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Category: Latin America

  • MIL-OSI: Fortuna Investments Expands to Midland, Texas, Strengthening Its Footprint in America’s Energy and Innovation Corridor

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    MIDLAND, Texas, July 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Fortuna Investments, a leading America-first venture capital firm, is proud to announce the expansion of its operations into Midland, Texas, where it will build upon its strategic focus on rare earth elements, space infrastructure, and uranium and nuclear energy. Known for its bold investments in critical, high-growth sectors, Fortuna continues to deepen its national presence—now with a strategic location in the heart of Texas to complement its existing offices in Los Angeles and Miami.

    Midland, long recognized as a hub of American energy production and resilience, reflects the grit, tenacity, and values that define Fortuna’s mission. “The people of Midland embody the same strength and entrepreneurial spirit that drive our firm, so this is a natural next step for us,” said Justus Parmar, Founder and CEO of Fortuna Investments.

    Texas continues to thrive as a pro-business powerhouse—with a culture of entrepreneurship, no state income tax, and a rapidly growing capital markets ecosystem. The recent announcement of a Texas-based stock exchange adds even more momentum to the state’s financial future, offering local investors and companies new platforms for liquidity and capital formation.

    Midland is central to Fortuna’s strategy of investing in American ingenuity and potential. As the Permian Basin’s energy epicenter, the city hosts a deep concentration of independent energy wealth, legacy capital, and long-term investors. These characteristics align seamlessly with Fortuna’s model of disciplined, asset-backed growth investing.

    Fortuna already holds key strategic assets across Texas, including:

    • The PEAK Project — A developing rare earth elements mine vital to securing domestic supply chains.
    • Space Infrastructure — With emerging assets based in Midland’s aerospace corridor.
    • Uranium and Nuclear Holdings — Supporting U.S. energy security and the growing nuclear renaissance.

    “As global markets shift, and the demand for critical materials and energy grows, our presence in Midland positions us to lead from the front,” said Parmar. “We believe this expansion strengthens our ability to drive value and national significance across the sectors we champion.”

    Fortuna’s Midland office will be located at 223 W. Wall Street, STE 200 in Midland. Oscar Garcia has been brought on in the role of Business Development and Corporate Strategy Lead to head the local team.

    For more information, visit https://investfortuna.com or email deals@investfortuna.com.

    About Fortuna Investments

    Founded in 2015 by Justus Parmar, Fortuna Investments is a private investment firm that develops long-term partnerships with change-making entrepreneurs in emerging industries. Fortuna specializes in venture capital investments and has led and advised on over $1 billion in transactions since its founding.

    Fortuna’s investments are concentrated in several high-growth sectors, including aerospace and defense, rare earth elements, uranium mining and nuclear technology, electronic waste refining, and robotics. The firm routinely invests for the long term and takes an active operating role.

    In 2020, the firm’s leadership group launched the Fortuna Foundation, an independent charitable organization that supports initiatives dedicated to promoting mental health, education, financial literacy and other community organizations in need.

    More information can be found at https://investfortuna.com/. Follow Justus Parmar on LinkedIn, X, and Instagram.

    Media Contact:

    Will Butler
    fortuna@dlpr.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Fortuna Investments Expands to Midland, Texas, Strengthening Its Footprint in America’s Energy and Innovation Corridor

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    MIDLAND, Texas, July 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Fortuna Investments, a leading America-first venture capital firm, is proud to announce the expansion of its operations into Midland, Texas, where it will build upon its strategic focus on rare earth elements, space infrastructure, and uranium and nuclear energy. Known for its bold investments in critical, high-growth sectors, Fortuna continues to deepen its national presence—now with a strategic location in the heart of Texas to complement its existing offices in Los Angeles and Miami.

    Midland, long recognized as a hub of American energy production and resilience, reflects the grit, tenacity, and values that define Fortuna’s mission. “The people of Midland embody the same strength and entrepreneurial spirit that drive our firm, so this is a natural next step for us,” said Justus Parmar, Founder and CEO of Fortuna Investments.

    Texas continues to thrive as a pro-business powerhouse—with a culture of entrepreneurship, no state income tax, and a rapidly growing capital markets ecosystem. The recent announcement of a Texas-based stock exchange adds even more momentum to the state’s financial future, offering local investors and companies new platforms for liquidity and capital formation.

    Midland is central to Fortuna’s strategy of investing in American ingenuity and potential. As the Permian Basin’s energy epicenter, the city hosts a deep concentration of independent energy wealth, legacy capital, and long-term investors. These characteristics align seamlessly with Fortuna’s model of disciplined, asset-backed growth investing.

    Fortuna already holds key strategic assets across Texas, including:

    • The PEAK Project — A developing rare earth elements mine vital to securing domestic supply chains.
    • Space Infrastructure — With emerging assets based in Midland’s aerospace corridor.
    • Uranium and Nuclear Holdings — Supporting U.S. energy security and the growing nuclear renaissance.

    “As global markets shift, and the demand for critical materials and energy grows, our presence in Midland positions us to lead from the front,” said Parmar. “We believe this expansion strengthens our ability to drive value and national significance across the sectors we champion.”

    Fortuna’s Midland office will be located at 223 W. Wall Street, STE 200 in Midland. Oscar Garcia has been brought on in the role of Business Development and Corporate Strategy Lead to head the local team.

    For more information, visit https://investfortuna.com or email deals@investfortuna.com.

    About Fortuna Investments

    Founded in 2015 by Justus Parmar, Fortuna Investments is a private investment firm that develops long-term partnerships with change-making entrepreneurs in emerging industries. Fortuna specializes in venture capital investments and has led and advised on over $1 billion in transactions since its founding.

    Fortuna’s investments are concentrated in several high-growth sectors, including aerospace and defense, rare earth elements, uranium mining and nuclear technology, electronic waste refining, and robotics. The firm routinely invests for the long term and takes an active operating role.

    In 2020, the firm’s leadership group launched the Fortuna Foundation, an independent charitable organization that supports initiatives dedicated to promoting mental health, education, financial literacy and other community organizations in need.

    More information can be found at https://investfortuna.com/. Follow Justus Parmar on LinkedIn, X, and Instagram.

    Media Contact:

    Will Butler
    fortuna@dlpr.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Fortuna Investments Expands to Midland, Texas, Strengthening Its Footprint in America’s Energy and Innovation Corridor

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    MIDLAND, Texas, July 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Fortuna Investments, a leading America-first venture capital firm, is proud to announce the expansion of its operations into Midland, Texas, where it will build upon its strategic focus on rare earth elements, space infrastructure, and uranium and nuclear energy. Known for its bold investments in critical, high-growth sectors, Fortuna continues to deepen its national presence—now with a strategic location in the heart of Texas to complement its existing offices in Los Angeles and Miami.

    Midland, long recognized as a hub of American energy production and resilience, reflects the grit, tenacity, and values that define Fortuna’s mission. “The people of Midland embody the same strength and entrepreneurial spirit that drive our firm, so this is a natural next step for us,” said Justus Parmar, Founder and CEO of Fortuna Investments.

    Texas continues to thrive as a pro-business powerhouse—with a culture of entrepreneurship, no state income tax, and a rapidly growing capital markets ecosystem. The recent announcement of a Texas-based stock exchange adds even more momentum to the state’s financial future, offering local investors and companies new platforms for liquidity and capital formation.

    Midland is central to Fortuna’s strategy of investing in American ingenuity and potential. As the Permian Basin’s energy epicenter, the city hosts a deep concentration of independent energy wealth, legacy capital, and long-term investors. These characteristics align seamlessly with Fortuna’s model of disciplined, asset-backed growth investing.

    Fortuna already holds key strategic assets across Texas, including:

    • The PEAK Project — A developing rare earth elements mine vital to securing domestic supply chains.
    • Space Infrastructure — With emerging assets based in Midland’s aerospace corridor.
    • Uranium and Nuclear Holdings — Supporting U.S. energy security and the growing nuclear renaissance.

    “As global markets shift, and the demand for critical materials and energy grows, our presence in Midland positions us to lead from the front,” said Parmar. “We believe this expansion strengthens our ability to drive value and national significance across the sectors we champion.”

    Fortuna’s Midland office will be located at 223 W. Wall Street, STE 200 in Midland. Oscar Garcia has been brought on in the role of Business Development and Corporate Strategy Lead to head the local team.

    For more information, visit https://investfortuna.com or email deals@investfortuna.com.

    About Fortuna Investments

    Founded in 2015 by Justus Parmar, Fortuna Investments is a private investment firm that develops long-term partnerships with change-making entrepreneurs in emerging industries. Fortuna specializes in venture capital investments and has led and advised on over $1 billion in transactions since its founding.

    Fortuna’s investments are concentrated in several high-growth sectors, including aerospace and defense, rare earth elements, uranium mining and nuclear technology, electronic waste refining, and robotics. The firm routinely invests for the long term and takes an active operating role.

    In 2020, the firm’s leadership group launched the Fortuna Foundation, an independent charitable organization that supports initiatives dedicated to promoting mental health, education, financial literacy and other community organizations in need.

    More information can be found at https://investfortuna.com/. Follow Justus Parmar on LinkedIn, X, and Instagram.

    Media Contact:

    Will Butler
    fortuna@dlpr.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Fortuna Investments Expands to Midland, Texas, Strengthening Its Footprint in America’s Energy and Innovation Corridor

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    MIDLAND, Texas, July 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Fortuna Investments, a leading America-first venture capital firm, is proud to announce the expansion of its operations into Midland, Texas, where it will build upon its strategic focus on rare earth elements, space infrastructure, and uranium and nuclear energy. Known for its bold investments in critical, high-growth sectors, Fortuna continues to deepen its national presence—now with a strategic location in the heart of Texas to complement its existing offices in Los Angeles and Miami.

    Midland, long recognized as a hub of American energy production and resilience, reflects the grit, tenacity, and values that define Fortuna’s mission. “The people of Midland embody the same strength and entrepreneurial spirit that drive our firm, so this is a natural next step for us,” said Justus Parmar, Founder and CEO of Fortuna Investments.

    Texas continues to thrive as a pro-business powerhouse—with a culture of entrepreneurship, no state income tax, and a rapidly growing capital markets ecosystem. The recent announcement of a Texas-based stock exchange adds even more momentum to the state’s financial future, offering local investors and companies new platforms for liquidity and capital formation.

    Midland is central to Fortuna’s strategy of investing in American ingenuity and potential. As the Permian Basin’s energy epicenter, the city hosts a deep concentration of independent energy wealth, legacy capital, and long-term investors. These characteristics align seamlessly with Fortuna’s model of disciplined, asset-backed growth investing.

    Fortuna already holds key strategic assets across Texas, including:

    • The PEAK Project — A developing rare earth elements mine vital to securing domestic supply chains.
    • Space Infrastructure — With emerging assets based in Midland’s aerospace corridor.
    • Uranium and Nuclear Holdings — Supporting U.S. energy security and the growing nuclear renaissance.

    “As global markets shift, and the demand for critical materials and energy grows, our presence in Midland positions us to lead from the front,” said Parmar. “We believe this expansion strengthens our ability to drive value and national significance across the sectors we champion.”

    Fortuna’s Midland office will be located at 223 W. Wall Street, STE 200 in Midland. Oscar Garcia has been brought on in the role of Business Development and Corporate Strategy Lead to head the local team.

    For more information, visit https://investfortuna.com or email deals@investfortuna.com.

    About Fortuna Investments

    Founded in 2015 by Justus Parmar, Fortuna Investments is a private investment firm that develops long-term partnerships with change-making entrepreneurs in emerging industries. Fortuna specializes in venture capital investments and has led and advised on over $1 billion in transactions since its founding.

    Fortuna’s investments are concentrated in several high-growth sectors, including aerospace and defense, rare earth elements, uranium mining and nuclear technology, electronic waste refining, and robotics. The firm routinely invests for the long term and takes an active operating role.

    In 2020, the firm’s leadership group launched the Fortuna Foundation, an independent charitable organization that supports initiatives dedicated to promoting mental health, education, financial literacy and other community organizations in need.

    More information can be found at https://investfortuna.com/. Follow Justus Parmar on LinkedIn, X, and Instagram.

    Media Contact:

    Will Butler
    fortuna@dlpr.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Security: North Platte Man Sentenced to 27 Years in Prison for Drug Conspiracy

    Source: US FBI

    United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Guadalupe Ramirez, 40, of North Platte, Nebraska, was sentenced on July 3, 2025 in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska, for Conspiracy to Distribute 500 grams or more of Methamphetamine. United States District Court Judge Susan M. Bazis sentenced Ramirez to 324 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Ramirez is released from prison, he will begin a 10-year term of supervised release.

    Beginning in 2021, special agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and task force officers with the Cooperative Organization for Drug Enforcement (CODE) began a large-scale investigation into drug dealing in central and west-central Nebraska. Ramirez, also known as “Shrek,” quickly emerged as a key player in a multi-state drug trafficking conspiracy that saw methamphetamine being trafficked into Nebraska mainly through mailings originating from California and Mexico. Members of the conspiracy would receive the mailed packages loaded with narcotics and distribute the drugs throughout Nebraska, including as far east as Omaha. At the time of sentencing, the Court found between 15 and 45 kilograms of methamphetamine were moved through Nebraska as a part of this conspiracy.

    The investigation also revealed an association between Ramirez and firearms. Ramirez’s Facebook profile included discussions between himself and others in the conspiracy about firearms and a public video of Ramirez discharging a firearm out the window of a vehicle he used to deal drugs.

    While imposing the sentence, Judge Bazis commented that Ramirez was essentially “the second in command” of this operation and told Ramirez that “a lot of drugs moved through Nebraska because of you.”

    The years’ long investigation that led to this conviction was recognized by the Midwest High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA)’s 2024 Community Impact Operation of the Year. In presenting the award, Midwest HIDTA Director Dan Neill noted that the case was up against other jurisdictions with much larger cities, including St. Louis and Kansas City, Missouri. The award recognized the hard work of local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies during this investigation.

    FBI Special Agent in Charge Eugene Kowel said, “The trafficking of drugs into our communities is not a victimless crime. It has a destructive effect on our neighborhoods and families. The investigation of Ramirez and his co-conspirators resulted in 36 federal indictments, 22 local arrests, the seizure of illicit drugs, cash, and firearms, and dismantled a pernicious drug trafficking organization in central Nebraska. We’ll continue to join forces with our partners to disrupt and dismantle drug trafficking organizations in both urban and rural communities across the state, and to impose consequences on those responsible for selling drugs to mothers, fathers, sons, and daughters in our community.”

    U.S. Attorney Lesley Woods said, “The outstanding work of the CODE Task Force demonstrates that full prosecutorial and investigation collaboration can accomplish tremendous outcomes in the interest of making Nebraska an even safer place for its citizens to call home.”

    These cases were investigated by the CODE Task Force which is made up of law enforcement agencies throughout a 22-county area in west-central/southwest Nebraska and includes the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Nebraska State Patrol, Homeland Security Investigations, North Platte Police Department, Lexington Police Department, and Army National Guard Counter Drug Unit.  The investigation and arrests were also assisted by the U.S. Postal Service, Dawson County Sheriff’s Office, Ogallala Police Department, La Vista Police Department, the Tri-Cities Drug Enforcement Team (TRIDENT) Task Force, the Western Intelligence Narcotics Group (WING) Task Force, the Capitol Region Safe Streets Task Force (CRSSTF), the Lincoln/Lancaster County Metro Fugitive Task Force, the Lincoln and Keith County Attorney’s Offices, and Nebraska District 11 Probation Office.   

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: 15 July 2025 Departmental update Integrating HIV, viral hepatitis and sexually transmitted infections with primary health care: learning from countries

    Source: World Health Organisation

    Countries are facing acute challenges and new opportunities in how HIV, viral hepatitis and sexually transmitted infections (STI) services are funded and delivered. In recent years and months, efforts to strengthen country ownership, integration and sustainability have accelerated as donor funding declines.

    Many countries are increasingly adopting a primary-health care (PHC) approach to address HIV, viral hepatitis and STI epidemics as part of a broader holistic and people-centred approach to health.

    A new policy brief Integrating HIV, viral hepatitis and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) with primary health care: learning from countries highlights progress and lessons learned from efforts to converge, link and integrate these services with PHC in several low- and middle-income countries.

    The overall experiences from selected countries in this brief – Angola, Botswana, Brazil, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Kenya, Pakistan, Rwanda, Viet Nam, and Zambia – show varied challenges, approaches and outcomes aligned with the 4 strategic and 10 operational levers described in the WHO/UNICEF PHC Operational Framework.

    Acting on only 1 or 2 levers limits impact and reach in the context of complex ecosystems. Countries that prioritized 4 or more areas at the same time – across both strategic and operational levels – achieved the most sustainable results. The integration of disease-focused responses and services with PHC has led to improved access to services, enhanced service delivery, stronger community engagement, improved health outcomes and sustainable financing. 

    The policy brief recommends strengthening coordination and governance through strong political leadership, securing sustainable funding, and adopting a health system–focused approach. It advocates for task sharing within the health workforce and emphasizes meaningful community engagement to build trust and ownership. Addressing stigma and discrimination is a key priority, alongside leveraging digital technologies to improve service delivery. Finally, it highlights the importance of engaging the private sector to support innovation and expand reach.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: SOUTHERN STAR ’25: 27th Special Operations Wing projects power with partners in Chile

    Source: United States SOUTHERN COMMAND

    SANTIAGO, Chile — From the sunbaked airstrips of Antofagasta to the bustling port of Valparaíso and the icy channels of Punta Arenas, elite troops from six nations dove into SOUTHERN STAR ’25, Latin America’s premier multinational special operations exercise. Designed around a simulated United Nations stabilization mandate, the event brings together special forces from Chile, the United States, Spain, Argentina, Colombia, and Paraguay, with ten additional nations participating as observers.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Panamanian and U.S. medical experts change lives aboard the USNS Comfort

    Source: United States SOUTHERN COMMAND

    For three years, Jesús, a local bus driver from Colón, wore a cap to hide the large, painful scars on his ears. The disfigurement was a lingering reminder of a devastating vehicle accident that changed his life. This week aboard the Mercy-class hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20), he received reconstructive surgery that marked a new beginning, thanks to a combined team of U.S. and Panamanian medical professionals.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: A Message From the United States Attorney to the Residents of Ruidoso, New Mexico: Combating Disaster-Related Fraud

    Source: US FBI

    ALBUQUERQUE – The recent flooding in Ruidoso, New Mexico, has brought devastating loss and hardship to our community. Lives have been lost, homes and businesses have been destroyed, and many families are facing an uncertain future. In the midst of this tragedy, we have witnessed countless acts of generosity and resilience as neighbors, volunteers, and organizations step forward to help those in need.

    Unfortunately, history teaches us that disasters like this also attract individuals seeking to exploit the situation for personal gain. Fraudulent activity undermines recovery efforts and diverts critical resources away from genuine victims.

    Past disasters have shown that fraud can take many forms, including:

    • Individuals not affected by the flooding who attempt to claim disaster benefits.
    • The creation of fraudulent charities or the diversion of donations intended for legitimate relief organizations.
    • Fraudulent applications for rebuilding grants and loans, such as those offered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Small Business Administration.

    Our office has zero tolerance for those who seek to steal from disaster victims or misuse funds meant for recovery. We have established a Disaster Fraud Working Group, which includes the U.S. Attorney’s Office, FBI, Department of Homeland Security, Secret Service, HUD, SBA, Postal Inspectors, Internal Revenue Service, and U.S. Marshals Service. This group is actively reviewing potential cases and will work closely with the New Mexico Department of Justice, local and tribal law enforcement, and community partners to ensure that fraudsters are brought to justice.

    Anyone considering disaster-related fraud should be aware that federal law—specifically, 18 United States Code, Section 1040—provides for penalties of up to 30 years in federal prison.

    We urge the public to remain vigilant. If you observe suspicious activity or suspect fraud, please report it immediately. The National Disaster Fraud Hotline is available toll-free at (866) 720-5721, or you may email disaster@leo.gov. The hotline operates 24/7.

    Together, we can protect our community and ensure that help reaches those who truly need it.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Leader of International Drug Gang Sentenced for Trafficking Fentanyl and Methamphetamine While Incarcerated

    Source: US FBI

    BOSTON – An influential leader of a large-scale international gang based in Southern Arizona was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for attempting to facilitate the trafficking of narcotics into Massachusetts via inmate phone calls while serving four concurrent life sentences.

    Noel Haro, 50, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young to 188 months in prison, to be served concurrent to the life sentences he is currently serving at the Massachusetts Department of Correction. The court also imposed five years of supervised release. On March 11, 2025, Haro pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and 40 grams or more of fentanyl; two counts of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine; aiding and abetting; and one count of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl; aiding and abetting. He was indicted in April 2023 along with his brother Marcos Haro.

    “Even behind bars, Noel Haro continued to direct the operations of an international drug trafficking network and peddle poison into our communities. This level of audacity is precisely why we remain vigilant and aggressive in dismantling drug trafficking networks at every level,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley. “Our office and our agency partners will not allow prison cells to serve as command centers for criminal activity. We will pursue every lead, intercept every coded message, and hold every conspirator accountable.”

    “While locked up for life, Noel Haro thought he had nothing more to lose so he used his ‘Get out of Jail Free’ card to solicit help in trafficking deadly fentanyl and methamphetamine across the country, but today’s lengthy prison sentence shows he could not have been more wrong,” said Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “This case should make it crystal clear to anyone who thinks they can flagrantly violate the law and manage a drug trafficking organization while behind bars. It’s only a matter of time before you will get caught.”

    “The DOC remains steadfast in advancing the policies, safety measures, and technology that support our ability to detect and deter illegal activity,” said Shawn Jenkins, Commissioner of the Department of Correction. “This case underscores our commitment to rooting out criminal activity within our facilities and holding accountable those who attempt to undermine the safety and integrity of our institutions. I’m grateful to the DOC staff for their dedication and vigilance and commend our state and federal law enforcement partners for their invaluable support.”  

    Noel Haro is a member and influential leader of the “Border Brothers” gang – a large-scale international gang known to be heavily involved in drug, weapon and human trafficking in Southern Arizona with a presence in Nogales, Mexico and the Arizona prison system. Noel Haro is currently serving a life sentence at a Massachusetts Department of Correction facility in connection with convictions in Arizona for drug distribution, conspiracy and money laundering. He was previously serving his sentence at a facility in Arizona but was transferred to serve his sentence in Massachusetts upon being deemed a security concern due to his alleged influence over other inmates and repeated introduction of cell phones and narcotics into Arizona facilities.

    Beginning in or about April 2019, and investigation began into Noel Haro’s attempts to facilitate the trafficking of narcotics to Massachusetts during his inmate phone calls. Specifically, during his inmate calls, Noel Haro worked to recruit friends and family members to continue his drug trafficking business while he was incarcerated and to transport narcotics from Arizona to Massachusetts on his behalf.

    In April 2022, the Massachusetts Department of Correction intercepted a letter that Noel Haro had sent to co-conspirator Denise Guyette, whom he had recruited and connected with his drug suppliers in Arizona. Inside the envelope, a “Get out of Jail Free” card from the board game Monopoly was found with a handwritten “key” on the back – which was to be used to discuss drug trafficking in code. For example, the number “736” was written above the word “coke,” the number “747” was written above the word “meth,” the number “766” was written above the word “fety,” and the number “746” was written above the word “heroin.” After sending Guyette this key card, the defendant instructed her to travel to Arizona to meet with his drug suppliers and send drugs back to Massachusetts for further distribution.

    The defendant also worked with his brother, Marcos Haro, to arrange drug deals outside of prison. In June 2022, Marcos Haro agreed to supply an individual with samples of multiple narcotics – including fentanyl and methamphetamine. Marcos Haro later mailed the narcotics to the individual concealed in a purple teddy bear inside a postal package. On July 13, 2022, the package was retrieved and found to contain fentanyl, five fentanyl pills, methamphetamine and approximately three grams of black tar heroin. On July 25, 2022, during a recorded inmate call, Noel Haro and his brother discussed selling one pound of methamphetamine to the same individual and agreed on a sale price of $5,000. On July 27, 2022, a package sent from Marcos Haro was retrieved and found to contain approximately 446.6 grams of 99% pure methamphetamine.

    During a recorded inmate call on Aug. 10, 2022, Noel Haro directed his brother to arrange the sale of five pounds of methamphetamine to the individual. Later, on Sept. 12, 2022, two packages sent from Marcos Haro were retrieved and each found to contain approximately 892.3 grams of 86% pure methamphetamine and approximately 1,320.2 grams of 95% pure methamphetamine.

    Guyette was charged in a separate indictment and, in April 2025, was sentenced to 11 years in prison after previously pleading guilty to drug trafficking offenses. Marcos Haro pleaded guilty on March 19, 2025 and is currently scheduled to be sentenced on July 17, 2025. 

    U.S. Attorney Foley, FBI SAC Docks and MADOC Commissioner Jenkins made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alathea E. Porter and Charles Dell’Anno of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI China: China urges US to lift blockade and sanctions against Cuba

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

    China firmly opposes the U.S. unilateral sanctions against Cuba and interference in Cuba’s internal affairs under the guise of so-called “human rights”, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said Tuesday.

    China urges the United States to immediately lift its blockade and sanctions against Cuba, the spokesperson added.

    Spokesperson Lin Jian made the remarks at a regular press briefing in response to a query about U.S. sanctions imposed on senior Cuban officials.

    Lin said that the United States has imposed a comprehensive blockade and illegal sanctions on Cuba for over 60 years, inflicting profound suffering on the Cuban people. “Sanctions should be lifted immediately instead of being intensified.”

    Lin said that China firmly supports Cuba in taking a development path that suits its national conditions and firmly supports Cuba in safeguarding its sovereignty and dignity.

    “We urge the United States to immediately lift the blockade and sanctions against Cuba and remove it from the list of ‘state sponsors of terrorism,’” he added.

    “If the U.S. side truly cares about human rights, it should reflect on its own record of human rights violations in Guantanamo, Cuba and around the world over the years,” he said. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China urges US to lift blockade and sanctions against Cuba

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

    China firmly opposes the U.S. unilateral sanctions against Cuba and interference in Cuba’s internal affairs under the guise of so-called “human rights”, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said Tuesday.

    China urges the United States to immediately lift its blockade and sanctions against Cuba, the spokesperson added.

    Spokesperson Lin Jian made the remarks at a regular press briefing in response to a query about U.S. sanctions imposed on senior Cuban officials.

    Lin said that the United States has imposed a comprehensive blockade and illegal sanctions on Cuba for over 60 years, inflicting profound suffering on the Cuban people. “Sanctions should be lifted immediately instead of being intensified.”

    Lin said that China firmly supports Cuba in taking a development path that suits its national conditions and firmly supports Cuba in safeguarding its sovereignty and dignity.

    “We urge the United States to immediately lift the blockade and sanctions against Cuba and remove it from the list of ‘state sponsors of terrorism,’” he added.

    “If the U.S. side truly cares about human rights, it should reflect on its own record of human rights violations in Guantanamo, Cuba and around the world over the years,” he said. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Sculptor galaxy image provides brilliant details that will help astronomers study how stars form

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Rebecca McClain, Ph.D. Student in Astronomy, The Ohio State University

    This image of the Sculptor galaxy will give astronomers detailed information on a variety of stars, nebulae and galactic regions. European Southern Observatory

    If you happen to find yourself in the Southern Hemisphere with binoculars and a good view of the night sky on a dark and clear summer night, you might just be able to spot the Sculptor galaxy. And if your eyes were prisms that could separate light into the thousands of colors making it up, then congratulations: After hours of staring, you could have recreated the newest image of one of the nearest neighbors to our Milky Way galaxy.

    This is not just another stunningly gorgeous picture of a nearby galaxy. Because it reveals the type of light coming from each location in the galaxy, this image of the Sculptor galaxy is a treasure trove of information that astronomers around the world cannot wait to pick apart.

    As an astronomy Ph.D. student at Ohio State University, I (Rebecca) am one of the lucky people who gets to stare at this image for hours every day, alongside my adviser (Adam), discovering meaning behind the beauty everyone can appreciate.

    Creating the image

    The Sculptor galaxy lies 11 million light-years from the Milky Way. This may sound unfathomably far, but it actually makes Sculptor one of the closest galaxies to Earth.

    For this reason, Sculptor has been the primary target for many observations. In 2022, an international team of scientists observed Sculptor with the Multi-Unit Spectroscopic Explorer, MUSE, on the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope in Chile, and publicly released the data this June.

    Most astronomical observations obtain either an image of a single color of light – for example, red or blue – or a spectrum, which splits the light coming from the whole galaxy into many different colors.

    MUSE, conveniently, does both, producing a spectrum at every location it observes. One observation creates thousands of images in thousands of colors, each tracing the critical components that make up the galaxy: stars, dust and gas.

    It may look like only one picture, but this image of Sculptor is actually over 100 individual observations and 8 million individual spectra, painstakingly stitched together to reveal millions of stars all in one cohesive galaxy.

    Scientific significance

    The light associated with the stars in Sculptor is colored white, and gas made up of charged particles is colored red. The largest concentration of both is found in the spiral arms. At the very center of the galaxy is a nuclear starburst: a region of extreme star formation that is blowing material out of the galaxy.

    There is even information in the absence of light. Dust obscures light emitted from behind it, creating a shadow effect called dust lanes. Tracing these dust lanes reveals the cold, dense material that exists between stars. Scientists believe this dark material is the fuel that will form the next generation of stars.

    Complex gaseous nebulae (red) surround young and massive stars (white) in this zoom-in of a cluster of star-forming regions.
    European Southern Observatory/VLT/MUSE

    There is a lot to look at in this image, but the subject of my work and what I find most interesting is the gas illuminated in red. In these star-forming regions, young and massive stars excite the gas around them, which then glows with a specific color to reveal the chemical makeup and physical conditions of the gas.

    This image represents one of the first times that astronomers have obtained images of thousands of star-forming regions at this impressive level of detail. A component of our team’s research uses the data from MUSE to understand how these regions are structured and how they interact with the surrounding galaxy.

    By meticulously piecing all of this information together, astronomers can use this image to learn more about the formation and evolution of stars across the universe.

    Rebecca McClain receives funding from the National Science Foundation.

    Adam Leroy receives funding from NASA/Space Telescope Science Institute that supports research related to the survey of NGC 253 discussed in this article.

    – ref. Sculptor galaxy image provides brilliant details that will help astronomers study how stars form – https://theconversation.com/sculptor-galaxy-image-provides-brilliant-details-that-will-help-astronomers-study-how-stars-form-259754

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: When big sports events like FIFA World Cup expand, their climate footprint expands too

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

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

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

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

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

    A sustainability conundrum

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

    There is a divide over how sports should respond.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    When climate promises become greenwashing

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Finding practical solutions

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

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

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

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

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

    How fans can cut their environmental footprint

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    – ref. When big sports events like FIFA World Cup expand, their climate footprint expands too – https://theconversation.com/when-big-sports-events-like-fifa-world-cup-expand-their-climate-footprint-expands-too-259437

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: When big sports events like FIFA World Cup expand, their climate footprint expands too

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

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

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

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

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

    A sustainability conundrum

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

    There is a divide over how sports should respond.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    When climate promises become greenwashing

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Finding practical solutions

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

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

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

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

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

    How fans can cut their environmental footprint

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    – ref. When big sports events like FIFA World Cup expand, their climate footprint expands too – https://theconversation.com/when-big-sports-events-like-fifa-world-cup-expand-their-climate-footprint-expands-too-259437

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: AMERICA/PERU – The Argentine Church’s missionary contribution in the Peruvian Amazon

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Lima (Agenzia Fides) – A delegation from the Argentine Bishops’ Conference, sent to Peru on behalf of the National Team of the Amazon Project, aims to support the proclamation of the Gospel, provide assistance in addressing material and spiritual challenges, and accompany the local missionary community. The delegation is composed of lay missionary Silvana Medina and priest Carlos Salomone, who collaborate with the permanent pastoral mission in the southern region of the Apurimac, Ene, and Mantaro river valleys in Peru, which is being carried out in the districts of Kimbiri, Manitea, Cielo Punko, Villa Kintiarina, and Villa Virgen, in continuity with the missionary work already begun in these areas.”Argentine Church, the Amazon is your mission” is the project that has supported the pastoral work of the parish of San Juan Bautista in the Kimbiri district, part of the Apostolic Vicariate of Puerto Maldonado, since 2022. The Apostolic Vicar of Puerto Maldonado, Bishop David Martínez de Aguirre Guinea, supports the initiative, which aims to renew the missionary spirit and strengthen the bond between the local Church and the teams sent.There are more than 150 settlements of various types in the area, from groups concentrated in urban centers to indigenous communities of the Asháninka and Machiguenga ethnic groups, who live a path of faith and fraternity in their daily lives. The missionaries aim to accompany the growth of the ecclesial spirit of a vibrant parish, animated by a strong sense of synodal co-responsibility and attentive to the needs of all. Currently, four Argentine missionaries live in the parish: a religious, a consecrated lay woman, and two lay missionaries. A married couple will join them in August. During her stay in Lima, Silvana Medina was also warmly welcomed by Father José Hipólito, National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Peru, and his collaborators. (EG) (Agenzia Fides, 15/7/2025)
    Share:

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: AMERICA/PERU – The Argentine Church’s missionary contribution in the Peruvian Amazon

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Lima (Agenzia Fides) – A delegation from the Argentine Bishops’ Conference, sent to Peru on behalf of the National Team of the Amazon Project, aims to support the proclamation of the Gospel, provide assistance in addressing material and spiritual challenges, and accompany the local missionary community. The delegation is composed of lay missionary Silvana Medina and priest Carlos Salomone, who collaborate with the permanent pastoral mission in the southern region of the Apurimac, Ene, and Mantaro river valleys in Peru, which is being carried out in the districts of Kimbiri, Manitea, Cielo Punko, Villa Kintiarina, and Villa Virgen, in continuity with the missionary work already begun in these areas.”Argentine Church, the Amazon is your mission” is the project that has supported the pastoral work of the parish of San Juan Bautista in the Kimbiri district, part of the Apostolic Vicariate of Puerto Maldonado, since 2022. The Apostolic Vicar of Puerto Maldonado, Bishop David Martínez de Aguirre Guinea, supports the initiative, which aims to renew the missionary spirit and strengthen the bond between the local Church and the teams sent.There are more than 150 settlements of various types in the area, from groups concentrated in urban centers to indigenous communities of the Asháninka and Machiguenga ethnic groups, who live a path of faith and fraternity in their daily lives. The missionaries aim to accompany the growth of the ecclesial spirit of a vibrant parish, animated by a strong sense of synodal co-responsibility and attentive to the needs of all. Currently, four Argentine missionaries live in the parish: a religious, a consecrated lay woman, and two lay missionaries. A married couple will join them in August. During her stay in Lima, Silvana Medina was also warmly welcomed by Father José Hipólito, National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Peru, and his collaborators. (EG) (Agenzia Fides, 15/7/2025)
    Share:

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: AMERICA/PERU – The Argentine Church’s missionary contribution in the Peruvian Amazon

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Lima (Agenzia Fides) – A delegation from the Argentine Bishops’ Conference, sent to Peru on behalf of the National Team of the Amazon Project, aims to support the proclamation of the Gospel, provide assistance in addressing material and spiritual challenges, and accompany the local missionary community. The delegation is composed of lay missionary Silvana Medina and priest Carlos Salomone, who collaborate with the permanent pastoral mission in the southern region of the Apurimac, Ene, and Mantaro river valleys in Peru, which is being carried out in the districts of Kimbiri, Manitea, Cielo Punko, Villa Kintiarina, and Villa Virgen, in continuity with the missionary work already begun in these areas.”Argentine Church, the Amazon is your mission” is the project that has supported the pastoral work of the parish of San Juan Bautista in the Kimbiri district, part of the Apostolic Vicariate of Puerto Maldonado, since 2022. The Apostolic Vicar of Puerto Maldonado, Bishop David Martínez de Aguirre Guinea, supports the initiative, which aims to renew the missionary spirit and strengthen the bond between the local Church and the teams sent.There are more than 150 settlements of various types in the area, from groups concentrated in urban centers to indigenous communities of the Asháninka and Machiguenga ethnic groups, who live a path of faith and fraternity in their daily lives. The missionaries aim to accompany the growth of the ecclesial spirit of a vibrant parish, animated by a strong sense of synodal co-responsibility and attentive to the needs of all. Currently, four Argentine missionaries live in the parish: a religious, a consecrated lay woman, and two lay missionaries. A married couple will join them in August. During her stay in Lima, Silvana Medina was also warmly welcomed by Father José Hipólito, National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Peru, and his collaborators. (EG) (Agenzia Fides, 15/7/2025)
    Share:

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: How 1860s Mexico offered an alternative vision for a liberal international order

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Tom Long, Professor of International Relations, Department of Politics and International Studies, University of Warwick

    The Execution of Emperor Maximilian of Mexico, June 19, 1867 Edouard ManetWikimedia Commons

    In 1867, the world’s most powerful statesmen, including Austria’s Emperor Franz Josef, France’s Napoleon III and US secretary of state, William H. Seward, petitioned the Mexican government to spare the life of a condemned man.

    Mexico’s ragtag army and militias had just humbled France, then Europe’s preeminent land power. The costly six-year campaign drained the French treasury and eroded Napoleon III’s domestic support. Napoleon’s ambition to transform Mexico into a client empire under a Vienna-born, Habsburg archduke, crowned Maximilian I, ended in spectacular failure.

    After his defeat, Maximilian was brought before a Mexican military tribunal. European monarchs regarded the prisoner as their peer, but Mexican liberals convicted him as a piratical invader, usurper and traitor. Despite indignant appeals from European courts, President Benito Juárez refused to commute his sentence. The would-be emperor was executed by firing squad.

    Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.

    The controversy went beyond one monarch’s fate. It crystallised a clash between opposed visions of global order — as Peru’s president Ramón Castilla said at the time, it was a “war of the crowns against liberty caps”.

    Today, world politics are in flux. The so-called liberal international order, nominally grounded in multilateralism, open markets, human rights and the rule of law, is facing its gravest crisis since the second world war. Former advocates such as the United States now openly flout international law and undermine the very norms they once championed. China remains ambivalent, while Russia unabashedly hastens the order’s unravelling.

    More broadly, the old post-second world war order appears out of step with the global south and with widespread anger over double standards exposed by the wars in Ukraine, Gaza and Iran.
    Amid today’s crises, a world order arranged for and by the great powers looks both insufficient and doomed to lack legitimacy. Reordering will require support from diverse actors, including states across the global south.

    1860s: a turbulent decade

    The 1860s were a turbulent, although often overlooked, moment of global reordering. Technological shifts – the telegraph, electricity, steamships and railways – appeared as disruptive then as AI does today. Combined with shifting power dynamics, these transformations accelerated imperial expansion. Yet the rules of the emerging order remained uncertain, even among the imperial powers themselves.

    In Europe, networks of dynastic rule still carried weight in international politics. Under growing pressure, the ancien régime sought to reinvent and reassert itself. The old empires often justified their expansion by promising to bring order and progress to supposedly backward peoples. But that “civilising mission” clashed with a worldview emerging from Spanish America – where countries had thrown off colonial rule to establish independent republics.

    As we wrote in a recent article in American Political Science Review, Spanish American diplomats articulated a republican vision of international order centred on the protection of weaker states from domination by great powers.

    Fending off Europe’s empires

    Divided by civil conflict, Mexico became an easy target for European empires. Mexico’s Liberal party had regained power but faced internal dissent and crippling foreign debt. Britain, France and Spain formed a coalition to invade and demand repayment. France, however, had more ambitious designs.

    Exploiting the distraction of the US civil war, Napoleon III dreamed of transforming Mexico into a Latin stronghold against Yankee expansion. Best of all, Napoleon thought the scheme would turn a profit. A stable Mexican empire could repay the costs of the intervention – with interest – by increasing production from the country’s famed silver mines. Meanwhile, France would gain a receptive market for its exports and a grateful geopolitical subordinate.

    Maximilian, a young Austrian prince of the house of Hapsburg, somewhat naively accepted the offer to rule a distant and unfamiliar land. He dreamed of regenerating Mexico through a liberal monarchy while reviving his family’s declining dynasty.

    Led by Juárez, Mexico’s liberals fiercely resisted Maximilian’s rule. While militarily Juárez was consistently on the defensive, he remained diplomatically proactive. The Juaristas encouraged US sympathies that proved decisive after the end of the civil war. They also enjoyed solidarity – though limited material support – from other Spanish American republics. Although the monarchies of Europe all recognised Maximilian as Mexican emperor, Juárez’s defiance became a rallying point for liberals and republicans in Europe.

    Hero to the liberals: a monument to Juárez in central Mexico City.
    Hajor~commonswiki, CC BY-ND

    Vision of a new order

    Beyond stoking sympathies, Juárez and his followers offered trenchant critiques of unequal international rules and practices cloaked in liberal guise.

    First, the “republican internationalism” of Mexico’s Juaristas stood in direct opposition to European liberals’ “civilising mission”. Latin American republicans rejected the notion that progress could be imposed on their countries from abroad – though some echoed civilising rhetoric toward their own non-white populations, who like in the US were subject to campaigns of violence and dispossession that stretched from northern Mexico to the Patagonia. Many Latin American liberals likewise remained silent about empire elsewhere.

    Second, the Juarista vision placed popular sovereignty, not dynastic ties, at the heart of legitimate statehood. These ideas drew on Mexico’s independence tradition and the principles enshrined in the 1857 constitution. European intervention, in this view, aimed to suppress popular rule in the Americas and extend the reaction against the failed revolutions of 1848, which had seriously threatened the old order when they raged across Europe.

    Third, popular sovereign states were equal under international law, regardless of power, wealth, or internal disorder. Sovereign equality also underpinned Latin America’s strong commitment to non-intervention. Liberal writer and diplomat Francisco Zarco, a close confidante of Juárez, condemned frequent European economic justifications for intervention as the work of “smugglers and profiteers who wrap themselves in the flags of powerful nations”.

    Finally, Mexican liberals called for an international system premised on republican fraternity, drawing on aspirations for cooperation that went back to liberator Simón Bolívar. The independence leader and committed republican convened a conference in 1826, hoping that a confederation of the newly independent Spanish American states would “be the shield of our new destiny”.

    Similar arguments for an international order that advances non-domination still resonate in the global south today. The Mexican experience also underscores that the architects of international order have never come exclusively from the global north – and those who shape its future will not either.

    Tom Long receives support from UK Arts and Humanities Research Council grant AH/V006622/1, Latin America and the peripheral origins of the 19th-century international order.

    Carsten-Andreas Schulz receives support from UK Arts and Humanities Research Council grant AH/V006622/1, Latin America and the peripheral origins of the 19th-century international order.

    – ref. How 1860s Mexico offered an alternative vision for a liberal international order – https://theconversation.com/how-1860s-mexico-offered-an-alternative-vision-for-a-liberal-international-order-260228

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Over 500,000 spectators visited Teatralny Boulevard in 1.5 months

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    More than 500 thousand spectators visited the International Open Festival “Theater Boulevard – 2025” during the first half of the project.

    “The festival started with a full house, and even now empty seats at the venues remain a rarity. In total, more than 500 thousand spectators visited it during the first half of the project, and about 1.6 thousand hours of the program have already been held on the five main stages. Thanks to the festival, the theater season in Moscow actually lasts the entire year, without a break for the summer holidays, and an equally rich program awaits guests ahead: performances by foreign artists and high-profile productions on the festival stages,” noted the Minister of the Moscow Government, head of the capital’s Department of Culture

    Alexey Fursin.

    The festival includes classical dramatic productions, musical performances, circus shows, and experimental formats such as the theatre of taste and plastic theatre. There are also special programmes dedicated to memorable dates – Russia Day, A.S. Pushkin’s birthday, the Day of Remembrance and Sorrow, and Youth Day.

    This year, Theatre Boulevard is attended by groups from 40 regions of Russia, from the Kaliningrad Region to the Altai Territory, including the State Drama Theatre on Vasilievsky Island (St. Petersburg), the Perm Academic Theatre-Theatre (Perm), and the F. Volkov Drama Theatre (Yaroslavl).

    Andrey Merzlikin and Darya Moroz, Kristina Babushkina, Anton Shagin, Yulia Peresild, Konstantin Raikin, Igor Mirkurbanov, Alexandra Rebenok, Anna Chipovskaya performed their projects at the festival venues. The parade of stars will continue in the second half of the festival.

    Particular attention is paid to children’s and family events. Now they are held on the main stages of the festival. Thus, in July, the “Family Conversations” section was opened, where the stories of theatrical dynasties were presented in a unique format. Among the heroes are Konstantin and Polina Raikin, Yulia and Anna Peresild, Igor and Grigory Vernik.

    The second half of the festival will be more diverse. High-profile premieres, immersive productions and master classes by leading directors are planned, as well as performances by artists from Serbia, Uruguay, Argentina, Iran, China, Italy and other countries.

    The Theatre Boulevard Festival is organized by the capital’s Department of Culture as part of Sergei Sobyanin’s Summer in Moscow project. https://leto.mos.ru/ It will last a record 92 days. More than 600 performances will be shown at 14 venues across the city, and three thousand artists from Russia and other countries will perform. In addition to theatrical productions, each venue will host creative workshops, patriotic programs with favorite actors, and interactive zones, including for children.

    Project “Summer in Moscow”— the main event of the season. It brings together the most vibrant events of the capital. Every day, charity, cultural and sports programs are held in all districts of the city, most of which are free. The Summer in Moscow project is being held for the second time, and this season will be more eventful: new, original and colorful festivals and events will be added to the traditional ones.

    Get the latest news quicklyofficial telegram channel the city of Moscow.

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

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Senegal joins growing list of countries that have eliminated trachoma

    Source: APO – Report:

    .

    The World Health Organization (WHO) has validated Senegal as having eliminated trachoma as a public health problem. Senegal becomes the ninth country in WHO’s African Region to have achieved this feat.

    “I commend Senegal for freeing its population from this disease”, said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “This milestone is yet another sign of the remarkable progress being made against neglected tropical diseases globally, and offers hope to other countries still working to eliminate trachoma.”

    Trachoma has been known in Senegal since the early 1900s and was confirmed as a major cause of blindness through surveys in the 1980s and 1990s. Senegal joined the WHO Alliance for the Global Elimination of Trachoma in 1998, conducted its first national survey in 2000, and completed full disease mapping by 2017 with support from the Global Trachoma Mapping Project and Tropical Data. Trachoma control was consistently integrated into national eye health programmed, first under the National Program for Blindness Prevention (PNLC) and later through the National Program for the Promotion of Eye Health (PNPSO) – maintaining its commitment to trachoma elimination.

    “Today we celebrate our victory against trachoma, 21 years after the one against dracunculiasis” said Dr Ibrahima Sy, Senegal’s Minister of Health and Social Action. “This new milestone reminds us that our overarching goal remains a Senegal free from neglected tropical diseases. We are fully committed to this, and we are making good progress, notably against human African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness) and onchocerciasis”.

    Senegal implemented the WHO-recommended SAFE strategy to eliminate trachoma with the support of partners, reaching 2.8 million people who needed them across 24 districts. These activities included provision of surgery to treat the late blinding stage of the disease, conducting antibiotic mass drug administration of azithromycin donated by Pfizer through the International Trachoma Initiative, carrying out public awareness campaigns to promote facial cleanliness, and improvement in access to water supply and sanitation.

    Trachoma is the second neglected tropical disease to be eliminated in Senegal. In 2004, the country was certified free of dracunculiasis (Guinea-worm disease) transmission. Globally, Senegal joins 24 other countries that have been validated by WHO for having eliminated trachoma as a public health problem. These are Benin, Burundi, Cambodia, China, Gambia, Islamic Republic of Iran, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Ghana, India, Iraq, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mexico, Morocco, Myanmar, Nepal, Oman, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Saudi Arabia, Togo, Vanuatu and Viet Nam. These countries are part of a wider of group of 57 countries that have eliminated one or more neglected tropical diseases.

    WHO is supporting Senegal’s health authorities to closely monitor communities in which trachoma was previously endemic to ensure there is no resurgence of the disease.

    “Trachoma has cast a shadow over communities in Senegal for more than a century. This long-awaited validation is not only a milestone for public health but a powerful tribute to the tireless dedication of frontline health workers, communities, government leaders, and partners who never gave up,” said Dr Jean-Marie Vianny Yameogo, WHO Representative in Senegal. “Today, we close a chapter that began over a hundred years ago, united with pride, gratitude and resolve. WHO remains committed to supporting Senegal as the country continues to lead in sustaining this hard-earned achievement.”

    Disease prevalence

    Trachoma remains a public health problem in 32 countries, with an estimated 103 million people living in areas requiring interventions against the disease. Trachoma is found mainly in the poorest and most rural areas of Africa, Central and South America, Asia, the Western Pacific and the Middle East. WHO’s African Region is disproportionately affected by trachoma, with 93 million people living in at-risk areas in April 2024, representing 90% of the global trachoma burden.

    Significant progress has been made in the fight against trachoma over the past few years and the number of people requiring antibiotic treatment for trachoma in the African Region fell by 96 million from 189 million in 2014 to 93 million as of April 2024, representing a 51% reduction.

    There are currently 20 countries (Algeria, Angola, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central Africa Republic, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Guinea, Kenya, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, South Sudan, United Republic of Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe) in WHO’s African Region that are known to require intervention for trachoma elimination. A further 3 countries in the Region (Botswana, Guinea-Bissau and Namibia) claim to have achieved the prevalence targets for elimination.

    – on behalf of World Health Organization (WHO).

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Capital products strengthen their position in the global market of healthy food products

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    Moscow entrepreneurs are strengthening their positions in the global market of healthy food products. With the support of the Moscow Export Center (MEC), protein and fruit bars, muesli, cereals, breads and other capital products are supplied to more than 20 countries, including China, the UAE, India, Brazil and the CIS countries.

    In 2024 and the first half of 2025, the volume of healthy food exports from Moscow supported by the MEC exceeded 1.3 billion rubles.

    “There is a growing demand among consumers for healthy food products. In a highly competitive market, not only the natural composition is important, but also the overall compliance of the product with the expectations of the target audience. The wide geography of Moscow healthy food products exports speaks of the trust of foreign consumers in goods produced in Moscow,” she noted.

    Kristina Kostroma, Head of the Department of Entrepreneurship and Innovative Development of Moscow.

    As part of the implementation of export support programs, the Moscow company Snaksi received the opportunity to enter the international online trading platform 1688.com. As a result of the placement, a contract was concluded for the supply of protein bars and healthy chocolate to China.

    The Melas company took advantage of the support service of a representative of the Moscow Export Center in China, ultimately concluding a contract for the supply of Dr. Körner crispbreads, already well known to Russian consumers, to China.

    SVD-Group successfully presented its products at the Gulfood 2024 international exhibition. The result was a contract for the supply of muesli, crispbread, bran and freeze-dried berries to the UAE.

    As part of the promotion of products of capital exporters with the support of the MEC, Moscow producers of healthy food take part in international festivals and fairs “Made in Russia” in friendly countries. These events are held jointly with the Russian Export Center. Products of Moscow companies were presented at four major fairs in China and the UAE, which were held from November 2024 to May 2025.

    The Moscow Export Center was established by the Moscow Government in 2017 to provide financial and non-financial support measures to Moscow entrepreneurs in order to promote Moscow goods and services on foreign markets. The Moscow Export Center is a subordinate organization Department of Entrepreneurship and Innovative DevelopmentOne of its key tasks is to increase the number of Moscow exporters and grow their export revenue.

    Today, the MEC provides the capital’s business with comprehensive support at all stages of the export route – from preparation and training in foreign economic activity (FEA) to promotion abroad, assistance in increasing sales of financial incentives for FEA after concluding export contracts. Currently, the MEC’s toolkit includes more than 30 support measures.

    Sergei Sobyanin told how Moscow helps the capital’s business develop

    Get the latest news quickly official telegram channel the city of Moscow.

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

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: 15 July 2025 News release Senegal joins growing list of countries that have eliminated trachoma

    Source: World Health Organisation

    The World Health Organization (WHO) has validated Senegal as having eliminated trachoma as a public health problem. Senegal becomes the ninth country in WHO’s African Region to have achieved this feat.

    “I commend Senegal for freeing its population from this disease”, said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “This milestone is yet another sign of the remarkable progress being made against neglected tropical diseases globally, and offers hope to other countries still working to eliminate trachoma.”

    Trachoma has been known in Senegal since the early 1900s and was confirmed as a major cause of blindness through surveys in the 1980s and 1990s. Senegal joined the WHO Alliance for the Global Elimination of Trachoma in 1998, conducted its first national survey in 2000, and completed full disease mapping by 2017 with support from the Global Trachoma Mapping Project and Tropical Data. Trachoma control was consistently integrated into national eye health programmed, first under the National Program for Blindness Prevention (PNLC) and later through the National Program for the Promotion of Eye Health (PNPSO) – maintaining its commitment to trachoma elimination.

    “Today we celebrate our victory against trachoma, 21 years after the one against dracunculiasis” said Dr Ibrahima Sy, Senegal’s Minister of Health and Social Action. “This new milestone reminds us that our overarching goal remains a Senegal free from neglected tropical diseases. We are fully committed to this, and we are making good progress, notably against human African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness) and onchocerciasis”.

    Senegal implemented the WHO-recommended SAFE strategy to eliminate trachoma with the support of partners, reaching 2.8 million people who needed them across 24 districts. These activities included provision of surgery to treat the late blinding stage of the disease, conducting antibiotic mass drug administration of azithromycin donated by Pfizer through the International Trachoma Initiative, carrying out public awareness campaigns to promote facial cleanliness, and improvement in access to water supply and sanitation.

    Trachoma is the second neglected tropical disease to be eliminated in Senegal. In 2004, the country was certified free of dracunculiasis (Guinea-worm disease) transmission. Globally, Senegal joins 24 other countries that have been validated by WHO for having eliminated trachoma as a public health problem. These are Benin, Burundi, Cambodia, China, Gambia, Islamic Republic of Iran, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Ghana, India, Iraq, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mexico, Morocco, Myanmar, Nepal, Oman, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Saudi Arabia, Togo, Vanuatu and Viet Nam. These countries are part of a wider of group of 57 countries that have eliminated one or more neglected tropical diseases.

    WHO is supporting Senegal’s health authorities to closely monitor communities in which trachoma was previously endemic to ensure there is no resurgence of the disease.

    “Trachoma has cast a shadow over communities in Senegal for more than a century. This long-awaited validation is not only a milestone for public health but a powerful tribute to the tireless dedication of frontline health workers, communities, government leaders, and partners who never gave up,” said Dr Jean-Marie Vianny Yameogo, WHO Representative in Senegal. “Today, we close a chapter that began over a hundred years ago, united with pride, gratitude and resolve. WHO remains committed to supporting Senegal as the country continues to lead in sustaining this hard-earned achievement.”

    Disease prevalence

    Trachoma remains a public health problem in 32 countries, with an estimated 103 million people living in areas requiring interventions against the disease. Trachoma is found mainly in the poorest and most rural areas of Africa, Central and South America, Asia, the Western Pacific and the Middle East. WHO’s African Region is disproportionately affected by trachoma, with 93 million people living in at-risk areas in April 2024, representing 90% of the global trachoma burden.

    Significant progress has been made in the fight against trachoma over the past few years and the number of people requiring antibiotic treatment for trachoma in the African Region fell by 96 million from 189 million in 2014 to 93 million as of April 2024, representing a 51% reduction.

    There are currently 20 countries (Algeria, Angola, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central Africa Republic, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Guinea, Kenya, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, South Sudan, United Republic of Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe) in WHO’s African Region that are known to require intervention for trachoma elimination. A further 3 countries in the Region (Botswana, Guinea-Bissau and Namibia) claim to have achieved the prevalence targets for elimination.
     

    Editor’s note

    Trachoma is a neglected tropical disease. It is caused by infection with the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis, which spreads from person to person through contaminated surfaces , fomites and flies that have come into contact with discharge from the eyes or nose of an infected person.

    Environmental risk factors for trachoma transmission include poor hygiene, overcrowded households, and inadequate access to water and sanitation.

    To eliminate trachoma as a public health problem, WHO recommends the SAFE strategy: a comprehensive approach to reduce transmission of the causative organism, clear existing infections and deal with their effects. The SAFE strategy consists of surgery to treat the blinding complication (trachomatous trichiasis); antibiotics to clear the infection, particularly mass drug administration of the antibiotic azithromycin (which has been donated by the manufacturer, Pfizer, to elimination programmes through the International Trachoma Initiative); facial cleanliness; and environmental improvement, particularly improving access to water and sanitation.

    The road map for neglected tropical diseases 2021–2030 targets the prevention, control, elimination and eradication of 20 diseases and disease groups by 2030. Progress against trachoma and other neglected tropical diseases alleviates the human and economic burden that they impose on the world’s most disadvantaged communities.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Foreign Minister Lin hosts welcome luncheon for Haitian Foreign Minister Jean-Baptiste

    Source: Republic of Taiwan – Ministry of Foreign Affairs

    Foreign Minister Lin hosts welcome luncheon for Haitian Foreign Minister Jean-Baptiste

    • Date：2025-07-09
    • Data Source：Department of Latin American and Caribbean Affairs

    July 9, 2025  

    No. 234  

    Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung hosted a luncheon on July 7 for a delegation from the Republic of Haiti led by Minister of Foreign Affairs Jean-Victor Harvel Jean-Baptiste and his wife. Minister Lin welcomed the delegation on behalf of the Taiwan government and expressed his anticipation that, based on the deep friendship between the two nations, bilateral exchanges and cooperation would continue to expand.

     

    Minister Lin noted that Taiwan and Haiti had maintained diplomatic relations for 69 years and that the two sides had enjoyed fruitful collaboration in a wide range of areas, including food security, medical care, public health, and education. He added that such cooperation had benefited the people of Haiti and earned considerable recognition from the international community. 

     

    Furthermore, Minister Lin thanked the Haitian government for voicing support for Taiwan on the international stage, such as at the World Health Assembly and the Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. He said that the people and government of Taiwan deeply appreciated Haiti’s long-term and staunch backing of Taiwan’s participation in international organizations.

     

    In his remarks, Minister Jean-Baptiste thanked Minister Lin for his warm hospitality. He also took the opportunity to express, on behalf of the people and government of Haiti, gratitude to all sectors of Taiwan for providing humanitarian and food assistance over the years and participating in projects that benefited women, children, and other disadvantaged groups in Haiti. Minister Jean-Baptiste said that he looked forward to gaining a better understanding of Taiwan’s political, economic, and social development during his visit so as to further deepen the close collaborative relations between the two countries.

     

    Minister Lin, Minister Jean-Baptiste, and the other guests at the luncheon exchanged views on Haiti’s current political and social situation, as well as bilateral cooperation. Minister Lin expressed Taiwan’s willingness to continue to work with the Haitian government to help Haiti restore social stability, advance economic prosperity, and bolster national development. (E)

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Qatari Citizens Exempt from Entry Visas to Peru

    Source: Government of Qatar

    Doha, July 14 

    An official source at the Department of Consular Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) announced that Qatari citizens are now exempt from entry visa requirements for the Republic of Peru, for a maximum stay of 183 days, counted from the date of entry.

    The permitted stay may consist of either a single continuous visit or multiple visits within one year, provided that the passport is valid for at least six months, the source explained.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Economic Commission for Africa (ECA)’s Gatete sets tone at High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) 2025 with focus on finance and data gaps

    Source: APO


    .

    At the opening of the 2025 High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF), Claver Gatete, Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), called for urgent action to bridge global financing gaps and support innovation systems that work for all.

    “Digital tools and mission-driven science can accelerate SDGs delivery, but only if systems are inclusive and backed by real financing at scale,” he said, moderating a high-level Townhall session on SDGs implementation as part of ECA’s coordinating role among the UN Regional Commissions.

    The session, titled Unlocking the Means of Implementation: Finance, Science, Technology and Innovation for the SDGs, focused on how to move from global commitments to tangible solutions. It brought together leaders from public and private sectors to examine how capital flows, technology, and policy can better support sustainable development.

    With participation from Sanda Ojiambo, Executive Director of the UN Global Compact; Robbert Dijkgraaf, President-Elect of the International Science Council; and Robert Kirkpatrick, Chairman of the Board of the United Cities Foundation, the conversation highlighted the urgency of scaling investment, adopting alternative financing models, and building inclusive systems.

    Together, the panel stressed the importance of translating innovation into real-world results, especially across Africa and other regions facing deep development disparities.

    Speaking at another session on poverty eradication, Mr Gatete highlighted the need to ground policy and investment in sharper, more integrated data systems.

    “We can’t end poverty if we can’t measure it accurately,” he said at the event hosted by the Permanent Mission of Uruguay to the UN, UNDP, the Multidimensional Poverty Peer Network (MPPN), and other partners. “It’s time to shift from measuring what’s convenient to measuring what matters.”

    Mr Gatete pointed to ECA’s development of a prototype Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) dashboard for African countries. The platform links spatial poverty data with climate vulnerability, migration flows, peace and security trends, and subnational budget execution, providing governments with a more complete picture of where to direct resources and improve social protection.

    As the forum continues, Mr Gatete and ECA are keeping Africa’s priorities on the table, advocating for fairer finance, smarter tools, and a more inclusive path to 2030.

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA).

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: UN Security Council extends mandates of missions in Haiti and Yemen

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

    UNITED NATIONS, July 15 (Xinhua) — The Security Council on Monday adopted two separate resolutions to extend the mandates of U.N. missions in Haiti and Yemen.

    Resolution 2785 extends the mandate of the UN Integrated Office in Haiti for six and a half months, until 31 January 2026. The document expresses the Security Council’s intention to consider the UN Secretary-General’s recommendations of February 2025 regarding options for a possible UN role in Haiti, in particular the establishment of a UN office to provide logistical and operational support to the multinational police force in Haiti.

    In accordance with resolution 2786, the mandate of the UN Mission to Support the Implementation of the Hodeida Agreement (UNMHA) is extended for six and a half months, until 28 January 2026.

    The resolution expresses the intention of the Security Council to consider the full range of options for the UNMHA mandate, including an assessment of the future viability and completion timeframe of the mission, and to make any necessary adjustments to improve efficiency, reduce costs, etc., as may be required in connection with developments on the ground, including a durable ceasefire throughout the country.

    The document calls on UN Secretary-General António Guterres to submit a further review of UNMHA to the Security Council by 28 November 2025.

    Both resolutions were adopted unanimously. –0–

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

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Foreign Minister Lin hosts welcome luncheon for Haitian Foreign Minister Jean-Baptiste

    Source: Republic of China Taiwan

    Foreign Minister Lin hosts welcome luncheon for Haitian Foreign Minister Jean-Baptiste

    Date：2025-07-09
    Data Source：Department of Latin American and Caribbean Affairs

    July 9, 2025  
    No. 234  

    Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung hosted a luncheon on July 7 for a delegation from the Republic of Haiti led by Minister of Foreign Affairs Jean-Victor Harvel Jean-Baptiste and his wife. Minister Lin welcomed the delegation on behalf of the Taiwan government and expressed his anticipation that, based on the deep friendship between the two nations, bilateral exchanges and cooperation would continue to expand.
     
    Minister Lin noted that Taiwan and Haiti had maintained diplomatic relations for 69 years and that the two sides had enjoyed fruitful collaboration in a wide range of areas, including food security, medical care, public health, and education. He added that such cooperation had benefited the people of Haiti and earned considerable recognition from the international community. 
     
    Furthermore, Minister Lin thanked the Haitian government for voicing support for Taiwan on the international stage, such as at the World Health Assembly and the Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. He said that the people and government of Taiwan deeply appreciated Haiti’s long-term and staunch backing of Taiwan’s participation in international organizations.
     
    In his remarks, Minister Jean-Baptiste thanked Minister Lin for his warm hospitality. He also took the opportunity to express, on behalf of the people and government of Haiti, gratitude to all sectors of Taiwan for providing humanitarian and food assistance over the years and participating in projects that benefited women, children, and other disadvantaged groups in Haiti. Minister Jean-Baptiste said that he looked forward to gaining a better understanding of Taiwan’s political, economic, and social development during his visit so as to further deepen the close collaborative relations between the two countries.
     
    Minister Lin, Minister Jean-Baptiste, and the other guests at the luncheon exchanged views on Haiti’s current political and social situation, as well as bilateral cooperation. Minister Lin expressed Taiwan’s willingness to continue to work with the Haitian government to help Haiti restore social stability, advance economic prosperity, and bolster national development. (E)

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: A person in the US has died from pneumonic plague. It’s not just a disease of history

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Thomas Jeffries, Senior Lecturer in Microbiology, Western Sydney University

    Corona Borealis Studio/Shutterstock

    A person in Arizona has died from the plague, local health officials reported on Friday.

    This marks the first such death in this region in 18 years. But it’s a stark reminder that this historic disease, though rare nowadays, is not just a disease of the past.

    So what actually is “plague”? And is it any cause for concern in Australia?

    There are 3 types of ‘plague’

    The word “plague” is often used to refer to any major disease epidemic or pandemic, or even to other undesirable events, such as a mouse plague. Naturally, the word can evoke fear.

    But scientifically speaking, plague is a disease caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis.

    Plague has three main forms: bubonic, septicemic and pneumonic.

    Bubonic is the most common and is named after “buboes”, which are the painful, swollen lymph nodes the infection causes. Other symptoms include fever, headache, chills and weakness.

    Bubonic plague is typically spread by fleas living on animals such as rats, prairie dogs and marmots. If an infected flea moves from their animal host to bite a human, this can cause an infection.

    People can also become infected through handling an animal infected with the disease.

    Septicemic plague occurs if bubonic plague is left untreated, or it can occur directly if the disease enters the bloodstream. Septicemic plague causes bleeding into the organs. The name comes from septicemia, which refers to a serious blood infection.

    The recent death in the United States was due to a case of pneumonic plague, which is the most severe form. Bubonic plague can in some cases spread to the lungs, where it becomes pneumonic plague. However, pneumonic plague can also spread from person to person via tiny respiratory droplets, in a similar way to COVID. Symptoms are similar to the other forms but also include severe pneumonia.

    Some 30–60% of people who contract bubonic plague will die, while the fatality rate can be up to 100% for pneumonic plague if left untreated.

    Animals such as rats can carry the bacterium that causes plague.
    marcus_photo_uk/Shutterstock

    Plague: a potted history

    This disease is one of the most important in history. The Plague of Justinian (541–750CE) killed tens of millions of people in the western Mediterranean, heavily impacting the expansion of the Byzantine Empire.

    The medieval Black Death (1346–53) was also seismic, killing tens of millions of people and up to half of Europe’s population.

    Spread by the growing trade networks of the British empire, the third and most recent plague pandemic spanned the years 1855 until roughly 1960, peaking in the early 1900s. It was responsible for 12 million deaths, primarily in India, and even reached Australia.

    It’s believed the bubonic plague was largely behind these pandemics.

    Plague in the modern day

    First introduced into the US during the third pandemic, plague infects an average of seven people a year in the west of the country, due to being endemic in groundhog and prairie dog populations there. The last major outbreak was 100 years ago.

    Deaths are very rare, with 14 deaths in the past 25 years in the US.

    Globally, there have been a few thousand cases of plague over the past decade.

    The countries with the most cases currently include the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Madagascar and Peru, with cases also occurring in India, central Asia and the US. Cases usually occur in rural and agricultural areas.

    Plague can be treated

    Plague can easily be treated with common antibiotics, typically a course of 10–14 days, which can include both oral and intravenous antibiotics. But it must be treated quickly.

    The recent death is concerning, as it involves the airborne pneumonic form of the disease, the only form that spreads easily from person to person. But there’s no evidence of further spread of the disease within the US at this stage.

    As Y. pestis is not found in Australian animals, there is little risk here. Plague has not been reported in Australia in more than a century.

    But plague, like many diseases, is influenced by environmental conditions. The risk of climate change causing an expansion in the habitat of animal hosts means public health experts around the world should continue to monitor it closely.

    The plague, though often perceived as a disease of history, is still with us and can pose a major health threat if not treated early.

    Thomas Jeffries 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. A person in the US has died from pneumonic plague. It’s not just a disease of history – https://theconversation.com/a-person-in-the-us-has-died-from-pneumonic-plague-its-not-just-a-disease-of-history-261088

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI China: Ancelotti hails Brazil’s rise at Club World Cup

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

    Brazil manager Carlo Ancelotti has hailed the performances of the country’s clubs and individual players at the FIFA Club World Cup in the United States.

    The Italian said he was impressed by Fluminense while also praising the feats of Palmeiras, Flamengo and Botafogo, saying they showed Brazilian teams could challenge Europe’s best.

    Everaldo (R) of Fluminense vies with Tosin Adarabioyo of Chelsea during the semifinal match between Fluminense FC (Brazil) and Chelsea FC (England) at the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 at the MetLife Stadium, New Jersey, the United States, July 8, 2025. (Xinhua/Li Ming)

    “Fluminense had a great campaign, reaching the semifinals, and Botafogo beat PSG,” Ancelotti told the Brazilian Football Confederation’s official website.

    “Palmeiras and Flamengo also proved they can compete with the best European teams,” he added.

    Brazilian players also caught the attention of the 66-year-old, who was appointed Brazil manager in May after leaving Real Madrid.

    Among those singled out were Chelsea’s Joao Pedro and Andrey Santos, Real Madrid’s Eder Militao and Palmeiras’ Chelsea-bound teenager Estevao.

    “They played very well,” Ancelotti said. “Individually, Estevao put in a great showing. Joao Pedro was decisive in the semifinals and final. Andrey Santos played an important role for Chelsea and Militao came back strong [from injury]. He will be an important player for the national team in the next year.”

    Ancelotti was present at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium for Sunday’s final, in which Chelsea beat Paris Saint-Germain 3-0. He said the Premier League club deserved to win the first edition of the expanded global tournament.

    “Chelsea deserved it for the consistency they showed throughout the competition,” he said. “They showed that they have high-quality young players, like Cole Palmer and Joao Pedro,” he concluded.

    MIL OSI China News –