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Category: KB

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senators Luján, Markey Slam FCC’s Partisan Approval of Paramount, Skydance Merger

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-New Mexico)
    Merger approval comes 2 days after Paramount settles with Trump for $36 million 
    Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Telecommunications and Media Subcommittee, and Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), a member of the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, released the following statement after the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted today to approve a merger between Paramount Global and Skydance Media. 
    “The FCC’s approval of the Paramount-Skydance merger reeks of the worst form of corruption. The timing speaks for itself: Paramount settled with Trump for $36 million on Tuesday and the FCC approved the merger on Thursday. While we’re glad that the Commission took a vote on the deal, as we have repeatedly called for, the partisan vote is a dark day for independent journalism and a stain on the storied history of the Federal Communications Commission. The stench of this transaction will linger over the Commission for years.” 
    Senators Markey and Luján have aggressively pushed back on the Trump administration’s efforts to attack news organizations and intimidate the media. On July 18, Senator Markey wrote to Paramount Global Chair Shari Redstone, demanding answers on the circumstances surrounding the cancellation of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” specifically requesting whether anyone in the Trump administration asked for the show to be cancelled. On July 10, Senators Markey and Luján wrote to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Commissioner Olivia Trusty, urging the FCC to hold a full Commission vote on the Paramount and Skydance merger. In May 2025, Senators Markey and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) wrote to FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, urging the FCC to take a vote on the merger between Paramount Global and Skydance Media. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

    July 26, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: New polling: Reform is winning over Britain’s Christian support

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Stuart Fox, Senior Lecturer in Politics, University of Exeter

    When we look at how people vote in elections and why they choose certain parties, analysis often focuses on age, education, location or socioeconomic status. Less discussed in Britain is religion. But close to two-thirds of its adults are still religious – expressing either a religious identity, holding religious beliefs, or taking part in religious activities.

    For the one-in-three adults in Britain who are Christian, this identity remains an important influence on their political behaviour. New polling, published here for the first time, shows how Reform UK is disrupting our previous understanding of how Christians vote in British elections.

    Want more politics coverage from academic experts? Every week, we bring you informed analysis of developments in government and fact check the claims being made.

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    The relationship between Britain’s Christian communities and the major political parties goes back centuries. The Conservative party has been very close to English Anglicanism since its emergence in the mid-19th century. Catholics and free-church Protestants (such as Baptists and Methodists) have tended towards the Labour and Liberal/Liberal Democrat parties. Even as Britain has become more secular, these relationships have persisted.

    Anglicans, for example, have tended to vote Conservative even when the party was in dire straits. In the 2024 election, 39% of Anglicans voted Tory even as the party’s national vote share fell to 24%.

    Since the 1980s and particularly in elections since 2015, however, we have started to see changes to the Christian vote. The traditional Catholic attachment to Labour has deteriorated, as has Labour’s appeal to other Christian communities such as Baptists, Methodists and Presbyterians.



    Read more:
    Britain’s changing religious vote: why Catholics are leaving Labour and Conservatives are hoovering up Christian support

    Instead, driven by the rising salience of social values (attitudes towards immigration, social change and national identity) as a determinant of political support, the socially conservative leanings of some Christians of all stripes has led to increased support for the Conservatives. And those who traditionally did so – the Anglicans – have become even more supportive. The result has been a steady coalescing of the Christian vote behind the Conservatives.

    But now, new polling by YouGov (on June 23-24 2025) for the University of Exeter reveals that this realignment is being disrupted by the growing popularity of Reform UK.

    Instead of asking who people would vote for tomorrow, a nationally representative sample of 2,284 adults was asked how likely they were to ever vote for each major party, on a scale from zero (very unlikely) to ten (very likely).

    While not the same as a direct question about how someone would vote in an election, the likelihood question provides a much richer measure of the strength of their support for all of the major parties.


    Stuart Fox, data by YouGov for the University of Exeter

    Among Anglicans, Labour remains deeply unpopular: over half gave the party a 0. In contrast, the Conservatives still enjoy strong support among Anglicans, with 35% giving them a vote likelihood of seven or higher – the kind of support associated with voting for the party in an election.

    Reform, however, has caught up. Despite only 15% of Anglicans voting Reform in 2024, 38% now rate their likelihood of voting for the party as high. That’s the same as the proportion who are strongly opposed to Reform – showing that while the party polarises Anglicans more than the Conservatives, Reform could win as much Anglican support as the Tories in an election.

    Catholics show a similar trend. Labour’s traditional support is eroding: 40% of Catholics said they had zero likelihood of voting Labour, while 29% are strong supporters. As with Conservatives for the Anglican vote, Reform is almost level-pegging with Labour for the Catholic vote at 28%. It has even supplanted the Conservatives, of whom 22% of Catholics are strong supporters.

    It is not yet clear why this is happening. The distinction of Christian (and non-Christian) voting patterns is not an artefact of age – there are many studies that prove this is the case.

    It may be that Reform’s stances on issues such as immigration resonate with Christians’ concerns to the extent that they are willing to set aside their historic party loyalties. Or it may be that Christians are as prone as other British voters to turn to Reform out of frustration with the performances of Labour and the Conservatives in office.

    Swing voters and party competition

    This data also shows the extent to which voters’ support for parties overlaps or is exclusive. In other words, which voters have a high vote likelihood for only one party (and so are likely committed to backing that party in an election), which do not have such high likelihoods for any party (and so will probably not vote at all), and which have similarly high likelihoods for more than one party (effectively swing voters, persuadable one way or the other).

    Among the religiously unaffiliated, 29% aren’t strong supporters of any party. For Catholics, it’s 26%. Anglicans are more politically anchored, however, with only 20% in this category.

    While traditionally, we would have expected this to reflect Anglicans’ greater tendency to support the Tories, only 17% of Anglicans are strong supporters of only that party, compared with 21% who are firmly behind Reform. These aren’t swing voters; they’ve switched sides.

    A further 12% of Anglicans have high vote likelihoods for both the Tories and Reform. These are swing voters that the two parties could realistically expect to win over.


    Stuart Fox, data by YouGov for the University of Exeter

    Catholics are even more fragmented. Only 13% are strong supporters of Labour alone, along with 12% and 17% who are strong supporters of the Conservatives and Reform alone, respectively.

    Few Catholics are torn between Labour and the other parties, but 5% are swing voters between the Conservatives and Reform: the Tories’ gradual winning over of Catholics over the last 50 years is also being challenged by the appeal of Reform.

    The party has provided a socially conservative alternative to the Conservatives, with the result that the Christian vote has become more fragmented. The Tories are no longer the main beneficiaries of Labour’s loss of its traditional Catholic vote.

    In addition, Reform is as popular as the Conservatives among Anglicans, and as popular as Labour among Catholics. This suggests it is appealing across the traditional denominational divide more successfully than either of the major parties.

    If there is to be a single party that attracts the bulk of Britain’s Christian support, at this point it is far more likely to be Reform than anyone else.

    This article was based on analysis by Dr Stuart Fox (University of Exeter), Dr Ekaterina Kolpinskaya (University of Exeter), Dr Steven Pickering (University of Amsterdam) and Prof Dan Stevens (University of Exeter), connected to the research project Investigating the individual and contextual role of religion in British electoral politics, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council. Stuart Fox also receives funding from the British Academy.

    – ref. New polling: Reform is winning over Britain’s Christian support – https://theconversation.com/new-polling-reform-is-winning-over-britains-christian-support-260751

    MIL OSI Analysis –

    July 26, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Fear of crime is a useful political tool, even if the data doesn’t back it up

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Emily Gray, Assistant Professor of Criminology, University of Warwick

    “We’re actually facing, in many parts of our country, nothing short of societal collapse.” This was the dire warning from Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, in setting out his party’s goal of halving crime.

    In an op-ed in the Daily Mail and a press conference, Farage framed Britain as a nation in crisis from rising crime and lawlessness. But, he said, Reform had the solution: mass deportation of foreign offenders, the construction of prefabricated “Nightingale” prisons, and a wholesale crackdown on offending.

    He insisted that British streets were out of control (although recent rises in crime come mainly from online fraud and shoplifting, according to the latest data), pledged to simultaneously increase prison sentences and reduce overcrowding, and vowed to restore order with a “higher and physically tougher standard of police officer”.

    Speaking after a weekend of violent anti-immigration protests in Epping, Farage also tied Britain’s supposed lawlessness to migration: “Many break the law just by entering the UK, then commit further crimes once here – disrespecting our laws, culture and civility. The only acceptable response is deportation.”

    Invoking crime as a threat, and the politician as its solution, is a tried-and-tested political manoeuvre. We’ve seen it deployed from both left and right, in many parts of the world, for decades. Stuart Hall and colleagues famously examined this phenomenon in the 1970s in their seminal book Policing the Crisis.

    Our own analysis suggests that the accuracy of crime statistics often matters less than how politicians frame public anxieties – through media, public rhetoric and policy initiatives. In short: the public often responds to emotion as much as evidence.

    One tension in England and Wales is that there are two major sources of crime data. The first – on which Farage leans heavily – is police-recorded crime. But, as is widely understood, that data provides only a partial picture of the true extent of crime. Many people, especially those from marginalised or vulnerable groups, choose not to report their experiences of crime.



    Read more:
    Most crime has fallen by 90% in 30 years – so why does the public think it’s increased?

    Moreover, the consistency and accuracy with which police forces record these offences has been questioned over time. Indeed, police-recorded crime statistics are not designated as official national statistics.

    The other (and more robust) source is the Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW), which asks a representative sample of the public about their experiences of crime over the past 12 months. Notably, it includes those incidents that were not reported to the police.

    Running since the early 1980s, the CSEW has demonstrated long-term declines in incidents of theft, criminal damage and violence (with or without injury) since the mid-to-late 1990s. Curiously, Farage told reporters that the CSEW was “based on completely false data”, without providing any evidence.

    The Office for National Statistics (ONS), and most criminologists, regard the CSEW as the more accurate metric of long-term crime trends. (The Conversation asked the CSEW to comment but hadn’t received a response when this article was published.)

    The political weight of crime

    Crime has electoral value. It allows parties and political campaigners to project strength, decisiveness and control. Farage’s rhetoric is designed to provoke urgency and anxiety. It’s a well-worn script. Margaret Thatcher’s government leveraged fears of law and order. New Labour made “anti-social behaviour” a central point of focus at a time when crime was, in fact, falling.

    In research conducted with colleagues, we examined how people’s fears about specific crimes are shaped not just by actual crime rates, or by the person’s age, gender or ethnicity, but also by the political context in which they grew up.

    Using data from the CSEW and a method called age-period-cohort analysis, we explored how different “political generations” developed and retained distinct concerns about crime.

    We found clear patterns. Those who grew up during the James Callaghan era in the mid-to-late 1970s – when politicians repeatedly warned of “muggings” – were more likely to report anxieties about street robbery over time.

    Thatcher’s generation, who came of age during a sharp rise in property crime, were more likely than other groups to express long-term fears about burglary. And those who grew up under New Labour – during the height of the “anti-social behaviour” agenda – reported persistent concerns about neighbourhood disorder, even as recorded incidents declined.

    Is crime on the rise? Depends who you ask.
    Loch Earn/Shutterstock

    In other words, the political rhetoric people are exposed to during their formative years leaves a lasting impression on their relationship to crime. Debates about crime become embedded in personal and generational memory.

    Crime is real and victims suffer. But distorting its nature and prevalence can erode public trust in the institutions tasked with protecting us. It can foster punitive and ineffective policy responses. And it can leave whole communities feeling targeted, criminalised or unsafe, based on selective and often sensational narratives.

    We absolutely need to talk about crime. But we also need to talk about how we talk about crime. Who frames the debate, which statistics are used, who and how many are left out of the official records, whose fears are being amplified, and who is looking to exploit crime?

    Emily Gray has received funding from the Economic and Social Research Council.

    Stephen Farrall has received funding from the Economic and Social Research Council.

    – ref. Fear of crime is a useful political tool, even if the data doesn’t back it up – https://theconversation.com/fear-of-crime-is-a-useful-political-tool-even-if-the-data-doesnt-back-it-up-261777

    MIL OSI Analysis –

    July 26, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Fear of crime is a useful political tool, even if the data doesn’t back it up

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Emily Gray, Assistant Professor of Criminology, University of Warwick

    “We’re actually facing, in many parts of our country, nothing short of societal collapse.” This was the dire warning from Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, in setting out his party’s goal of halving crime.

    In an op-ed in the Daily Mail and a press conference, Farage framed Britain as a nation in crisis from rising crime and lawlessness. But, he said, Reform had the solution: mass deportation of foreign offenders, the construction of prefabricated “Nightingale” prisons, and a wholesale crackdown on offending.

    He insisted that British streets were out of control (although recent rises in crime come mainly from online fraud and shoplifting, according to the latest data), pledged to simultaneously increase prison sentences and reduce overcrowding, and vowed to restore order with a “higher and physically tougher standard of police officer”.

    Speaking after a weekend of violent anti-immigration protests in Epping, Farage also tied Britain’s supposed lawlessness to migration: “Many break the law just by entering the UK, then commit further crimes once here – disrespecting our laws, culture and civility. The only acceptable response is deportation.”

    Invoking crime as a threat, and the politician as its solution, is a tried-and-tested political manoeuvre. We’ve seen it deployed from both left and right, in many parts of the world, for decades. Stuart Hall and colleagues famously examined this phenomenon in the 1970s in their seminal book Policing the Crisis.

    Our own analysis suggests that the accuracy of crime statistics often matters less than how politicians frame public anxieties – through media, public rhetoric and policy initiatives. In short: the public often responds to emotion as much as evidence.

    One tension in England and Wales is that there are two major sources of crime data. The first – on which Farage leans heavily – is police-recorded crime. But, as is widely understood, that data provides only a partial picture of the true extent of crime. Many people, especially those from marginalised or vulnerable groups, choose not to report their experiences of crime.



    Read more:
    Most crime has fallen by 90% in 30 years – so why does the public think it’s increased?

    Moreover, the consistency and accuracy with which police forces record these offences has been questioned over time. Indeed, police-recorded crime statistics are not designated as official national statistics.

    The other (and more robust) source is the Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW), which asks a representative sample of the public about their experiences of crime over the past 12 months. Notably, it includes those incidents that were not reported to the police.

    Running since the early 1980s, the CSEW has demonstrated long-term declines in incidents of theft, criminal damage and violence (with or without injury) since the mid-to-late 1990s. Curiously, Farage told reporters that the CSEW was “based on completely false data”, without providing any evidence.

    The Office for National Statistics (ONS), and most criminologists, regard the CSEW as the more accurate metric of long-term crime trends. (The Conversation asked the CSEW to comment but hadn’t received a response when this article was published.)

    The political weight of crime

    Crime has electoral value. It allows parties and political campaigners to project strength, decisiveness and control. Farage’s rhetoric is designed to provoke urgency and anxiety. It’s a well-worn script. Margaret Thatcher’s government leveraged fears of law and order. New Labour made “anti-social behaviour” a central point of focus at a time when crime was, in fact, falling.

    In research conducted with colleagues, we examined how people’s fears about specific crimes are shaped not just by actual crime rates, or by the person’s age, gender or ethnicity, but also by the political context in which they grew up.

    Using data from the CSEW and a method called age-period-cohort analysis, we explored how different “political generations” developed and retained distinct concerns about crime.

    We found clear patterns. Those who grew up during the James Callaghan era in the mid-to-late 1970s – when politicians repeatedly warned of “muggings” – were more likely to report anxieties about street robbery over time.

    Thatcher’s generation, who came of age during a sharp rise in property crime, were more likely than other groups to express long-term fears about burglary. And those who grew up under New Labour – during the height of the “anti-social behaviour” agenda – reported persistent concerns about neighbourhood disorder, even as recorded incidents declined.

    Is crime on the rise? Depends who you ask.
    Loch Earn/Shutterstock

    In other words, the political rhetoric people are exposed to during their formative years leaves a lasting impression on their relationship to crime. Debates about crime become embedded in personal and generational memory.

    Crime is real and victims suffer. But distorting its nature and prevalence can erode public trust in the institutions tasked with protecting us. It can foster punitive and ineffective policy responses. And it can leave whole communities feeling targeted, criminalised or unsafe, based on selective and often sensational narratives.

    We absolutely need to talk about crime. But we also need to talk about how we talk about crime. Who frames the debate, which statistics are used, who and how many are left out of the official records, whose fears are being amplified, and who is looking to exploit crime?

    Emily Gray has received funding from the Economic and Social Research Council.

    Stephen Farrall has received funding from the Economic and Social Research Council.

    – ref. Fear of crime is a useful political tool, even if the data doesn’t back it up – https://theconversation.com/fear-of-crime-is-a-useful-political-tool-even-if-the-data-doesnt-back-it-up-261777

    MIL OSI Analysis –

    July 26, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Major Methamphetamine and Fentanyl Supplier Sentenced to 145 Months

    Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

    Andora Smith Conspired with Others to Traffic Drugs From Kentucky into Southwest Virginia

    ABINGDON, Va. – A major supplier of methamphetamine and fentanyl, who conspired with others to traffic over 20 kilograms of methamphetamine and fentanyl into Southwest Virginia, was sentenced yesterday to 145 months in federal prison.

    Andora Lee Smith, 62, of Whitesburg, Kentucky, previously pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and one count of distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. 

    Smith conspired with others, including Eric Coffey, Daniel Hafemeister, Michael Hicks, Cody Rose, and Ashley Beverly Jr., to distribute large amounts of methamphetamine and fentanyl in Southwest Virginia.

    Most of Smith’s distributions took place at her Kentucky residence, where she kept multiple pounds of methamphetamine and fentanyl and distributed ounce-plus quantities at a time to her customers.  Smith also delivered drugs to Virginia and routinely traveled to Louisville, Kentucky, to obtain quantities of xylazine and fentanyl (“black”) for distribution.

    Smith worked as a teacher at Norton Elementary School and John I. Burton High School in Norton, Virginia, for 15 years prior to committing her crimes.

    C. Todd Gilbert, United States Attorney for the Western District of Virginia, and Anthony A. Spotswood, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives made the announcement.

    The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Southwest Drug Task Force, Kentucky State Police, and Wise County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Lena Busscher prosecuted the case for the United States.

    MIL Security OSI –

    July 26, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Mobile Man Sentenced to 156 Months in Prison for Illegally Possessing a Firearm

    Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

    MOBILE, AL – Joseph Ambrose Wilburn, Jr., of Mobile, Alabama, was sentenced to 156 months in prison for possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon. 

    According to court documents, on April 11, 2024, the Mobile Police Department received information about an active arrest warrant for Wilburn in connection to him using a firearm to kidnap and sexually assault a woman.  Later that day, Wilburn was stopped pursuant to a traffic stop where he was found to be in possession of two additional firearms.  Wilburn has multiple prior felony convictions including multiple convictions of Domestic Violence – Assault, and convictions of Criminal Trespass, Possession/Receipt of a Controlled Substance, and Reckless Endangerment, among others. As a convicted felon, Wilburn is prohibited from possessing a firearm.

    Wilburn was indicted for being a felon in possession of a firearm and pleaded guilty to the charge.  United States District Court Judge Terry F. Moore sentenced Wilburn to 156 months in prison followed by a 3-year term of supervised release for illegally possessing the firearm.

    U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.

    The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Mobile Police Department investigated the case.

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.  Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica S. Terrill and Jimmy L. Thomas prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

    MIL Security OSI –

    July 26, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Harrold Man Sentenced to Prison for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person

    Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

    PIERRE – United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Shulte has sentenced a man from Harrold, South Dakota, who was convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on July 21, 2025.

    Jerrod Fallis, age 47, was sentenced to six months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Forfeiture of the firearm and silencer was also ordered.

    Fallis was indicted by a federal grand jury in March 2024. He pleaded guilty on April 17, 2025.

    On December 8, 2023, a traffic stop was conducted on a vehicle driven by Fallis. During a search of the vehicle, officers discovered a Rock River Arms AR15 rifle, silencer, and methamphetamine paraphernalia. Fallis is prohibited from possessing firearms due to prior state felony drug convictions.

    This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

    This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Hyde County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan Dilges prosecuted the case.

    Fallis was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. 

    MIL Security OSI –

    July 26, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: July 25th, 2025 Heinrich Announces Committee Passage of Over $69 Million for New Mexico

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Mexico Martin Heinrich

    Investments Heinrich championed support homeownership & homebuilding, rental & homelessness assistance, Tribal health & education, Southwest Border Regional Commission, & more

    WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) announced the bipartisan Senate Appropriations Committee passage of the Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) Interior, Environment and Related Agencies; and Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (THUD) Appropriations Bills. With Committee approval of these bills, Heinrich secured support for over $65 million for New Mexico, including $52 million in Congressionally Directed Spending for 39 local projects between these bills and their House-companions.

    “While these Appropriations bills aren’t perfect, they include resources and investments I negotiated for New Mexico that will fund Tribal health care and education, help Tribal law enforcement officers solve and reduce violent crime, and continue funding for the Institute of American Indian Arts for the 2026-2027 school year,” said Heinrich, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee. “This legislation will help over 11,000 families in New Mexico afford rent, build new housing, and invest in border communities through the Southwest Border Regional Commission. Additionally, the bill protects the Amtrak Southwest Chief train service in New Mexico, restores waterfowl habitat, and builds on my work to clean up abandoned hardrock mines. As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I will always fight for investments that put New Mexico first.”

    Additionally, Heinrich offered an amendment to require the U.S. Department of the Interior and the U.S. Forest Service to hire and maintain a minimum number of Full Time Employees in order to manage wildfire preparedness, suppression, and other mission-critical support, in the FY26 Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill. Heinrich’s amendment would have also required the National Park Service to hire and maintain a minimum number of Full Time Employees for the operation of national park units, including administrative services. Despite Heinrich’s attempt to include the amendment in the Appropriations bill, the amendment was rejected by Republicans on the Committee.

    Heinrich is a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee and the Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies.

    Next, the two bills passed out of the Appropriations Committee will be considered by the full United States Senate.

    Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Key Points and Highlights

    Congressionally Directed Spending

    Heinrich successfully included $7.1 million in investments for the following ten local projects in the bill:

    • $1,075,000 for the City of Truth or Consequences to replace aged and damaged waterlines.
    • $1,000,000 for Zuni Pueblo to make improvements to their drinking water system.
    • $1,000,000 for Pueblo of Tesuque to remove Siberian elm trees to restore the Rio Tesuque bosque to its natural vegetation.
    • $1,000,000 for the Village of Questa to construct a well house to prevent contamination of their municipal well.
    • $1,000,000 for Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority to conduct wastewater system improvements in Carnuel.
    • $700,000 for the Mescalero Apache Tribe to restore coniferous forest and promote aspen stand growth along the Rio Ruidoso to prepare for the reintroduction of beavers, a culturally significant species.
    • $525,000 for Taos Pueblo to purchase wildfire preparedness equipment.
    • $500,000 for Eight Northern Indian Pueblos Council for a Caja del Rio Ethnographic Study.
    • $150,000 for the Desert Tortoise Council to work on Bolson tortoise recovery efforts.
    • $150,000 for the Bureau of Land Management to work with existing partners to replace barbed-wire fences with wildlife-friendly fences on the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument.

    Heinrich and U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) successfully included $3.39 million for the following three projects:

    • $2,090,000 for the City of Rio Rancho to expand their aquifer reinjection system.
    • $800,000 for the Enchanted Forest Mutual Domestic Water Consumers Association to develop a new water source pump house and appurtenances and to replace distribution lines.
    • $500,000 for the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs to make water system improvements at the Fort Selden Historic Site.

    Heinrich also successfully worked with his colleagues in the N.M. Delegation to include $2.18 million for the following two projects in the House-companion bill:

    • $1,092,000 for the Town of Bernalillo will rehabilitate their current wastewater facilities.
    • $1,092,000 for the City of Belen to rehabilitate their wastewater treatment plant.

    Heinrich also successfully included three amendments into the Manager’s Package. These include:

    1. An amendment for a U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) study comparing the per-patient funding levels for health care services provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Indian Health Service (IHS). Additionally, the study would analyze potential recruitment and retainment strategies utilized by the VA that could be extended to IHS.
    2. An amendment ensuring that the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) is included in reference to the reauthorization of the Legacy Restoration Fund to address deferred maintenance.
    3. An amendment for a Fish and Wildlife Service report on staffing levels and positions at National Wildlife Refuge System units and complexes.

    Safeguard Tribal Objects of Patrimony (STOP) Act Implementation: Heinrich successfully included $500,000 to implement the Safeguard Tribal Objects of Patrimony (STOP) Act, a bipartisan law that Heinrich championed and passed in 2022 to prohibit the exporting of sacred Native American items and increase penalties for stealing and illegally trafficking Tribal cultural patrimony. Representing the first dedicated funding for this program, it would be used to halt the trade of culturally significant items and repatriate stolen pieces to the Tribal communities where they belong. Heinrich first introduced the STOP Act in 2016 after he helped halt the auction of a shield, stolen from the Pueblo of Acoma. Heinrich played a role in the effort to bring the shield home to Acoma by working with Governors Kurt Riley and Brian Vallo to call for its return.

    Tribal Programs: Heinrich fought for and successfully included $13,482,000 to the Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development (IAIA). After the administration threatened to withhold IAIA’s funding earlier this year, Heinrich secured the release of FY 2025 funds earlier this month. This bill will ensure continued investment for IAIA through FY26, supporting its mission to advance Indigenous arts, culture, and education for future generations.

    Heinrich also successfully included funding to protect several Tribal programs, including $23,750,000 for Tribal Historic Preservation Offices, $2,658,289,000 for Indian Health Services (IHS) Hospitals and Health Clinics, and funding for IHS Facilities and Construction. He also protected funding for Bureau of Indian Affairs Tribal Law Enforcement and included report language to ensure the continuation of the Tribal law enforcement training program in New Mexico.

    Abandoned Hardrock Mine Reclamation Program: Heinrich successfully included continued funding for the Abandoned Hardrock Mine Reclamation Program, after championing the creation of the program in the Infrastructure Law. Hardrock mines and mining features are related to the extraction of metals like copper, gold, silver, and uranium. When not reclaimed, many hardrock mines pose a hazard to public health and the environment. This funding will be used to clean up federal, state, Tribal, and private land and water resources affected by abandoned hardrock mines.

    Southwest Ecological Research Institutes: Heinrich fought for and successfully maintained funding for the Southwest Ecological Research Institutes (SWERIs). Last month Heinrich pressed the U.S. Forest Chief on the Administration’s plan entirely to cut funding for the program in FY26. SWERIs offer unique opportunities for dedicated research in forest science and watershed health and represent the future of science in forest management. New Mexico Highlands University houses one center along with Colorado State University and Northern Arizona University. This funding would ensure the continuation of valuable research in southwestern forest and fire management.

    Conservation: Heinrich successfully protected funding for the North American Wetlands Conservation Fund, which leverages private dollars to restore waterfowl habitat across the country. Senator Heinrich led the reauthorization of this fund last congress. He also protected core wildlife management and science capabilities at the Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Geological Survey from the steep cuts proposed by the Trump administration.

    Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (THUD) Key Points and Highlights

    Congressionally Directed Spending

    Heinrich successfully included $17.1 million in investments for the following 11 local projects in the bill:

    • $4,000,000 for Homewise to help moderate-income, first-time homebuyers purchase entry-level homes.
    • $2,300,000 for the City of Socorro to replace aged and damaged waterlines.
    • $2,073,000 for the City of Raton to upgrade its municipal airport infrastructure.
    • $1,500,000 for the Boys & Girls Club of San Juan County to renovate a community center.
    • $1,500,000 for DreamTree Project to complete the final phase of renovations to the Navigating Emergency Support Together (NEST) building and purchase land for on-site permanent supportive housing.
    • $1,000,000 Serenity Mesa Youth Recovery Center to expand their facilities to support increased substance use crisis stabilization, treatment, and housing for adolescents and young adults.
    • $850,000 for the Albuquerque Housing Authority will invest in necessary upgrades at public housing properties.
    • $692,000 for the Northern Rio Grande National Heritage Area to conduct an affordable housing pilot project.
    • $440,000 for Deming Silver Linings to provide emergency temporary housing for unhoused individuals.
    • $200,000 for Mesilla Valley Community of Hope to support individuals and families experiencing poverty and homelessness by providing affordable housing and wraparound services.

    Heinrich and U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) successfully included $16.3 million for the following nine projects:

    • $3,000,000 for Youth Development, Inc. for an early childhood development center.
    • $3,000,000 for the Agri-Cultura Cooperative Network and La Cosecha Community Supported Agriculture to create a Food Hub at the Sacred Roots farm site to create economic development opportunity in the local food system, provide education to students and community members, and increase access to healthy foods.
    • $2,500,000 for Santa Fe County to develop a Permanent Supportive Housing project designed to meet the urgent needs of the region’s unhoused population.
    • $1,800,000 for the Town of Mountainair to rebuild, repave, and upgrade approximately two miles of downtown Mountainair’s roadways.
    • $1,600,000 for the City of Raton to conduct an interchange alignment study as part of the Ports-to-Plains Corridor Interstate Planning process.
    • $1,500,000 for Tierra Del Sol Housing Corporation to complete the first phase of construction for an affordable housing project in Vado, New Mexico.
    • $1,210,000 for the City of Bloomfield to plan, design, and construct the expansion of East Blanco Boulevard in Bloomfield.
    • $1,000,000 for the Pueblo of Acoma to construct new single-family homes for low-to-moderate income families on the Housing Authority’s waiting list.
    • $700,000 for Cuidando Los Niños of Albuquerque to expand its facility to house early childhood education and family wraparound services.

    Heinrich also successfully worked with his colleagues in the N.M. Delegation to include $8.4 million for the following four projects in the House-companion bill:

    • $2,900,000 for the Pueblo of Acoma to repair housing for senior community members and provide ADA accommodations.
    • $2,000,000 for the City of Albuquerque Health, Housing and Homelessness Department to improve security and accessibility at the city’s largest homeless shelter.
    • $2,000,000 for the City of Albuquerque to establish a modular Shelter Stability site for seniors.
    • $1,512,000 for Jemez Pueblo to demolish hazardous buildings within the Pueblo.

    Rental Assistance: Heinrich successfully secured increased funding for the Tenant-Based Rental Assistance (Housing Choice Vouchers) and Project-Based Rental Assistance, despite the administration’s attempts to completely defund both programs. The Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program helps over 11,000 families in New Mexico afford rent. Heinrich also secured language urging HUD to expand resources to train public housing staff on how to use housing choice vouchers to make homeownership an attainable goal for residents of public housing.

    Tribal Programs: Heinrich successfully included a $25 million investment for Tribal Transportation Program High Priority Projects, a set-aside that provides funds to Tribes or a governmental subdivision of a Tribe whose annual allocation of funding received under the Tribal Transportation Program is insufficient to complete the highest priority project of the Tribe. Heinrich secured an increase in funding for Tribal housing programs. Heinrich also secured a legislative proposal that would make certain home loans on Tribal lands easier to keep if homeowners are delinquent on payments.

    Southwest Border Regional Commission: Heinrich successfully included a $5 million investment in the Southwest Border Regional Commission (SBRC) for transportation infrastructure planning to support supply chain connectivity and economic development in southern New Mexico and along the southern border.

    Homelessness Assistance: Heinrich successfully secured an increase in funding for grant programs that address homelessness through emergency shelter, transitional and supportive housing, rapid re-housing, rental assistance and prevention, and supportive services. Heinrich successfully pushed back against the Trump administration’s attempts to curtail homelessness assistance funding by making grant match requirements overly burdensome for New Mexican service providers.

    Homebuilding and Homeownership: Heinrich secured funding for the HOME Investment Partnership Program (HOME), a critical program that helps New Mexicans purchase or rehabilitate homes. The Trump administration also sought to cut all funding for this program. In New Mexico, HOME also provides gap funding for Low-Income Housing Tax Credit projects, which increases the supply of affordable rental units.

    Amtrak Southwest Chief: Heinrich secured language that protects existing Amtrak Southwest Chief train service in New Mexico from cuts and closure.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    July 26, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Europe: AFRICA/MOZAMBIQUE – Appointment of the Bishop of Quelimane

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Friday, 25 July 2025

    Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) – On July 25, 2025, the Holy Father appointed His Eminence Osório Cîtora Afonso, IMC, as Bishop of the Diocese of Quelimane (Mozambique), currently Auxiliary Bishop of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Maputo, simultaneously releasing him from the titular see of Puzia in Numidia.His Exc. Msgr. Osório Citora Afonso, IMC, was born on May 6, 1972, in Ribaue (Nampula, Mozambique). He attended the Christ the King Preparatory Seminary in Matola (Maputo) and studied Philosophy at the Saint Augustine Major Seminary in Matola and Theology at the Saint-Eugène de Mazenod Institute in Kinshasa. He made his solemn profession in 2001 at the Consolata Missions Institute in Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of the Congo) and was ordained a priest on November 3, 2002. He has held the following positions and completed further studies: parish vicar and treasurer of St. Hilaire in Kinshasa (2002-2005); regional councilor for the Democratic Republic of the Congo (2005-2006); a licentiate in Sacred Scripture from the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome (2006-2010); studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (2008-2009) and at the École Biblique et Archéologique Française in Jerusalem (2010-2011); member of the Council of the General House in Rome (2008-2010); local collaborator at the Apostolic Nunciature in Kinshasa (2011-2013); Formator and Treasurer of the Theological Seminary of Kinshasa (2011-2013); Superior of the Missionary Center of the Diocese of Vittorio Veneto (2014-2016); Superior of Casa Milaico in Treviso (2014-2016); Regional Councilor for Italy, Treviso (2016-2017); Formator at the International Theological Seminary of Bravetta, Rome (2016-2017); Official at the Dicastery for Evangelization, Section for First Evangelization and New Particular Churches (2017-2023).On September 21, 2023, he was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Maputo, receiving episcopal ordination on January 28, 2024. He is currently Secretary General of the Episcopal Conference of Mozambique. (EG) (Agenzia Fides, 25/7/2025)
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    MIL OSI Europe News –

    July 26, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Statement by the High Representative on behalf of the EU on the alignment of certain countries concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Haiti

    Source: Council of the European Union

    Statement by the High Representative on behalf of the European Union on the alignment of certain third countries with Council Decision (CFSP) 2025/1429 of 15 July 2025 amending Decision (CFSP) 2022/2319 concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Haiti.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

    July 26, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Statement by the High Representative on behalf of the EU on the alignment of certain countries concerning restrictive measures in view of actions destabilising the Republic of Moldova

    Source: Council of the European Union

    Statement by the High Representative on behalf of the European Union on the alignment of certain third countries with Council Decision (CFSP) 2025/1435 of 15 July 2025 amending Decision (CFSP) 2023/891 concerning restrictive measures  in view of actions destabilising the Republic of Moldova.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

    July 26, 2025

  • India proud to be most trusted friend of Maldives: PM Modi

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    India takes great pride in being the Maldives’ “most trusted friend,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday, reaffirming New Delhi’s deep-rooted partnership with the Indian Ocean nation. Speaking alongside Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu during a joint press statement in Male, PM Modi emphasised the Maldives’ central role in India’s Neighbourhood First policy and its MAHASAGAR vision for maritime cooperation.

    The remarks came as PM Modi visited the Maldives as the Guest of Honour for the country’s 60th Independence Day celebrations. Congratulating the people of Maldives on the historic milestone, he thanked President Muizzu for the warm invitation and recalled the long-standing ties between the two nations.

    “This year, India and Maldives are also celebrating 60 years of their diplomatic relations. But, the roots of our relations are older than history and as deep as the sea,” PM Modi said. He highlighted the release of commemorative stamps featuring traditional boats of both countries as a symbolic reflection of shared heritage and neighbourly ties.

    PM Modi underscored India’s unwavering support to the Maldives in times of crisis. “Be it a natural disaster or a pandemic, India has always stood with Maldives as a first responder. From providing essential commodities to supporting economic recovery post-COVID, our relationship is built on friendship first,” he said.

    Stressing on mutual trust in the defence and security partnership, PM Modi noted the inauguration of the Maldives Defence Ministry building as a concrete symbol of that trust. A giant portrait of PM Modi displayed on the building marked the occasion.

    To bolster economic ties, PM Modi announced a new Line of Credit of USD 565 million to the Maldives. He said both nations are now seeing results from the vision shared in October last year during President Muizzu’s visit to India, including significant progress in infrastructure and housing projects.

    He cited key projects such as 4,000 social housing units built with Indian assistance, the Greater Male Connectivity Project, Addu Road Development Project, and the redevelopment of Hanimaadhoo International Airport as transformative initiatives that would boost connectivity and economic growth across the archipelago.

    “With the ferry system soon in place, island connectivity will become faster and easier. We’ll measure distances by ferry time, not GPS coordinates,” PM Modi said.

    In the economic sphere, the Prime Minister said efforts are underway to finalise a Bilateral Investment Treaty and to explore a Free Trade Agreement. He added that direct Rupee-Rufiyaa trade through a local currency settlement system will strengthen bilateral trade, while the growing popularity of UPI in Maldives will support tourism and retail sectors.

    On regional and global issues, PM Modi reaffirmed India’s commitment to maritime security through the Colombo Security Conclave and highlighted climate change as a shared concern. “We will promote renewable energy and share India’s expertise with the Maldives,” he said.

    PM Modi’s visit, his third to the Maldives, also marks the first by any head of state or government since President Muizzu took office.

    -IANS

    July 26, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Master classes on phytodesign and lectures on the life cycle of products. RUDN University held the Agropicnic in Gorky Park for the second time

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Peoples’Friendship University of Russia –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    The RUDN Agrarian and Technological Institute held the Agropicnic in Gorky Park for the second time. About 250 guests of the event were able to “touch science with their hands”: conduct experiments with soil, create a composition of succulents and learn from lecturers how potatoes, carrots and cocoa appeared in our country.

    “The agropicnic became a real celebration of unity, exchange of experience and inspiration for our institute. We brought together students, teachers, our partners – JSC Rosselkhozbank and X5 Group – and all those who are not indifferent to the development of agricultural science and production. In a friendly atmosphere, we discussed the latest achievements, shared practical knowledge and ideas, received a charge of positive emotions and confidence in the future. I am convinced that such events strengthen the professional community, contribute to the popularization of modern agricultural technologies and create a solid foundation for new achievements,” – Elvira Dovletyarova, Director of the Agrarian and Technological Institute of RUDN.

    Moss and the Mysterious Box

    Among the guests of Agropicnic were not only students and adults, but also schoolchildren. They took part in creative master classes with great pleasure. For example, the children tried on the role of phytodesigners and, together with experts, created mini-compositions from succulents, moss and natural materials to decorate their home or classroom. At the same time, they learned how to properly care for plants.

    The importance of tactile contact and attention when caring for pets was discussed by RUDN University veterinary students. To do this, they played a game with the guests of the Agropicnic, in which they had to identify an object hidden in a mysterious box by touch. Delicacy is important when checking the ears, eyes, fur and skin of pets for diseases and parasitic insects.

    Experiments in the Park

    Participants of the practical lesson, which was held in the format of a mini-experiment, were able to visit the place of students of the RUDN Agrarian and Technological Institute. First, children and adults learned about the soil indicators that scientists evaluate. These are color, structure, humidity, acidity and fertility. After that, everyone tried to independently select a soil sample and conduct simple tests with it. For example, roll a soil ball and describe its structure, determine the pH level using indicator strips.

    At the RUDN lecture hall, guests of the Agropicnic were introduced to the life cycle of food products, told about quality control of products at all stages of production and about the history of the appearance of potatoes, beans, carrots and cocoa in our country. In addition, the participants of the event learned a lot about modern technologies that are used in the agricultural sector.

    “Before this event, I was unsure about which direction to take my future career. After attending the master classes and learning about real examples of modern agricultural professions, I felt genuine interest and internal motivation. And I discovered an amazing fact: professions in the agricultural sphere today are not only about physical labor, but also about science, technology, caring for the environment and human health. I was inspired by how smart developments can not only make hard work easier, but also really change something for the better for humanity and nature. Now I have definitely decided: I want to do something that is useful, develops new areas of knowledge and promotes harmony between people and the planet,” – Yaroslav, a student at School No. 1570.

    A bridge between theory and practice

    During the Agropicnic, schoolchildren and applicants also asked questions about studying at RUDN in the areas of “Biotechnology”, “Bioengineering and bioinformatics”, “Landscape architecture”, “Land management and cadastre” and others. In total, the Agrarian and Technological Institute has 25 higher education programs and 5 joint master’s programs with foreign universities.

    “Agropicnic is a bridge between theory and practice. Here, professionals, students and schoolchildren can see how science makes agriculture efficient, environmentally friendly and promising. For RSHB, such projects are an investment in the future of the industry and in the people who create it. This is part of our strategy to support agricultural education and popularize professions in the agro-industrial complex,” Lyubov Belesku, Advisor to the Chairman of the Board of Rosselkhozbank.

    The general sponsor of the event is Rosselkhozbank, the project partners are Gorky Park and X5 Group.

    Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

    July 26, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: David Scott Demands SEC Accountability and Transparency for Massive Georgia Ponzi Scheme Operation

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman David Scott (GA-13)

    Read Letter PDF

    WASHINGTON D.C. – Today, Congressman David Scott (GA-13), a senior member of the House Financial Services Committee, sent a letter to Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chair Paul Atkins demanding answers over the agency’s failure to detect the sprawling $140 million Ponzi scheme orchestrated by Georgia-based lender First Liberty Building and Loan. The letter calls for greater transparency and accountability following the SEC’s federal seizure of First Liberty.

    In his letter, Congressman David Scott sharply criticizes the SEC for its years-long inability to detect or stop the fraud, which impacted hundreds of investors in Georgia and over a thousand investors nationwide. Despite numerous red flags, such as fabricated loan pools, implausible investment returns, and aggressive social media marketing, the SEC waited until July 10, 2025, to act, by which point nearly 90% of First Liberty’s loan portfolio had already defaulted. The congressman calls the SEC’s oversight breakdown “a catastrophic collapse of federal supervision.”

    “This is not just a regulatory lapse, it is a total failure of oversight that enabled a $140 million Ponzi scheme to thrive in broad daylight,” said Congressman David Scott. “The worst hit investors are not millionaires or billionaires, they are retirees, faith leaders, and veterans who were failed by the SEC and Georgia state regulators. Many have lost their life savings, retirement security, and the very opportunity to financially support their families. The fact that this level of fraud went undetected for so long is completely unacceptable. The people of Georgia, especially those whose future was shattered by this scheme deserve accountability—not silence.”

    Congressman David Scott’s letter aims at uncovering the full extent of the SEC’s oversight failures and identifying a path forward for victims to be made whole. The letter also questions why the SEC and state regulators—including the Georgia Department of Banking and Finance—failed to coordinate efforts, despite reportedly receiving multiple red flags and investor complaints. It demands a full accounting of:

    • When and how the SEC first became aware of First Liberty’s operation and whether SEC examiners reviewed the firm’s activities prior to July 2025
    • Why the firm was allowed to continue issuing unregistered offerings without disclosure or allowed to operate without registering as a broker dealer
    • What structural failures exist in the SEC’s regional supervisory and whistleblower processes that led to this apparent regulatory breakdown
    • What specific steps are being taken to pursue asset recovery, including offshore accounts or properties purchased with stolen investor funds

    Additionally, Congressman Scott is requesting the SEC commit to a full and timely public report outlining how this massive Ponzi scheme operation was able to go on without detection. He has called for congressional hearings and a Government Accountability Office (GAO) investigation into whether loopholes in Regulation D and resource shortfalls at the SEC are enabling widespread abuse in private financial markets.

    Congressman Scott remains committed to ensuring every victim receives justice and that the inexcusable regulatory failures which allowed this fraud to occur are addressed swiftly and thoroughly.

    Read full letter HERE.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

    July 26, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Carter Installs Overdose Reversal Kits in House Office Buildings

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Earl L Buddy Carter (GA-01)

    Headline: Carter Installs Overdose Reversal Kits in House Office Buildings

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Earl L. “Buddy” Carter (R-GA) successfully advocated for the installation of overdose reversal kits near automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in House office buildings, shining a light on the need to make naloxone, an over-the-counter opioid reversal treatment, as accessible as a defibrillator. 

    Overdoses are the number one cause of death for adults aged 18-45. House Office Buildings are leading by example to normalize the presence of this safe and effective treatment and encouraging members of the public to learn how to properly administer it. 

    “This is a huge win for public safety,” said Rep. Carter. “By making opioid reversal kits as common as defibrillators and fire extinguishers, we will arm citizens with critical tools to combat the opioid epidemic. I am proud that the U.S. Capitol is leading the way. We can and must ensure that schools and other public and private buildings across the nation have similar access to this life-saving treatment.” 

    Currently, boxes have been installed near building entrances for Rayburn, Longworth, Cannon, Ford, and O’Neill. The Sergeant at Arms will soon fill the boxes with opioid reversal kits, which will be available in case of an emergency. 

    The boxes are located at:

    • Longworth House Office Building: Basement, NW corner near tunnel to Rayburn House Office Building 
    • Cannon House Office Building: First Floor, NW corner, across from NJ avenue entrance 
    • Rayburn House Office Building: First Floor, East side, across from the horseshoe S Capitol St. entrance
    • Ford House Office Building: First Floor, North side, near C St. entrance
    • O’Neill House Office Building: First floor North side, near C St. entrance

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

    July 26, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Bitget Wallet Joins Malaysia Blockchain Week as Web3 Gains Ground in the Multicultural Market

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador, July 25, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bitget Wallet, the leading non-custodial crypto wallet, joined founders, builders, and investors at Malaysia Blockchain Week to explore the country’s growing role in shaping Southeast Asia’s Web3 future. With over 3,300 participants from 20 countries gathering in Kuala Lumpur, the event marked a high point in Malaysia’s ongoing effort to position itself as a nexus of blockchain innovation and financial inclusion.

    Bitget Wallet’s Head of Growth, Will Wu, spoke at two panels during the week, including a main stage discussion on community-building and the Web3 Infra Day, where he was joined by representatives from Aptos, Polkadot, and Manta Network. The conversation focused on simplifying fragmented blockchain experiences, improving interoperability, and designing tools that lower barriers to entry for everyday users. “In Malaysia, you see communities where crypto is not just investment — it’s part of how people save, send, and increasingly, spend,” Wu said. “The momentum here is being driven not just by capital, but by local builders creating products that reflect how people actually live and transact.”

    While Singapore often dominates the regional narrative, Malaysia is quietly building a complementary path — one rooted in grassroots adoption, multicultural participation, and a younger, mobile-first demographic. The country’s multi-ethnic population, spanning Malay, Chinese, Indian, and indigenous communities, offers a uniquely diverse testing ground for Web3 use cases that range from retail payments to creative economy tools.

    Bitget Wallet also joined Blockchain & AI Summit hosted by Pushpendra Singh as a supporting partner during the week. The summit drew over 300 builders for focused discussions on real-world adoption, decentralized identity, and the convergence of AI and Web3. Bitget Wallet’s involvement reflected its ongoing engagement with Southeast Asia’s grassroots developer and creator communities. In a setting that prioritized pragmatic use cases, the event reinforced a key theme of the week: Malaysia’s strength lies in its culturally rooted, multilingual builder ecosystem — one ready to localize blockchain for everyday use.

    Bitget Wallet’s participation underscored this shift from speculation to infrastructure. The wallet has leaned into utility-focused tools — from stablecoin payments to token discovery — that resonate with local behaviors. As Malaysia continues to carve out its place on the global Web3 map, its value may lie less in being the next crypto capital, and more in showing how diverse communities can make decentralized technology part of ordinary life.

    For more information, visit the Bitget Wallet official channels.

    About Bitget Wallet
    Bitget Wallet is a non-custodial crypto wallet designed to make crypto simple and secure for everyone. With over 80 million users, it brings together a full suite of crypto services, including swaps, market insights, staking, rewards, DApp exploration, and payment solutions. Supporting 130+ blockchains and millions of tokens, Bitget Wallet enables seamless multi-chain trading across hundreds of DEXs and cross-chain bridges. Backed by a $300+ million user protection fund, it ensures the highest level of security for users’ assets. Its vision is Crypto for Everyone — to make crypto simpler, safer, and part of everyday life for a billion people.

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

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

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/7bbbc4fe-79ed-4819-bedd-8919feaff3df

    The MIL Network –

    July 26, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Bitget Wallet Joins Malaysia Blockchain Week as Web3 Gains Ground in the Multicultural Market

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador, July 25, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bitget Wallet, the leading non-custodial crypto wallet, joined founders, builders, and investors at Malaysia Blockchain Week to explore the country’s growing role in shaping Southeast Asia’s Web3 future. With over 3,300 participants from 20 countries gathering in Kuala Lumpur, the event marked a high point in Malaysia’s ongoing effort to position itself as a nexus of blockchain innovation and financial inclusion.

    Bitget Wallet’s Head of Growth, Will Wu, spoke at two panels during the week, including a main stage discussion on community-building and the Web3 Infra Day, where he was joined by representatives from Aptos, Polkadot, and Manta Network. The conversation focused on simplifying fragmented blockchain experiences, improving interoperability, and designing tools that lower barriers to entry for everyday users. “In Malaysia, you see communities where crypto is not just investment — it’s part of how people save, send, and increasingly, spend,” Wu said. “The momentum here is being driven not just by capital, but by local builders creating products that reflect how people actually live and transact.”

    While Singapore often dominates the regional narrative, Malaysia is quietly building a complementary path — one rooted in grassroots adoption, multicultural participation, and a younger, mobile-first demographic. The country’s multi-ethnic population, spanning Malay, Chinese, Indian, and indigenous communities, offers a uniquely diverse testing ground for Web3 use cases that range from retail payments to creative economy tools.

    Bitget Wallet also joined Blockchain & AI Summit hosted by Pushpendra Singh as a supporting partner during the week. The summit drew over 300 builders for focused discussions on real-world adoption, decentralized identity, and the convergence of AI and Web3. Bitget Wallet’s involvement reflected its ongoing engagement with Southeast Asia’s grassroots developer and creator communities. In a setting that prioritized pragmatic use cases, the event reinforced a key theme of the week: Malaysia’s strength lies in its culturally rooted, multilingual builder ecosystem — one ready to localize blockchain for everyday use.

    Bitget Wallet’s participation underscored this shift from speculation to infrastructure. The wallet has leaned into utility-focused tools — from stablecoin payments to token discovery — that resonate with local behaviors. As Malaysia continues to carve out its place on the global Web3 map, its value may lie less in being the next crypto capital, and more in showing how diverse communities can make decentralized technology part of ordinary life.

    For more information, visit the Bitget Wallet official channels.

    About Bitget Wallet
    Bitget Wallet is a non-custodial crypto wallet designed to make crypto simple and secure for everyone. With over 80 million users, it brings together a full suite of crypto services, including swaps, market insights, staking, rewards, DApp exploration, and payment solutions. Supporting 130+ blockchains and millions of tokens, Bitget Wallet enables seamless multi-chain trading across hundreds of DEXs and cross-chain bridges. Backed by a $300+ million user protection fund, it ensures the highest level of security for users’ assets. Its vision is Crypto for Everyone — to make crypto simpler, safer, and part of everyday life for a billion people.

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

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

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/7bbbc4fe-79ed-4819-bedd-8919feaff3df

    The MIL Network –

    July 26, 2025

  • MIL-OSI China: Cambodia-Thailand border clashes still going on, as thousands of civilians flee homes

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

    Armed clashes between Cambodian and Thai soldiers over disputed border areas are still going on, as thousands of Cambodian villagers have been evacuated to safer areas, Cambodian officials said on Friday afternoon.

    Cambodian defense ministry’s undersecretary of state and spokesperson Lieutenant General Maly Socheata said the Thai army attacked on seven locations in Cambodian provinces of Oddar Meanchey and Preah Vihear.

    “During their attacks on Cambodian territory, the Thai side had used artillery, F-16 fighter jets, tanks, bombs-carrying drones, and cluster bombs,” she said in a press briefing.

    Socheata said the Thai side had attacked on Cambodian villages and a school in Oddar Meanchey province, leaving civilians wounded, including the elderly and children, and their properties damaged.

    She added that a lot of local residents have fled their homes for safer grounds.

    Armed clashes between Cambodian and Thai soldiers broke out on Thursday morning, with both sides accusing each other of opening gunfire first.

    Oddar Meanchey deputy governor Met Meas Pheakdey told Xinhua over the telephone that at least one villager was killed and five others were wounded on Thursday when the Thai side fired artillery shells into Oddar Meanchey province.

    He said that as of Friday noon, more than 3,400 families living near the border in Oddar Meanchey province have been evacuated to a safe refuge, as 260 schools in the province have been closed.

    For Preah Vihear province, about 20,000 villagers have been evacuated to safer areas, local media Khmer Times reported, quoting Preah Vihear Provincial Governor Kim Rithy.

    Meanwhile, Cambodian foreign ministry’s secretary of state and spokesperson Chum Sounry said that at the request of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, the United Nations Security Council will convene an emergency meeting at 3:00 p.m. on Friday in New York (2:00 a.m. Saturday in Cambodia) to address the border clashes between Cambodia and Thailand. 

    MIL OSI China News –

    July 26, 2025

  • MIL-OSI China: Laos, Cuba reaffirm commitment to deepen ties

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

    Laos and Cuba on Friday reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening and further developing the traditional friendship and cooperation between the two states and peoples, Lao News Agency reported.

    Officials from the two countries held a political consultative meeting here on Friday, which was hailed by both sides as a positive step toward strengthening bilateral ties.

    Discussions centered on enhancing political cooperation, exchanging views and information, and reviewing past achievements to guide future collaboration. Both sides reaffirmed the importance of mutual support and solidarity that has long defined their relationship.

    The two sides agreed to continue implementing existing agreements and promoting cooperation in key sectors such as economy, health, education, agriculture, sports, and culture. They also discussed expanding collaboration into new and mutually beneficial areas, and enhancing trade and investment opportunities.

    Meanwhile, both parties shared updates on domestic developments and exchanged views on regional and international issues of mutual interest.

    MIL OSI China News –

    July 26, 2025

  • MIL-OSI China: Chinese envoy rejects U.S. groundless accusations over Xinjiang

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

    A Chinese envoy on Thursday rejected U.S. accusations over China’s Xinjiang region at a Security Council meeting on cooperation between the United Nations and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.

    “China firmly opposes and categorically rejects the groundless accusations made by the U.S. representative regarding China’s Xinjiang region,” said Fu Cong, China’s permanent representative to the United Nations.

    Currently, Xinjiang enjoys social stability, economic prosperity, where people live in peace and contentment. It is in the best period of development ever. The United States has gone to great lengths to hype up the so-called Xinjiang issue in a vain attempt to interfere in China’s internal affairs and curb China’s development, only to lay bare their true colors, which are hegemonic and based on double standards, he said.

    Over the past six years, over 100 countries, including many Islamic countries, have voiced their support for China’s just position at the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly. They unequivocally oppose politicizing human rights issues and exploiting human rights as a pretext to interfere in other countries’ internal affairs, said Fu.

    “This is a message loud and clear that the U.S. scheme to contain China using the so-called Xinjiang issue is very much bankrupt, and its sinister intention to provoke bloc confrontation by discrediting and suppressing China has failed miserably,” he said.

    Fu asked: If the United States truly cared about the human rights of Muslims, why does it turn a blind eye to the living hell in Gaza? Why has the United States ignored the historical injustices suffered by the Palestinian people?

    The United States overlooks its own chronic problems at home, such as gun violence, racial discrimination, and the trampling of its own citizens’ rights and dignity. Yet under the guise of human rights, it wantonly interferes in other countries’ internal affairs and violates the human rights of countless people in developing nations, he said.

    “We urge the United States to reflect on its own ills and wrongdoings, change course and put more effort into practical, positive actions for international peace and security,” he said. 

    MIL OSI China News –

    July 26, 2025

  • MIL-OSI China: Russia launches 20 satellites into orbit, including one from Iran

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

    Russia successfully launched 20 satellites into space on Friday, including an Iranian telecommunications satellite, the Russian state space corporation Roscosmos announced.

    A Soyuz-2.1b carrier rocket lifted off from the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russia’s Far East at 8:54 Moscow time (0554 GMT), Roscosmos said on its website.

    The primary payload of the mission was the Ionosfera-M satellites No. 3 and No. 4, designed to study physical processes in the Earth’s ionosphere caused by both natural and human-induced factors. These include changes in the ionosphere’s spatial and temporal structure, electromagnetic field disturbances, the composition of the upper atmosphere, and ozone distribution. The satellites will also help monitor the radiation environment.

    The launch also carried 18 small satellites. Among them were nine developed by the Russian company Geoscan, which will conduct Earth imaging, track air and sea traffic, and study near-Earth space physics.

    Some of the satellites are intended for educational purposes, including projects aimed at exploring satellite-to-Earth communication links and testing small satellite control technologies in low Earth orbit.

    According to TASS news agency, the payload also included the Iranian-made Nahid-2 telecommunications satellite. 

    MIL OSI China News –

    July 26, 2025

  • MIL-OSI China: Army helicopter missing in Kazakhstan’s Almaty Region

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

    A Kazakh Air Defense Forces EC-145 military helicopter with three crew members aboard disappeared from radar during a scheduled flight in Kazakhstan’s Almaty Region, the country’s defense ministry said Friday.

    Search and rescue operations are currently underway, the ministry said. Emergency response units from Kazakhstan’s Ministry for Emergency Situations, along with two helicopters from Kazaviaspas, a subordinate rescue unit of the ministry, were immediately dispatched to the area.

    More than 100 personnel and 15 units of equipment, including aircraft and drones, have been deployed, according to the official Kazinform News Agency.

    At the request of the Kazakh Defense Ministry, a special commission has been sent to the site to investigate the circumstances of the incident. Additional information will be provided when available, the ministry said. 

    MIL OSI China News –

    July 26, 2025

  • MIL-OSI China: Xinjiang’s foreign trade hits record high in H1

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

    Northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region saw its foreign trade expand 28 percent year on year to a record 280.8 billion yuan (about 39.3 billion U.S. dollars) in the first half of 2025, local customs authorities said on Friday.

    During the period, the region’s trade growth outpaced the national average by over 20 percentage points.

    According to Urumqi Customs, Xinjiang’s monthly foreign trade has exceeded 50 billion yuan for four consecutive months since March, with its volume in June reaching 53.17 billion yuan.

    As the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) continues to forge ahead, Xinjiang has committed to building itself into an important corridor linking Asia and Europe, and to serving as a gateway for China’s opening-up efforts in the western regions.

    Xinjiang has continued to expand its trade network, trading with 222 countries and regions during the first six months of the year. Trade with countries participating in the BRI rose 17.9 percent year on year, accounting for more than 80 percent of the region’s total foreign trade.

    The private sector has emerged as a primary growth engine for Xinjiang’s foreign trade, with the region’s private enterprises reporting a 29.5 percent increase in imports and exports, accounting for 94.3 percent of its total trade volume.

    Li Qinghua, deputy director of Urumqi Customs, said the customs office will further optimize customs clearance procedures and promote innovation in supervision models to facilitate cross-border trade.

    Xinjiang has set an annual GDP growth target of approximately 6 percent for 2025, after its GDP topped 2 trillion yuan last year, according to the region’s government work report.

    In 2025, Xinjiang will advance high-quality development, deepen reform and expand high-level opening-up, the report said. 

    MIL OSI China News –

    July 26, 2025

  • MIL-OSI China: China’s fiscal expenditure up 3.4% in H1

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

    China’s fiscal expenditure expanded 3.4 percent year on year to nearly 14.13 trillion yuan (about 1.98 trillion U.S. dollars) in the first half of 2025, official data showed Friday.

    Financial departments at all levels have continued to shore up spending for key areas, with fiscal spending on social security and employment increasing by 9.2 percent year on year in the January-June period, according to the Ministry of Finance.

    In the six-month period, fiscal expenditure on science and technology rose 9.1 percent year on year, while that on education and health expanded 5.9 percent and 4.3 percent, respectively.

    On the revenue side, the country’s fiscal revenue edged down 0.3 percent year on year to around 11.56 trillion yuan in the first half of the year.

    The central government collected nearly 4.86 trillion yuan in fiscal revenue, down 2.8 percent year on year, while local governments collected nearly 6.7 trillion yuan, up 1.6 percent year on year, the data showed.

    MIL OSI China News –

    July 26, 2025

  • MIL-OSI China: Popularity of Chinese-made EVs grows in Indonesia

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

    Laurensius Ramadhan, a 26-year-old Indonesian employee who commutes daily by car, is now considering switching to electric vehicles (EVs), citing both economic and technological advantages.

    Every working day, Ramadhan drives over 50 km round-trip from his home in Bogor, West Java province, to his workplace in Jakarta.

    On Thursday, he visited Indonesia’s largest automotive exhibition, the GAIKINDO Indonesia International Auto Show (GIIAS), held at the ICE BSD in Serpong, Banten province. The annual event runs from July 24 to Aug. 3.

    “I was thrilled,” Ramadhan said, excited about the wealth of information he gained on EVs at the expo. He expressed particular interest in electric vehicles made by Chinese automakers.

    Prominent Chinese brands participating in the show include BYD, Denza, Wuling, Chery, GAC AION, Geely, GWM, Jaecoo, Jetour, and XPeng.

    According to Ramadhan, Chinese EVs stand out for their attractive designs, solid build quality, and, most importantly, affordable pricing. He formed this opinion after driving Chinese EVs owned by his company.

    “I have really enjoyed driving the car. It feels so smooth. Now I’m considering buying one,” he told Xinhua.

    Ramadhan is especially interested in the BYD M6 and the newly launched Atto 1, known as the Seagull or Dolphin Mini in China. Currently, he owns two internal combustion engine vehicles, but the lower running costs of EVs, due to cheaper electricity and reduced maintenance needs, are prompting him to consider the switch.

    “I believe that choosing EVs will improve one’s efficiency in life,” he said.

    Similarly, Husnul Habib, a 45-year-old visitor from Jambi province in Sumatra, came to GIIAS specifically to learn more about EVs, especially those made by BYD. After watching numerous BYD reviews on YouTube, he wanted to experience them in person.

    “I’m here to find the answers to why more and more BYD cars are seen in major cities. Then I came to check out their new launch,” he said.

    As one of the world’s leading EV manufacturers, BYD offers a range of luxury sedans and SUVs in Indonesia. Its combination of cutting-edge technology, sleek design, and competitive pricing continues to attract local buyers. On Wednesday, BYD officially launched its Atto 1 model at the auto show.

    A BYD car has long been on Habib’s wish list. However, he is waiting until an official BYD dealership opens in his hometown of Muaro Bungo regency, around six hours from Jambi’s provincial capital.

    “I’m not from a major city. For me, it’s best to have a BYD car when a BYD authorized dealer opens there,” he said.

    In January, Eagle Zhao, president director of PT BYD Motor Indonesia, announced that the company aims to establish 80 dealerships across the Indonesian archipelago by the end of this year. Currently, BYD outlets operate in major cities such as Jakarta, Bandung, Surabaya, Medan, Pekanbaru, and Pontianak.

    For Habib, having a dealership nearby would make it much easier to maintain and repair the vehicle. He also expressed hope that the Indonesian government would ramp up efforts to expand EV charging infrastructure nationwide.

    According to the Association of Indonesia Automotive Industries (GAIKINDO), national electric car wholesales, measured by factory-to-dealer sales, reached 35,846 units between January and June this year.

    During this period, BYD emerged as the EV market leader in Indonesia, with 14,092 units sold, followed by its premium brand Denza with 5,733 units, Wuling with 5,170 units, and Chery with 4,611 units.

    The association has set an ambitious EV sales target of 60,000 units by the end of 2025, aiming to accelerate EV adoption.

    Kukuh Kumara, secretary general of GAIKINDO, told Xinhua in a previous interview that Chinese firms have played a pivotal role in bringing technology, capital and global market access to Indonesia, particularly in EV batteries and supply chain integration.

    “Our ultimate goal is to develop Indonesia’s own auto brands, local factories and indigenous technical capabilities. But at this stage, partnerships with countries experienced in EV development, especially China, are crucial,” he said. 

    MIL OSI China News –

    July 26, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Navigating McCloud Remedy – unauthorised payment charges

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government Non-Ministerial Departments

    News story

    Navigating McCloud Remedy – unauthorised payment charges

    GAD’s insight and technical expertise supported government’s work in carrying out the McCloud remedy process for affected pensioners.

    Credit: Shutterstock

    The Government Actuary’s Department (GAD) developed methodologies to help scheme administrators further navigate the McCloud remedy. This work focused on the implementation of HM Revenue & Customs’ (HMRC) offsetting process for unauthorised payment charges (UPCs).

    Complex tax situation

    The Court of Appeal had ruled the transitional protection provisions in the government’s 2015 public service pension reforms were discriminatory. This ruling is commonly known as the McCloud judgment.

    The 2018 judgment created a complex tax situation for pensioner members of the police and firefighters’ pension schemes who are within the scope remedy. The choice made by members may retrospectively affect the amount of tax-free cash they would have been eligible to take at retirement. Therefore, it may also affect any unauthorised payment charges (UPCs) levied on lump sum at retirement.

    A new offsetting process was set out in HMRC’s Public service pensions remedy newsletter — September 2024 and The Public Service Pension Schemes (Rectification of Unlawful Discrimination) (Tax) Regulations 2025 to cover the situation where:

    • McCloud remedy retrospectively reduces the UPCs due at retirement, leading to a tax refund, but, at the same time,
    • McCloud remedy provides a top up lump sum payable now, which is subject to a UPC tax charge

    GAD’s support

    GAD worked alongside HMRC, the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC), the Local Government Association and the administrators of the police and fire pension schemes. We helped to develop methodologies to practically support administrators in carrying out the UPC offsetting work.

    Drawing on knowledge of the police and fire pension schemes, GAD prepared a suite of explanatory materials. We also held training sessions for administration teams to help further develop administrator knowledge and confidence in dealing with the challenges posed by UPC offsetting.

    Calculations and methodologies

    Claire Neale, the Head of Police Pensions at the NPCC, said: “The offsetting of unauthorised payments was an incredibly complex area affecting immediate choice members of the police pension scheme.

    “NPCC, as co-ordinator of police pensions across England and Wales, worked with GAD and brought together a small group of technical administrators. GAD was able to develop realistic example calculations and methodologies.

    “GAD’s expertise has been a vital part in the McCloud journey for the police sector. This has enabled our 12 police pension administrators, not only to get to grips with and understand the calculations required, but also to ensure a consistent approach and correct calculation of benefits.”

    Michael Scanlon, a Deputy Chief Actuary at GAD, said “McCloud remedy is a complex and challenging programme of work. It was a pleasure to work with stakeholders across the sector who are committed to providing members with their remedy pension benefits.”

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    Published 25 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    July 26, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Navy and Polytechnic: an inseparable link

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    Russian Navy Day is celebrated on the last Sunday of July, and each time these are different dates. But in 2025, we have the opportunity to congratulate the sailors on the day established by the founder of the Russian fleet, Emperor Peter the Great, after whom the Polytechnic University is named. During Peter’s reign, it was on July 27 that they honored the sailors in memory of the great victories of the Russian fleet at Cape Gangut in 1714 and Grengam Island in 1720. On this day, ships were decorated with flags, fireworks were fired, and parades were held.

    The creation of the fleet was one of Peter’s main achievements. The first ships were built in Voronezh. And on December 1, 1699, Peter approved the St. Andrew’s naval flag. In 1702, they began building galleys on the Syas, Luga and Svir rivers. In 1704, the tsar founded the Admiralty shipyards in the future capital. Ships were built all over Russia: in Voronezh, Kazan, Pereslavl, Arkhangelsk, Olonets, St. Petersburg and Astrakhan. By 1725, the Russian fleet numbered 130 sailing ships, 253 galleys and 143 brigantines.

    Peter not only created the Russian navy, but also laid the foundation for engineering in the country. Years later, the St. Petersburg Polytechnic Institute became a prominent representative of engineering education. One of the first departments opened there was shipbuilding. It was headed by a talented engineer Konstantin Boklevsky.

    In 1930, the shipbuilding faculty was transformed into the Leningrad Shipbuilding Institute, which became the ancestor of the St. Petersburg State Marine Technical University, the famous Korabelka.

    Strong ties with the Navy have always been an important part of Polytechnic University’s activities – from the creation of the first submarines to marine robotics today. A special place in the life of the university is occupied by friendship with the crew of the heavy nuclear missile cruiser Pyotr Velikiy – the flagship of the Northern Fleet. And the first congratulations on this day are to them, those who serve today, and those who are waiting on the shore. Happy Russian Navy Day!

    Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

    July 26, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Bernadette Linn ends Beijing visit

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn concluded her visit to Beijing today by attending a seminar and visiting urban renewal projects.

    In the morning, Ms Linn led the study tour on national water infrastructure, culture and technology to attend a seminar.

    She expressed her heartfelt gratitude to the State Council’s Hong Kong & Macao Affairs Office, the Ministry of Water Resources and the Department of Water Resources of Guangdong Province for making meticulous arrangements for the tour, enabling the younger generation and the engineering community to gain first-hand understanding of the country’s tremendous achievements in water infrastructure, deepen their appreciation of the country’s rich history and culture, and learn about the rapid technological advancement and modernisation of the country.

    She firmly believed that the tour had strengthened the patriotic sentiments of Hong Kong’s younger generation and enhanced the sense of mission among engineering professionals as builders of the country.

    In the afternoon, Ms Linn visited urban renewal projects in Beijing to learn about the integration of the old and the new through the redevelopment of the local district of Zhonghai Daji Alley in Xicheng District; the enhancement of facilities in the old district and revitalisation of old buildings in Yaojiang Hutong; and the enhancement of the environment of the old district by improving the facades and spatial layout of old buildings in Xidan Beidajie.

    She also viewed an in-situ redevelopment and relocation project at No. 8, Huabichang Hutong, to learn about the adoption of the concrete Modular Integrated Construction method, which significantly reduced the construction period of the project to three months. It was implemented by the property owners with subsidies and personal investment.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    July 26, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Leader of Multi-State Fentanyl and Methamphetamine Trafficking Ring Sentenced to Federal Prison

    Source: US FBI

    ROME, Ga. – Wilfort Foster, III, 41, of El Monte, California, was sentenced to 28 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to narcotics and money laundering conspiracy charges.  Foster, a convicted felon serving a sentence of probation during a portion of the offense, led an operation that moved hundreds of kilograms of methamphetamine, as well as significant quantities of fentanyl, from California to the North Georgia area and elsewhere, and then laundered hundreds of thousands of dollars in drug proceeds. 

    “Our office partnered with a host of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to dismantle a significant, multi-state drug trafficking and money laundering network,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Foster’s 28-year prison sentence should serve as a robust warning to others who might consider trafficking deadly fentanyl and methamphetamine in North Georgia.”

    “DEA is committed to going after money laundering networks that move cash made from the sale of illegal drugs in the United States,” said Jae W. Chung, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division. “We will continue to follow the money trail while working alongside our partners to hold those accountable who profit from the distribution of deadly fentanyl and methamphetamine.” 

    “This sentencing marks the end of a years-long effort to dismantle a dangerous drug trafficking network that was pushing lethal fentanyl and methamphetamine into our communities,” said Paul Brown, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The FBI remains focused on dismantling these dangerous organizations at every level—from supply to distribution to laundering the proceeds of their crimes.”

    “This significant sentence reflects the massive danger that fentanyl and illicit narcotics pose to our communities,” said Steven N. Schrank, the Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Georgia and Alabama. “Thanks to the dedicated efforts of HSI and our law enforcement partners, Wilfort Foster, III, who led a major drug trafficking ring, will no longer be able to endanger lives with these deadly substances.”

    According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges and other information presented in court: Beginning in 2017 and continuing into 2022, Foster and others conspired to transport methamphetamine and fentanyl from California to Cartersville, Georgia and other areas. Foster ran a stash house and illegal gambling operation in his California barbershop, which he used to supply his network with large amounts of fentanyl and methamphetamine for sale. In one instance, Foster supplied a co-defendant with more than 22 kilograms of methamphetamine that law enforcement subsequently seized. 

    After Foster’s operation sold drugs, conspirators in Georgia laundered more than $600,000 in cash to Foster by using shell companies and flying with hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash to California. Foster maintained tight control of his network and once broke a co-defendant’s jaw during a feud over the co-defendant’s drug debt. 

    During the multi-agency investigation, law enforcement seized significant quantities of narcotics and more than a dozen firearms, including an AR-15. Foster continued his drug and money laundering operation in Georgia despite being on probation in California in a case involving the seizure of over nine kilograms of methamphetamine and two firearms. 

    Earlier today, United States District Judge William M. Ray II sentenced Foster to serve 28 years in prison to be followed by 5 years of supervised release. Foster was convicted of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl and conspiracy to commit money laundering on January 6, 2025, after he pleaded guilty. 

    Another member of Foster’s organization, Steven Ham, 43, of Cartersville, Georgia, was sentenced to 15 years in prison and 10 years of supervised release on November 26, 2024, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. 

    Additionally, the following defendants have pleaded guilty as part of this case and are awaiting sentencing:

    • Clifford Alexander, 39, of Gadsden, Alabama, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.
    • Frank Miller, 47, of Cartersville, Georgia, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
    • Kenneth Antoine Scott, 41, of East Point, Georgia, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
    • Lori Silvers, 46, of Rockmart, Georgia, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.
    • Nia Thomas, 31, of Atlanta, Georgia, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.

    This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, United States Postal Inspection Service, Bartow-Cartersville Drug Task Force, Bartow County Sheriff’s Office, Cartersville Police Department, Cedartown Police Department, Polk County Police Department, Acworth Police Department, Kennesaw Police Department, El Monte (CA) Police Department, Los Angeles (CA) Sheriff’s Department, Rutherford County (TN) Sheriff’s Office, Sevier County (TN) Sheriff’s Office, Kansas City (KS) Police Department, and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

    Assistant United States Attorneys Calvin A. Leipold, III, Matthew R. LaGrone, and Jeffrey Brown; former Assistant United States Attorneys Richard Beaulieu and Zachary Howard; and former Special Assistant United States Attorney Rachel Lyons prosecuted the case.

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

    This effort is part of an OCDETF operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta recommends parents and children learn about the dangers of drugs at the following web site: www.justthinktwice.gov.

    For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6185. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.

    MIL Security OSI –

    July 26, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: CENTCOM Forces Kill Senior ISIS Leader in Al-Bab, Syria

    Source: United States Central Command (CENTCOM)

    Early this morning in al-Bab, Aleppo Governate, Syria, CENTCOM Forces conducted a raid resulting in the death of senior ISIS Leader, Dhiya’ Zawba Muslih al-Hardani, and his two adult ISIS-affiliated sons, Abdallah Dhiya al-Hardani and Abd al-Rahman Dhiya Zawba al-Hardani.

    MIL Security OSI –

    July 26, 2025
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