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Category: KB

  • MIL-OSI: Siili Solutions Plc: Share Repurchase 10.6.2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Siili Solutions Plc       Announcement  10.6.2025
         
         
    Siili Solutions Plc: Share Repurchase 10.6.2025  
         
    In the Helsinki Stock Exchange    
         
    Trade date           10.6.2025  
    Bourse trade         Buy  
    Share                  SIILI  
    Amount             1 000 Shares
    Average price/ share    6,3338 EUR
    Total cost            6 333,80 EUR
         
         
    Siili Solutions Plc now holds a total of 8 198 shares
    including the shares repurchased on 10.6.2025  
         
    The share buybacks are executed in compliance with Regulation 
    No. 596/2014 of the European Parliament and Council (MAR) Article 5
    and the Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/1052.
         
    On behalf of Siili Solutions Plc    
         
    Nordea Bank Oyj    
         
    Sami Huttunen Ilari Isomäki  
         
    Further information:    
    CFO Aleksi Kankainen    
    Email: aleksi.kankainen@siili.com    
    Tel. +358 50 584 2029    
         
    www.siili.com    
         
         
         
         

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: New Government bond series

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    The Icelandic Treasury will issue nine new Government bond series in connection with the settlement of ÍL Fund (formerly the Housing Financing Fund). The following nominal amounts will be issued:

    Series:                         ISIN:                           Nominal value:
    RIKS 29 0917               IS0000037711             67,000,000,000 kr.
    RIKS 34 1016               IS0000037737             60,353,539,382 kr.
    RIKS 36 0815               IS0000037729             59,000,000,000 kr.
    RIKS 39 1115                IS0000037745             49,000,000,000 kr.
    RIKS 41 0815               IS0000037760             50,000,000,000 kr.
    RIKS 44 1017               IS0000037778             50,313,049,596 kr.
    RIKS 47 1115                IS0000037786             48,000,000,000 kr.
    RIKS 50 0915               IS0000037794             47,000,000,000 kr.
    RIKB 32 1015               IS0000037752             56,000,000,000 kr.

    The Government bonds will be subject to the “General terms and conditions for Icelandic Government bonds” and “Specific terms” for each bond series, which can be accessed on the Government Debt Management website, www.lanamal.is. Issuance in the above-mentioned bond series related to the winding-up of ÍL Fund may be carried out in a manner other than that described in Article 3 of the General terms and conditions for Icelandic Government bonds, dated 5 June 2025.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Kvika banki hf.: Moody’s places Kvika Banki’s ratings on review for upgrade

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Moody’s Ratings (“Moody’s”) has today placed Kvika Banki hf.’s (“Kvika”) deposit and issuer ratings on review for upgrade. The rating action follows the separate announcements from Arion Banki hf. and Íslandsbanki hf. that their respective boards of directors have proposed opening merger talks with the board of directors of Kvika. No decision has been made by Kvika’s board of directors regarding next steps.

    Please find the release from Moody’s attached.

    For further information please contact Kvika‘s investor relations, ir@kvika.is.

    Please note that this notice is a disclosure of inside information per article 7 of regulation (EU) No 596/2014 on market abuse (“MAR”), which is implemented into Icelandic law with the act on measures against market abuse No 60/2021.

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Societe Generale: shares & voting rights as of 31 May 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NUMBER OF SHARES COMPOSING CURRENT SHARE CAPITAL AND TOTAL NUMBER OF VOTING RIGHTS AS OF 31 MAY 2025

    Regulated Information

    Paris, 10 June 2025

    Information about the total number of voting rights and shares pursuant to Article L.233-8 II of the French Commercial Code and Article 223-16 of the AMF General Regulations.

    Date Number of shares composing current share capital Total number of
    voting rights
    31 May 2025 800,316,777

    Gross: 887,657,909

    Press contacts:

    Jean-Baptiste Froville_+33 1 58 98 68 00_ jean-baptiste.froville@socgen.com
    Fanny Rouby_+33 1 57 29 11 12_ fanny.rouby@socgen.com

    Societe Generale

    Societe Generale is a top tier European Bank with around 119,000 employees serving more than 26 million clients in 62 countries across the world. We have been supporting the development of our economies for 160 years, providing our corporate, institutional, and individual clients with a wide array of value-added advisory and financial solutions. Our long-lasting and trusted relationships with the clients, our cutting-edge expertise, our unique innovation, our ESG capabilities and leading franchises are part of our DNA and serve our most essential objective – to deliver sustainable value creation for all our stakeholders.

    The Group runs three complementary sets of businesses, embedding ESG offerings for all its clients:

    • French Retail, Private Banking and Insurance, with leading retail bank SG and insurance franchise, premium private banking services, and the leading digital bank BoursoBank.
    • Global Banking and Investor Solutions, a top tier wholesale bank offering tailored-made solutions with distinctive global leadership in equity derivatives, structured finance and ESG.
    • Mobility, International Retail Banking and Financial Services, comprising well-established universal banks (in Czech Republic, Romania and several African countries), Ayvens (the new ALD I LeasePlan brand), a global player in sustainable mobility, as well as specialized financing activities.

    Committed to building together with its clients a better and sustainable future, Societe Generale aims to be a leading partner in the environmental transition and sustainability overall. The Group is included in the principal socially responsible investment indices: DJSI (Europe), FTSE4Good (Global and Europe), Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index, Refinitiv Diversity and Inclusion Index, Euronext Vigeo (Europe and Eurozone), STOXX Global ESG Leaders indexes, and the MSCI Low Carbon Leaders Index (World and Europe).

    For more information, you can follow us on Twitter/X @societegenerale or visit our website societegenerale.com.

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sherrill Statement on Donald Trump Revoking EMTALA Emergency Abortion Guidance

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11)

    WASHINGTON, DC — In response to the Trump administration’s decision to revoke federal guidance reminding hospitals that they must provide emergency abortion care under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA), Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11) released the following statement:

    “Rescinding this guidance puts women’s lives at risk, plain and simple. EMTALA requires that patients in medical emergencies get the care they need, including emergency abortion care. That’s the law. 

    “But Trump and his allies are once again putting their extremist agenda ahead of women’s health and safety. They are creating confusion for doctors, scaring patients, and dragging politics into one the most personal and urgent moments of a woman’s life. . 

    “That’s why I introduced a resolution affirming that EMTALA protects access to emergency abortion care. No woman should have to bleed out in a hospital while doctors scramble to call a lawyer to see if they are allowed to provide medically necessary care. 

    “I will continue fighting to make sure that these decisions are made by women and their doctors, not Republican politicians hellbent on controlling our bodies and our future.”

    Last year Rep. Sherrill and Rep. Emilia Sykes (OH-13) introduced a resolution to reaffirm access to emergency abortion care for all Americans. This resolution would reaffirm that the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) protects access to emergency abortion care in every state, and that all women, no matter where they live, should be able to receive the emergency care they need, including abortion.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Sherrill’s Community Project-Funded YMCA Facility Breaks Ground

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11)

    LIVINGSTON, NJ — This week, Representative Mikie Sherrill’s (NJ-11) team joined elected officials, YMCA leadership, and community members to break ground on the site of the new West Essex YMCA. Rep. Sherrill secured $850,000 in Community Project funding for this construction project. 

    “Whether it’s learning to swim, joining an after-school program, or spending summers at camp, the YMCA has been part of the fabric of the West Essex community for generations. I’m thrilled to see this project moving forward — and proud to have helped secure the funding to make it possible,” said Rep. Sherrill. “I want to thank the Mayor and Township Council of Livingston, and the executives at the YMCA for their hard work to make this project a reality. The new West Essex YMCA will be a place where families grow, kids thrive, and our community comes together”

    This project was a part of Rep. Sherrill’s Fiscal Year 2024 Community Projects request, totalling nearly $16 million. In addition to this YMCA construction project, her other funding will address issues of crime prevention, traffic safety, flood mitigation, open space preservation, water infrastructure, workforce development, and community development. 

     

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Castro, Kim Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Amend the International Organizations Immunities Act and Strengthen U.S.-ASEAN Relations

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Joaquin Castro (20th District of Texas)

    June 10, 2025

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) and Congresswoman Young Kim (CA-40), senior members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, reintroduced the Providing Appropriate Recognition and Treatment Needed to Enhance Relations (PARTNER) with Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Act, bipartisan legislation that would amend the International Organizations Immunities Act to grant ASEAN diplomatic privileges and immunities.

    This legislation was first introduced in 2022 and passed the United States House of Representatives in March 2023. Bipartisan companion legislation was introduced in the Senate by Sen. Duckworth in 2024, and its provisions are included in S. 1579, introduced by Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC) Ranking Member Jim Risch (R-ID) and reported out of SFRC on a bipartisan basis on June 5, 2025. The PARTNER with ASEAN Act of 2025 would amend the International Organizations Immunities Act to include a formal extension of said privileges to ASEAN, solidifying U.S.-ASEAN Relations.

    “This legislation is an important step between the close and strategic partnership of the United States and Southeast Asian Nations. For decades, ASEAN has contributed to the stability and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific and has increasingly grown in its geopolitical importance. This legislation promotes U.S. leadership in the region as well as mutually beneficial dialogue with surrounding countries and regions,” said Congressman Castro.

    “When the United States shows up as the partner of choice for our Indo-Pacific allies and partners, we win. ASEAN plays a central role in building strategic ties in the Indo-Pacific,” said Congresswoman Kim. “The PARTNER with ASEAN Act strengthens our alliances, promotes open markets, and affirms our commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific. I’m proud to support this bipartisan effort to deepen our partnerships with ASEAN member states and advance U.S. leadership on the global stage.”

    The United States has worked closely with ASEAN for more than four decades and became the first non-member to name an ambassador to ASEAN in 2008, as well as the first non-member to establish a dedicated Mission to ASEAN in 2010. 

    The International Organization Immunities Act, enacted in 1945, governs how the United States extends the rights and treaties generally accorded to embassies of countries that have diplomatic relations with the United States to international organizations like ASEAN. The U.S. typically extends automatic privileges and immunities to international organizations to which it belongs (e.g., the UN, NATO), but a special act of Congress is needed to extend recognition to international organizations with which the United States is not a member (e.g., ASEAN).

    Read the PARTNER with ASEAN Act of 2025 here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Sergeant sacked after breaching standards

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    A serving Met officer has been dismissed without notice for a campaign of coercive control and harassment against a woman known to him.

    Sergeant Chris Allonby, attached to the Met’s South West Command Unit, was dismissed following a misconduct hearing, which concluded on Tuesday, 10 June.

    Sgt Allonby was found to have assaulted his former partner in 2018, 2019 and 2021, all while off-duty.

    The panel heard Sgt Allonby was a verbally and emotionally abusive partner – carrying out a pattern of unwanted behaviour towards his ex-partner, as well as physical assaults.

    Detective Chief Superintendent Christina Jessah, who leads policing in the area, said:

    “Sgt Chris Allonby exhibited consistently unacceptable and wholly inappropriate behaviour. It is right he faced disciplinary action and is no longer a part of the Metropolitan Police Service.

    “We commend the bravery of his ex-partner, who spoke up and enabled us to take action.”

    The panel found the officer had breached the standards of professional behaviour relating to authority, respect and courtesy, and discreditable conduct. His actions amounted to gross misconduct.

    PS Allonby will now be placed on the College of Policing’s barred list, banning him from employment with the police, local policing bodies, the Independent Office for Police Conduct or His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Weston Man Pleads Guilty to Insider Trading Offense

    Source: US FBI

    David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and P.J. O’Brien, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, announced that RYAN SQUILLANTE, 40, of Weston, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Vernon D. Oliver in Hartford to an insider trading offense.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, working from his home, Squillante was employed as the Head of Equity Trading at Irving Investors, an investment company headquartered in Denver, Colorado.  As a result of his position at Irving Investors, Squillante received material non-public information (“MNPI”) about various publicly traded companies.  On 15 different occasions between August 2022 and May 2023, Squillante used MNPI for his own benefit by executing transactions in securities of these companies, making a total profit of $220,912.

    As an example, in February 2023, Squillante received MNPI about Praxis Precision Medicines, Inc. (“Praxis”), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company whose common stock traded on the NASDAQ.  Between February 27 and March 2, 2023, Squillante “sold short” 38,086 shares of Praxis at an average price per share of approximately $3.04.  On March 3, 2023, before the market opened, Praxis announced poor results from its drug trial, stating that the drug’s effects did not achieve its primary endpoint with statistical significance.  Following the announcement, Squillante “covered” his short sale by purchasing 38,086 Praxis shares at an average price per share of approximately $1.82, making a profit of approximately $46,421.

    Squillante pleaded guilty to securities fraud, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.  Judge Oliver scheduled sentencing for August 29.

    This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of the Securities and Exchange Commission.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather L. Cherry.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Waterbury Man Sentenced to Prison for Role in Drug Trafficking Ring

    Source: US FBI

    David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JOSE DELROSARIO-CANELA, also known as “Domi,” 39, of Waterbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 32 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for his participation in a Waterbury drug trafficking ring.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, the FBI’s Waterbury Safe Streets Gang Task Force and other law enforcement agencies investigated two drug trafficking organizations based in the city of Waterbury.  One organization operated in the area of William Street and the other operated in the area of Maple Avenue.  The investigation, which included court-authorized wiretaps on multiple phones, video surveillance, GPS tracking of vehicles, and numerous controlled purchases of narcotics, revealed that the two organizations distributed cocaine, crack, and fentanyl through a network of sellers.  The organizations shared sources of supply and worked together to further their operations.

    During the investigation, law enforcement made two controlled purchases of crack cocaine from Delrosario-Canela, one of the main street-level distributors for the Maple Avenue organization.

    Seventeen individuals were charged with federal offenses as a result of the investigation.  Delrosario-Canela and several codefendants were arrested on November 29, 2023.  In association with the arrests, investigators executed multiple search warrants and seized approximately 700 grams of crack cocaine, more than 900 vials (“caps”) of crack, approximately 200 grams of loose fentanyl, more than 1,600 dose bags of fentanyl/heroin, two stolen firearms, numerous rounds of ammunition, and more than $39,000 in cash.

    Delrosario-Canela has been detained since his arrest.  On February 11, 2025, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances.

    The FBI’s Waterbury Safe Streets Gang Task includes members from the FBI, the Waterbury Police Department, the Naugatuck Police Department, and the Connecticut Department of Correction.  The DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Connecticut State Police, Wolcott Police Department, and Meriden Police Department have assisted the investigation.

    This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Natasha Freismuth and Shan Patel through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program.  Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

    U.S. Attorney Sullivan thanked the Waterbury State Attorney’s Office for its cooperation in the investigation and prosecution of this case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ‘Much Needed’: Hawley Applauds Trump’s Approval of Disaster Aid For Missouri Storm Victims

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo)

    Monday, June 09, 2025

    This evening, U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) announced federal disaster aid for Eastern Missouri’s devastating May storms, thanking U.S. President Donald Trump for swiftly green-lighting the funds.
    Senator Hawley has been a leading advocate for disaster aid following last month’s storms and tornadoes that claimed the lives of seven Missourians. The Senator surveyed the storm damage firsthand throughout St. Louis and met with residents, first responders, and other community leaders.
    Upon returning to Washington, Senator Hawley urged the Trump Administration to issue federal disaster aid and even secured a pledge from DHS Secretary Kristi Noem—who oversees the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)—to expedite relief. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: 10 killed in Austrian school shooting

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

    VIENNA, June 10 (Xinhua) — At least 10 people were killed in a shooting at a school in Austria’s second-largest city of Graz, local media reported on Tuesday.

    As local media reported, citing law enforcement agencies, the incident also resulted in double-digit casualties, including injuries among students and teachers.

    According to Austria’s largest newspaper, Kronen Zeitung, the shooting took place at the BORG school on Dreierschützengasse in the Lend district at around 10:00 /08:00 GMT/ on Tuesday. Police confirmed that the suspect was a 22-year-old former student at the school. The shooter reportedly committed suicide.

    As Kronen Zeitung added, the incident is considered one of the most serious in Austrian history.

    Authorities have mobilized police forces in the region, including the deployment of a helicopter. The school has been evacuated and there is currently no threat, local police said on social media X.

    Graz, the capital of the federal state of Styria in southern Austria, is known as a student city, with four vocational schools and four universities located here. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: IMF Staff Completes 2025 Article IV Mission to Turkmenistan

    Source: IMF – News in Russian

    June 10, 2025

    End-of-Mission press releases include statements of IMF staff teams that convey preliminary findings after a visit to a country. The views expressed in this statement are those of the IMF staff and do not necessarily represent the views of the IMF’s Executive Board. Based on the preliminary findings of this mission, staff will prepare a report that, subject to management approval, will be presented to the IMF’s Executive Board for discussion and decision.

    • Growth slowed in 2024 due to weak hydrocarbon exports. The main economic challenge is to translate hydrocarbon wealth into more diversified, sustainable, and inclusive growth.
    • A more market-based strategy, reforms to the monetary and exchange rate frameworks, increased public spending efficiency, and enhanced governance and transparency would support the transition to a more diversified and robust economy.
    • Further improvements in the availability, quality, and reliability of economic statistics would help inform policy makers and increase transparency and credibility.

    Washington, DC: An International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission led by Ms. Anna Bordon visited Ashgabat during May 21-June 3, 2025. The purpose of the visit was to review the country’s economic landscape, including its financial developments, economic outlook, risks, and policies aimed at promoting diverse, inclusive, and sustainable growth. The mission met with senior government officials, representatives of the private and financial sectors, and the diplomatic community. At the end of the visit, Ms. Bordon issued the following statement: 

    “Economic activity moderated in 2024, and inflation softened in recent months. IMF staff estimate that growth slowed to 3.0 percent in 2024 from 4.5 percent in 2023, owing to weak hydrocarbon exports. Inflation decelerated from 3.8 percent at end 2024 to 1.1 percent in March 2025 owing to a sharp slowdown in food inflation combined with deflation in non-food items and low inflation in services. Credit growth and monetary conditions have been tighter since the second half of 2023, while the parallel market exchange rate has remained broadly stable. The current account surplus narrowed from 5.9 percent of GDP in 2023 to 4.4 percent in 2024.

    “Looking ahead the economy is expected to expand at around 2.3 percent in 2025 and over the medium term. Hydrocarbon exports growth is expected to be negative in 2025, but to gradually pick up to around 2 percent over the medium term while non-hydrocarbon growth is expected to remain subdued, given the challenging business environment, investment inefficiencies, significant real exchange rate overvaluation, and protectionism. Inflation is projected to pick up gradually over the medium term due to looser monetary conditions, returning to its recent historical average of 8 percent, which is primarily fueled by the long-standing policy of increasing public sector wages and pensions by 10 percent annually. The external position is projected to gradually deteriorate, shifting from a surplus to a deficit, driven by lower hydrocarbon prices, declining oil exports, and an overvalued currency. Rising wages are also expected to fuel import demand, further weakening the trade balance. Risks to the outlook remain tilted to the downside.

    “The nonhydrocarbon primary balance improved in 2024, with higher revenues more than offsetting an increase in capital spending. Looking ahead, the deficit is anticipated to narrow further over the medium term, with capital spending expected to moderate. To leverage this positive trajectory, it is crucial for Turkmenistan to focus its spending on enhancing physical and human capital. This will require improving spending efficiency and public investment management, transitioning towards performance-based public wage increases, and reforming state-owned enterprises (SOEs).

    “Strengthening fiscal reporting and public financial management (PFM) should be a top priority. Turkmenistan should expedite the implementation of medium-term budgeting, establishment of a single treasury account, and the expansion of fiscal reporting coverage. Reforming SOEs is also pivotal in managing fiscal risks, enhancing fiscal transparency, and fostering private sector development by reducing the state footprint.

    “The Central Bank of Turkmenistan (CBT) should focus on price and financial stability. Until recently, the CBT had typically kept monetary policy loose to support the government’s long-term development objectives. Since the second half of 2023, however, CBT net lending to banks has slowed considerably, owing to SOE repayments. Going forward, commercial bank lending for development purposes, if needed, should be supported by the state budget, and not by the CBT. The CBT should also modernize its central bank operations and accelerate its efforts to strengthen financial regulation, supervision, and crisis management.

    “Unifying the exchange rates would support Turkmenistan’s diversification objectives and reduce economic distortions and governance vulnerabilities. Turkmenistan should consider a significant upfront adjustment of the official exchange rate combined with sufficiently tight macroeconomic policies, a clear communication strategy, and enhanced social benefits to protect the most vulnerable. Post-adjustment, the devalued official exchange rate can remain the monetary anchor, with the CBT ready to provide FX to meet demand. Exchange restrictions on current international transactions should also be eliminated, to create a level-playing field, improve efficiency, and alleviate FX shortages. The adjustment measures and supporting reforms need to be sequenced carefully, while recognizing inherent uncertainties.

    “Turkmenistan is adequately prioritizing economic diversification. A pre-requisite for diversification is macroeconomic stability, including as a core element the unification of the exchange rates and elimination of exchange restrictions. Moving away from a centrally planned economy will require continued efforts to liberalize prices and reduce the state footprint to allocate resources more efficiently. A more market-oriented economy will also require improving governance, skills, infrastructure, digitalization, and logistics while accelerating the efforts toward WTO accession.

    “Further improvements in the availability, quality, and reliability of economic statistics would help inform policy makers and increase transparency and credibility.   

    “The IMF team is grateful to the authorities and other stakeholders for their warm hospitality and insightful and candid discussions.”

    Turkmenistan: Selected Economic and Financial Indicators, 2022–26

    		  
       

     

     

     

     

     

     

    		    
     

    Est.

    Est.

    Est.

    Proj.

    Proj.

    		    

     

    2022

    2023

    2024

    2025

    2026

    		    
       

     

    Output and prices

    (Annual percentage change)

    		    

    Real GDP 1/

    3.0

    4.5

    3.0

    2.3

    2.3

    		    

    Real hydrocarbon GDP

    -6.4

    -0.6

    -10.6

    -2.6

    1.8

    		    

    Real nonhydrocarbon GDP

    5.2

    5.6

    5.7

    3.0

    2.3

    		    

    Consumer prices (end of period)

    3.0

    1.4

    3.8

    4.0

    6.0

    		    

    Consumer prices (period average)

    11.2

    -1.6

    4.6

    3.9

    5.0

    		    
     

    Investment and savings

    (In percent of GDP)

    		    

    Gross investment

    18.2

    17.0

    16.0

    13.0

    12.9

    		    

             Of which: State budget

    0.5

    0.9

    1.6

    0.7

    0.7

    		    

    Gross savings

    27.9

    22.9

    20.4

    15.1

    13.3

    		    
     

    Fiscal sector

    (In percent of GDP)

    		    

    Overall fiscal balance 2/

    3.4

    0.1

    -0.1

    0.3

    -0.3

    		    

          Revenue

    16.4

    13.8

    14.4

    14.1

    13.7

    		    

          Expenditure

    13.0

    13.7

    14.5

    13.8

    14.1

    		    

    Total public debt 3/

    7.9

    5.8

    3.6

    3.3

    3.1

    		    
     

    Monetary sector

    (12-month percent change, unless otherwise indicated)

    		    

    Credit to the economy 4/

    8.2

    0.3

    2.2

    5.4

    5.9

    		    

    Credit to GDP ratio

    58.6

    53.1

    49.6

    49.9

    49.6

    		    

        Broad money, incl. foreign currency deposits at CBT

    -2.6

    -2.5

    10.1

    5.3

    6.7

    		    
     

    External sector

    (In percent of GDP, unless otherwise indicated)

    		    

    Exports of goods (In millions of US$)

    14,727

    12,963

    12,168

    11,218

    11,068

    		    

    Imports of goods (In millions of US$)

    7,188

    7,401

    7,665

    8,407

    9,085

    		    

    Current account balance

    9.7

    5.9

    4.4

    2.1

    0.4

    		    

    Foreign direct investment

    2.0

    0.9

    0.4

    0.0

    0.0

    		    

    Total public sector external debt

    7.9

    5.8

    3.6

    3.3

    3.1

    		    
             

    Memorandum items:

    		          

    Nominal GDP (in millions of manat)

    198,371

    219,848

    240,363

    251,884

    268,110

    		    

    Nominal GDP (in millions of US$)

    56,677

    62,814

    68,675

    71,967

    76,603

    		    
       
       

    Sources: Turkmen authorities; and Fund staff estimates and projections.

    		        

    1/ Staff uses its own GDP estimates given that the narrative underlying the official GDP growth estimates is hard to reconcile with other available data. In particular, official GDP growth is extremely stable, despite shocks, including the pandemic.

    		                    

    2/ Excluding receipts from government bond issuance and privatization proceeds.

    		                  

    3/ Includes domestic state government debt and external public and publicly guaranteed debt.

    		                

    4/ Including credit to SOEs.

     

     

     

    		                      
    IMF Communications Department
    MEDIA RELATIONS

    PRESS OFFICER: Mayada Ghazala

    Phone: +1 202 623-7100Email: MEDIA@IMF.org

    https://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2025/06/10/pr-25190-turkmenistan-imf-completes-2025-article-iv-mission

    MIL OSI

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: EIA expects low crude oil prices and declining rig count to affect U.S. crude oil production trends through 2026

    Source: US Energy Information Administration – EIA

    Headline: EIA expects low crude oil prices and declining rig count to affect U.S. crude oil production trends through 2026

    U.S. ENERGY INFORMATION ADMINISTRATION
    WASHINGTON DC 20585

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    June 10, 2025

    The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) expects the Brent crude oil price to fall to near $60 per barrel by the end of the year and to average about $59 per barrel in 2026. EIA expects the low price of crude oil to affect both U.S. crude oil production and retail gasoline prices in the short term.

    In its June Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO), EIA forecasts U.S. crude oil production to average about 13.4 million barrels per day this year, just below the record highs earlier this year. For 2026, the forecast is slightly lower than 2025 levels. EIA expects U.S. retail gasoline prices to average below $3.10 per gallon through the end of 2026, which is about 6% lower than the 2024 average price.

    U.S. energy market indicators 2024 2025 2026
    Brent crude oil spot price (dollars per barrel) $81 $66 $59
    Retail gasoline price (dollars per gallon) $3.30 $3.10 $3.10
    U.S. crude oil production (million barrels per day) 13.2 13.4 13.4
    Natural gas price at Henry Hub (dollars per million British thermal units) $2.20 $4.00 $4.90
    U.S. liquefied natural gas gross exports (billion cubic feet per day) 12 15 16
    Shares of U.S. electricity generation       
    Natural gas 42% 40% 40%
    Coal 16% 16% 15%
    Renewables 23% 25% 27%
    Nuclear 19% 19% 18%
    U.S. GDP (percentage change) 2.8% 1.4% 1.7%
    U.S. CO2 emissions (billion metric tons) 4.8 4.8 4.8
    Data source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Short-Term Energy Outlook, June 2025

    Some key highlights from the June STEO include:

    • Global oil supply, demand, and prices: EIA revised its 2025 global oil production forecast slightly upward and its global petroleum products consumption forecast slightly downward for both 2025 and 2026, leading to an expectation of growing global oil inventories. EIA expects oil inventories to grow by about 800,000 barrels per day in 2025 and 600,000 barrels per day in 2026. EIA’s expectations for inventory growth are the primary reason it expects oil prices to decline through this year and next year.
    • U.S. crude oil production: Domestic crude oil production reached an all-time high of 13.5 million barrels per day in the second quarter of 2025. EIA expects U.S. crude oil production to decline from that high through the end of 2026 as oil producers respond to lower prices. Data from Baker Hughes shows the number of active drilling rigs declined last month by much more than EIA had expected. Fewer active rigs affect EIA’s forecast for how many wells U.S. operators will drill and complete throughout 2026. EIA expects U.S. crude oil production to average about 13.4 million barrels per day this year and just below that amount in 2026.
    • U.S. gasoline prices: Another effect of lower oil prices is that EIA expects lower average U.S. gasoline prices through 2026. Regular-grade retail gasoline prices average $3.10 per gallon in the third quarter of 2025 in EIA’s forecast, down 7% from the same period last year. EIA expects retail gasoline prices in the eastern part of the country to be below $3.00 per gallon for most of the next year and a half. On the West Coast, EIA expects refinery capacity reductions to cause a 4% annual price increase next year.
    • Natural gas prices: EIA expects the Henry Hub natural gas spot price to average about $4.00 per million British thermal units (MMBtu) in 2025 and $4.90/MMBtu in 2026, compared with $2.20/MMBtu in 2024.
    • Electricity demand: EIA revised its forecast for electricity demand growth in 2025 upward by about 1% to reflect greater expected demand growth in the commercial and industrial sectors, particularly from data centers and manufacturing operations. This growth in power demand is especially notable in regions managed by the Electricity Reliability Council of Texas and PJM independent system operators. EIA expects that U.S. commercial sector electricity consumption will grow by 3% in 2025 and by 5% in 2026.
    • Electricity generation: EIA expects total U.S. electricity generation this summer will be about 1% greater than last summer. EIA expects higher natural gas prices this summer to result in less generation from natural gas-fired power plants compared with last summer, which is expected to be offset by more generation from coal, solar, and hydro.
    • Trade policy assumptions: The U.S. macroeconomic outlook we use in the STEO is based on S&P Global’s macroeconomic model. S&P Global’s most recent model reflects the tariffs announced in April and includes the 90-day temporary suspension of tariffs granted to certain countries. However, the model was finalized before the ruling by the Court of International Trade on May 28th that temporarily halted all reciprocal tariffs. As a result, our macroeconomic forecast assumes lower tariffs on China’s products compared with last month’s STEO and 10% tariffs on countries subject to the 90-day temporary suspension. These differences in tariff rates likely have offsetting effects on the macroeconomic forecast.

    The full June 2025 Short-Term Energy Outlook is available on the EIA website.

    The product described in this press release was prepared by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), the statistical and analytical agency within the U.S. Department of Energy. By law, EIA’s data, analysis, and forecasts are independent of approval by any other officer or employee of the U.S. government. The views in the product and this press release therefore should not be construed as representing those of the U.S. Department of Energy or other federal agencies.

    EIA Program Contact: Tim Hess, STEO@eia.gov
    EIA Press Contact: Chris Higginbotham, EIAMedia@eia.gov

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Secretary-General of ASEAN engages in a roundtable discussion at the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs

    Source: ASEAN

    Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, participated in a Roundtable Discussion hosted by the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs in Oslo, Norway, on 10 June 2025.  Dr. Kao discussed ASEAN’s priorities and initiatives, including the ASEAN 2045: Our Shared Future, and exchanged views on regional and global developments that were of great interests to the participants.

    The post Secretary-General of ASEAN engages in a roundtable discussion at the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs appeared first on ASEAN Main Portal.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Secretary-General of ASEAN delivers a lecture on “Developments in ASEAN: Opportunities and Challenges for Norway” at the Norwegian Centre for Geopolitics

    Source: ASEAN

    Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, delivered a lecture at the Norwegian Centre for Geopolitics of the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI) in Oslo, Norway, on 10 June 2025, centred on the latest developments in ASEAN and presented opportunities and challenges for ASEAN-Norway relations. Dr. Kao also discussed and exchanged views with the participants on emerging regional and global issues.

    The post Secretary-General of ASEAN delivers a lecture on “Developments in ASEAN: Opportunities and Challenges for Norway” at the Norwegian Centre for Geopolitics appeared first on ASEAN Main Portal.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Secretary-General of ASEAN meets with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Norway

    Source: ASEAN

    Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, had a bilateral meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Norway, H.E. Espen Barth Eide, on the sidelines of his working visit to Norway, on 10 June 2025. Both sides exchanged views on ASEAN-Norway relations and explored ways to further substantiate the ASEAN-Norway Sectoral Dialogue Partnership.

    The post Secretary-General of ASEAN meets with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Norway appeared first on ASEAN Main Portal.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Apple services deliver powerful features and intelligent updates to users this fall

    Source: Apple

    Headline: Apple services deliver powerful features and intelligent updates to users this fall

    June 10, 2025

    UPDATE

    Apple services deliver powerful features and intelligent updates to users this fall

    New features include AutoMix and updates to Lyrics in Apple Music; preferred routes and Visited Places in Apple Maps; easy-to-track orders with Apple Intelligence in Apple Wallet; the introduction of Digital ID; and more

    With the release of iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS Tahoe 26, tvOS 26, visionOS 26, and watchOS 26 this fall, Apple is bringing exciting new features and adding more intelligence across its services, delivering even greater everyday functionality to users. This includes an enhanced listening experience in Apple Music; easier navigation with preferred routes and Visited Places in Apple Maps; new ways to make and track purchases with Apple Intelligence in Apple Wallet; customized playback experiences with Apple Podcasts; a refreshed boarding pass in Wallet; the introduction of Digital ID; and more.

    “Apple’s services are integral to many parts of a user’s day, and we’re excited to bring features that pack even more power and fun into their everyday moments,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Services. “These updates will help users better navigate and explore the world around them with Apple Maps, offer an enhanced Apple Music experience, elevate how they shop with Apple Pay and Apple Wallet, and so much more.”

    “AI and machine learning are a core part of what makes Apple’s services feel so personal and intuitive to our users around the world,” said Jeff Robbin, Apple’s vice president of Services Engineering. “They love the ease and simplicity that intelligent features like natural language search and App Store review summaries have brought, and we’re excited to continue adding thoughtful, tailored experiences to Apple’s services — including AutoMix, which mixes songs like a DJ in Apple Music, the option to use Enhance Dialogue to isolate voices and make them sound clearer in Apple Podcasts, and more.”

    Apple Music Introduces AutoMix, Upgrades to Lyrics, and More

    Apple Music delivers an elevated listening experience with AutoMix, which mixes one song into the next, just like a DJ. Using AI to analyze audio features, it crafts unique transitions between songs with time stretching and beat matching to deliver continuous playback and an even more seamless listening experience.

    This fall, Apple Music brings Lyrics Translation, which lets users understand the meaning of their favorite songs, and Lyrics Pronunciation, which enables users to sing along when lyrics are in another language. The new features use machine learning to translate lyrics — with fine-tuning from language experts — to ensure the emotion, cultural context, and lyrical intent are fully preserved.

    With Sing, the sing-along experience reaches a whole new level, allowing users to transform iPhone into a handheld microphone for Apple TV and have their voice amplified as they belt out their favorite songs with friends. And with real-time lyrics and visual effects that light up the screen, Sing reaches a new level of fun.

    Additionally, users can pin their favorite music to the top of their Library in Apple Music for easy access.

    Apple Maps Gets More Intelligent and Personalized with Preferred Routes and Visited Places

    Apple Maps makes everyday life easier with new enhancements that help users navigate their preferred routes and keep track of places they’ve previously visited, all while protecting user privacy.1 iPhone can now use on-device intelligence to learn and understand the routes users take between the places they frequently visit, like home and work. The Maps widget then shows users a preview of their commute so they know what to expect before they leave, and commute notifications alert users of significant delays and offer alternate routes, even before their journey begins.

    With Visited Places, users can allow iPhone to intelligently detect the places they visit and spend time in — like restaurants or shops — and they’ll automatically be saved to Maps. Users can search for places they’ve visited, and easily share them with family and friends. Visited Places are built with privacy in mind; they’re protected with end-to-end encryption, cannot be accessed by Apple, and can be easily removed with just a swipe.

    A Customized Playback Experience with Apple Podcasts

    Apple Podcasts delivers more customization to the listening experience, including a wider range of playback speeds and Enhance Dialogue. Users will be able to find the perfect listening speed for them, with speed options from 0.5x to 3x, and save their preferred setting for each show. Using real-time audio processing and machine learning, users can turn on Enhance Dialogue to hear speech more clearly over background sounds.

    New Ways to Track Orders with Apple Intelligence and Apple Wallet, and Make Purchases with Apple Pay

    Apple Wallet now uses Apple Intelligence to automatically identify, summarize, and display order tracking details from emails sent from merchants or delivery carriers. This works across all orders, giving users the ability to see their full order details, progress notifications, and more, all in one place.

    Additionally, Apple Pay expands the ability to pay with rewards and installments to in-store purchases for added flexibility and choice. Users can view and pay with rewards — as well as access installment loan offers from eligible credit or debit cards — when making an Apple Pay purchase in person with iPhone.

    The ability to access installments from credit and debit cards, including from pay-over-time providers, when making an in-store Apple Pay purchase will roll out in the U.S. with Affirm, Cash App Afterpay, Klarna, Synchrony, and U.S. Bank; in the UK with Monzo and Klarna; and in Canada with Klarna. The ability to redeem rewards for in-store purchases with Apple Pay will be available beginning in the U.S. with Synchrony and U.S. Bank.2

    Send and Receive Money in Group Chats with Apple Cash

    Apple Cash provides a convenient way for users to request, send, and receive money directly within group conversations in Messages, making it easier to settle up after dinner or pay friends back for concert tickets.3 Users can send money to an individual or request money from everyone in the group.

    More Convenient Travel with a Refreshed Boarding Pass Experience and Digital ID in Wallet

    In Apple Wallet, a refreshed boarding pass experience delivers rich, relevant information straight to users’ fingertips with Live Activities that offer real-time updates about their flights. For added convenience, users can also share their flight’s Live Activities so friends and family can stay up to date on their journeys.

    Refreshed boarding passes also allow users to conveniently access Maps to navigate airports and explore local recommendations, all in one place from their pass; quickly use Find My to track important items and report lost baggage; view key services on an airline’s app, such as seat upgrades and standby lists; and more. Refreshed boarding passes will be available starting with Air Canada, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, JetBlue, Jetstar, Lufthansa Group, Qantas, Southwest Airlines, United Airlines, and Virgin Australia.

    Digital ID offers a secure and private new way for users to store and present their ID information using their iPhone and Apple Watch. Users can seamlessly create and add a Digital ID to Apple Wallet using a U.S. passport.

    With REAL ID implementation in effect, at launch, Digital ID provides another way for users to conveniently and securely present an ID in person at select TSA checkpoints for identity verification purposes during domestic travel. Digital ID is not a replacement for a physical passport, and cannot be used for international travel and border crossing in lieu of a U.S. passport. Like all IDs in Apple Wallet, this new solution takes advantage of the privacy and security features already built into iPhone and Apple Watch.

    Additionally, Verify with Wallet on the Web enables users to seamlessly and securely present their eligible driver’s license or state ID in Wallet to websites for age and identity verification, starting with Chime, Turo, Uber Eats, and U.S. Bank, as well as the Arizona MVD, Georgia DDS, and Maryland MVA.

    Ready-Made Custom Plans Unlock Consistent Routines in Apple Fitness+

    Custom Plans in Apple Fitness+ make it simpler than ever to follow a personalized schedule, automatically creating plans based on users’ workout and meditation preferences, including their top activities, durations, trainers, music, and more.

    To keep users motivated, Stay Consistent provides a premade schedule of activities that matches their current routine. With Push Further, users receive a plan that increases the time of each day’s workout sessions — or even adds another day — making it perfect for those looking to challenge themselves. For anyone new to Fitness+, Get Started provides a ready-made plan built from selected interests or popular activities, giving users a helpful starting point. Additionally, Custom Plans are now centrally located in a dedicated Plans page.

    A New Daily Puzzle Brings a Fresh, Friendly Challenge to Apple News+

    Apple News adds Emoji Game to Apple News+ Puzzles, joining Crossword, Mini-Crossword, Quartiles, and Sudoku. Emoji Game brings to life one of users’ favorite ways to communicate in a fun and engaging way, with players challenged to use emoji to complete three phrases, with the goal of solving the puzzle in as few moves as possible. Users can share puzzles, track stats and streaks, and compete with others through Game Center leaderboards. Emoji Game features a daily puzzle available in the U.S. and for English-speaking users in Canada, and can be accessed from the Following tab in the News app.

    Apple’s services make everyday activities more personal, productive, and enjoyable, and these new features and additional intelligent updates continue to deliver thoughtful, tailored experiences to users across the globe.

    Availability

    The Apple Intelligence features detailed require supported devices, which include all iPhone 16 models, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, iPad mini (A17 Pro), and iPad and Mac models with M1 and later that have Apple Intelligence enabled and Siri and device language set to the same supported language: English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish, Japanese, Korean, or Chinese (simplified). More languages will be coming by the end of this year: Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese (Portugal), Swedish, Turkish, Chinese (traditional), and Vietnamese. For more information, visit apple.com/apple-intelligence. Features are subject to change. Some features may not be available in all languages or regions, and availability may vary due to local laws and regulations. For more information about availability, visit apple.com.

    1. Preferred routes and Visited Places are not available in all regions.
    2. Available on cards from participating banks and card providers in certain markets. Subject to eligibility and approval. In the U.S., Apple Pay is a service provided by Apple Payments Services LLC, a subsidiary of Apple Inc. Neither Apple Inc. nor Apple Payments Services LLC is a bank. Any card used in Apple Pay is offered by the card issuer.
    3. Apple Cash services are provided by Green Dot Bank, Member FDIC. Apple Payments Services LLC, a subsidiary of Apple Inc., is a service provider of Green Dot Bank for Apple Cash accounts. Neither Apple Inc. nor Apple Payments Services LLC is a bank. Learn more about the terms and conditions. Only available in the U.S. on eligible devices.

    Press Contacts

    Heather Norton

    Apple

    heather_norton@apple.com

    Kimberly Mai

    Apple

    k_mai@apple.com

    Apple Media Helpline

    media.help@apple.com

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Violent looting prompts permanent closure of MSF hospital in Ulang, South Sudan News Jun 10, 2025

    Source: Doctors Without Borders –

    Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) announced today its decision to permanently close its hospital in Ulang, in South Sudan’s Upper Nile State, as well as withdraw support for 13 primary health facilities in the county due to safety and security concerns. 

    MSF suspended all medical services on April 14, 2025 after armed individuals forced their way into the hospital and its offices, threatened staff and patients, and violently looted and destroyed property throughout the facility.

    The hospital’s infrastructure, in which MSF had invested millions of dollars, was completely destroyed. In addition, intruders looted medicines worth over $150,000—enough to run the hospital for months and care for thousands of patients. This has left the hospital in ruins and unable to function.

    “They took everything: medical equipment, laptops, patients’ beds and mattresses from the wards, and approximately nine months’ worth of medical supplies, including two planeloads of surgical kits and drugs delivered just the week before,” said Zakaria Mwatia, MSF head of mission for South Sudan. “Whatever they could not carry, they destroyed.” 

    “The extensive losses from the looting have left us without the necessary resources to continue operations,” Mwatia added. “We have no other option but to make the difficult decision to close the hospital and [halt] our support for 13 primary health care facilities, as they all relied on the hospital for medical supplies, referrals, and technical support.” 

    A string of attacks on health care

    This was the second attack on MSF in the area in less than three months. In January, two clearly marked MSF boats were shot at by unknown gunmen on their way to Ulang after delivering medical supplies to Nasir County Hospital, forcing everyone on board to jump into the water and swim to safety. Less than a month after the looting, another MSF hospital was bombed in Old Fangak, forcing MSF to suspend activities.

    Such attacks on health care facilities severely disrupt access to health care services for communities that depend on MSF for medical assistance. The closure of MSF facilities has left the area—which spans more than 124 miles from the Ethiopian border to Malakal—without any secondary health care facility. Pressure has increased significantly on the few remaining health structures, especially in Malakal, which has recorded an influx of patients in recent weeks.

    “The security situation in the area remains volatile, with ongoing clashes in neighboring regions,” Mwatia said. “MSF prioritizes the safety of its staff and patients and the integrity of our services, but the current environment makes it impossible to ensure either. We are deeply concerned by the growing trend of attacks on health care and the devastating impact this has on communities. We urgently call for the protection of patients, health care workers, and medical facilities at all times.”

    MSF remains committed to communities

    Since its launch in 2018, the MSF project in Ulang has provided vital health care services to over 150,000 people across Ulang County. This included running a secondary care hospital and supporting 13 primary health care facilities throughout the region. Over the past seven years, MSF has carried out more than 139,730 outpatient consultations, admitted 19,350 patients, treated 32,966 cases of malaria, and assisted 2,685 maternal deliveries, among other essential services. During this time, MSF also facilitated patient referrals by boat along the Sobat River, provided support to Nasir County Hospital, and responded to multiple emergencies and disease outbreaks.

    Despite these closures, MSF remains committed to responding to the health care needs of displaced and vulnerable people in Ulang and Nasir counties. A mobile emergency team is assessing the needs and preparing to provide short-term health care services along the Sobat Corridor, wherever security conditions allow. MSF continues to provide health care services in its other projects in Upper Nile State, including in Malakal and Renk counties, and in other locations across South Sudan.

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Children in Darfur, Sudan, urgently need immunisation as measles spreads

    Source: Médecins Sans Frontières –

    Port Sudan – For a year now, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) teams in Darfur, Sudan, have been witnessing outbreaks of measles in the four Darfur states where we currently work. While massive vaccination campaigns are finally ongoing in several locations across the region, MSF calls on health authorities and medical organisations to increase efforts to catch up on the immunisation of children who have never been vaccinated.

    The first surge of measles cases observed and treated by MSF were in June 2024 in Rokero, in Central Darfur, where MSF teams have been running the local Ministry of Health hospital since 2020. At the start of 2025, cases were also reported in East Jebel Marra, South Darfur, and in Forbrenga, West Darfur. More recently, new surges are also being observed in Zalengei, Sortony, and in Tine, East Chad – all places where we run activities.

    From June 2024 until the end of May 2025, more than 9,950 patients were treated for measles in health facilities run or supported by MSF in the region. Around 2,700 were complicated cases requiring hospitalisation, and 35 deaths were recorded. To manage the influx of patients, we had to expand our paediatric bed capacity in three hospitals.  

    One of the root causes of this situation is the region’s already low immunisation coverage. 

    “In Forbrenga, 30 per cent of the measles patients we are receiving are above five years but only 5 per cent of them are vaccinated,” says Sue Bucknell, deputy head of mission in West Darfur. “This suggests that the lack of vaccination dates back further than the recent conflict.” 

    “The ongoing conflict is also contributing to this outbreak, constraining the capacities of medical staff to both prevent and respond to outbreaks of contagious diseases,” says Dr Cecilia Greco, medical coordinator for Central Darfur. “Mass population displacement has made the illness spread even faster across the region, further complicating the situation.”  

    Since the war broke out, constant administrative impediments and regular blockades of key supply roads have caused vaccine shortages throughout Darfur. This led to disruption in routine immunisation programmes in several locations, sometimes for months. In Sortony, for example, an internally displaced people’s camp in North Darfur hosting more than 55,000 people, vaccination activities totally stopped from May 2024 to February 2025.

    One of the three extensions, in which MSF teams treat severe cases of measles. On this day, 11 patients were sharing the 10 available beds. Since June 2024, our teams witness an ongoing outbreak of measles in North Jebel Marra. Over the past ten months, MSF treated more than 1,900 patients – mostly children under 5 – and has registered 11 deaths. Medical data gathered by our teams shows that the 70% of children we admitted, were never vaccinated.
    Thibault Fendler/MSF

    These constraints and shortages have also limited medical organisations’ capacity to roll out proper response campaigns. Last year, MSF carried out several vaccination campaigns, such as in November 2024 in North Jebel Marra where 9,600 children were vaccinated. 

    However, due to limited vaccine supplies, our teams were forced to reduce the target number and to exclude children over age five, despite clear needs. This inevitably reduced the long-term impact of these campaigns. In North Jebel Marra, while the vaccination campaign initially slowed the outbreak, cases began to rise sharply again from February.

    Although mass vaccination campaigns are now happening in different parts of Darfur, negotiations and procedures have been lengthy. After MSF first raised the alarm about the multiple surges our teams were witnessing, it took months before the Federal Ministry of Health in Port Sudan and UNICEF released the needed vaccines from their stocks, finally enabling mass vaccination campaigns to be launched in different areas of Darfur. 

    Last week, 55,800 children from age nine months to 15 years were vaccinated in Forbrenga as part of a campaign led by the Ministry of Health and supported by MSF. Around 93,000 more children are set to receive the vaccine in North Jebel Marra and Sortony by the end of this week, in a similar campaign.

    “Even if they represent a certain achievement, these campaigns should have happened much sooner. Many measles cases and their consequences could have been prevented,” says Dr Greco. “And as much as they are needed, such reactive campaigns are only a band-aid to an open wound unless massive efforts are put in place on immunisation and prevention across Darfur, including its most remote areas.”

    There is the threat of further outbreaks of disease unless such efforts are initiated.

    “Measles is not the only contagious illness currently present in Darfur with the potential to turn into outbreaks,” says Bucknell. “Over the last 10 days, about 200 suspected cholera cases were brought to MSF-supported health facilities in two different Darfur states. This follows a significant cholera outbreak in Khartoum state and other parts of Sudan.”

    “It is essential that federal and local health authorities, UN agencies and all medical organisations on the ground collaborate, not only to catch up on the vaccination of all the children left behind by immunisation programmes over the years, but also to enhance their ability to respond quickly and efficiently should any other outbreaks, like cholera, start spreading over Darfur,” says Dr Greco. “This includes the capacity to supply vaccines in and across Sudan, without facing the same impediments.”   

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Foreign Minister focuses on Pacific resilience during visit to France

    Source: New Zealand Government

    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has taken part in two major international events in Nice, France this week, focused on Pacific resilience, prosperity and security. 
    The sixth Pacific-France Summit, hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron, took place in Nice overnight. 
    “The Summit brought together Pacific countries for discussions with France on regional stability, economic development and climate resilience,” Mr Peters says. 
    “New Zealand welcomes this opportunity for Pacific Islands Forum members to discuss our priorities with France.
    “France is a long-standing partner in the Pacific, and we value its support in securing the prosperity and stability of the region during a period of heightened global complexity.” 
    While in Nice, Mr Peters also attended the third United Nations Ocean Conference.
    “As a maritime state with one of the world’s largest and most biodiverse marine areas, New Zealand strongly supports a rules-based international system that secures the conservation and sustainable use of our oceans,” Mr Peters says.
    “This is especially important for ensuring a resilient and healthy Blue Pacific. We will continue to work with our partners in the region to advance our shared priorities.”
    At the conference, New Zealand re-emphasised its commitment to support Pacific partners in their efforts to enhance science-based ocean management and ensure their fisheries are sustainable and climate-resilient.
    While in Nice, Mr Peters also held bilateral meetings with leaders and Ministers from Chile, France, Niue, Palau, Samoa, Singapore, United Kingdom, and Viet Nam.
    The Foreign Minister has now travelled to Rome for high-level bilateral talks with the Italian Government, before heading to Jakarta.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: California Commercial Real Estate Agent Pleads Guilty to Obstructing the IRS

    Source: US State of California

    A California man pleaded guilty yesterday to obstructing the IRS’s efforts to collect hundreds of thousands of dollars in unpaid taxes.

    The following is according to court documents and statements made in court: Gabriel David Guerrero, a resident of Los Angeles County, is a real estate broker who did not timely file individual income tax returns for many years. After the IRS assessed taxes against Guerrero and attempted to collect them him, Guerrero took steps to conceal his income and assets from the IRS. For example, he made extensive use of cash and cashier’s checks; submitted a false form to the IRS that significantly understated his income; and used a nominee bank account to deposit income.

    He is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 15 and faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison. Guerrero also faces a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Bilal A. Essayli for the Central District of California made the announcement.

    IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.

    Trial Attorneys Robert Kemins and Christopher Gerace of the Tax Division along with Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Arkow for the District of Central District of California are prosecuting the case.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Alan Wilson announces Florence Co. health worker charged with Medicaid fraudRead More

    Source: US State of South Carolina

    (COLUMBIA, S.C.) – South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced that his office’s Vulnerable Adults and Medicaid Provider Fraud unit (VAMPF) has arrested Jacqueline Burgess, 59 years old, of Scranton, SC, on one count of Medical Assistance Provider Fraud {43-07-0060}. Burgess was booked into the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center on June 10, 2025.

    An investigation by VAMPF revealed that, between December 4, 2023 and June 21, 2024, Burgess is alleged to have knowingly and willfully caused false claims for payments to the South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, the agency that administers the State’s Medicaid program. Specifically, it is alleged that Burgess, as a care attendant with Tender Care Home Health Care, submitted false timesheets indicating that she had rendered care services for a Medicaid beneficiary when she did not.

    This case was referred to law enforcement by Tender Care Home Health Care, which cooperated fully with investigators. This case will be prosecuted by the Attorney General’s Office. 

    Medical Assistance Provider Fraud is a class A misdemeanor and, upon conviction, has a penalty of up to three years in prison and a fine of not more than $1,000.  

    Pursuant to federal regulations, VAMPF has authority over Medicaid provider fraud; abuse and neglect of Medicaid beneficiaries in any setting; and the abuse, neglect, and exploitation of individuals residing in assisted living facilities or nursing homes. 

    Attorney General Wilson stressed all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until they are proven guilty in a court of law.

    The South Carolina Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, dba VAMPF, receives 75 percent of its funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under a grant award totaling $2,889,252 for federal fiscal year 2025. The remaining 25 percent, totaling $963,084 for FFY 2025, is funded by South Carolina.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Invest America, Robinhood, & Uber CEOs Support President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill

    Source: United States of America – The White House (video statements)

    Invest America CEO Brad Gerstner, Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, and Rep. French Hill attended President Trump’s roundtable at the White House to discuss the Trump Account initiative and the One Big Beautiful Bill.

    “We’re incredibly thankful for President Trump for his support of these initiatives that are going to Main Street in America and helping everyday people succeed.”

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IN14J2SJmL4

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Sly Stone: influential funk pioneer who embodied the contradictions at the heart of American life

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Adam Behr, Senior Lecturer in Popular and Contemporary Music, Newcastle University

    There’s immense variety in popular music careers, even beyond the extremes of one-hit wonders and the long-haulers touring stadiums into their dotage. There are those who embody a specific era, burning briefly and brightly, and those whose legacy spans decades.

    Straddling both of those, and occupying a distinctive space in popular music history, is Sylvester Stewart, better known as Sly Stone, who died at the age of 82 on Monday June 9.

    A pioneer of funk whose sound spread far beyond the genre, his band Sly and the Family Stone synthesised disparate strands of American popular music into a unique melange, tracking the musical and social shifts as the 1960s wore into the 1970s.

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    A musical prodigy and multi-instrumentalist from a young age, Stone was born in Texas in 1943 and raised in California, in a religious Pentecostal family. He had put out his first single aged 13 – a locally released gospel song with three of his siblings, who would later join him in Sly and the Family Stone.

    A record producer and DJ by his early twenties, he imbibed the music of British acts like The Beatles and Rolling Stones, and applied his eclectic tastes and musical versatility to producing local psychedelic and garage rock acts in the emergent San Francisco scene.

    By the time commercial popular culture had flowered into a more exploratory “counterculture” in 1967’s Summer of Love, the ebb and flow of personnel across local bands had coalesced into a line-up including the Stone siblings – Sly, Freddie, and their sister Vaetta, with their other sister Rose joining in 1968. Pioneering socially, as well as aesthetically, Sly and the Family Stone had diversity at its core – a mixed sex, multi-racial and musically varied band.

    This was notable for a mainstream act in an America still emerging from the depths of segregation, and riven with strife over the struggle for civil rights. While their first album in 1967 A Whole New Thing enjoyed comparatively little traction, 1968‘s Dance to the Music presaged a run of hits.

    Their sonic collision of sounds from across the commercial and social divide – psychedelic rock, soul, gospel and pop – struck a chord with audiences simultaneously looking forward with hope to changing times, and mindful of the injustice that was still prevalent.

    Singles like Everyday People, Stand, and I Want to Take You Higher, melded a party atmosphere with social statements. They were calls for action, but also for unity: celebratory, but pushing the musical envelope.

    While the band wore its innovations lightly at first, their reach was long. Bassist Larry Graham was a pioneer of the percussive slap bass that became a staple of funk and fusion. And their overall sound brought a looser, pop feel to the funk groove, in comparison to the almost militaristic tightness of that other funk pioneer, James Brown.

    Where Brown’s leadership of his group was overt, exemplified by his staccato musical directions in the songs, and the call and response structure, Stone’s band had more of an ensemble feel. Musical lines and solos were overlaid upon one another, often interweaving – more textured rather than in lock-step. It was a sound that would reach an almost chaotic apogée with George Clinton’s Funkadelic later in the 1970s.

    The party couldn’t last. As the optimism of the 1960s gave way to division in the 1970s, Stone’s music took a darker turn, even if the funk remained central. The album There’s A Riot Going On (1971), and its lead single It’s Family Affair contained lyrics depicting social ills more explicitly. The music – mostly recorded by Sly himself – was sparser, the vocals more melancholic.

    The unity of the band itself was also fracturing, under pressure from Stone’s growing cocaine dependency. The album Fresh (1973) featured classics like In Time and If You Want Me To Stay, but they were running out of commercial road by 1974’s Small Talk, and broke up soon after.

    Periodic comebacks were punctuated by a troubled personal life, including, at its nadir, reports of Stone living out of a van in Los Angeles, and arrests for drug possession. By the time he achieved a degree of stability, his star may have faded, but his legacy was secure.

    Stone embodied the contradictions of American popular music – arguably even America itself: brash and light-hearted on the one hand, with a streak of darkness and self-destructiveness on the other.

    The handclaps and joyous shouts harked back to his gospel roots, but his embrace of electric instruments aligned soul with rock and pop. He was a funk artist who played at the archetypal hippie festival, Woodstock, and a social commentator whose party sounds were shot through with urgency.

    He paved the way for the likes of Prince and Outkast, but also informed jazz and fusion. Jazz pioneer Miles Davis acknowledged Stone’s influence on his own turn towards electric and funk sounds in the late 1960s and early 1970s on landmark albums like Bitches Brew.

    Sly Stone’s joyful provocations may not have lasted at the commercial centre, but his mark was indelible. His struggles were both personal and social, but his sense of groove, and of a collective voice, demonstrated the value of aligning traditions with new ideas – a musical America that was fractious, but still a family affair.

    Adam Behr has received funding from the Arts and Humanities Research Council

    – ref. Sly Stone: influential funk pioneer who embodied the contradictions at the heart of American life – https://theconversation.com/sly-stone-influential-funk-pioneer-who-embodied-the-contradictions-at-the-heart-of-american-life-258616

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: The political opportunism behind Reform UK’s support for abolition of the two-child limit on benefits

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Chris Grover, Professor in Social Policy, Lancaster University

    The leader of Reform UK, Nigel Farage, recently announced that if in government, his party would abolish the two-child limit on benefits. This social security policy restricts the payment of means-tested benefits to the first two children of a family.

    Farage explained the announcement as being pro-natalist – intended to encourage a higher birth rate – as well as being “pro-worker”. Farage said that the abolition of the two-child limit “makes having children just a little bit easier” for “lower paid workers”.

    He noted that Reform wanted “to encourage people to have children”. Such arguments are familiar in the European political right, although the UK’s Conservative opposition criticised Reform’s proposal.

    To be in government, Reform has two possible routes: to build a coalition of voters for it, or to split left-leaning voters. Its proposal to abolish the two-child limit may be aimed at both.

    On the one hand, it might be supported by left-leaning voters who are able to accept Reform’s broader policy agenda. On the other hand, it might be aimed at encouraging left-leaning voters who find Reform’s agenda problematic to move to parties (such as the Greens and Liberal Democrats) who are less equivocal in their commitment to abolishing the two-child limit than the Labour government.

    Social security policies winning votes

    Social security policies have long been used as part of political strategising. The situation with the two-child limit is complicated, though, because both anti- and pro-natalist views of social security (and it predecessors) have been popular at particular moments.

    Political and popular arguments have long been made that supporting the poorest families leads to them having too many children. This, so the argument goes, reproduces, rather than addresses, the poverty they face. Examples can be found, for instance, in the 1834 poor law commission report in relation to “bastardy” and large families, Sir Keith Joseph’s 1970s focus upon the “cycle of deprivation”, as well as “underclass” arguments in the 1980s and 1990s.

    The two-child limit was announced in the 2015 budget and introduced in 2017 with the reasoning that “those in receipt of tax credits should face the same financial choices about having children as those supporting themselves solely through work.”

    The two-child limit on benefits restricts welfare payments for children to the first two children in a family.
    Len44ik/Shutterstock

    In contrast, the architect of the British welfare state, William Beveridge, noted in 1942 that children’s allowances (now child benefit) would help “housewives as mothers” in their “vital work in ensuring the adequate continuance of the British race and of British ideals in the world.” The 1945 Labour election victory in support of the welfare state suggests pro-natalist policies can contribute to electoral success.

    The expansion of tax credits in the 1990s and 2000s were partly explained in pro-natalist terms. Tony Blair, for instance, noted: “The working tax credit enables half a million mothers to choose to stay at home.” That, in other words, tax credits enabled women to choose having and raising children over paid work.

    Recent polling, however, suggests that the anti-natalist two-child limit polls well among voters, especially Reform voters. In 2024, for example, YouGov found 60% of Britons thought the two-child limit should be kept. The figure was 84% for Reform voters.

    Targeting voters

    The abolition of the two-child limit may have been adopted to increase Reform’s appeal to left-leaning voters. Providing additional support for families through social security may be attractive to voters concerned with social injustice. The two-child limit increases child poverty. Affected families are unable to provide even the most basic needs, such as food, clothing and heating.

    Nevertheless, Reform’s proposal is also embedded in caveats and would be paid for through means appealing to its existing voters. So, for example, Farage emphasised that the abolition of the two-child limit would be restricted to only British families. It would not be extended to families “who come into the country and suddenly decide to have a lot of children”.

    By keeping the two-child limit for migrant families, Reform’s proposals are consistent with existing immigration and asylum policies. It has been observed in an inquiry by All Party Parliamentary Groups on poverty and on migration that policies like this are, at least in part, “designed to push people into poverty in the hope that it will deter others from moving to the UK.” And, therefore, the abolition of the two-child limit can be seen as part of Reform’s pledge to severely curtail immigration.

    Farage also argued that the abolition of the two-child limit would be paid for by other policies that are central to Reform’s electoral agenda. These include stopping asylum seekers being housed in hotels and the abolition of net zero policies. It is also consistent with Reform’s view that jobs in Britain should be filled by British people. This, it believes, will help reduce reliance on migrant labour from overseas.

    There is little evidence that the introduction of the two-child limit had the desired impact on lowering poorer households’ birth rates. And it is unclear whether the proposed abolition of the two-child limit rooted in a British-only, pro-natalist agenda is enough to attract left-leaning voters.

    These voters might, for example, be more concerned with Reform’s position on immigration and asylum seeking, as well as the social injustice of the undoubted poverty in which families subjected to the two child limit on benefits live.

    Reform’s strategy then may be to further encourage those voters to turn from its closest rival – the Labour party – to other political parties. Whichever is the case, the situation will undoubtedly shift if the Labour government does take the step of abolishing the two-child limit.

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

    – ref. The political opportunism behind Reform UK’s support for abolition of the two-child limit on benefits – https://theconversation.com/the-political-opportunism-behind-reform-uks-support-for-abolition-of-the-two-child-limit-on-benefits-258042

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Spending review: Rachel Reeves is about to make a £600 billion gamble on growth

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Steve Schifferes, Honorary Research Fellow, City Political Economy Research Centre, City St George’s, University of London

    UK chancellor Rachel Reeves faces her biggest test with the government’s departmental spending plans for the three years from next April until the general election. With nearly £600 billion a year to spend, her decisions will impact on every aspect of public life and shape the political weather for years to come.

    She believes the key to reviving Labour’s fortunes as its poll ratings tumble lies in boosting economic growth.

    So the government has promised that its policies will increase the UK’s anaemic growth rate and enhance productivity. Reeves is looking to capital spending on big projects that will boost the economy, such as the £14.2 billion government investment in a new nuclear power plant at Sizewell in Suffolk.

    Last year she revised the government’s fiscal rules to give herself the space to borrow an extra £113 billion over three years to transform Britain’s ageing infrastructure. She has already made it clear that she wants to boost transport investment outside of London, as well as invest in research and development, including green energy.

    But there are challenges ahead. In the first place, the effect of infrastructure investment takes a long time to feed through. This is partly because of the lag between planning the projects and when they come on-stream.

    It will take time before the full effect will be felt on productivity, which has been growing more slowly than expected. The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) suggested in March that the latest government plans for planning reform might increase productivity by just 0.2% in the longer term.

    There are also some real trade-offs as to where the increased capital investment will go – and which sectors will benefit most. The chancellor has emphasised her commitment to putting more money into projects outside London and south-east England that have had less public investment in the past.

    But London and the south-east is where productivity is highest and where further investment might have a bigger effect on economic growth.

    It appears that there may be less funding for social housing, which may threaten the government’s ambitious target of building 1.5 million homes over the parliament. There may also be less available to repair schools and hospitals.

    And the plans to boost defence spending on expensive military equipment – such as frigates and fighter planes – will also count as capital spending. As such, it could further reduce the amount available for infrastructure investment.

    The departmental trade-offs

    Despite the relative abundance of cash for infrastructure, the tighter fiscal rules on day-to-day spending mean that many departments are facing a squeeze on their budgets. The government plans to allow total day-to-day departmental spending on average to rise by just 1.2% per year in real terms during the next three years. This probably spells a real-terms cut for some “unprotected” departments.

    This is because the money will not be distributed equally. The Department of Health and Social Care gets 40% of all departmental spending and is likely to be the big winner.

    It has already received a big increase in the last spending round, with an 11% increase in capital spending is likely to get even more to realise an ambitious ten-year plan for improving services in the NHS in England.

    If health spending were to go up by 2.5% (well under its historic average), this could mean very little increase for many other government departments. And if it is increased by 3.5% this will imply real-terms cuts for other areas.

    The situation is made more difficult by the government’s decision to prioritise two other areas: defence and schools. For defence, it is committed to raising spending to 2.5% by 2027 and to 3% in the next parliament.

    And for education, Reeves has pledged an extra £4.5 billion per year for more teachers, childcare places and free school meals. The decisions have a strong political dimension, as health and education tend to be the most popular spending priorities among the public.

    Boosting the education spend tends to play well with the UK public.
    Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock

    The spending review, however, only covers half of total government spending. The more unpredictable part is annually managed expenditure, mainly on benefits and interest payments on government debt.

    The Treasury sets an overall target (known as the spending envelope) on how much will be spent in these areas. But it now faces a crunch point over the unpopular decisions to cut disability benefits and keep the two-child benefit cap.

    Reeves’ partial U-turn on the winter fuel payment, which will now be paid to 9 million pensioners, will cost an additional £1.25 billion a year but may have been a political necessity.

    But a full U-turn on the two other issues will be much more expensive. Taken together, such a change might breach the fiscal rules, which give only £10 billion of “headroom” in a total government budget of more than £1.2 trillion. So while there will be some rowing back, the finances suggest any more major U-turns are unlikely.

    To make matters worse, these spending plans are based on an economic forecast made by the OBR in March. This did not include the effect of US president Donald Trump’s tariff plans. Since then, both the IMF and the OECD downgraded their UK growth forecasts for both 2025 and 2026, and despite a recent small upgrade by the IMF, growth is still significantly lower than previously expected.

    Even though Britain seems to have secured a deal with the US, the effect of tariffs on global growth will still damage the UK’s prospects as a trading nation.

    This will make it harder for the government to meet its fiscal targets in the autumn budget while sticking to the departmental spending plans. The chancellor will then have three options. She can look for more cuts in benefits spending.

    She could try to find other sources of tax revenue, for example by tweaking the rules on taxing pensions or extending the freeze on upgrading tax bands. Or, more radically, she could modify the fiscal rules to give herself more flexibility – for example by having only one economic forecast a year, as the IMF has suggested.

    Ultimately Labour’s electoral prospects will depend on whether it has succeeded in boosting living standards. While the productivity drive could work, the UK economy remains at the mercy of wider global economic forces.

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

    – ref. Spending review: Rachel Reeves is about to make a £600 billion gamble on growth – https://theconversation.com/spending-review-rachel-reeves-is-about-to-make-a-600-billion-gamble-on-growth-258526

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why ultra wealthy donors like Elon Musk and Zia Yusuf may just be fundamentally incompatible with the politics of the radical right

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Sam Power, Lecturer in Politics, University of Bristol

    Former chairman Zia Yusuf has rejoined Reform after quitting days previously. Yusuf had said he no longer wanted to work to get the party into government when new MP Sarah Pochin called for a ban on burqas in the UK. However, he seems to have had a change of heart and will return, ostensibly to lead the party’s “department of government efficiency”.

    Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s bromance, however, is on much rockier ground. There’s no sign of the world’s richest man reconciling with the US president, his former employer.

    These spats, at first glance, might seem like little more than, put politely, teething problems in (relatively) new political operations. Or, a little less politely, the unedifying spectacle of people in or seeking power being completely unable to act like adults.

    However, it also points to something more akin to a canary in the coalmine for radical right parties around the world. Their increasing reliance on an ultra-wealthy donor class presents an ideological puzzle that may not be solvable.

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    Reform currently operates on what has been described as vibes alone. That is to say, there’s very little meaningful common ground between the people who vote for Reform and the party elite. The only continuity is their sense of anger at the current political system.

    This, as we are seeing in election after election, is an incredibly powerful (and compelling) force. The problem is, of course, that you can’t oppose forever. You often end up having to actually do something. All boxers, Mike Tyson will be glad to tell you, have a plan – until they get punched in the face.

    And what makes them such a powerful force at the moment, is precisely that which may cause challenges further down the line. At least for me, given it’s my bread and butter research-wise, I see this when I follow the money.

    And I’m increasingly asked a lot of questions about the kind of people who are either giving money to Reform – or who Reform are courting (and at the moment it is decidedly the latter which is the case).

    My position is that they very broadly fit into three categories. First are disaffected traditional Conservatives who are increasingly seeing a party – in the words of Farage – “worth investing in”. In the donations figures released on June 10, these are represented by bussinessmen Bassim Haidar and Mohammed Amersi.

    Then you have a Silicon Valley-reared tech-bro libertarian. This group already runs on a “move fast and break things” philosophy so the idea of an insurgent party which proclaims, on entering parliament, that “the fox is in the henhouse” naturally appeals.

    The final pot of money is filled via small donations, ballooning membership and a whole chunk of votes from a disaffected white working-class population to whom the language of economic and cultural grievances resonates.

    There are some places where the interests of these groups align – most notably a distaste for government interference and red tape (though not necessarily a smaller state in terms spending on public services). They also share a sense that progressive politics, broadly defined, ought to be pegged back a bit (but with an emphasis on a bit).

    They differ on a great deal else, to the extent that you can only really please two out of the three, but never everybody. And, unfortunately, without all three the project starts collapsing. This is what we have been seeing in the fractious relationships between Trump and Musk and Farage and Yusuf.

    Two out of three ain’t bad – but it’s not enough

    Yusuf (and Musk) are very much representative of the new tech-bro class. And, when Yusuf called questions about banning the burqa “dumb” he was speaking at both an ideological and organisational level.

    At the ideological level it is, frankly, a bit rich for his blood, because “philosophically I am always a bit uneasy about banning things which, for example, would be unconstitutional in the United States”.

    Organisationally, it pushes Reform much closer to what journalist Fraser Nelson calls “a tactic more akin to the old BNP”. Indeed, Reform started “just asking questions” about burqas at the same time as it started twisting footage to claim that Anas Sarwar, leader of Scottish Labour, wants to prioritise the needs of Pakistanis.

    This kind of dog-whistle politics appeals to some, but puts off a lot more, including, I think, some of the (saner) tech-bro right.

    Indeed, Ian Ward at Politico perceptively notes that if we want to explain the current Musk-Trump meltdown we should look back to Christmas 2024, when cracks first started appearing over immigration policy.

    The tech-bro right are, generally speaking, much less hardline on the flow of people than the Maga-populist right (think Steve Bannon and Tommy Robinson). In fact, they are pro-high skilled immigration as it tends to benefit them and their business interests.

    Tech-bros also like the idea of moving fast and breaking things in theory. But when things start moving fast and actually breaking in practice (or Tesla stocks start to plummet), they tend to get a bit freaked out.

    In other words, it’s not just that they don’t like government, they don’t like governing and the inevitable compromise that comes with it. When they say move fast and break things, I get the sense what they really mean is “leave me alone so I can make billions in peace”.

    This, of course, is quite appealing to traditional hedge-fund conservatives, but is also the politics that literally built the economic grievances that much of the white-working class support for the populist radical right is, in turn, built on.

    Two out of three ain’t bad, but you do need all three. So, don’t be surprised if despite Farage’s seemingly genuine affection for Yusuf, it all falls apart again before long.

    Ultimately, Reform will need to decide how they are going to spin these plates. The good news is that it might well be that they can, indeed, get by on vibes alone until the next general election. The bad news, unfortunately, is that winning an election is the easy bit. Just ask Boris Johnson and Keir Starmer. After all, everyone has a plan.

    Sam Power receives funding from the Economic and Social Research Council and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council.

    – ref. Why ultra wealthy donors like Elon Musk and Zia Yusuf may just be fundamentally incompatible with the politics of the radical right – https://theconversation.com/why-ultra-wealthy-donors-like-elon-musk-and-zia-yusuf-may-just-be-fundamentally-incompatible-with-the-politics-of-the-radical-right-258512

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: What the new British zoo standards mean for animal welfare

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Samantha Ward, Associate Professor of Zoo Animal Welfare, Nottingham Trent University

    Mila Supinskaya Glashchenko/Shutterstock

    If you visit a zoo, you might be captivated by the animals you see — majestic lions, curious meerkats, soaring birds of prey. But this is not always the case. Some zoos don’t always give us that impression of “happy animals” where they can behave naturally and be left alone by visitors if they wish.

    The UK, Scottish and Welsh governments recently released new zoo standards for Great Britain. So what does this mean for the future of zoos?

    I have been working in and with zoos for over 20 years. I am a bit of a zoo-nerd but that doesn’t mean that I like them all. I am an advocate for good animal welfare in zoos and so I can recognise the ones that are good and not so good.

    Britain is one of a few countries such as Belgium, South Korea and New Zealand that have specific zoo legislation. The new British standards will be enforced in 2027, giving below-par zoos two years to up their game.

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    I speak here in my role as associate professor of zoo animal welfare at Nottingham Trent University, but I also sit on the UK Zoos Expert Committee and helped to write the new standards. One of the biggest changes is the replacement of the word “should” with “must”. The standards now say: “Zoos must provide appropriate accomodation”. This makes all elements of the guidance much more enforceable.

    One of the most common complaints I hear when I say I work with zoos is that the animals don’t have as much space as they do in the wild. That is correct: zoos cannot provide the same amount of space for a lot of species. But good quality space can allow these animals to behave like they would in wild habitats.

    One of the most controversial animals when talking about space is elephants. In 2017 the UK government issued updated requirements for them which brought in enclosure-size requirements, something that had never happened for any species in British zoos before.

    Under the new standards, zoos will have until 2040 to increase their elephant provisions. Indoor space allocation for a herd of up to four females has been doubled to 600m². This then increases by 100m² for each additional elephant (compared to 80m² in the 2017 requirements).

    Bull facilities – zoos that house individual male elephants – need to provide 320m² of indoor space per bull. Outdoor areas for bull and cow elephants must provide a minimum shared space of 20,000m² (or 2.8 UK sized football pitches) for up to five group-living adults. This must be increased by at least 2,500m² for each additional animal over two years old. This is over 30 times larger than the current standards.

    The new standards stipulate that zoos must provide more natural habitats that better replicate how elephants live in the wild. There are also requirements for more detailed behavioural monitoring and things that help keep elephants active and engaged in their environment.

    Howver, animal welfare charity the RSPCA still feels that these updates are not good enough. It believes that elephants (and some other species) are not suitable for captivity as they have complex cognitive needs and space requirements.

    From my perspective, Britain has the most specific (and now) welfare-driven standards for elephants in the world. If Britain were to ban the housing of elephants, we would be shipping them to lower quality habitats, care and monitoring. Is this really what we want for the elephants in British zoos?

    What else is changing

    Another area where there has been much criticism in the past relates to providing animals from specific climates or environments with the correct conditions, such as reptiles, amphibians, tropical birds and primates. While a high number of animals seem to cope well in the UK’s colder climate, there is research to show that some animals need specialised environments, without which they can suffer from severe health problems, low welfare and even death.

    The new standards require zoos to develop detailed environmental management plans for species that rely on artificial life-support systems such as aquariums, vivariums, tropical houses or desert habitats. Animals also cannot be removed from their enclosures for interactions or talks with the public.

    These environmental management plans outline the environmental parameters required for that animal to thrive and behave naturally, and they need to be monitored to ensure that provisions do not slip.

    Birds of prey have new welfare protections in British zoos.
    chrisdorney/Shutterstock

    There are also extra requirements for birds of prey. Although controversial, tethering is currently a recognised management practice for birds of prey, including owls, hawks and falcons. You don’t need to be a welfare scientist to understand how a bird might feel about being tethered to a post for long periods of time.

    The 2012 standards stipulated that tethered birds should be flown at least four times per week, though there were no time restrictions on how long they could be tethered. The new standards emphasise that birds can only be tethered for a maximum of four hours in a 24 hour period and only as a management tool that benefits the bird (such as training for flight displays, transportation or veterinary treatment).

    There is new emphasis on what is known as behavioural enrichment. Whether it’s puzzle feeders for primates, scent trails for big cats or novel objects for parrots, enrichment helps prevent boredom, reduce stress and promote natural behaviour.

    Enrichment can be resource intensive and therefore difficult to implement, but the new standards make it a core requirement. Enrichment activities must aim to replicate natural behaviour such as foraging, climbing or problem solving. Zoos are required to document and evaluate these activities, track how animals respond and adjust strategies accordingly.

    These updates reflect a deeper understanding of what animals need to thrive, not just survive. As a zoo welfare scientist, I feel there is always more that can be done to improve the welfare of animals in zoos (such as banning touch pools and tethering altogether).

    But it is important that zoos and aquariums evaluate the costs (to the animals) and benefits (to the visitors) to make ethical and welfare-based decisions themselves.

    These new standards will improve the conditions for animals in zoos, as well as help zoos to make the right decisions about the animals they house and care for.

    Samantha Ward is the welfare specialist on the Zoo Experts Committee, part of DEFRA, who helped write the new zoo standards.

    – ref. What the new British zoo standards mean for animal welfare – https://theconversation.com/what-the-new-british-zoo-standards-mean-for-animal-welfare-258001

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Rosebank oilfield: why more UK oil means more global emissions

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Fergus Green, Associate Professor in Political Theory and Public Policy, UCL

    Frode Koppang / shutterstock

    The UK government will soon face a momentous decision over whether to approve production in the Rosebank oilfield off the coast of Shetland.

    Rosebank is the UK’s biggest undeveloped field. Its proponents – the largest of which is Norwegian state-owned petroleum company, Equinor – estimate that it will produce the equivalent of up to 500 million barrels of oil between 2026 and 2051. When burned, this oil will generate up to 200 million tonnes of carbon dioxide, which is more than the combined annual emissions of 28 low-income countries.

    Thanks to recent court cases, the climate effects of those “combustion emissions” will need to be taken into account by the government when it decides whether to approve production at Rosebank. In a new report, two colleagues and I reviewed the evidence concerning the implications of new oil and gas fields in the UK.

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    There is a rapidly dwindling global carbon budget for holding temperature increases to below 1.5°C of warming (the more conservative end of the Paris agreement’s temperature goal).

    Globally, the emissions from burning the fossil fuels in oil and gas fields and coalmines that are already operating or under development far exceed that budget. In this context, Rosebank’s combustion emissions are highly significant, as they add considerably to that excess.

    We also found that the projected production from existing fields is sufficient to meet or exceed global oil and gas demand in modelled economic scenarios in which climate warming is restrained to within 1.5°C. This is further evidence that new fields are not consistent with achieving globally agreed temperature goals.

    However, it is often asserted by supporters of new fields that keeping UK oil in the ground won’t reduce global emissions, because another producer will supply the demand and reap the benefits. This is a gross and dangerous oversimplification which, according to the United Nations Environment Programme, “defies basic economics of supply and demand”.

    Allowing a new field like Rosebank would increase the supply of oil globally, resulting in a fall in its price which, though small, would cause more oil to be consumed. As UK government advisers at the Climate Change Committee have acknowledged, new petroleum projects “support a larger global market overall” for petroleum. Stopping Rosebank would have the opposite effect, and lead to less oil consumed.

    Rosebank is found about 80 miles west of Shetland and its puffins.
    Philippe Clement / shutterstock

    The oil industry likes to trumpet the UK’s relatively low upstream emissions – that is, from the process of extracting oil – compared with those of competitors overseas. But this is a distraction from the bigger issue: the additional greenhouse gases emitted from consuming the extra oil that new fields produce.

    A recent peer-reviewed study by economists and experts in the emissions-intensity of oil and gas production concluded that limiting oil supply will almost always lead to lower overall emissions, regardless of the intensity of upstream emissions from different fields. It is highly likely that leaving Rosebank’s oil in the ground will result in lower global greenhouse gases than would occur if the field were developed.

    However, this focus on Rosebank’s aggregate emissions ignores two further reasons the field’s development consent should be refused on climate grounds.

    A litmus test of climate leadership

    First, exploiting new sources of oil supply like Rosebank locks in future oil and gas production, ultimately making it economically, politically and legally harder to wind the industry down.

    Second, as the Climate Change Committee also stated, decisions by the UK government concerning petroleum production have an important “signalling effect” internationally and at home.

    Internationally, the UK government has rightly acknowledged that climate action “must be accelerated drastically” to keep the average global temperature rise “below 1.5°C”.

    The UK has a proud reputation for climate leadership. It was the first country to enact a legally binding framework to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, it rapidly phased out coal-fired power generation, and in 2019 it became the first country to adopt a net zero emissions target.

    Building on this legacy, the foreign secretary David Lammy has vowed to “push for the ambition needed to keep 1.5 degrees alive”. But approving Rosebank would signal to the world that the UK government is not sincere about keeping the Paris agreement’s 1.5°C goal “alive”, after all.

    Some might think that aspirations to climate leadership are futile given the Trump administration’s “drill, baby, drill” approach to fossil fuels. But Trump’s recklessness at a critical time for global climate efforts makes UK climate leadership more important than ever.

    The UK already chairs a suite of international energy transition alliances focused on the international phase-out of coal-fired power, the scale-up of renewables, and the financing of these transitions. It could plug a gap in its influence by rejecting Rosebank and joining the Beyond Oil & Gas Alliance, a “club” of (currently) 25 national and sub-national governments that are working to phase-out oil and gas production and persuade other countries to follow suit.

    And it could deepen cooperation with the EU to drive down oil and gas demand and scale up clean energy throughout the region, yielding benefits that will outlive the Trump administration.

    Domestically, rejecting Rosebank would send a powerful signal to investors about the sincerity of the government’s commitment to achieve economic growth by becoming a “clean energy superpower”, as the governing Labour party pledged to do at the last election.

    But the benefits of clean prosperity must extend to the people and communities caught up in the transition, too. The UK’s North Sea oil and gas reserves, along with the jobs their production supports, are in terminal decline.

    Oil and gas workers and the communities in which they are based already face a volatile future. New fields like Rosebank would create some additional jobs in this declining industry. But they cannot arrest its long-term decline.

    The government recognises that this transition is already taking place and will continue. With targeted regional and industrial investment, support for workers and their families, and careful planning that meaningfully involves affected communities, the UK has an opportunity to demonstrate to the world how to achieve a just transition away from oil and gas.

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    Fergus Green has received consulting fees from and provided expert evidence on behalf of an environmental nongovernmental organisation engaged in climate-related litigation against a fossil fuel company. He informally consults with a number of environmental nongovernmental organisations in relation to fossil fuel production issues in the UK and elsewhere. He is a member of the Just Transition Expert Group of the Powering Past Coal Alliance (the role is unremunerated).

    – ref. Rosebank oilfield: why more UK oil means more global emissions – https://theconversation.com/rosebank-oilfield-why-more-uk-oil-means-more-global-emissions-253055

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –