NewzIntel.com

    • Checkout Page
    • Contact Us
    • Default Redirect Page
    • Frontpage
    • Home-2
    • Home-3
    • Lost Password
    • Member Login
    • Member LogOut
    • Member TOS Page
    • My Account
    • NewzIntel Alert Control-Panel
    • NewzIntel Latest Reports
    • Post Views Counter
    • Privacy Policy
    • Public Individual Page
    • Register
    • Subscription Plan
    • Thank You Page

Category: KB

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: 4 things every peace agreement needs – and how the DRC-Rwanda deal measures up

    Source: The Conversation – Africa (2) – By Philipp Kastner, Senior Lecturer in International Law, The University of Western Australia

    The governments of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Rwanda concluded a peace treaty in June 2025, aimed at ending a decades-long war in eastern DRC. The United Nations welcomed the agreement as “a significant step towards de-escalation, peace and stability” in the region.

    I have analysed several different peace negotiations and agreements. It’s important to distinguish between what’s needed to get warring parties to the table, and what’s eventually agreed on. In this article, I examine whether the DRC-Rwanda deal has got the four essential components that usually signal that an agreement will hold.

    Two broad points about peace agreements, first – and one particular complication in the DRC-Rwanda case.

    Firstly, one agreement is rarely enough to resolve a complex conflict. Most deals are part of a series of agreements, sometimes between different actors. They often mention previously concluded ones, and will be referred to by subsequent ones.

    Secondly, peace is a process, and requires broad and sustained commitment. It is essential that other actors, like armed groups, are brought on board. Importantly, this also includes civil society actors. An agreement will be more legitimate and effective if different voices are heard during negotiations.

    One major complication in relation to the DRC-Rwanda deal is that the United States has been the prime broker. But rather than acting as a neutral mediator trying to bring about peace, Washington seems to be pursuing its own economic interests. This does not bode well.

    There is no simple recipe for a good peace agreement, but research shows that four elements are important: a serious commitment from the parties, precise wording, clear timelines and strong implementation provisions.

    What underpins a good agreement

    First, the parties need to be serious about the agreement and able to commit to its terms. It must not be used as a cover to buy time, re-arm or pursue fighting. Moreover, lasting peace cannot be made exclusively at the highest political level. Agreements that are the result of more inclusive processes, with input by and support from the communities concerned, have a higher success rate.

    Second, the agreement must address the issues it aims to resolve, and its provisions must be drafted carefully and unambiguously. When agreements are vague or silent on key aspects, they are often short-lived. Previous experiences can guide peace negotiators and mediators in the drafting process. Peace agreement databases established by the United Nations and academic institutions are a useful tool for this.

    Third, clear and realistic timelines are essential. These can concern the withdrawal of armed forces from specified territories, the return of refugees and internally displaced persons, and the establishment of mechanisms providing reparations or other forms of transitional justice.

    Fourth, an agreement should include provisions on its implementation. External support is usually helpful here. Third states or international organisations, liked the United Nations and the African Union, can be mandated to oversee this phase. They can also provide security guarantees or even deploy a peacekeeping operation. What is crucial is that these actors are committed to the process and don’t pursue their own interests.



    Read more:
    DRC and Rwanda sign a US-brokered peace deal: what are the chances of its success?

    To know what to realistically expect from a specific peace agreement, it’s important to understand that such agreements can take very different forms. These range from pre-negotiation arrangements and ceasefires to comprehensive peace accords and implementation agreements.

    A lasting resolution of the conflict should not be expected when only a few conflict parties have concluded a temporary ceasefire.

    The DRC-Rwanda agreement: an important step with lots of shortcomings

    It’s difficult to tell at this point how serious the DRC and Rwanda are about peace, and if their commitment will be enough.

    Their assertion that they will respect each other’s territory and refrain from acts of aggression is certainly important.

    But Rwanda has a history of direct military activities in the DRC since the 1990s. And the treaty only includes rather vague references to the “disengagement of forces/lifting of defensive measures by Rwanda”. It doesn’t specifically mention the withdrawal of the reportedly thousands of Rwandan troops deployed to eastern DRC.

    The Paul Kagame-led Rwandan government has also supported Tutsi-dominated armed groups in the DRC since the Rwandan genocide in 1994. The Mouvement du 23 Mars (M23) is the current primary military actor in eastern DRC. But the agreement between the governments of DRC and Rwanda didn’t include the M23 or other groups. The two governments only commit themselves to supporting the ongoing negotiations between the DRC and the M23 facilitated by Qatar.

    The agreement also foresees the “neutralisation” of another armed group, the Hutu-dominated Forces Démocratiques pour la Libération du Rwanda (FDLR). This group claims to protect Rwandan Hutu refugees in the DRC, but is considered “genocidal” by the Rwandan government. The group has reacted to this plan by calling for a political solution and a more inclusive peace process.

    What’s needed

    The DRC-Rwanda agreement includes provisions that are vital to the people most affected by the conflict, such as the return of the millions of people displaced because of the fighting in eastern DRC. But it does not address other key issues.

    For instance, aside from a general commitment to promote human rights and international humanitarian law, there is no reference to the widespread violations of human rights and war crimes reportedly committed by all sides. These include summary executions, and sexual and gender-based violence, including violence against children.

    Some form of justice and reconciliation mechanism to deal with such large-scale violence should be considered in this situation, as for instance in the fairly successful 2016 agreement between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia – People’s Army (FARC). This could contribute to preventing further violations as it sends a clear signal that committing crimes will not be rewarded. It also helps the population heal and gives peace a better chance.

    There is no single model for this, and so-called transitional justice (defined as the “range of processes and mechanisms associated with a society’s attempts to come to terms with a legacy of large-scale past abuses, in order to ensure accountability, serve justice and achieve reconciliation”) remains highly controversial. For instance, insisting on war crimes trials can be seen as endangering a fragile peace process.

    But peace agreements across the world, from Libya to the Central African Republic, have over past decades moved away from blanket amnesties. They have increasingly included provisions to ensure accountability, especially for serious crimes. The DRC-Rwanda deal is silent on these questions.

    A twist in the tale

    The DRC-Rwanda deal is complicated by Washington’s role and pursuit of economic interests.

    The two states agreed to establish a joint oversight committee, with members of the African Union, Qatar and the United States. It foresees a “regional economic integration framework”, which has been criticised as opening the door for foreign influence in the DRC’s rich mineral resources. The country is the world’s largest producer of cobalt, for instance, which is essential for the renewable energy sector.

    Such a neocolonial “peace for exploitation bargain” does not send a positive signal. And it will probably not contribute to ending an armed conflict that has been fuelled by the exploitation of natural resources.

    Philipp Kastner 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. 4 things every peace agreement needs – and how the DRC-Rwanda deal measures up – https://theconversation.com/4-things-every-peace-agreement-needs-and-how-the-drc-rwanda-deal-measures-up-260944

    MIL OSI Analysis –

    July 15, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Bullying, violence and vandalism in primary school: study explores a growing crisis in South Africa

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Julie Shantone Rubbi Nunan, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Early Childhood Education and Development, University of South Africa

    South African primary schools are facing a crisis. Every day, learners fight, bully, destroy property, and intimidate other learners and teachers, turning what should be safe spaces into places of fear and mistrust.

    Research shows that learner behaviour frequently involves violence, bullying and vandalism (damage to school property) that threatens the safety of both learners and staff.

    The media usually report only serious cases of violence, but schools and teachers face challenging and dangerous behaviour every day that often goes unreported. This underreporting is not unique to South Africa; it’s a challenge seen in other countries too.

    Research shows that this kind of behaviour disrupts teaching and learning, leading to poor learner performance and school dropouts.

    Teachers frequently face aggression and intimidation from learners, which undermines their ability to teach effectively. They feel unsafe and frustrated when learners act aggressively, and this problem worsens when parents protect their children’s bad behaviour instead of addressing it.

    Violence, bullying, and damage to school property don’t just cause harm to learners and teachers. They also cost schools money to repair the damage and cause emotional trauma and suffering for victims and their families.

    Given these realities, it is important to carefully explore the lived experiences of teachers, school leaders and caretakers to fully understand the severity and complexity of challenging learner behaviour. This understanding is essential for developing effective policies and interventions aimed at restoring safety and improving learning environments in South African primary schools.

    As part of a wider study of challenging learner behaviour, I interviewed 21 participants from three primary schools in Durban, South Africa. It was a qualitative case study, in which the small sample size was well-suited and provided relevant and credible information on challenging learner behaviour. Thematic analysis was appropriate for identifying patterns and themes for further exploration.

    The aim was to probe the participants’ perspectives to understand how learners’ challenging behaviour is experienced in primary schools. I wanted to know more about how behaviour stemming from children’s homes and environments, playing out at school, was affecting teachers and the overall school climate.

    The interviews indicated that teachers were unhappy and wanting to quit the profession, learner victims faced constant fear and distress, and caretakers felt degraded. If this is a sign of how teachers, children and caretakers are feeling around South Africa, it points to the need for ways to reduce their stress.

    Voices from schools

    The schools in my study are located in semi-urban areas within the same district and serve learners from grade R (about age 5) to grade 7 (about age 12). The surrounding communities face high levels of unemployment, domestic violence, and various social challenges.

    Fifteen teachers, three governors, and three caretakers shared their experiences through interviews, enabling open discussion and deeper insights. Consistency across school sites supported the trustworthiness of the findings. Ethical guidelines were followed throughout.

    Across the three schools, participants described an environment where serious learner misconduct was a common, everyday problem.

    Teachers, governors, and caretakers reported daily disruptions that affected teaching, learning and emotional wellbeing. Aggression and violence were constant. Learners engaged in physical fights – punching, kicking, and using sharp objects like pencils and knives. These were not minor scuffles but incidents that caused serious injuries. Teachers were also threatened, shouted at, and occasionally physically harmed.

    Bullying was widespread, both verbal and physical. Learners harassed peers through name-calling, exclusion, extortion and intimidation, often in unsupervised spaces like toilets and tuckshops. Victims lived in fear, while teachers struggled to maintain discipline and protect vulnerable learners.

    Vandalism and property damage were routine. Learners tore up textbooks, damaged desks and windows, defaced walls with vulgar graffiti, and clogged toilets with rubbish. Caretakers faced degrading tasks like cleaning and scrubbing faeces and graffiti off the walls. The costs of repairing damage strained already limited school budgets.

    Adding to the tension, gang-like behaviour emerged. Small groups banded together to provoke fights, intimidate others, and sometimes fuel unrest rooted in xenophobia or local politics, creating fear, uncertainty and division among learners.

    Some incidents had gendered and criminal implications, including the reporting of boys violating the privacy and rights of other boys in the school toilets, and girls being inappropriately touched and harassed. This contributed to emotional trauma and, in some cases, learner dropout – especially among girls. The United Nations Children’s Fund posits that school violence contributes to girls dropping out of school. The dropout rate is a concern in South Africa.

    Stealing and lying were common. Learners stole from classmates, teachers, and school offices, often without remorse, and frequently lied or blamed others when confronted, further eroding trust and accountability.



    Read more:
    Dealing with unruly behaviour among schoolchildren in a tumultuous world

    Many participants believed learners expressed unspoken pain or mirrored violence and instability seen at home and in their communities. According to social cognitive theory, such behaviours are learned. Children exposed to violence, neglect, or chaos often replicate these actions in school. Without consistent guidance, role models, or consequences, the cycle intensifies.

    Moving forward

    In short, these schools are no longer safe havens for learning – they are in crisis. Without urgent and effective intervention, the very mission of basic education – and the wellbeing of children – is at risk.

    Primary schools depend on governing authorities and communities for their safety and success. Stakeholders must take collective action to reclaim schools as safe learning spaces.

    Governing authorities should address the issues raised by reviewing policies and implementing support programmes, including counselling, family-school partnerships, and teacher training to handle challenging behaviour in positive and sustainable ways.

    Julie Shantone Rubbi Nunan 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. Bullying, violence and vandalism in primary school: study explores a growing crisis in South Africa – https://theconversation.com/bullying-violence-and-vandalism-in-primary-school-study-explores-a-growing-crisis-in-south-africa-260111

    MIL OSI –

    July 15, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Director General David Cheng-Wei Wu Attends the Opening Ceremony of the 2025 OCAC Overseas Mandarin Teachers Training Program in Sydney

    Source: Republic of China Taiwan

    The OCAC held the Sydney session of its 2025 Overseas Mandarin Teachers Training Program, providing a valuable opportunity for local teachers to recharge and reconnect. Director General David Cheng-Wei Wu attended the opening ceremony alongside Director Chia-Hui Chiang of the Sydney Education Division and Principal Min-Huei Chien of the Australian Oriental Culture School.
    DG Wu praised the teachers for contributing to the impressive Mandarin skills of second- and third-generation students in the community. He also expressed confidence that the lectures by Professor Shih-Wen Chyu (NTNU) and Professor Tzu-Ching Lin (Providence University) would provide participants with the latest insights and practical tools.
    The two-day workshop, hosted by the Australian Oriental Culture School, featured classroom management, curriculum design, AI-assisted teaching, and Mandarin assessment system. Through these efforts, we aim to strengthen the connection between Taiwan and new generations of overseas Taiwanese, and elevate Taiwan’s brand in global Mandarin education.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    July 15, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: OmegaPro founder, promoter charged for running global $650 million foreign exchange and crypto investment scam following ICE New York investigation

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    NEW YORK — An investigation by ICE Homeland Security Investigations New York, alongside several partners, has resulted in an indictment charging two men for their alleged roles in operating and promoting OmegaPro, an international investment scheme that defrauded victim investors of over $650 million.

    According to court documents, Michael Shannon Sims, 48, of Georgia and Florida, was a founder, strategic consultant, and promoter of OmegaPro, and Juan Carlos Reynoso, 57, of New Jersey and Florida, led OmegaPro’s operations in Latin America and parts of the United States, including Puerto Rico.

    “This case highlights the critical role international partnerships play in dismantling transnational financial fraud schemes that exploit global markets and victimize unsuspecting investors,” said ICE HSI International Operations Assistant Director Ricardo Mayoral. “HSI remains committed to working with our partners worldwide to disrupt criminal networks that weaponize emerging technologies to conceal illicit profits and defraud the public.”

    Mayoral; Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow for the District of Puerto Rico; Assistant Director Joe Perez of the FBI Criminal Investigative Division; and Chief Guy Ficco of the IRS Criminal Investigation announced the charges on July 8.

    HSI New York, the FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation are investigating the case, with assistance from HSI Bangkok; HSI Bogota; HSI Frankfurt; HSI Istanbul; HSI London; HSI Miami; HSI New Delhi; HSI The Hague; the FBI’s Virtual Asset Unit; the Office of the Attorney General of Colombia; and the Joint Chiefs of Global Tax Enforcement, an alliance between the Australian Taxation Office, the Canada Revenue Agency, the Dutch Fiscal Intelligence and Investigation Service, His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs from the U.K., and IRS-CI.

    According to the investigation and as outlined in court documents:

    Sims and co-conspirators established OmegaPro in or about January 2019, and Reynoso joined a few months later, in or about April 2019. As alleged, the defendants and others operated and promoted OmegaPro as a multi-level marketing scheme for investors to purchase “investment packages,” which the defendants and others falsely promised would generate 300% returns over 16 months through foreign exchange trading by elite traders. Investors were instructed to purchase these investment packages using virtual currency.

    Sims allegedly misled victims by vouching for OmegaPro’s trading performance and the skills of the hired traders and by falsely advertising the safety of investment in OmegaPro. Reynoso allegedly falsely and misleadingly represented that OmegaPro was operating pursuant to a legitimate license and, at other times, that OmegaPro was not subject to any country’s legal rules. The indictment alleges that Sims and Reynoso, together with co-conspirators, hosted lavish OmegaPro promotional events and trainings all over the world including, for example, projecting the OmegaPro logo onto the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, at an event in Dubai. The objective of these promotional events allegedly was to convince existing and prospective investors that OmegaPro was a legitimate enterprise that offered a path to wealth and a luxurious lifestyle.

    Further, Sims, Reynoso, and their co-conspirators used social media to display their expensive vacations and cars, as well as their designer clothes and watches. The indictment alleges that through the defendants’ and others’ misrepresentations, OmegaPro raised over $650 million in virtual currency from thousands of investors. After OmegaPro announced that it had suffered a network hack, Reynoso and others told victims in or about January 2023 that their investments were secure and that OmegaPro was transferring their investments to another platform called Broker Group. Despite these representations, victims were unable to withdraw money from either their OmegaPro accounts or their accounts at Broker Group, resulting in millions in victim losses.

    The more than $650 million in funds raised from victims allegedly was first sent to virtual currency wallet addresses controlled by OmegaPro executives and then allegedly transferred to OmegaPro insiders and high-ranking promoters to disperse the funds and obscure their origins. As alleged, Sims and Reynoso both profited millions from this scheme.

    “As alleged, the defendants preyed upon vulnerable individuals in the U.S. and abroad, defrauding them of over $650 million by making false promises of substantial returns and that their money was safe,” said Galeotti. “The Criminal Division is committed to prosecuting these bad actors and pursuing justice for their many victims. Thanks to the dedicated work of our multiagency and international law enforcement partners, we are leading efforts to combat these complex and insidious digital asset investor scams.”

    “As alleged in the indictment, the defendants operated a global fraud scheme through OmegaPro that deceived investors with false promises of extraordinary returns, only to misappropriate hundreds of millions of victim funds,” said Muldrow. “We remain committed to dismantling international financial schemes that target U.S. victims — including here in Puerto Rico — and to recovering illicit proceeds through criminal prosecution and asset forfeiture.”

    “The FBI will not stand by while the American public is defrauded,” said Perez. “Through coordination with our partners, these individuals will have to defend their actions in a court of law.”

    “This case exposes the ruthless reality of modern financial crime,” said Ficco. “OmegaPro promised financial freedom but delivered financial ruin — stealing over $650 million from everyday people and vanishing it into virtual currency. These weren’t just scams; they were precision-engineered betrayals. Our job is to stand up for those who’ve been exploited and continue our cross-agency collaboration until those responsible are brought to justice.”

    Both defendants are charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. If convicted, Sims and Reynoso each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each count.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    July 15, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Ivey Marks the Calendar for Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday, Encourages Alabama Families to Stock Up on School Supplies

    Source: US State of Alabama

    MONTGOMERY – Governor Kay Ivey on Monday encouraged Alabamians to begin preparing for the upcoming academic year by participating in Alabama’s annual Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday. The tax-free period will run from Friday, July 18 through Sunday, July 20, 2025.

    “A new school year brings new opportunities, and we want every Alabama student to step into the classroom ready to learn and succeed,” said Governor Ivey. “This tax holiday is one more way we’re supporting our Alabama families and reinforcing the importance of education across our state. When we invest in our students and equip them for success, we’re building a stronger future for all of Alabama.”

    During the Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday, items like pencils, paper, binders, calculators and rulers are free from state sales tax. The holiday also covers school uniforms, books and computers. For the full list of back-to-school items that qualify for the sales tax holiday, please visit this link.

    “ALDOR is pleased we can offer this tax-free opportunity to parents and caregivers across Alabama who are getting their children ready for the upcoming school year,” said Alabama Department of Revenue Commissioner Vernon Barnett. “Many counties, cities and towns are also participating in the tax-free holiday, so we encourage everyone in Alabama to take advantage, and we wish students all the best this year.”

    Counties and municipalities may also choose to participate in the Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday by removing local sales and use taxes from the same selected items during the same weekend.

    You can see if your city, town or county is participating in the 2025 Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday at this link.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

    July 15, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Piero Cipollone: The digital euro: legal tender in the digital age

    Source: European Central Bank

    Introductory statement by Piero Cipollone, Member of the Executive Board of the ECB, at the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs of the European Parliament

    Brussels, 14 July 2025

    Thank you for inviting me to take part in this exchange of views. I would like to talk about why we need the digital euro – and the cost of not pursuing it.

    My message is simple. The main reason for issuing a digital euro is to preserve the benefits of cash in the digital era. To do so, we need to complement physical cash with a digital form of cash.

    The inability to use physical cash in online transactions or for digital payments at the point of sale deprives us of a key payment option, reducing resilience, competition, sovereignty and, ultimately, consumers’ freedom to choose how to pay.

    This increases the risks that European consumers, merchants and policymakers face. For a growing number of their transactions, Europeans lack access to central bank money – the money that is backed by the sovereign and has legal tender status, underpinning our monetary union because it is accepted everywhere in the euro area.

    Monetary sovereignty and people’s freedom to pay with legal tender: two sides of the same coin

    The Eurosystem is committed to cash and will continue to issue it.[1] But people’s habits are shifting towards digital payments.

    As the role of online payments has grown, the role of cash in day-to-day transactions has been declining at pace: between 2019 and 2024 its share fell from 68% to 40% in volume terms and from 40% to 24% in value terms.[2]

    This has two important implications.

    First, the role of cash will be significantly reduced if we do not provide a digital equivalent. If we fail to act, we will fail to fulfil our responsibility as a central bank towards the people we serve.

    Second, our monetary sovereignty is eroding. People’s ability to pay across the euro area with sovereign money – cash – and frequently choosing to do so, is a key pillar of monetary sovereignty. A digital form of cash would protect our sovereignty and ensure our monetary union is also a digital monetary union.

    What’s particularly concerning in Europe is that the gap left by declining cash use is being filled by non-European payment solutions. For card payments, only seven out of the 20 euro area countries have a national card scheme. These card schemes cannot be used in other euro area countries and are also losing market share domestically. For e-commerce, European-owned solutions are prevalent in only three euro area countries.[3]

    Strengthening our legal tender to stop the erosion of our monetary sovereignty

    To address this situation, the Single Currency Package protects the rights of those who want to continue to pay with cash, while complementing physical cash with a digital form of the legal tender: the digital euro.

    I believe we are being presented with a false choice: a private pan-euro area payment solution or a public one. First, it is not just about payments; it is about the evolution of the money. And second, it is a historical fact that state-issued money and money issued by private parties have typically coexisted, reinforcing each other.[4]

    The cost of inaction

    Since the start of the euro, we have recognised the need for an integrated retail payments market. This prompted the development of the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) to harmonise bank transfers. However, SEPA does not cover key use cases such as payments at the point of sale.

    Over the years, private firms have made several attempts to create a pan-European payment solution, but difficulties in coordinating among market participants prevented those firms from delivering a scalable and unified system.[5] Some 25 years after the launch of the euro, we still have no European payment solution that allows people to pay digitally throughout the euro area in stores, for e‑commerce goods and services and from person to person.

    Let us take a leap of faith. Imagine things would be different this time and that banks would manage to work together to rapidly provide a pan-European private payment solution. Would it still make sense to have the digital euro? The answer is yes.

    First, the digital euro would help preserve money as a public good that is easily accessible to everyone and universally accepted across the euro area. By contrast, private money belongs to the competitive space, so we cannot guarantee its acceptance by all merchants.

    Second, the digital euro would enhance resilience. We would have a reliable fallback in times of crisis, complementing cash. An especially important feature is that the digital euro would also function offline, providing a secure payment method even without an internet connection.[6] Moreover, as is the case with cash, we would be sure that all components of the digital euro remain in European hands.

    Third, the digital euro would prevent market concentration. The availability of legal tender and its wide adoption would put merchants in a stronger position to negotiate fees. In addition, the digital euro would create open standards with a wide acceptance network, making it easier for payment service providers to scale up their solutions. This would result in greater competition and innovation at European level.[7]

    Conclusion

    Let me conclude.

    The Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union entrusts you, the co-legislators, to “lay down the measures necessary for the use of the euro as the single currency.”

    We can together ensure that our currency is fit for the digital age by complementing physical cash and private payment initiatives with digital cash. Indeed, the digital euro is key to preserving the benefits of cash in the digital era.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

    July 15, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Twelfth Individual Charged in Alvarado Police Officer Shooting at Prairieland Detention Center

    Source: US FBI

    A twelfth individual has been charged for his role in the shooting of an Alvarado police officer at the Prairieland Detention Center, announced Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Nancy E. Larson.  

    According to a criminal complaint filed today, Benjamin Hanil Song, a former United States Marine Corps reservist, joined ten others in an organized attack against officers at the Prairieland Detention Center just after 10:30 p.m., Friday, July 4.

    The complaint alleges that group was dressed in black military style clothing.  The group began shooting fireworks towards the detention center.  Some then sprayed graffiti on vehicles and a guard structure in the parking lot at the facility.  Correctional officers called 911 to report suspicious activity.  An Alvarado police officer responded to the scene and, upon exiting his vehicle, the officer was shot in the neck by a defendant positioned in nearby woods. Another alleged assailant across the street fired 20 to 30 rounds at unarmed correctional officers who had stepped outside the facility.

    As alleged in the complaint, Song purchased four of the guns that were found in connection with the shooting.  Two AR-style rifles were found at the scene, which records show were purchased by Song.  One of the abandoned rifles at the scene had a binary trigger, used to “double” a regular rate of fire, allowing a shooter to fire more rapidly than a standard semiautomatic gun.  Police also recovered additional firearms in searches of residences and vehicles, including another AR-15 style rifle in the back of a van driven that night by Bradford Morris, who was charged in a separate complaint on Monday.  Song also purchased that rifle, according to court documents.  Joy Gibson—also charged in Monday’s complaint—had a pistol in her backpack when apprehended.  Records show that Song purchased this firearm in October 2024.

    Ten assailants charged in Monday’s complaint fled from the detention center but were apprehended by additional responding law enforcement officers.  Song, however, was not located by law enforcement officers that night.  As alleged, the location data associated with Song’s cellular telephone indicates that his phone was located within several hundred meters of the Prairieland Detention Center from late in the evening of July 4, 2025, until after dark on July 5, the day after the shooting.  Additionally, the complaint alleges that on July 6, a white Mercedes Benz registered to a relative of Song was found on the same block of Bradford Morris’s residence.  A DFW Airport camera captured an individual—believed to be Song—driving the Mercedes on May 23, 2025.

    Song has been charged by federal complaint with three counts of attempted murder of federal agents and three counts of discharging a firearm in relation to a crime of violence.  The ten others charged with these offenses in Monday’s complaint include Cameron Arnold, Savanna Batten, Nathan Baumann, Zachary Evetts, Joy Gibson, Bradford Morris, Maricela Rueda, Seth Sikes, Elizabeth Soto, and Ines Soto.  The FBI has deemed Song a wanted individual and advises that he should be considered armed and dangerous.  As described in the attached notice, the FBI is seeking the public’s assistance in Song’s apprehension.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Nancy E. Larson praised the tireless efforts of all federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies involved in this case to date. “The swift response of nearly 70 law enforcement officers to the site of the shooting hemmed in several of the attackers,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Nancy E. Larson. “The quick action and professionalism of our state and local law enforcement officers in the immediate aftermath of the shooting resulted in the prompt capture of ten of the assailants. Though Song escaped the scene by hiding overnight, he will be relentlessly pursued until he is in custody.”

    “Benjamin Hanil Song is wanted by the FBI for his connection to the violent assault that occurred at the Prairieland Detention Center. He is considered armed and dangerous, and we ask that the public contact law enforcement immediately if he is seen,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock. “We are committed to apprehending Song and are offering a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading to his arrest and conviction.  If you have any information, please call 1-800-CALL-FBI or you can submit a digital tip to fbi.govprairieland.”

    A criminal complaint is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence.  Like all defendants, Song is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.  If convicted, he faces a minimum penalty of ten years in federal prison and a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.

    The investigation was conducted by the FBI—Dallas, Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Office (ICE ERO), ATF, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Alvarado Police Department, and the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office. Links are below to the FBI Wanted Notice for Song, and the Criminal Complaint filed.
     

    https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/additional/benjamin-hanil-song

    MIL Security OSI –

    July 15, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Huntsville Resident Arrested on Arson and Fraud Charges After Deaths of Two

    Source: US FBI

    HOUSTON – A 52-year-old year-old resident of Kansas City, Missouri, has been charged with multiple counts related to a conspiracy to commit arson against a property used in interstate or foreign commerce resulting in death, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

    Authorities arrested Mario Raynard Roberson in the Houston area. He is now making his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Peter Bray.

    A federal grand jury in Houston returned the 12-count indictment July 1. It alleges Roberson was responsible for a Huntsville house fire June 14, 2023, which killed two people.

    According to the charges, Roberson held a State Farm Insurance policy on the home and recruited others to set it on fire to file a fraudulent insurance claim. The indictment alleges the two individuals died while igniting the blaze at Roberson’s residence.

    “The defendant is alleged to have orchestrated a scheme to collect an insurance payout through a purported racially-motivated arson, which led to two deaths,” said Ganjei. “Now that he is in federal custody he will answer these charges, and, if found guilty, be held accountable for the death of these two men.”

    Roberson is charged with conspiracy to commit arson against a property used in interstate or foreign commerce resulting in death which carries a possible life sentence, if convicted.

    He is also facing nine counts of wire fraud for attempting to defraud the insurance company; conspiracy to violate the Travel Act related to the use of an interstate facility, the telephone, to commit arson; and with conspiracy to commit arson in connection with a federal felony offense. Each of those charges have varying possible prison terms up to a maximum of 20 years. He could also be ordered to pay a $250,000 fine.   

    FBI – Bryan Resident Agency conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kelly Zenón-Matos, Byron Black and Alexander Alum are prosecuting this case.

    An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.

    MIL Security OSI –

    July 15, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Arizona Man Sentenced to Prison for Traveling to Washington for Sex with Fictitious Minor

    Source: US FBI

    Communicated with undercover law enforcement officer; Phone contained evidence of illegal communication with other children

    Seattle – A 73-year-old Tucson, Arizona man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to four years in prison for travel with intent to engage in a sexual act with a minor, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Steven J. Migdon, was arrested in August 2024 following an online investigation by Seattle Police and the FBI. In the investigation, the undercover agent posed as a 13-year-old boy. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Jamal N. Whitehead noted that Migdon lived a crime free life for 73 years, but added, “Today we are here to confront the ugliness of what you did over ten days. The images you had on your phone represented real children and real abuse. These are among the most serious crimes we see in federal court, the crimes that exploit children.”

    In July 2024, an undercover agent posted on a teen chatroom platform. Migdon replied to the 13-year-old persona and made the communication become more sexually explicit.  Migdon requested, but did not receive, sexually explicit images from the “teen.” Migdon sent pictures of his face and penis to the undercover agent.

    On August 5th Migdon flew from Tucson to Everett, Washington, believing he would meet the “teen” at an Everett hotel room. Instead Migdon was arrested. A search of his phone revealed that he had sent sexually explicit images to other children, and that he had images of child sexual abuse on his phone.

    In asking for a four-year sentence and ten years of supervised release to follow, Assistant United States Attorney Cecelia Gregson wrote to the court, “Despite age and experience, Migdon spent ten days communicating with a person he believed to be a 13-year-old boy. Worse, the content of his phone confirmed his chatting and travel conduct were not stand alone. Migdon had been sexually communicating with unidentified minors in the days leading up to his travel to Washington for sex with a fictitious child.”

    Migdon was ordered to pay $3,000 in restitution to a fund for the known victims in the child sex abuse images he possessed. Migdon is required to register as a sex offender and will be on ten years of supervised release following prison.

    The case was investigated by the FBI and the Seattle Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Cecelia Gregson.

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

    MIL Security OSI –

    July 15, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Africa: 4 things every peace agreement needs – and how the DRC-Rwanda deal measures up

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Philipp Kastner, Senior Lecturer in International Law, The University of Western Australia

    The governments of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Rwanda concluded a peace treaty in June 2025, aimed at ending a decades-long war in eastern DRC. The United Nations welcomed the agreement as “a significant step towards de-escalation, peace and stability” in the region.

    I have analysed several different peace negotiations and agreements. It’s important to distinguish between what’s needed to get warring parties to the table, and what’s eventually agreed on. In this article, I examine whether the DRC-Rwanda deal has got the four essential components that usually signal that an agreement will hold.

    Two broad points about peace agreements, first – and one particular complication in the DRC-Rwanda case.

    Firstly, one agreement is rarely enough to resolve a complex conflict. Most deals are part of a series of agreements, sometimes between different actors. They often mention previously concluded ones, and will be referred to by subsequent ones.

    Secondly, peace is a process, and requires broad and sustained commitment. It is essential that other actors, like armed groups, are brought on board. Importantly, this also includes civil society actors. An agreement will be more legitimate and effective if different voices are heard during negotiations.

    One major complication in relation to the DRC-Rwanda deal is that the United States has been the prime broker. But rather than acting as a neutral mediator trying to bring about peace, Washington seems to be pursuing its own economic interests. This does not bode well.

    There is no simple recipe for a good peace agreement, but research shows that four elements are important: a serious commitment from the parties, precise wording, clear timelines and strong implementation provisions.

    What underpins a good agreement

    First, the parties need to be serious about the agreement and able to commit to its terms. It must not be used as a cover to buy time, re-arm or pursue fighting. Moreover, lasting peace cannot be made exclusively at the highest political level. Agreements that are the result of more inclusive processes, with input by and support from the communities concerned, have a higher success rate.

    Second, the agreement must address the issues it aims to resolve, and its provisions must be drafted carefully and unambiguously. When agreements are vague or silent on key aspects, they are often short-lived. Previous experiences can guide peace negotiators and mediators in the drafting process. Peace agreement databases established by the United Nations and academic institutions are a useful tool for this.

    Third, clear and realistic timelines are essential. These can concern the withdrawal of armed forces from specified territories, the return of refugees and internally displaced persons, and the establishment of mechanisms providing reparations or other forms of transitional justice.

    Fourth, an agreement should include provisions on its implementation. External support is usually helpful here. Third states or international organisations, liked the United Nations and the African Union, can be mandated to oversee this phase. They can also provide security guarantees or even deploy a peacekeeping operation. What is crucial is that these actors are committed to the process and don’t pursue their own interests.

    Read more: DRC and Rwanda sign a US-brokered peace deal: what are the chances of its success?

    To know what to realistically expect from a specific peace agreement, it’s important to understand that such agreements can take very different forms. These range from pre-negotiation arrangements and ceasefires to comprehensive peace accords and implementation agreements.

    A lasting resolution of the conflict should not be expected when only a few conflict parties have concluded a temporary ceasefire.

    The DRC-Rwanda agreement: an important step with lots of shortcomings

    It’s difficult to tell at this point how serious the DRC and Rwanda are about peace, and if their commitment will be enough.

    Their assertion that they will respect each other’s territory and refrain from acts of aggression is certainly important.

    But Rwanda has a history of direct military activities in the DRC since the 1990s. And the treaty only includes rather vague references to the “disengagement of forces/lifting of defensive measures by Rwanda”. It doesn’t specifically mention the withdrawal of the reportedly thousands of Rwandan troops deployed to eastern DRC.

    The Paul Kagame-led Rwandan government has also supported Tutsi-dominated armed groups in the DRC since the Rwandan genocide in 1994. The Mouvement du 23 Mars (M23) is the current primary military actor in eastern DRC. But the agreement between the governments of DRC and Rwanda didn’t include the M23 or other groups. The two governments only commit themselves to supporting the ongoing negotiations between the DRC and the M23 facilitated by Qatar.

    The agreement also foresees the “neutralisation” of another armed group, the Hutu-dominated Forces Démocratiques pour la Libération du Rwanda (FDLR). This group claims to protect Rwandan Hutu refugees in the DRC, but is considered “genocidal” by the Rwandan government. The group has reacted to this plan by calling for a political solution and a more inclusive peace process.

    What’s needed

    The DRC-Rwanda agreement includes provisions that are vital to the people most affected by the conflict, such as the return of the millions of people displaced because of the fighting in eastern DRC. But it does not address other key issues.

    For instance, aside from a general commitment to promote human rights and international humanitarian law, there is no reference to the widespread violations of human rights and war crimes reportedly committed by all sides. These include summary executions, and sexual and gender-based violence, including violence against children.

    Some form of justice and reconciliation mechanism to deal with such large-scale violence should be considered in this situation, as for instance in the fairly successful 2016 agreement between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia – People’s Army (FARC). This could contribute to preventing further violations as it sends a clear signal that committing crimes will not be rewarded. It also helps the population heal and gives peace a better chance.

    There is no single model for this, and so-called transitional justice (defined as the “range of processes and mechanisms associated with a society’s attempts to come to terms with a legacy of large-scale past abuses, in order to ensure accountability, serve justice and achieve reconciliation”) remains highly controversial. For instance, insisting on war crimes trials can be seen as endangering a fragile peace process.

    But peace agreements across the world, from Libya to the Central African Republic, have over past decades moved away from blanket amnesties. They have increasingly included provisions to ensure accountability, especially for serious crimes. The DRC-Rwanda deal is silent on these questions.

    A twist in the tale

    The DRC-Rwanda deal is complicated by Washington’s role and pursuit of economic interests.

    The two states agreed to establish a joint oversight committee, with members of the African Union, Qatar and the United States. It foresees a “regional economic integration framework”, which has been criticised as opening the door for foreign influence in the DRC’s rich mineral resources. The country is the world’s largest producer of cobalt, for instance, which is essential for the renewable energy sector.

    Such a neocolonial “peace for exploitation bargain” does not send a positive signal. And it will probably not contribute to ending an armed conflict that has been fuelled by the exploitation of natural resources.

    – 4 things every peace agreement needs – and how the DRC-Rwanda deal measures up
    – https://theconversation.com/4-things-every-peace-agreement-needs-and-how-the-drc-rwanda-deal-measures-up-260944

    MIL OSI Africa –

    July 15, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Bullying, violence and vandalism in primary school: study explores a growing crisis in South Africa

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Julie Shantone Rubbi Nunan, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Early Childhood Education and Development, University of South Africa

    South African primary schools are facing a crisis. Every day, learners fight, bully, destroy property, and intimidate other learners and teachers, turning what should be safe spaces into places of fear and mistrust.

    Research shows that learner behaviour frequently involves violence, bullying and vandalism (damage to school property) that threatens the safety of both learners and staff.

    The media usually report only serious cases of violence, but schools and teachers face challenging and dangerous behaviour every day that often goes unreported. This underreporting is not unique to South Africa; it’s a challenge seen in other countries too.

    Research shows that this kind of behaviour disrupts teaching and learning, leading to poor learner performance and school dropouts.

    Teachers frequently face aggression and intimidation from learners, which undermines their ability to teach effectively. They feel unsafe and frustrated when learners act aggressively, and this problem worsens when parents protect their children’s bad behaviour instead of addressing it.

    Violence, bullying, and damage to school property don’t just cause harm to learners and teachers. They also cost schools money to repair the damage and cause emotional trauma and suffering for victims and their families.

    Given these realities, it is important to carefully explore the lived experiences of teachers, school leaders and caretakers to fully understand the severity and complexity of challenging learner behaviour. This understanding is essential for developing effective policies and interventions aimed at restoring safety and improving learning environments in South African primary schools.

    As part of a wider study of challenging learner behaviour, I interviewed 21 participants from three primary schools in Durban, South Africa. It was a qualitative case study, in which the small sample size was well-suited and provided relevant and credible information on challenging learner behaviour. Thematic analysis was appropriate for identifying patterns and themes for further exploration.

    The aim was to probe the participants’ perspectives to understand how learners’ challenging behaviour is experienced in primary schools. I wanted to know more about how behaviour stemming from children’s homes and environments, playing out at school, was affecting teachers and the overall school climate.

    The interviews indicated that teachers were unhappy and wanting to quit the profession, learner victims faced constant fear and distress, and caretakers felt degraded. If this is a sign of how teachers, children and caretakers are feeling around South Africa, it points to the need for ways to reduce their stress.

    Voices from schools

    The schools in my study are located in semi-urban areas within the same district and serve learners from grade R (about age 5) to grade 7 (about age 12). The surrounding communities face high levels of unemployment, domestic violence, and various social challenges.

    Fifteen teachers, three governors, and three caretakers shared their experiences through interviews, enabling open discussion and deeper insights. Consistency across school sites supported the trustworthiness of the findings. Ethical guidelines were followed throughout.

    Across the three schools, participants described an environment where serious learner misconduct was a common, everyday problem.

    Teachers, governors, and caretakers reported daily disruptions that affected teaching, learning and emotional wellbeing. Aggression and violence were constant. Learners engaged in physical fights – punching, kicking, and using sharp objects like pencils and knives. These were not minor scuffles but incidents that caused serious injuries. Teachers were also threatened, shouted at, and occasionally physically harmed.

    Bullying was widespread, both verbal and physical. Learners harassed peers through name-calling, exclusion, extortion and intimidation, often in unsupervised spaces like toilets and tuckshops. Victims lived in fear, while teachers struggled to maintain discipline and protect vulnerable learners.

    Vandalism and property damage were routine. Learners tore up textbooks, damaged desks and windows, defaced walls with vulgar graffiti, and clogged toilets with rubbish. Caretakers faced degrading tasks like cleaning and scrubbing faeces and graffiti off the walls. The costs of repairing damage strained already limited school budgets.

    Adding to the tension, gang-like behaviour emerged. Small groups banded together to provoke fights, intimidate others, and sometimes fuel unrest rooted in xenophobia or local politics, creating fear, uncertainty and division among learners.

    Some incidents had gendered and criminal implications, including the reporting of boys violating the privacy and rights of other boys in the school toilets, and girls being inappropriately touched and harassed. This contributed to emotional trauma and, in some cases, learner dropout – especially among girls. The United Nations Children’s Fund posits that school violence contributes to girls dropping out of school. The dropout rate is a concern in South Africa.

    Stealing and lying were common. Learners stole from classmates, teachers, and school offices, often without remorse, and frequently lied or blamed others when confronted, further eroding trust and accountability.

    Read more: Dealing with unruly behaviour among schoolchildren in a tumultuous world

    Many participants believed learners expressed unspoken pain or mirrored violence and instability seen at home and in their communities. According to social cognitive theory, such behaviours are learned. Children exposed to violence, neglect, or chaos often replicate these actions in school. Without consistent guidance, role models, or consequences, the cycle intensifies.

    Moving forward

    In short, these schools are no longer safe havens for learning – they are in crisis. Without urgent and effective intervention, the very mission of basic education – and the wellbeing of children – is at risk.

    Primary schools depend on governing authorities and communities for their safety and success. Stakeholders must take collective action to reclaim schools as safe learning spaces.

    Governing authorities should address the issues raised by reviewing policies and implementing support programmes, including counselling, family-school partnerships, and teacher training to handle challenging behaviour in positive and sustainable ways.

    – Bullying, violence and vandalism in primary school: study explores a growing crisis in South Africa
    – https://theconversation.com/bullying-violence-and-vandalism-in-primary-school-study-explores-a-growing-crisis-in-south-africa-260111

    MIL OSI Africa –

    July 15, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Minister-Counsellor Fan Xuecheng Attends China-Uganda Cultural and Educational Exchange Activities

    Source: APO – Report:

    .

    On July 11, 2024, Minister-Counsellor Fan Xuecheng of the Chinese Embassy in Uganda attended a series of cultural and educational exchange activities at Luyanzi Institute of Technology and Makerere University. The activities were joined by Professor Zhu Hui, Vice Chairperson of the University Council of Zhejiang University; Ms. Wang Lihong, Principal of Luyanzi Institute of Technology; H.E. Judith Nsababera, Consul General of Uganda in Guangzhou; and Professor Barnabas Nawangwe, Vice Chancellor of Makerere University.

    In his remarks, Minister-Counsellor Fan Xuecheng stated that China and Uganda have long enjoyed friendly relations, and educational and cultural exchanges have built a bridge for enhancing mutual understanding and trust between the two peoples. China will continue to support people-to-people and educational cooperation, injecting fresh impetus into the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries.

    Consul General Nsababera and other participants noted that Uganda is willing to take this opportunity to strengthen cooperation with China and promote Uganda-China relations to a new level.

    The Ugandan premieres of two documentaries produced by Zhejiang University — Generation Z’s China-Africa Stories and Along the Silk Road — were successfully held at Luyanzi Institute of Technology and warmly received. Zhejiang University also presented a collection of A Comprehensive Collection of Ancient Chinese Paintings to Makerere University, showcasing the richness of traditional Chinese culture.

    – on behalf of Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Republic of Uganda.

    MIL OSI Africa –

    July 15, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Statement: Standing firm against online and face-to-face abuse

    Source: City of Derby

    A statement from Paul Simpson, Chief Executive, Derby City Council:

    As a Council we are committed to delivering essential and vital services to our residents and businesses, often under challenging circumstances and with limited resources. We take immense pride in the dedication, professionalism, and compassion our teams demonstrate daily in serving our community. 

    However, we have observed a concerning increase in abusive, threatening and aggressive behaviour directed at our staff and councillors, both in person, online and over the phone. This includes deeply troubling incidents involving racist and misogynistic language, targeted threats of violence, and unacceptable harassment. 

    Unfortunately we have little choice but to make it absolutely clear – we will not tolerate abuse of any kind directed to our staff and councillors. Everyone has the right to work in an environment free from fear, intimidation and harm. 

    We recognise that not everything goes as planned, and we understand the frustration that can arise when services fall short or systems fail. We are committed to listening, improving, and being accountable. However, abuse is never the answer. 

    It’s important to remember that many of our colleagues live right here in Derby and reflect our communities. They’re regularly exposed to hateful comments that no one would wish their own loved ones to experience.

    Beyond the direct impact on our colleagues, we’re also seeing a concerning increase in negative comments directed at our diverse communities. This is entirely unacceptable.  

    We are committed to fostering a city where everyone feels safe, respected, and welcome, both in person and online.  

    We are actively addressing this behaviour by reporting serious incidents to the police, monitoring online threats, blocking abusive accounts, and providing wellbeing support. Where necessary, we will pursue legal action. We stand firmly with our staff, ensuring their safety and wellbeing remain our top priority. We will continue to deliver services with care, dignity, and respect, and we expect the same. 

    Derby has so much to celebrate this year. Our children’s services for looked after children have been rated ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted for the second time in three years. Our newly restored Derby Market Hall continues to thrive, and our responsible budget management places us in a strong position to continue providing quality services for all residents. 

    As a city, we must unite and treat each other with respect and compassion. Thank you to all our staff and councillors for your continued resilience, commitment and service to our communities.  

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    July 15, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: High-level Forum Kicks Off with Focus on Status of Sustainable Development in Health, Gender, Economy, Ocean, Partnerships

    Source: United Nations General Assembly and Security Council

    High-Level Political Forum,

    1st & 2nd Meetings (AM & PM)

    ECOSOC/7210

    The high-level political forum on sustainable development kicks off today and runs through 23 July, under the auspices of the Economic and Social Council.

    The 2025 forum’s theme is “Advancing sustainable, inclusive, science- and evidence-based solutions for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals for leaving no one behind”, with a focus on reviewing: Goal 3 on good health and well-being; Goal 5 on gender equality; Goal 8 on decent work and economic growth; Goal 14 on life below water; and Goal 17 on partnerships for the goals.

    The forum serves as the United Nations central platform for assessing, steering, and strengthening the global implementation of the 2030 Agenda and its 17 Goals.

    For information media. Not an official record.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

    July 15, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Millions Flow into Great Lakes: Canada funds $9.3 million in freshwater solutions

    Source: Government of Canada News (2)

    July 14, 2025 – Burlington, Ontario

    Water sustains life; it is a vital resource for people, nature and our economy. It is more important now than ever that we invest in protecting our freshwater to build a cleaner, safer and sustainable future for all.

    The Great Lakes Watershed is a critical freshwater system that we have here in Canada. It supports industry, recreation, ecosystems, and culture. It also holds spiritual and cultural significance for Indigenous peoples and their way of life.

    Today, the Honourable Julie Dabrusin, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, and Minister responsible for the Canada Water Agency, announced an investment of $9.3 million in 26 freshwater projects in the Great Lakes.  

    These projects are delivered through the Canada Water Agency’s Great Lakes Freshwater Ecosystem Initiative. Each project addresses key environmental challenges affecting water quality and ecosystem health in the region. They are also key in advancing Canada’s commitments under the Canada-United States Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. Each of these initiatives is community-led, facilitating collaboration on freshwater science and management.

    Among the funded projects, four will support freshwater restoration in Hamilton and Burlington, representing a $1.6 million investment over four years:

    • Royal Botanical Gardens will receive up to $150,000 to enhance habitat resilience in Cootes Paradise Marsh in the Hamilton Harbour Area of Concern through invasive species control, shoreline restoration, and ecological monitoring.
    • Hamilton Region Conservation Authority will receive up to $228,000 to engage landowners in implementing watershed improvement initiatives that reduce nutrient and sediment runoff in the Hamilton Harbour Area of Concern.
    • Halton Region Conservation Authority will receive up to $242,000 to develop a science-based nutrient management plan for the Grindstone Creek watershed. This includes analyzing water quality data, identifying nutrient sources, and engaging stakeholders to recommend targeted best management practices. 
    • The Regional Municipality of Halton will receive up to $995,000 to restore two kilometers of shoreline and dune ecosystems at Beachway Park in Burlington using nature-based restoration approaches.

    This investment will help improve water quality in the Hamilton Harbour Area of Concern and throughout the Great Lakes. Local projects like these drive measurable improvements in water quality and ecosystem health across the region. These projects are also creating lasting economic and social value by supporting sustainable fisheries, protecting drinking water sources, restoring vital habitats, and engaging local communities and landowners in stewardship efforts that strengthen both environmental resilience and regional well-being.

    Through the newly established Canada Water Agency, the Government of Canada is strengthening coordination and collaboration with provinces, territories, and Indigenous peoples to address freshwater challenges and opportunities in the Great Lakes and across the country. These efforts are part of a broader commitment to building a cleaner, more secure, and more prosperous future, because when we protect our water, we protect what makes Canada strong.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

    July 15, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Canada and the Northwest Territories Partner on Innovative, AI-Based Core Scanning Initiative to Support Critical Minerals Development

    Source: Government of Canada News (2)

    July 14, 2025                                          Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island                                   Natural Resources Canada

    The Government of Canada and the Government of the Northwest Territories are working together to advance a new geoscience research initiative that leverages artificial intelligence (AI), digital scanning technologies and historic drill cores to unlock the North’s mineral potential and help solidify Canada’s position as a global leader in resource development and critical minerals.

    As part of this initiative, Canada and the Northwest Territories will pilot a project to scan, digitize and analyze existing drill cores from the Northwest Territories Geological Survey’s collection using cutting-edge techniques to highlight new areas of high critical-mineral potential. These core scans and their associated data will be made available through a centralized digital platform, helping to reduce exploration risk, re-evaluate existing discoveries and enable new mineral development opportunities across the North.

    This program will be centred on drill cores from the Slave Geological Province in the Northwest Territories, one of Canada’s most promising regions for mineral exploration and critical mineral development. This vast, underexplored area is home to past-producing mines and significant greenfield potential, particularly for critical minerals such as lithium, copper, cobalt and rare earth elements. By applying AI-driven analysis to historical core samples, both governments aim to spur new investment by giving industry the tools it needs to unlock untapped mineral value — without further disturbing the land.

    This work will form the foundation for a future Canadian Digital Core Library and reflects both governments’ shared commitment to breaking down silos and building one Canadian economy. It also supports national priorities around clean growth, Indigenous partnership, Arctic sovereignty and securing the supply chains that power Canada’s transition to a net-zero future.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

    July 15, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: SBA Launches Center for Faith, Eliminates Biden Ban on Disaster Relief for Faith Organizations

    Source: United States Small Business Administration

    WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) launched its Center for Faith to empower faith-based businesses, community organizations, and houses of worship with access to capital, counselling, and government contracting opportunities. As part of its commitment to ending federal discrimination against religious entities, the agency is also eliminating a regulation, previously upheld by the Biden Administration, that banned faith-based organizations from receiving SBA disaster loans.

    “The SBA is committed to ending the era of weaponized government that has systematically discriminated against Americans of faith – even denying them access to vital disaster relief in times of tragedy,” said SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler. “We are thrilled to announce our first-ever Center for Faith at the SBA to improve access to agency resources for the faith community, ensuring that all SBA programs are accessible to eligible Americans regardless of their religious affiliation. We are proud to uphold the principles of religious freedom that our nation was founded on – and look forward to forging lasting relationships that bring new small businesses into the SBA ecosystem.”

    During the last Administration, the Biden SBA maintained a regulation that made any entity “principally engaged in teaching, instructing, counseling, or indoctrinating religion” ineligible to apply for Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) – even after the Supreme Court ruled that such discrimination was unconstitutional. Under the leadership of Administrator Loeffler, the SBA has reversed this rule. Effective immediately, faith-related organizations are now eligible for agency disaster relief in the aftermath of tragedy.

    Pursuant to Executive Order 14205, the new SBA Center for Faith will be housed within SBA’s Office of Economic Development and will focus on building partnerships with faith-driven organizations to increase awareness and access to capital, business counseling, contracting opportunities, and disaster recovery. For more information, please click HERE.

    # # #

    About the U.S. Small Business Administration

    The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of entrepreneurship. As the leading voice for small businesses within the federal government, the SBA empowers job creators with the resources and support they need to start, grow, and expand their businesses or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    July 15, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: SBA Launches Center for Faith, Eliminates Biden Ban on Disaster Relief for Faith Organizations

    Source: United States Small Business Administration

    WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) launched its Center for Faith to empower faith-based businesses, community organizations, and houses of worship with access to capital, counselling, and government contracting opportunities. As part of its commitment to ending federal discrimination against religious entities, the agency is also eliminating a regulation, previously upheld by the Biden Administration, that banned faith-based organizations from receiving SBA disaster loans.

    “The SBA is committed to ending the era of weaponized government that has systematically discriminated against Americans of faith – even denying them access to vital disaster relief in times of tragedy,” said SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler. “We are thrilled to announce our first-ever Center for Faith at the SBA to improve access to agency resources for the faith community, ensuring that all SBA programs are accessible to eligible Americans regardless of their religious affiliation. We are proud to uphold the principles of religious freedom that our nation was founded on – and look forward to forging lasting relationships that bring new small businesses into the SBA ecosystem.”

    During the last Administration, the Biden SBA maintained a regulation that made any entity “principally engaged in teaching, instructing, counseling, or indoctrinating religion” ineligible to apply for Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) – even after the Supreme Court ruled that such discrimination was unconstitutional. Under the leadership of Administrator Loeffler, the SBA has reversed this rule. Effective immediately, faith-related organizations are now eligible for agency disaster relief in the aftermath of tragedy.

    Pursuant to Executive Order 14205, the new SBA Center for Faith will be housed within SBA’s Office of Economic Development and will focus on building partnerships with faith-driven organizations to increase awareness and access to capital, business counseling, contracting opportunities, and disaster recovery. For more information, please click HERE.

    # # #

    About the U.S. Small Business Administration

    The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of entrepreneurship. As the leading voice for small businesses within the federal government, the SBA empowers job creators with the resources and support they need to start, grow, and expand their businesses or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    July 15, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: SECAF, CSAF recognize Airmen who supported Operation Midnight Hammer

    Source: United States Air Force

    Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen David Allvin visited US Transportation Command, Air Mobility Command and Scott Air Force Base to engage with service members and highlight contributions to Operation Midnight Hammer.

    MIL Security OSI –

    July 15, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murray, Sanders, Baldwin, Colleagues Demand Vought, McMahon Stop Blocking Funding for Afterschool Programs, K-12 Schools Across America

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray
    32 senators demand Trump admin stop blocking funding signed into law by President Trump in March and end freeze that has sent districts scrambling just weeks out from the new school year
    Washington, D.C. — Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), and Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies, led a letter to Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russ Vought and Education Secretary Linda McMahon demanding the immediate release of nearly $7 billion in funding for K-12 schools and adult literacy programs across America that the Trump administration abruptly let states and school districts know it would indefinitely block last week.
    The Trump administration’s decision to withhold the funding has sent school districts nationwide scrambling to determine how they could fill the, in many cases, massive budget hole and whether they’ll have to lay off teachers or end after school programs in the coming weeks. School districts have made clear they will have to end afterschool programs, already told parents to prepare backup options, and adult literacy programs have already been forced to lay off staff.
    In addition to Senators Murray, Sanders, and Baldwin, the letter was also signed by Senators Schumer, Hirono, Booker, Blunt Rochester, Reed, Blumenthal, Fetterman, Coons, Wyden, Shaheen, Hickenlooper, Durbin, Heinrich, Van Hollen, Kim, Hassan, Markey, Slotkin, Schatz, Padilla, Smith, Whitehouse, Warren, Kaine, Cantwell, Peters, Alsobrooks, Duckworth, and Merkley.
    “We are writing to demand an immediate end to the illegal withholding of nearly $7 billion in federal education formula grant funds our states and communities are expecting for the coming school year, which is set to begin in just a few weeks in some communities,” write the Senators. “These funds were made available by the bipartisan Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025, signed into law on March 15, 2025. Yet, instead of supporting the tens of millions of students and adult learners intended to benefit from these investments, the administration has chosen to continue an unprecedented and opaque ‘programmatic review’ of these formula grant funds past the July 1, 2025, date these funds became available for allotment to states.”
    The lawmakers blasted the administration for its abrupt notice and illegal freeze of the funds, which has sent school districts and programs nationwide scrambling: “We are shocked by the continued lack of respect for states and local schools evidenced by this latest action by the administration.”
    They note that blocking funding for before and after school programs, as well as summer learning programs, is already hurting families nationwide: “By withholding these funds from states, the Department will impact programs for nearly 1.4 million students served by 10,000 summer and before and afterschool programs around the nation, which the Department’s latest performance report showed supported significant improvements in student attendance, grades, and teacher reports of student engagement in learning.  These centers also help working parents by providing a safe and productive place for their children to be after the school day ends and during the summer months. It is beyond comprehension why the administration would want to jeopardize these outcomes.”
    Warning of how denying these funds will cause schools to lay off teachers and cut back on teacher training, they write: “This rash decision will only worsen school working conditions and teacher shortages.”
    The lawmakers also detail how the move affects adult learners nationwide: “This pause could jeopardize services to more than 1.2 million adult learners working to develop foundational literacy and numeracy skills needed to enter and succeed in workforce training and health, financial, digital, and information literacy skills necessary for full participation in community and civic life. The withholding will have an even more significant impact on 12 states that rely on these funds for 70 to 75 percent of their adult education programs.”
    The Trump administration has confirmed it is blocking funding for the following programs—all of which are programs President Trump has requested to eliminate in his budget request, raising serious concerns about this administration’s intentions to simply impound the funding:
    Supporting Effective Instruction State Grants (Title II-A), which support professional development and other activities to improve the effectiveness of teachers and school leaders, including reducing class size.
    21st Century Community Learning Centers (Title IV-B), which support high-quality before and after-school programs focused on providing academic enrichment opportunities for students.
    Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants (Title IV-A), which provide flexible funding for school districts for a wide range of activities including supporting STEM education, accelerated learning courses, college and career counseling, school-based mental health services, and improving school technology, among many others.
    English Language Acquisition (Title III-A), which supports language instruction to help English language learners become proficient in English.
    Migrant Education (Title I-C), which supports the educational needs of migratory children, including children of migrant and seasonal farmworkers.
    Adult Basic and Literacy Education State Grants (including Integrated English Literacy and Civics Education State Grants), which support adult education and literacy programs to provide the basic skills to help prepare adults and out-of-school youth for success in the workforce.
    Full text of the letter is available HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    July 15, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Defense News in Brief: SECAF, CSAF recognize Airmen who supported Operation Midnight Hammer

    Source: United States Spaceforce

    Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen David Allvin visited US Transportation Command, Air Mobility Command and Scott Air Force Base to engage with service members and highlight contributions to Operation Midnight Hammer.

    MIL Security OSI –

    July 15, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: The SBB Research Group Foundation Sponsors Chicago Scholars

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CHICAGO, July 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Chicago Scholars collaborated in a volunteer initiative alongside the SBB Research Group Foundation, which partners with local nonprofits through its Champion A Charity Program.   

    In celebration of Women’s History Month and in alignment with its mission to develop young adults from under-resourced communities, Chicago Scholars hosted its inaugural Women Lift and Lead networking reception on Monday, March 31st. The event welcomed nearly 50 guests and marked a vibrant kickoff to the 2025 program year.

    Women Lift and Lead is a unique initiative within Chicago Scholars’ career readiness programming. For the past five years, the program has empowered young women of color to build direct relationships with women in senior leadership roles. Through carefully curated interviews and mentorship pairings, Scholars are matched with industry-aligned leaders to engage in honest dialogue about career journeys, leadership, and personal development.

    The SBB Research Group Foundation provided resources to support the enrollment of 20 additional Scholars compared to last year and helped with the Women Lift and Lead networking event through event support and on-site participation. The event created a welcoming and dynamic space for students, mentors, and supporters to connect and celebrate the power of mentorship and education in shaping women’s careers. The reception also served as a recruitment event for the upcoming Women Lift and Lead programming set to take place later this year.

    “It was so inspiring to see these young women getting to connect with business professionals who are truly making an impact in their lives. We are grateful to be able to support Chicago Scholars Women Lift and Lead Program,” said Mitchell Lederer a volunteer for The SBB Research Group Foundation.

    To learn more about Chicago Scholars, please visit https://chicagoscholars.org/ 

    About the SBB Research Group Foundation 

    The SBB Research Group Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that furthers the philanthropic mission of SBB Research Group LLC (SBBRG), a Chicago-based investment management firm led by Sam Barnett, Ph.D., and Matt Aven. The Foundation provides grants to support ambitious organizations solving unmet needs with thoughtful, long-term strategies. In addition, the Foundation sponsors the SBBRG STEM Scholarship, which supports students pursuing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics degrees. 

    Contact: Erin Noonan 
    Organization: SBB Research Group Foundation
    Email: grants@sbbrg.org 
    Address: 450 Skokie Blvd, Building 600, Northbrook, IL 60062 United States 
    Phone: 1-847-656-1111
    Website: https://www.sbbrg.org 

    The MIL Network –

    July 15, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: The SBB Research Group Foundation Sponsors Chicago Scholars

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CHICAGO, July 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Chicago Scholars collaborated in a volunteer initiative alongside the SBB Research Group Foundation, which partners with local nonprofits through its Champion A Charity Program.   

    In celebration of Women’s History Month and in alignment with its mission to develop young adults from under-resourced communities, Chicago Scholars hosted its inaugural Women Lift and Lead networking reception on Monday, March 31st. The event welcomed nearly 50 guests and marked a vibrant kickoff to the 2025 program year.

    Women Lift and Lead is a unique initiative within Chicago Scholars’ career readiness programming. For the past five years, the program has empowered young women of color to build direct relationships with women in senior leadership roles. Through carefully curated interviews and mentorship pairings, Scholars are matched with industry-aligned leaders to engage in honest dialogue about career journeys, leadership, and personal development.

    The SBB Research Group Foundation provided resources to support the enrollment of 20 additional Scholars compared to last year and helped with the Women Lift and Lead networking event through event support and on-site participation. The event created a welcoming and dynamic space for students, mentors, and supporters to connect and celebrate the power of mentorship and education in shaping women’s careers. The reception also served as a recruitment event for the upcoming Women Lift and Lead programming set to take place later this year.

    “It was so inspiring to see these young women getting to connect with business professionals who are truly making an impact in their lives. We are grateful to be able to support Chicago Scholars Women Lift and Lead Program,” said Mitchell Lederer a volunteer for The SBB Research Group Foundation.

    To learn more about Chicago Scholars, please visit https://chicagoscholars.org/ 

    About the SBB Research Group Foundation 

    The SBB Research Group Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that furthers the philanthropic mission of SBB Research Group LLC (SBBRG), a Chicago-based investment management firm led by Sam Barnett, Ph.D., and Matt Aven. The Foundation provides grants to support ambitious organizations solving unmet needs with thoughtful, long-term strategies. In addition, the Foundation sponsors the SBBRG STEM Scholarship, which supports students pursuing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics degrees. 

    Contact: Erin Noonan 
    Organization: SBB Research Group Foundation
    Email: grants@sbbrg.org 
    Address: 450 Skokie Blvd, Building 600, Northbrook, IL 60062 United States 
    Phone: 1-847-656-1111
    Website: https://www.sbbrg.org 

    The MIL Network –

    July 15, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: UK and Pakistan agree new Business Advisory Council at inaugural Trade Dialogue

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    World news story

    UK and Pakistan agree new Business Advisory Council at inaugural Trade Dialogue

    Ministers from the UK and Pakistan have announced new measures to boost trade between the two countries, following the launch of the UK-Pakistan Trade Dialogue.

    As part of the Dialogue, ministers announced the creation of a new UK-Pakistan Business Advisory Council bringing together senior business leaders and government officials to facilitate high value trade and investment. The Council will provide strategic advice on policy reform, offer a confidential forum for engagement, and help promote commercial opportunities by addressing market access challenges and sharing best practices.  

    Today’s (14 July) meeting in London was co-chaired by the UK Minister for Trade Policy and Economic Security, Douglas Alexander, and Pakistan’s Federal Minister of Commerce, Jam Kamal Khan. Both Ministers agreed to annual ministerial meetings to unlock growth opportunities, and support businesses and investors in the UK and Pakistan.  

    UK Minister for Trade Policy and Economic Security Douglas Alexander said: 

    Today’s Dialogue marks the next step in our long-standing relationship with Pakistan, taking our trading partnership to the next level and unlocking new opportunities for businesses in both our countries.

    By deepening cooperation in key sectors like healthcare and digital technology – areas central to the UK’s Industrial Strategy – we can drive growth, foster innovation, and create jobs.

    Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Commerce, Jam Kamal said:  

    The UK remains one of Pakistan’s most important economic partners. This Dialogue lays the foundation for a more structured and forward-looking trade relationship. By strengthening collaboration and aligning our priorities, we can expand bilateral trade, attract greater investment, and create sustainable economic opportunities that benefit both nations. 

    The UK has also announced up to £200,000 to support Pakistan’s aspirations to attract investment from the UK. The funds will provide technical assistance for investor outreach, and support matchmaking between Pakistani investors and UK-based opportunities. This initiative reflects the UK’s commitment to supporting Pakistan’s ambitions to increase outbound investment and to strengthening the bilateral investment relationship. 

    The Dialogue highlighted shared ambition to build on recent momentum, with bilateral trade increasing by 7.3% during the final quarter of last year. Bilateral trade is currently valued at £4.7 billion. Today’s discussion focussed on key sectors including information technology and healthcare, two priority areas under the UK’s Industrial Strategy. 

    The UK’s Industrial Strategy presents a significant opportunity for businesses and investors. The UK is committed to making it easier, faster, and more predictable for international firms to operate in its market. This includes reforms in skills development, innovation, regulation, and planning – creating a more dynamic and open business environment. Through the alignment of the UK’s Industrial Strategy and the UK – Pakistan Trade Dialogue, we are reaffirming our commitment to open and fair trade, and to deepening economic ties with key partners like Pakistan.

    For updates on the British High Commission, please follow our social media channels:

    • Twitter: @UKinPakistan  JaneMarriottUK
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Website

    Share this page

    The following links open in a new tab

    • Share on Facebook (opens in new tab)
    • Share on Twitter (opens in new tab)

    Updates to this page

    Published 14 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    July 15, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Estes Applauds Passage Of One Big Beautiful Bill Act, Sends To President’s Desk

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Ron Estes (R-Kansas)

    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Congressman Ron Estes (R-Kansas) released a statement marking the House of Representatives’ passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The bill now heads to President Trump’s desk for his signature. 

    Prior to the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, Rep. Estes spoke in favor of the bill on the House floor. Read his remarks and watch here.

    “When Republicans decisively won the House, the Senate, and the White House last November, we promised the American people to extend the 2017 Trump Tax Cuts, secure the border, and restore prosperity,” said Rep. Estes. “With this bill’s passage, President Trump and my colleagues are ensuring Americans will see tax cuts and wage increases for years to come, improving the quality of life for the Kansans I represent.”

    Background:

    July 2025 – Rep. Estes Delivers Remarks On House Floor In Support Of The One Big, Beautiful Bill

    May 2025 – Rep. Estes Votes to Advance One Big, Beautiful Bill

    May 2025 – Rep. Estes Applauds Ways and Means Tax Legislation Vote

    April 2025 – House Passes Budget Resolution in Win for America First Agenda

    February 2025 – Rep. Estes Delivers Remarks on House Floor in Support of Budget Reconciliation Bill

    MIL OSI USA News –

    July 15, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Estes Talks One Big Beautiful Law with Andy Hooser

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Ron Estes (R-Kansas)

    U.S. Congressman Ron Estes (R-Kansas) joined the Voice of Reason with Andy Hooser to talk about the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). President Trump signed the bill into law on July 4, 2025.

    Rep. Estes spoke about provisions within the OBBBA that will improve the lives of Americans through tax cuts, economic growth and the promotion of American innovation. He also spoke about border security funding and the creation of a Golden Dome to strengthen our national security.

    Listen to the interview here. 

    On passing the One Big Beautiful Bill Act:

    “…It was a monumental thing just because of the amount of work that we had to go through. In fact, we started this years ago. We knew after we passed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act in 2017 that there were provisions that were going to expire. Some of them already have expired and we’ve seen some slowdown in the economy because of that. Others are expiring this year and so we wanted to make sure that we address those provisions and we looked at the future and how do we move forward from here. And so it was a lot of heavy lifting in terms of a lot of work and how do you sort through that process. 

    “I said in a lot of cases, it’s one step at a time. The first step was to get the Republicans elected in the majority in the House and the Senate and President Trump elected in the White House. That was the first thing we had to do to make this happen. It’s just been a series of steps since then.”

    On how the One Big, Beautiful Bill will grow the economy:

    “…We’ve seen over and over again the Congressional Budget Office, or CBO, has missed on scoring. In fact, they scored that the Inflation Act was not going to increase the deficit when as soon as the act was passed by the Democrats, then it showed, well now it’s really going to cost hundreds of billions of dollars more than what was described. We really have to come up with some better guestimates in terms of the decisions we make because we’re making trillion-dollar decisions. We’ve got to do that.

    “When we look at the One Big, Beautiful Bill on paper, in a static world, they’re saying it costs over $3 trillion dollars. But that’s if you say, somebody gets a tax cut or they don’t get a tax increase, because that’s really a lot of cases what it was, that their behavior wouldn’t change.

    “And I would say the argument is that if we raise taxes on people, they don’t have the money to invest. Businesses don’t have the money to invest. Individuals don’t have the money to go out and buy the new car, to go out and do the other decisions that they want to make for their family. 

    “And so when we were going through this on the Budget Committee, we were looking at, you know, even if the economic growth went from roughly 1.8%, 1.9%, where CBO was project it, up by less than 1%, that would raise almost $3 trillion in extra tax revenue over 10 years. Yet that’s not included in some of these numbers that are being reported about what the true cost of that is. 

    “We really wanted to focus on, how do we make good economic growth? How do we put as much as we could permanent, whether it was for small businesses … or whether it’s things like research and development, which Americans have led the innovation across the world for years. And I’ve been a big advocate that when you invest money on research and development or new ideas, that you can deduct that off your taxes in the year that incurs. And that’s one of those provisions that expired three years ago, and we’ve seen a slowdown in research and development spending.

    “In fact, we’ve seen … after 2017, it increased by 18%. And now, it has dropped. And the important thing about that is three-fourths of that money goes to jobs. And then those research and development jobs lead to more manufacturing work in the United States. So for over a longer period of time, it is a jobs program. And we need to make sure that those provisions, and that was a big piece of what we wanted to make sure were permanent in the bill, to help make sure that the economy continued to grow and people had more money in their pocket and paid less in taxes.”

    On Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries holding up the vote on the One Big Beautiful Bill Act:

    “Here’s what he was trying to advocate for. He was trying to advocate that able-bodied adults without children should be entitled to Medicaid and not have to go look for a job. Americans want to, we’re beneficial people, we’re charitable. We want to give hand ups to people. But we also expect that you should do your own part and have the responsibility.

    “Basically, the Democrat position was, ‘No these people shouldn’t have to go look for a job.’Their argument was that illegal aliens should be entitled to getting free Medicaid. And this bill is going to prohibit that. And this bill is also going to prohibit people who maybe they qualified one year, but their income’s gone up this year because they have gone to work, but states weren’t required to certify that their income is as low as it was. Therefore, they were automatically re-enrolled. 

    “We’re saying, ‘Let’s go make sure that these processes work. Let’s go make sure that the money’s saved on people that shouldn’t be receiving Medicaid so that we have the money available for the disabled and the low income.’” 

    On improving national security at home and abroad:

    “We need to make sure that we clean up the mess that President Biden left the country in. Looking at new things on the defense side. You know, the world’s a dangerous place as we see now with Iran and North Korea and China and even Russia, in some of the things they’re doing. And [we] need to make sure that we have the next generation of technology out there to help with the sport. That we look at the Golden Dome process.”

    “I’ve been amazed going to Israel and seeing the Iron Dome and seeing that work. Seeing the interaction of technology to be able to detect a missile launch and track it and determine where it’s going and determine is it going to land in a field or is it going to land in a populated area? And then, how do you fire a missile to stop it? And to be successful at that and to make that process work. It’s great technology, great interaction there. It’s the type of thought process that we need to have to protect our country going forward.” 

    On the United States investing in a strong military and national defense:

    “One, we’ve seen, ever since the collapse of the Soviet Union, we saw a huge decline in the 1990s, the so-called peace dividend. And that really led into, there was a slight buildup with the fighting Al-Qaeda after 2001. And 9/11 results out of that. But then after that, there started to be a wind down again in terms of that.

    “We’re at an inflection point now and we’ve seen it both in Israel, and we’ve seen it in Ukraine. We’re at a point where some of the old technology or some of the things that may not be the right answers going forward. 

    “For example, we can shoot down a lot of the missiles that are fired at Israel but if you take a million dollar missile to shoot down a $50,000 drone that’s being fired at it, that’s not a smart use of resources. So we’ve got to look at some of those new technologies and things that we do going forward.”

    On the budget reconciliation process:

    Basically the reconciliation process is driven off of the budget process. And you want to prepare a budget each year, each fiscal year. This was off of the 2025 fiscal year budget … We’re now working on the 2026 fiscal year budget, and we’ll also have to work on the 2027 fiscal year before the end of next year.

    “Obviously, there’s a lot of work to do. I mean, we made some great strides in this One Big, Beautiful Bill. One of the things we want to really push on is, let’s get as much done as we could, knowing that we couldn’t get everything done.

    “So we’ve got a lot more to do, and we still have a whole lot of work we have to do to actually address some of the things with the spending at the federal level and making sure we address the budget and making sure, how do we make the United States stronger again.”

    On working towards a balanced budget:

    “We’ve still got a lot of work to do in that regards. I mean, we’re borrowing one out five dollars that the federal government is spending. So, it’s a terrible place to be in. It’s something that … our predecessors should not have gotten into that situation. And, it’s not something that we want to leave to our kids and grandkids. And really, that debt’s mostly being spent on today’s lifestyle. That’s the bad part about it. 

    “It’s not like it’s investing in a whole lot more infrastructure and other things. It’s today’s preferences that [it] is being spent on. So we’ve got to focus on both the discretionary side, which is the smallest piece of the budget, it’s really about 25% of it. And that’s what we’ll look at on the 2026 appropriations. 

    “But then we’ve got some big mandatory spending projects we’ve got to work on now. And those are the ones that are growing the fastest. Part of it’s the Social Security, Medicaid, Medicare, … we put money into Social Security and Medicare, but it’s not enough for what’s being spent out of those programs.

    “The SNAP food stamp program, which got some improvements now, obviously that’s growing. And that’s what, 80% of the Farm Bill? We really should be calling it the Farm and Food Stamp Bill. And so we’ve got a lot of work as we focus on that.

    On drafting the FY2026 budget:

    “Technically for 2026 we’ve already missed the date in terms of what we wanted to do. But with the discussion now that we’ve passed, and part of that was because we focused so much on the One Big, Beautiful Bill. We knew we had to get that done. There are some things we needed to get done in July. There are some things we wanted to get done now instead of waiting until December so that people could start making decisions about, because they know what their tax bill is going to be next year through that process. That’s good. Now let’s go focus on the 2026 budget and how that’s going to drive reconciliation. At the parallel process, which we’re working on appropriations for the discretionary pieces, and we can attack them both directions in terms of the problems that we’re trying to face.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

    July 15, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: PRESS RELEASE: Rep. Barragán Celebrates Grand Opening of Urban Orchard After Securing Funding to Improve Underserved Communities’ Access to Outdoor Recreation

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Nanette Diaz Barragán (CA-44)

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    July 13, 2025

    Contact: Jin.Choi@mail.house.gov

    Rep. Barragán Celebrates Grand Opening of Urban Orchard After Securing Funding to Improve Underserved Communities’ Access to Outdoor Recreation

    South Gate, CA — Yesterday, Congresswoman Nanette Barragán (CA-44) celebrated the grand opening of the Urban Orchard, a new park located in South Gate, along the Los Angeles River. 

    Rep. Barragán secured a $3 million federal grant through the Land and Water Conservation Fund in 2023 for this project, as well as another $50,000 grant from the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation. Furthermore, the Congresswoman authored the Outdoors for All Act to improve access to outdoor recreation in urban and underserved communities. This legislation was ultimately included in the EXPLORE Act, which was signed into law by President Joe Biden this past January.

    “I am proud to return to Urban Orchard to celebrate its grand opening. This is more than just a park — it is a powerful investment in health, equity, and environmental justice,” said Rep. Barragán. “Urban Orchard is a safe, welcoming place for families to gather and learn. Donald Trump wants to destroy our community resources and safe spaces, like Urban Orchard, through the devastating cuts against our conservation programs and community green space funding in his Big Ugly Bill. But House Democrats will continue to fight in Congress to protect these investments because every family, no matter their zip code, deserves access to clean air, public safety, and a space for community.”

    “This park is the result of years of vision, hard work, and collaboration,” said Maria Davila, Mayor of South Gate. “Urban Orchard Park proves what’s possible when a city invests in its people and its environment. This is how we build a better future together. Urban Orchard Park is for everyone. Whether you’re walking your dog, enjoying a sunny afternoon with your kids, or simply enjoying the fresh air and fruit trees, this is a space for community and connection.”

    “Urban Orchard is a national model for how partnership and strategic planning can curb some of the most pressing issues of our time. The 200 fruit trees, educational garden, storm water infrastructure, wetland, walking paths, and long-term job opportunities are all testimony to how non-profits, donors, city leaders and agencies can partner to achieve shared goals even amidst challenging economic times,” said Nola Talmage, the Los Angeles Parks for People Program Director. “Trust for Public Land is proud to see years of partnership coming to fruition, as the collective investment in Urban Orchard will improve community health, provide climate resilience, spur economic growth for the city, and provide essential access to the outdoors, now and for many generations to follow.” 

    Communities like South Gate have long faced the harmful impacts of pollution, overcrowded housing, and limited green space. The park was designed to address these issues by diverting and treating storm water run-off from the Los Angeles River, as well as providing a space for outdoor recreation for South Gate residents. The park is fully furnished with green space, fruit trees, wetlands, an education garden, and now stands as a model for stormwater capture, climate resilience, and equitable access to green space, and a replicable approach for other underserved areas.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

    July 15, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: PRESS RELEASE: Rep. Barragán and Sen. Markey Introduce Resolution to Confront Rising Public Health Threats from Climate Change

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Nanette Diaz Barragán (CA-44)

    For Immediate Release

    July 12, 2025

    Contact: jin.choi@mail.house.gov

    Rep. Barragán and Sen. Markey Introduce Resolution to Confront Rising Public Health Threats from Climate Change

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — This week, Congresswoman Nanette Barragán (CA-44), a member of the Energy & Commerce Subcommittee on Health, and Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), member of the Environment and Public Works Committee, introduced a resolution recognizing climate change as a growing threat to public health and calling for a coordinated federal strategy to protect communities from worsening climate-fueled harms. The resolution urges the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and other federal agencies to lead a whole-of-government effort to protect public health and improve resiliency against climate-related threats throughout the health sector. Representatives Salud Carbajal (CA-24), Doris Matsui (CA-07), and Brad Schneider (IL-10) co-led the resolution in the House.

    The climate crisis is here. In 2024, the United States experienced 27 climate disasters that caused more than a billion dollars each in damage. Increasingly frequent and extreme events—like wildfires, floods, and heat waves—are driving spikes in illness, displacement, and death. More than 150 million Americans live in areas with unhealthy air, and people with disabilities are 2 to 4 times more likely to die or be injured in climate-related disasters. Frontline workers in agriculture, construction, delivery, and manufacturing face growing health risks from extreme heat and poor air quality on the job. 

    “The climate crisis affects us all, but especially economically disadvantaged communities, communities of color, and other marginalized communities,” said Representative Barragán. “Now more than ever, we see families across the country facing significant health risks as a result of climate disasters such as extreme heat, excessive flooding, and unpredictable storms. Yet the Trump Administration has dangerously chosen to ignore the threat of climate change to our public health – firing staff and canceling programs that were focused on improving our resilience to harmful environmental exposures, such as the HHS Office of Climate Change and Health Equity. That is why I am proud to lead this bicameral resolution with Senator Markey and Representatives Carbajal, Matsui, and Schneider to acknowledge the federal government’s responsibility to mitigate the impacts of climate change and protect the health and well-being of all Americans.”

    “With deadly extreme weather disasters, devastating heat waves, and pollution that triggers asthma and other health crises all on the rise, climate change is a full-blown public health emergency—and we need to treat it that way,” said Senator Markey. “This resolution calls on our government to protect the people most at risk from climate-related threats—those on the frontlines of the climate crisis, including Black and Indigenous communities, low-income families, and workers, especially those in construction, delivery, manufacturing, and warehouses. While Republicans pass bills that kick people off their health care, we are fighting for a resilient health system that helps everyone survive a warming and increasingly chaotic world.”

    “It doesn’t matter if you live in a red or blue state, every American will be affected by climate change,” said Congressman Salud Carbajal. “We’re calling on the Administration to reinstate the OCCHE because it’s essential to protecting the health and well-being of every community in this country.”

    “Over the past six months, President Trump and Congressional Republicans have launched a full-scale attack on the environment and public health,” said Congresswoman Matsui. “By blatantly disregarding climate change, they are driving us towards a dangerous future. Climate change is already harming human health nationwide, driving up heat-related deaths, increasing vector-borne illnesses, and disrupting medical care. This resolution demands urgent action to address the health impacts from climate change to prevent countless deaths across the country.”

    “Climate change threatens every corner of our nation and must be mitigated through swift, coordinated action by our government,” said Congressman Schneider. “The Office of Climate Change and Health Equity is a critical asset in understanding the dire health implications of climate change and mobilizing strategies that ensure no community is left behind. The decision by the Trump Administration to place all OCCHE staff on leave poses a real threat to American lives and wellbeing. I’m proud to join my colleague Rep. Barragan in urging the Trump Administration to reinstate of the Office of Climate Change and Health Equity (OCCHE) and its Office of Environmental Justice.”

    Specifically, the resolution:

    • Demands the release of funding appropriated by Congress that would help to address climate-related health threats that has been held up by Federal agencies;
    • Details the public health dimensions of the climate crisis, including increased risks of respiratory illness, cardiovascular disease, mental health stressors, pregnancy complications, infectious disease outbreaks, and disaster-related displacement;
    • Highlights the disproportionate health burdens on children, people with disabilities, low-income households, communities of color, Tribal nations, and workers in high-risk occupations;
    • Calls on the Department of Health and Human Services to lead cross-agency coordination to strengthen health system climate resilience, support frontline providers, close gaps in climate-health data, and help the health sector lower its own environmental impact;
    • Affirms the importance of engaging environmental justice and community-based organizations in local climate-health preparedness and response efforts;
    • Urges the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to adopt a national worker heat protection standard; and,
    • Calls for annual public reporting on federal climate-health resilience investments and progress.

    The resolution is cosponsored by Senators Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), and Representatives Hank Johnson (GA-04), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-00), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Melanie Stansbury (NM-01), Shri Thanedar (MI-13), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), and Ritchie Torres (NY-15). 

    The resolution is endorsed by Health Care Without Harm, Center for American Progress, Climate Justice Alliance, International Transformational Resilience Coalition, Climate and Community Institute, Earthjustice Action, Public Citizen, Deep South Center for Environmental Justice, Center for Oil and Gas Organizing, Physicians for Social Responsibility, and the American College of Physicians.

    “Health Care Without Harm applauds Senator Markey for introducing this important resolution and is pleased to endorse it,” said Jenny Keroack, Director of Program Strategy & Management in the U.S. Climate Program. “Climate change is causing more severe and frequent storms, wildfires, and extreme heat events, creating safety and public health crises across our country. Our government must have a science-based, coordinated approach to prepare for and respond to these growing threats, and the Department of Health and Human Services has an indispensable role to play as the guardian of our nation’s health and well-being. Vital programs have been attacked, including a grant program that assists families with energy costs so they can afford to cool and heat their homes, funding that helps hospitals stay open and operational when the grid goes down, and research on how best to protect farmworkers from increasing heat waves. Such programs and the expert civil servants who help protect our communities from environmental health threats like climate change must be immediately reinstated and supported. Now is not the time to retreat.”

    “With climate change and extreme weather events driving illness, injury, and death across the United States, the Department of Health and Human Services must harness its resources, leverage its authorities, and coordinate its expertise and action to prepare for and respond to the health and financial impact,” said Jill Rosenthal, Director of Public Health at the Center for American Progress.

    “This resolution is crucial because climate change isn’t just an environmental problem; it’s a public health crisis hurting families right now,” said KD Chavez, Executive Director of the Climate Justice Alliance. “Low-income communities bear the brunt – suffering more asthma attacks, heatstroke, and toxic exposure. But these communities also have the answers! They’ve developed practical, replicable solutions. We need bold action: stronger environmental safeguards, smart investments in resilient infrastructure, and policies that prioritize everyone’s health and safety, no matter where they live. Let’s protect our families and build a healthier future for all.”

    “The International Transformational Resilience Coalition (ITRC) strongly endorses this resolution,” said ITRC Founder and Coordinator Bob Doppelt. “We do so because the climate crisis is a public health crisis that requires significant leadership, support, and investments by the federal government to prevent and heal the accelerating climate-generated mental health, psychosocial, and physical health issues experienced by newborns, young children, adolescents, working age, and older adults nationwide.”

    “Our hospitals and clinics are already seeing the devastating health effects of climate change every day – from children struggling to breathe polluted air to seniors collapsing in extreme heat,” said Ranjani Prabhakar, Legislative Director of Healthy Communities, Earthjustice Action. “Over 200 medical journals have called climate change the greatest threat to human health this century, and Senator Markey’s resolution affirms this data by putting health at the center of environmental solutions. Recognizing this crisis for the public health emergency that it is, is essential to protect our families and communities.”

    “As the planet enters a period of increasing climate chaos, our collective response will either deepen disparities or address the drivers of climate breakdown and health inequity together,” said Batul Hassan, Labor Director at the Climate and Community Institute. “This resolution from Senator Markey establishes the urgent need for coordinated action across health and public health systems to ensure all people and generations to come can thrive in a warming world.”

    The full text of the legislation can be found here.

    # # #

    MIL OSI USA News –

    July 15, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: PRESS RELEASE: Rep. Barragán Thanks Governor Newsom and State Legislators for Protecting Access to Medi-Cal and In-Home Care in Final 2025-26 State Budget Signed into Law

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Nanette Diaz Barragán (CA-44)

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    July 13, 2025

    Contact: Jin Choi, jin.choi@mail.house.gov

    Rep. Barragán Thanks Governor Newsom and State Legislators for Protecting Access to Medi-Cal and In-Home Care in Final 2025-26 State Budget Signed into Law

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Late June, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed the 2025-26 state budget into law and delivered on protecting access to Medi-Cal and in-home care. In early June, Congresswoman Nanette Barragán (CA-44) led 16 members of the California Democratic Congressional Delegation in a letter urging Governor Gavin Newsom and State Legislators to reject reinstating the $2000 Medi-Cal asset limit and to reject capping overtime hours for In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) providers.

    Governor Newsom’s original May Budget Revision proposed cutting access to state and federally funded Medi-Cal and Medi-Cal’s IHSS program by proposing to reinstate a low $2000 Medi-Cal asset limit for seniors and adults with disabilities. It had also proposed a cap on overtime and travel hours for IHSS providers, who provide in-home care to seniors and people with disabilities as an alternative to out-of-home care.

    The final budget, negotiated by the Governor and State Legislature, reinstates a much higher Medi-Cal asset limit of $130,000 for individuals, rather than the Governor’s original proposal of $2,000 – it also did not include the proposal to cap overtime hours for IHSS providers.

    Congresswoman Barragán issued the following statement following the Governor’s signing the budget into law:

    “The proposals in the Governor’s May Revision included potentially devastating cuts to Medi-Cal and in-home care that would have threatened the health and financial stability of seniors, children, adults with disabilities, and home care workers throughout California. I appreciate that the Governor and the State Legislature took meaningful steps to protect access to Medi-Cal and in-home care in the final negotiated budget that was signed into law. I look forward to continuing to work together with the State to protect our essential in-home care workers and ensure Californians can access the affordable, quality health care they need.”

    # # #

    MIL OSI USA News –

    July 15, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Motorcyclist dies following single vehicle crash in Hobart

    Source: New South Wales Community and Justice

    Motorcyclist dies following single vehicle crash in Hobart

    Tuesday, 15 July 2025 – 12:25 am.

    Sadly, a motorcyclist has died following a single vehicle crash in Hobart’s northern suburbs.

    Police and emergency services were called to the MyState Bank Arena carpark near the Brooker Highway about 9pm last night following a report of a serious crash.

    The motorcyclist was taken to the Royal Hobart Hospital in a critical condition but sadly died a short time later.

    Forensics and Crash investigators attended the scene, and police are preparing a report for the Coroner.

    Anyone with information should contact Police on 131444.

    MIL OSI News –

    July 15, 2025
←Previous Page
1 … 465 466 467 468 469 … 5,912
Next Page→
NewzIntel.com

NewzIntel.com

MIL Open Source Intelligence

  • Blog
  • About
  • FAQs
  • Authors
  • Events
  • Shop
  • Patterns
  • Themes

Twenty Twenty-Five

Designed with WordPress