almost 1,800 homes (37 per cent) included in the council’s housing pipeline project are expected to be affordable homes for people on the housing register.

    In addition to this, the council is proposing to deliver an Empty Homes programme of around 100 new homes per year.

    Councillor Chris Robinson, cabinet member for housing, planning, improvement and governance, said: “We need to create a healthier standard of living for all of our residents, improve the quality of our homes and give residents more choice.

    “We recognise that there is an urgent need to deliver new homes in the city to meet the increasing demand and, while it will be challenging, we are committed to working closely with our partners to increase the pace and scale of house-building across Stoke-on-Trent.

    “We need to act quickly and take action to ensure all our residents can access decent homes in a city where they can stay, grow and thrive – and watch their children do the same.”

    The housing pipeline programme will continue to develop over time with completed sites being replaced with new locations, however, planning status is not guaranteed for any of the pipeline sites and all will be considered through the usual planning processes.

    The council’s cabinet is being asked to approve the plans at their next meeting in July. To see the full report, visit: Agenda for Cabinet on Tuesday, 22 July 2025, 1.00 pm | Stoke on Trent City Council

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    July 17, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Preston City Council signs up to National Skills Academy Framework

    Source: City of Preston

    Preston City Council has signed an agreement with the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB), committing to use the National Skills Academy for Construction (NSAfC) Framework across all its projects.

    The new agreement was confirmed at a formal award presentation in Preston and will see the local authority continue to embed NSAfC principles through the updated benchmarks into its planning process, creating opportunities for skills and employment.

    The framework is a way of working that enables partners to gain the skills they need on site, on time. Developed by CITB and approved by industry, it provides structure and direction to help deliver consistent, high-quality training on a live construction project.

    One of 19 National Skills Academies supporting UK industries by developing training infrastructure to address sector skills challenges, the NSAfC was launched in 2006 with the aim of providing dynamic onsite training and skills opportunities for suitable projects.

    The NSAfC has already successfully complemented more than 400 projects across the UK, enhancing skills throughout the industry and helping organisations demonstrate their commitment to creating social value in the community.

    Andrew Bridge, Head of Employer Delivery and Engagement (England) at CITB, said:

    “We are delighted to sign this agreement with Preston City Council which underlines their commitment to embedding the NSAfC Framework across all projects.We developed the framework together with the construction industry to improve productivity, promote skills, and create high-performing workplaces that can develop and harness talent.

    “For contractors or public sector authorities, the NSAfC gets the right skills to their people – from craft to technical to professional, from new recruits to experienced workers – wherever they are needed.”

    Councillor Valerie Wise, Cabinet Member for Community Wealth Building at Preston Council, said:

    “We were proud to welcome the Construction Industry Training Board to Preston and delighted to receive the award that recognises our ongoing commitment to delivering social value through construction.

    “By embedding the National Skills Academy for Construction benchmarks into our planning process, applicants are not only building homes and employment units but creating real opportunities for skills, employment, and community benefit.”

    For more information visit CITB – What is the National Skills Academy for Construction (NSAfC)?

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    July 17, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Isle of Wight councillor joins literacy leaders to promote reading 16 July 2025 Isle of Wight councillor joins literacy leaders to promote reading across the UK

    Source: Aisle of Wight

    Councillor Julie Jones-Evans has added another chapter to her story as the Local Government Association’s Library Champion — this time with a visit to 10 Downing Street.

    She joined authors and literacy leaders to help turn the page on declining reading habits, as part of the launch of the National Year of Reading 2026, a nationwide campaign encouraging people of all ages to rediscover the joy of reading for pleasure.

    The event brought together a cast of literary champions, including bestselling author Cressida Cowell, known for her How to Train Your Dragon series, and Jonathan Douglas, chief executive of the National Literacy Trust.

    Also in attendance were representatives from The Reading Agency, the organisation behind the ever-popular Summer Reading Challenge, which inspires thousands of children to keep reading through the school holidays, including on the Isle of Wight.

    “It was a real honour to represent the Isle of Wight and local government at such an inspiring event,” said Councillor Jones-Evans.

    “Reading for pleasure has so many benefits — from improving mental wellbeing to supporting educational and life outcomes. It’s something we should all be championing.”

    The Year of Reading comes at a time when national figures show a worrying trend: only one in three children continue to read for pleasure after leaving primary school, and fewer parents are reading to their children at home.

    The campaign aims to reverse this by working with schools, libraries, and community groups to make reading more accessible, enjoyable, and part of everyday life.

    “The energy in the room was fantastic,” Councillor Jones-Evans added.

    “Everyone there shared a belief that reading can change lives — and not just for children.

    Whether it’s a gripping novel, a comic book, or a bedtime story, reading opens doors and sparks imagination.”

    As the campaign rolls out across the country, local communities are being encouraged to get involved — whether by joining a library, taking part in reading challenges, or simply picking up a book and sharing it with someone else.

    Councillor Jones-Evans is also inviting town, parish, and community councils to consider how they can play a part in supporting the National Year of Reading.

    Stay connected

    Want to stay up to date with all things libraries, including the upcoming Summer Reading Challenge?

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    July 17, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Road crossing improvements complete at busy junction

    Source: City of Leicester

    WORK to improve road crossings at a busy road junction in Leicester is now complete.

    The city Council has constructed a new signal-controlled pedestrian and cycle crossing, and an additional zebra crossing, at the junction of Blackbird Road and Parker Drive, in northwest Leicester.

    Existing traffic signals have also been renewed.

    The work, which cost £295,000, was paid for with Section 106 developer contributions linked to new housing at nearby Somerset Avenue.

    Cllr Geoff Whittle, assistant city mayor for environment and transport, said: “This recent investment in highway improvements has provided new crossings in a busy residential area and helped further extend the network of safer routes for walkers, wheelers and cyclists in and around our neighbourhoods.”

    The new signal-controlled pedestrian and cycle crossing is located on Blackbird Road, close to its junction with Parker Drive. A new parallel zebra crossing has also been installed on the left-turn slip road from Blackbird Road to Parker Drive.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    July 17, 2025
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