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Category: United States of America

  • Russian strikes on penal colony in Zaporizhzhia kill 16, Ukraine says

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Russian strikes on a penal colony in the frontline region of Zaporizhzhia in southwestern Ukraine overnight killed 16 people and injured at least 35, regional Ukrainian military and Zaporizhzhia’s governor said on Tuesday

    Zaporizhzhia governor Ivan Fedorov, writing on the Telegram messaging app, said that the correctional facility’s buildings were destroyed, and nearby private homes were also damaged.

    Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, condemned the strikes as “another war crime” committed by Russia.

    “(Russian President Vladimir) Putin’s regime, which also issues threats against the United States through some of its mouthpieces, must face economic and military blows that strip it of the capacity to wage war,” Yermak said on X.

    Moscow forces have regularly attacked Zaporizhzhia, using drones, missiles and aerial bombs, since the start of the war that Russia started with a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

    Russia unilaterally declared early in the war its annexation of parts of Zaporizhzhia and areas in and around three other Ukrainian regions. Kyiv and its Western allies called the move an illegal land grab.

    Fedorov said that Russian forces launched eight strikes on the Zaporizhzhia district, reportedly using high-explosive aerial bombs.

    Reuters could not independently verify Fedorov’s report. There was no immediate comment from Russia.

    Both sides deny targeting civilians in their strikes, but thousands of civilians have been killed in the conflict, the vast majority of them Ukrainian.

    (Reuters)

  • MIL-OSI China: 80 years on, story of Flying Tigers still unites two peoples

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

    Eighty years after the end of World War II, a county in central China still echoes with memories of international solidarity forged in wartime.

    In Zhijiang Dong autonomous county in Huaihua, Hunan province, the Flying Tigers Memorial Museum stands to honor a remarkable chapter of shared history between China and the United States — the story of the American Volunteer Group, better known as the Flying Tigers, during the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression.

    In 1937, the year Japan launched its full-scale invasion of China, Claire Lee Chennault, a retired lieutenant from the U.S. Army Air Corps, was invited by the Chinese government to serve as chief advisor to the Chinese Air Force and help develop its aerial capabilities.

    In 1941, the Flying Tigers was officially formed in Zhijiang, with Chennault as the commander. That December, after two squadrons successfully fended off Japanese aircraft over Kunming, capital of Yunnan province, the name Flying Tigers spread across China.

    Inside the museum that honors the Flying Tigers, visitors are captivated by a wall that displays the squadron emblems, tracing the four stages of their development in China. Most of the emblems feature cartoon-style wartime designs.

    Emblems of the Flying Tigers squadrons, displayed at the Flying Tigers Memorial Museum in Zhijiang Dong autonomous county, Huaihua city, Hunan province. [Photo by Wang Xinguang/China.org.cn]

    Through a large collection of artifacts, including fighter aircraft, personal belongings, original documents, and photographs, the museum portrays the mutual assistance and deep friendship between the Flying Tigers and the Chinese people.

    One notable exhibit is a flight jacket worn by a Flying Tigers member, donated by a veteran during his return to Zhijiang for a cultural festival after WWII.

    Sewn onto the back of the jacket is a blood chit, carrying a message in Chinese that reads: “This foreigner (American) has come to China to help in the war. Soldiers and civilians, please offer him rescue and protection.”

    A flight jacket of a Flying Tigers member, displayed at the Flying Tigers Memorial Museum. [Photo by Liu Jian/China SCIO]

    The message was meant to identify Flying Tigers members who would parachute or crash-land in Japanese-occupied areas. By showing it to Chinese soldiers or civilians, they could quickly be recognized and receive help. It therefore became known as a life-saving chit.

    The museum’s exhibits not only reflect the camaraderie between the Chinese and American people in their joint fight against fascism, but also underscore a broader message — one of mutual respect and enduring friendship between nations. 

    Today, the museum continues to receive support from the U.S., including numerous donated artifacts — a testament to the enduring commitment of both nations to honor the legacy of the Flying Tigers.

    Wu Jianhong, director of the museum, said that families of Flying Tigers members still visit China to donate items, keeping alive the shared spirit of cherishing peace.

    “It can be said that the Flying Tigers Memorial Museum is a commemorative site jointly built by the Chinese and American people,” Wu said.

    Near the exit of the museum stands the Wall of Heroes, inscribed with the names of 882 Chinese Air Force soldiers and 2,197 Flying Tigers members who lost their lives during the war.

    The Wall of Heroes inscribed with the names of Chinese Air Force soldiers and Flying Tigers members at the Flying Tigers Memorial Museum. [Photo by Wang Xinguang/China.org.cn]

    “The names on the wall honor those heroes whose identities could be confirmed,” said Deng Yu, a guide at the museum. “But many others remain unnamed — their sacrifices are remembered just the same.”

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI: Ransomware Surges as Attempts Spike 146% Amid Aggressive Extortion Tactics

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Key Findings:

    • Ransomware attacks blocked by the Zscaler cloud rose 146%, the sharpest spike observed in the past three years.
    • Public extortion cases jumped by 70% based on data leak site analysis.
    • Data exfiltration volumes increased 92%.
    • Manufacturing, Technology, and Healthcare were the top targeted industries, and the Oil & Gas sector experienced a 935% increase in attacks.

    SAN JOSE, Calif., July 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Zscaler, Inc. (NASDAQ: ZS), the leader in cloud security, today published its annual Zscaler ThreatLabz 2025 Ransomware Report. The report examines the latest trends shaping the ransomware threat landscape, revealing how attacks are adapting and escalating. It highlights the most targeted sectors and regions, profiles the most active ransomware families, analyzes shifting attack methodologies, and provides actionable recommendations to help organizations strengthen their defenses. ThreatLabz’s findings underscore the critical importance of organizations adopting a comprehensive Zero Trust Everywhere strategy. This approach is essential to prevent ransomware and other malicious threats from lateral movement and compromising sensitive user data, applications, and information.

    “Ransomware tactics continue to evolve, with the growing shift toward extortion over encryption as a clear example,” said Deepen Desai, EVP Cybersecurity, Zscaler. “GenAI is also increasingly becoming part of the ransomware threat actor’s playbook, enabling more targeted and efficient attacks. As threats advance, security measures must keep pace. The Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange™ platform empowers organizations to shrink their attack surface, identify and block initial compromise threats, prevent lateral movement, and stop data exfiltration to shut down extortion events before they happen.”

    Data Demand Fuels Steady Attack Growth
    Ransomware attacks are intensifying at an alarming rate, with attempted attacks blocked in the Zscaler cloud up 146% year-over-year. This escalation reflects a strategic shift: ransomware groups are increasingly prioritizing extortion over encryption. Accordingly, the report details a 92% increase in the total volume of exfiltrated data by 10 major ransomware groups in the past year, rising from 123 TB to 238 TB. This emphasis on data theft—and the threat of exposure—allows attackers to exert greater pressure on victims, amplifying the impact of ransomware on organizations globally.

    Industries Under Siege
    Cybercriminals continue to focus on the high-stakes environments of the Manufacturing (1,063 attacks), Technology (922), and Healthcare (672) sectors, making them the most frequently hit by ransomware over the past year. These industries are particularly vulnerable due to the potential for operational disruption, the sensitivity of stolen data, and the associated risks of reputational damage and regulatory fallout.

    The Oil & Gas sector has seen a staggering increase in ransomware attacks, spiking over 900% year-over-year. This surge is likely a result of increased automation of systems that control critical infrastructure, including drilling rigs and pipelines, expanding the sector’s attack surface, coupled with outdated security practices.

    United States Is the Target of Half of All Ransomware Attacks
    Leak site data highlights a distinct geographic disparity, with victims in the United States accounting for 50% of ransomware attacks, significantly outpacing Canada (5%) and the United Kingdom (4%). Ransomware attacks in the U.S. more than doubled to 3,671, exceeding the combined total number of attacks reported across all other countries in the top 15 most-targeted countries. This concentration demonstrates how threat actors continue to strategically target digitally concentrated, high-value economies.

    Ransomware Groups Driving the Surge
    Several highly active groups continued to dominate the ransomware ecosystem, with RansomHub leading the pack, claiming the highest number of publicly named victims at 833. Akira and Clop have both moved up in the ransomware attack rankings since last year. Akira, associated with 520 victims, has steadily expanded its reach through numerous affiliates and initial access brokers. Clop, known for its focus on supply chain attacks, is close behind with 488 victims, employing an effective strategy of exploiting vulnerabilities in commonly used third-party software.

    Zscaler ThreatLabz identified 34 newly active ransomware families over the past year, bringing the total number tracked to 425 since their research began, and has a public GitHub repository that now hosts 1,018 ransomware notes, with 73 added in the last year.

    How Zscaler Stops Ransomware with Zero Trust + AI
    Ransomware flourishes in environments with fragmented security, limited visibility, implicit trust, and outdated legacy architectures that amplify risk rather than reduce it. The Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange mitigates these risks by replacing traditional, network-centric models with a cloud-native, AI-driven zero trust architecture, and stops ransomware at every stage of the attack life cycle by:

    • Minimizing the attack surface
    • Preventing initial compromise
    • Eliminating lateral movement
    • Blocking data exfiltration

    Additional AI-powered ransomware protections from Zscaler include:

    • Breach prediction
    • Phishing and C2 detection
    • Inline sandboxing
    • Zero Trust Browser
    • Segmentation
    • Dynamic, risk-based policy
    • Data discovery and classification
    • Data loss prevention (DLP) controls

    Download the Report
    Get the full ThreatLabz 2025 Ransomware Report to explore how Zscaler ThreatLabz plays an active role in protecting enterprises worldwide. Download today.

    Research Methodology
    The research methodology for this report is a comprehensive process that uses multiple data sources to identify and track ransomware trends. The ThreatLabz team collected data between April 2024 and April 2025 from sources including the Zscaler global security cloud, and the team’s own analysis of ransomware samples and attack data.

    About ThreatLabz
    ThreatLabz is the security research arm of Zscaler. This world-class team is responsible for hunting new threats and ensuring that the thousands of organizations using the global Zscaler platform are always protected. In addition to malware research and behavioral analysis, team members are involved in the research and development of new prototype modules for advanced threat protection on the Zscaler platform, and regularly conduct internal security audits to ensure that Zscaler products and infrastructure meet security compliance standards. ThreatLabz regularly publishes in-depth analyses of new and emerging threats on its portal, research.zscaler.com.

    About Zscaler
    Zscaler (NASDAQ: ZS) accelerates digital transformation so customers can be more agile, efficient, resilient, and secure. The Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange™ platform protects thousands of customers from cyberattacks and data loss by securely connecting users, devices, and applications in any location. Distributed across more than 160 data centers globally, the SASE-based Zero Trust Exchange is the world’s largest in-line cloud security platform.

    Media Contact:
    Nick Gonzalez
    press@zscaler.com

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b92c9822-3941-45ec-8aa1-87defcd57281

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-Evening Report: From futuristic design icon to environmental villain – the 80-year history of the plastic chair

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Geoff Isaac, Research Fellow, Design, Architecture and Building, University of Technology Sydney

    The Magis Bell Chair, made from recycled plastic, saves energy during production and transport and produces less waste for recycling or disposal at end of life. Magis

    What springs to mind when you’re asked to think of plastic chairs? Do you picture the ubiquitous lightweight, stackable polypropylene chair sold cheaply in hardware stores worldwide?

    Or perhaps you picture something more glamorous, such as Shiro Kuramata’s Miss Blanche (1988). This limited-edition artwork, featuring imitation roses suspended in acrylic resin, now sells for more than US$500,000 at auction.

    I research industrial design, exploring the symbiotic relationship between technology, commercial design and sustainability. The 80-year history of the plastic chair was the focus of my PhD.

    This humble, ubiquitous object offers unique insights into society’s shifting attitudes to plastic, and the changes to come.

    An 80-year history

    The story of the plastic chair began in the United States in the 1930s, when petrochemical manufacturers DuPont and Röhm & Haas started mass-producing acrylic glass.

    The material, available in rods and sheets, enabled industrial designers to produce a wide range of consumer products using traditional manufacturing techniques.

    Widespread shortages of traditional materials during World War II drove further development of plastics.

    After the war, designers and manufacturers quickly embraced plastics. They were seen as the foundation of a new, plentiful future, allowing the masses to access products previously reserved for the elite. Many household items such as televisions, toys and upholstery became cheaper, thanks to plastics.

    Fibreglass manufacturing advanced during WWII to support the US Navy. This involves weaving strands of glass into a loose mat, which is then placed into a mould. Polyester resin is poured in to bind the fibres together before it hardens into a solid shape. Fibreglass is strong, lightweight, corrosion-resistant and can be moulded into complex shapes.

    The first fibreglass chair designs were Charles and Ray Eames’ Plastic Armchair and Eero Saarinen’s Tulip Chair. Then the Space Age (1957–69) inspired enthusiastic experiments with technicolor-saturated glossy surfaces and futuristic curved shapes, all made possible by fibreglass.

    Designers could handcraft prototypes, perfecting comfort and form. Many designs from this era are still in production and often feature in science fiction films.

    Plastic furniture features many in sci-fi movies (Scandinavian Design 101)

    A shift in public sentiment

    Looking back at Earth from space was a turning point for humanity. The famous Earthrise photo captured the precarious nature of our existence and dependence on finite resources, such as fossil fuels. Oil was used to make most plastic at that time.

    In the 1970s, the price of oil shot up tenfold when Arab nations banned petroleum exports and cut oil production during the Arab–Iraeli War. The Iraq–Iran war followed. In 1981, oil reached US$31 per barrel. Suddenly, plastics were expensive.

    Early plastics also had drawbacks. Colours faded and surfaces scratched, eroding consumer confidence. Disillusioned consumers began to favour traditional materials such as metal and timber. Few noteworthy plastic chair designs appeared during the next two decades.

    In response, the plastics industry changed tactics. If consumers favoured wooden furniture, then woodchips and veneer – held together by polymer adhesives and varnished with polyurethane – offered a cost-effective solution. Plastics were simply camouflaged within an ever-increasing range of products.

    As the environmental impacts of plastics became evident, the industry recognised it had an image problem and launched a major public relations effort around recycling. It worked. By the end of the century, plastics were fashionable again.

    Recycling eases guilt

    From the late 1990s, leading designers enthusiastically embraced injection moulding. This was much cheaper and faster than labour-intensive fibreglass.

    Philippe Starck’s LaMarie for Kartell launched a new trend for translucent chairs. Karim Rashid launched the affordable Oh Chair and Jasper Morrison introduced air injection moulding to the industry with the Air Chair.

    The revival was brief. The limitations of mechanical recycling gradually became more widely understood. Of the 8.3 billion tonnes of plastic produced by 2020, just 9% had been recycled, or more accurately “downcycled” such as by turning PET bottles into polyester for clothing.

    Ocean pollution became a focus when it was shown that by 2050, there will be more plastic than fish in our seas. Alarm further intensified over the impact of chemical additives used in plastics and their effects on human health and the ability to reproduce.

    In response, designers and manufactures are now exploring plastics made at least partly from recycled plastics or renewable organic resources such as plants, algae or even carbon dioxide (bioplastics).

    My study of 60 such chairs identified the Bell Chair as the best of the bunch. Made from just 2.8kg of plastic waste, the design minimises the amount of energy required to make and transport the chair.

    These chairs come off the automated production line stacked 12-high for efficient transport. The manufacturer Magis also claims Bell Chairs can be recycled at end-of-life. But the lack of a resin identification code mark, and the inclusion of fibreglass, make it unlikely the product will actually be recycled.

    I thought my study would identify chairs made from bioplastics as delivering superior environmental outcomes. However, designers working with these materials were forced to compensate for inferior material strength by bulking up their designs, or mixing bio-based material with traditional plastics.

    Bulky designs demand higher energy consumption during manufacture and transport, while hybridised materials are problematic as they cannot be recycled and are not biodegradable.

    Siamese Chair, designed by Karim Rashid in 2014. The bioplastic made from acai fruit and bark from Ipe Roxo trees was not strong enough for the legs, and the shell of the chair had to be bulked up. The use of aluminium for the legs and the energy consumed during production and transport meant this 9.8kg chair achieved a weak score in my analysis.
    A Lot of Brasil

    The chair of the future

    Bans on single-use plastics, and measures to reduce plastic packaging and increase recycled content in packaging and products, are beginning to take effect. Manufacturers are also experimenting with renewable plastics in consumer goods.

    But to achieve global emissions-reduction targets, the transition from virgin fossil-based plastics to renewable plastics must accelerate. Government intervention will be crucial where voluntary industry agreements are failing, both at home and abroad.

    It’s likely the plastic chair of the future will be made entirely from renewable organic resources. Creating a more circular plastics economy is not only possible, it’s imperative.



    Read more:
    Curious Kids: why can some plastics be recycled but others can’t?

    Geoff Isaac 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. From futuristic design icon to environmental villain – the 80-year history of the plastic chair – https://theconversation.com/from-futuristic-design-icon-to-environmental-villain-the-80-year-history-of-the-plastic-chair-257470

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Security: AFRICOM Deputies Engage with Angolan Leaders to Strengthen Security Cooperation

    Source: United States AFRICOM

    AFRICOM Deputies Engage with Angolan Leaders to Strengthen Security Cooperation

    Lt. Gen. John W. Brennan, Deputy Commander for U.S. Africa Command, and Ambassador Robert Scott, AFRICOM’s Deputy to the Commander for Civil-Military Engagement, traveled to Angola, July 22-25, to meet with Angolan government and military leaders and Chargé d’Affaires Noah Zaring and his team at U.S. Embassy Angola and Sao Tome and Principe. 

    The visit reaffirmed AFRICOM’s commitment to strengthening its partnership with Angola, a security leader in southern Africa, and came on the heels of a meeting with the Namibian Minister of Defense and Veterans Affairs on July 21. 

    The AFRICOM leaders and Chargé d’Affaires Zaring engaged in meetings with Angola’s Secretary of State for National Defense for the Ministry of Defense José Maria de Lima; Secretary of State for External Affairs for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Esmerelda Mendonça; and Joint Chief of Staff for Patriotic Education General José Maria Marques.

    Discussions focused on advancing shared security and economic interests, to include countering transnational threats to the U.S. Homeland and Angola, enabling partners to lead their own security initiatives with minimal U.S. involvement, and leveraging shared economic opportunities, notably the transformational Lobito Corridor initiative. 

    The Lobito Corridor is a large-scale infrastructure initiative, backed by the G7, that is designed to connect the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia to Angola’s Atlantic coast at the port of Lobito, providing inland industries like mining and agriculture with effective and timely access to global markets and furthering domestic and international investments.

    The two leaders emphasized that security underpins private sector investments. Working together with African nations to develop secure, stable countries, regions and economies, allows for environments where economic opportunities and partnerships thrive.

    During their visit, Scott, who has 30 years of State Department experience in Africa, and Brennan, a career special forces officer and leader, also traveled to a training base near Cabo Ledo where they met with Special Forces Brigade Commander Brigadier João Baptista Paulo and other special forces leaders and soldiers. While there, Brennan took part in a wreath laying ceremony at a memorial honoring fallen Angolan special forces members.

    The two also observed U.S. and Angolan special forces involved in a live fire exercise being conducted during a Joint Combined Exchange Training (JCET) focused on close quarters combat and small unit tactics. JCETs and large-scale AFRICOM exercises bring together partners and allies to enhance readiness and interoperability and sharpen warfighter skillsets, empowering lethal, combat ready forces to deter aggression and win on the battlefield. This is the fifth JCET conducted between U.S. and Angolan forces since 2022.

    In addition to participating in AFRICOM sponsored exercises and conferences, Angola has also been accepted into the 2025 cohort of State Partnership Program (SPP) nations, a comprehensive Department of Defense program that partners allied and partner nations with a U.S. state and its National Guard forces. Through SPP, the National Guard conducts military-to-military exchanges and training in support of U.S. and partner nation defense security goals. SPP also leverages whole-of-society relationships and capabilities to facilitate broader cooperation spanning military, government, economic and social spheres. An announcement of which state has been partnered with Angola is expected in the Fall.

        ______________________________________________________________

    AFRICOM is one of seven U.S. geographic combatant commands, responsible for military engagement across 53 African nations. Working with partners and allies, the command counters malign actors and transnational threats, responds to crises, strengthens African security forces, and supports U.S. government efforts in Africa to advance U.S. national interests and promote regional security, stability, and prosperity.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • NISAR set to transform earth science with ISRO-NASA collaboration

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    The first images of Earth were captured in 1946 through a motion camera picture. The world stood still from far above while its floor held the chaos on its surface and beneath all the land. Almost eight decades from then, the world will now see what is on and under Earth in remarkable detail, all thanks to the collaborative project between ISRO and NASA called “NISAR.” Slated to be launched on July 30 from India’s Satish Dhawan Space Center,the mission is set to change the course of how we see this planet.

    What exactly is NISAR?

    NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar) aims to monitor Earth’s surface using advanced radar imaging. A three-dimensional view of Earth will be generated through the two radars of NISARthat will be able to track changes in the surface with accuracy of a fraction of an inch. This project, which cost around $1.4 billion, is more than just a testament of collaboration between NASA and ISRO but a scientific marvel in itself. NISAR is the most advanced radar system that will generate around 80 terabytes of data per day. That is equivalent to one hundred and fifty hard drives that can store 512 GB. This is the maximum amount of data that will be generated per day by any Earth satellite that has ever been launched by NASA or ISRO. TheS-Band Radar of NISAR was developed by ISRO’s center in Ahmedabad, and the L-Band Radar was produced by NASA in Southern California. The labelling “L and S Band” is attributed to the microwave bandwidth regions from which the radar will collect the data.

    How will this data from NISAR change things for scientists?

    NISAR will map changes on the surface of Earth.Broadly, the applications can be seen in natural hazard monitoring, assessment of sea, ice, and glaciers, and also in crop management. The satellite will be able to see through clouds, rain, and in both day and night. The data will be able to provide insights into the time of glacial melting and provide unprecedented coverage ofAntarctica. Moreover, through NISAR, it will be possible to identify the parts of fault lines that move slowly and detect land movement essential for understanding and detecting earthquakes. Earthquakes have damaged large dams, like Koyna in 1967 and Shih-Gang in 1999, due to shaking or fault movement. NISAR satellite data can help prevent such failures by mapping ground shifts and fault risks with high precision.

    The satellite will be used for ecosystem monitoring for land and ice-covered surfaces twice every twelve days and will also include parts of Earth that were not monitored so rigorously and with such frequency in the past. From forest canopies to croplands and from ice melts to land movements, NISAR will cover everything. Such detailed monitoring with advanced radar systems will thus paint a fresh picture of the planet in front of scientists. The data collected by NISAR is open access and is expected to unravel details of land movement and of ecosystems that may provide novel insights.From scientists to policymakers, this data will revolutionize our understanding of the planet.

    Space Diplomacy and India’s new chapter in space

    The NISAR project is critical to the US and India’s pioneering year of civil space cooperation. It was only in February 2025 when PM Modi visited the US and met President Donald Trump; the leaders hailed 2025 as a pioneering year for the U.S.-India civil space cooperation. The cooperation saw a bright beginning with the AXIOM Mission where Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla traveled to space in a collaborative mission with NASA, making him only the second after Rakesh Sharma after a gap of almost four decades. It is clear that India is scripting a new chapter in space diplomacy, and it is not restricted only to the USA. ISRO has ongoing collaborative missions with other countries like France,Japan, Australia, Russia, Italy, and Europe. Given the success rate of ISRO, it has also become a key player in foreign launches with 433 foreign satellite launches from 34 countries. ISRO is pioneering space diplomacy through strategic international collaborations, fostering global cooperation and scientific advancement. By sharing expertise, resources, and satellite data, ISRO enhances global space research, promotes peaceful exploration, and positions India as a leader in space diplomacy.

    Radar, Real-Time, and Responsibility

    The NISAR mission marks a monumental leap in Earth observation, uniting ISRO and NASA in a shared vision to unravel our planet’s dynamic processes. By delivering unprecedented radar data, NISAR will empower scientists and policymakers to tackle climate change, natural disasters, and sustainable resource management with newfound precision. Beyond its scientific impact, the mission underscores India’s growing stature in space diplomacy, forging global partnerships that advance peaceful exploration and collective knowledge. As ISRO continues to collaborate with nations like the U.S., France, and Japan, NISAR stands as a beacon of innovation, cooperation, and India’s leadership in shaping the future of space exploration.

    (Pooja Mishra is a Content Researcher at DD India)

  • MIL-OSI: Willis predicts natural catastrophes will not offer insurers any respite in 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    LONDON, July 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Natural catastrophes continue to put a strain on global insurance markets, according to the latest Natural Catastrophe Review published today by Willis, a WTW business (NASDAQ: WTW).

    Worldwide, insured losses from natural catastrophes now consistently exceed USD 100 billion per year. It’s been six years since the insurance industry last experienced a year with low losses from natural catastrophes. Events so far in 2025 indicate that losses exceeding USD 100 billion will very likely continue for at least another year.

    The Willis Natural Catastrophe Review is a biannual publication that provides insights into recent natural catastrophes and shares expert views on the risks posed by major perils. It sets out the causes and effects of major catastrophes in 2025 to date and goes beyond the headlines to identify the underlying factors that made them possible. The Review also provides an expert outlook for the rest of the year and into 2026, exploring potential threats from hurricanes, drought, flood and other hazards.

    Other key trends to note:

    • Exceptional natural catastrophes: So far, major events in 2025 include the Los Angeles wildfires (globally, the worst wildfire event ever with respect to insured losses), the worst wildfires in Japan and South Korea in at least a generation, the third-most active year on record for tornadoes in the United States, the first landfalling cyclone near Brisbane, Australia in 50 years, and the highest wind speed ever recorded over Ireland.
    • Natural catastrophes under climate change: The severity and scale of recent catastrophes underlines the need to confront a new era of climate extremes. Risk managers must reassess the risk, integrate climate forecasts into their plans, and ensure insurance and risk frameworks are optimized for today’s evolving threats. Data-driven strategies are needed to narrow protection gaps and to stay resilient in a rapidly changing world.
    • Leveraging scientific advances to mitigate future risks: The Review presents a forward view on natural catastrophe risk for the remainder of 2025 and early 2026. It also provides concrete advice on how to make the most of seasonal weather forecasts and identifies geographic regions that may be exposed to elevated catastrophe risk during the next three to six months.

    Peter Carter, Head of Climate Practice, Willis, said: “2024 continued a 6-year streak of natural catastrophe losses in excess of USD 100 billion.  The wildfires in Los Angeles early in 2025 will drive estimated losses of USD 40 billion alone so the streak looks set to continue. With global efforts likely failing to keep the temperature below 2°C above pre-industrial levels, our focus must now turn to adapting and building resilience in the face of this new reality.”

    Cameron Rye, Director, Natural Catastrophe Analytics, Willis said: “The Los Angeles wildfires of January 2025 resulted in insured losses more than USD $40 billion, equivalent to nearly one-third of global insured losses the previous year. The scale and timing of the event placed immediate pressure on insurers’ catastrophe loss budgets at the beginning of the year and prompted a renewed focus on how wildfire risk is modelled, particularly in high-exposure areas like the urban-wildland interface. With an above-average number of storms predicted for the North Atlantic hurricane season, 2025 is shaping up to be one of the costliest years on record for (re)insurers.”

    The full Natural Catastrophe Review can be accessed here.

    About WTW

    At WTW (NASDAQ: WTW), we provide data-driven, insight-led solutions in the areas of people, risk and capital. Leveraging the global view and local expertise of our colleagues serving 140 countries and markets, we help organizations sharpen their strategy, enhance organizational resilience, motivate their workforce and maximize performance.

    Working shoulder to shoulder with our clients, we uncover opportunities for sustainable success—and provide perspective that moves you. Learn more at wtwco.com.

    Media Contacts

    Lauren David
    Lauren.David@wtwco.com
    +44 7385947619

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI China: SCIO organizes media trip to Shanxi and Hunan

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

    SCIO organizes media trip to Shanxi and Hunan

    China SCIO | July 29, 2025

    The State Council Information Office (SCIO) organized a media trip from July 22-26 to China’s Shanxi and Hunan provinces, inviting journalists to visit memorial facilities and historical sites of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. The group included foreign correspondents from the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Russia, Japan, Singapore, and Indonesia, and they conducted interviews with veterans of the war as well as families of fallen heroes.

    Reporters visit the Eighth Route Army Taihang Memorial Hall in Changzhi, Shanxi province, July 23, 2025. [Photo by Liu Jian/China SCIO]

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    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI: xSuite Group Receives Great Place to Work Certification

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Press Release xSuite

    Recognition confirms the software company’s commitment to creating an exceptional workplace culture

    Ahrensburg/Germany, July 29, 2025 – xSuite Group, a global software provider specializing in automated business processes, has officially been recognized as a “Great Place to Work®.” The certification is awarded by the international research and consulting institute of the same name and is based on a validated process that assesses a company’s workplace culture.

    To earn the certification, xSuite underwent a thorough review process that included anonymous feedback from employees and an evaluation of its HR practices and programs. The company, which provides innovative SaaS and software solutions—especially in the area of invoice processing within SAP—places strong emphasis on both customer-centric development and the personal and professional growth of its global team.

    “We’re incredibly proud of this recognition—especially because it reflects the positive feedback of our employees both in Germany and abroad,” said Haiko van Lengen, CEO of xSuite Group. “It’s a testament to the strong team spirit that defines our company culture every single day.”

    The survey results speak for themselves:

    • 83% of employees rate xSuite as a “great place to work”
    • 96% feel they have the resources and tools needed to succeed
    • 92% of new hires report feeling welcomed
    • 94% agree that their managers trust them to do a good job without micromanagement

    “Expertise and experience form the foundation of our success,” van Lengen continued. “We strive to grow continuously as a team and to adopt the latest technologies so we can deliver innovative solutions to our customers. We’re particularly proud of our work in artificial intelligence and our ongoing efforts to remain at the forefront of SAP-related innovation.”

    Evelyn Funke, Global Vice President of Human Resources, added: “At xSuite, every single employee plays a vital role in our success—whether through writing code or delivering customer solutions. We take responsibility for our clients’ business processes and the quality of our products. While the company is on a strong growth trajectory, we remain committed to maintaining a family-like atmosphere that encourages creativity and open collaboration. Our informal culture fosters a sense of belonging, allowing everyone to be themselves while contributing meaningfully to the larger mission.”

    About Great Place to Work®

    Great Place to Work® is a global authority on workplace culture, helping organizations develop strong employer brands and gain a competitive edge. Certification is based on a representative and anonymous employee survey and a cultural audit of the organization. The institute surveys over 20 million employees each year across 18,000 companies in 170 countries. The German branch, founded in 2002 and headquartered in Cologne, employs around 100 staff members. It was launched at the initiative of the European Commission as part of the Lisbon Strategy to provide a credible tool for promoting and recognizing effective workplace cultures. www.greatplacetowork.com/.

    About xSuite Group

    xSuite is a software manufacturer of applications for document-based processes and provides standardized, digital solutions worldwide that enable simple, secure, and fast work. We focus mainly on the automation of important work processes in conjunction with end-to-end document management. Our core competence lies in accounts payable (AP) automation in SAP (including
    e-invoicing), for leading companies worldwide, as well as for public clients.

    This is supplemented by applications for purchasing and order processes as well as archiving – all delivered from a single source, including both software components and services. xSuite solutions operate in the cloud or in hybrid scenarios.

    We take pride in the high-quality solutions we offer, as evidenced by the regular certifications we receive for our SAP solutions and deployment environments.” With over 300,000 users benefitting from our solutions, xSuite processes more than 80 million documents per year in over 60 countries.

    Founded in 1994 and headquartered in Ahrensburg, Germany, xSuite has around 300 staff across nine locations worldwide – in Europe, Asia, and the United States. Our company has an established information security management system that is certified in accordance with ISO 27001:2022.

    Press Contact Headquarters:
    Barbara Wirtz
    xSuite Group GmbH
    Marketing & PR
    Tel. +49 (0)4102/88 38 36
    barbara.wirtz@xsuite.com
    www.xsuite.com

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-Evening Report: View from The Hill: Albanese wants international cover before Australia recognises Palestine as a state

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra

    Anthony Albanese will recall well when another Labor prime minister was feeling the heat over Palestinian status.

    It was 2012 and then-Prime Minister Julia Gillard was forced into a corner over the stand Australia should take on a motion to give Palestine observer status at the United Nations.

    Gillard and her foreign minister, Bob Carr, clashed over the matter. Gillard wanted to oppose the motion, siding with the United States and Israel. Carr and others pushed back hard, and eventually Australia abstained.

    In his book, Diary of a Foreign Minister, Carr records that in the cabinet debate earlier, “Albanese gave a no-holds-barred robust presentation of the case for voting ‘yes’ or abstaining”.

    Now Albanese, in the wake of France having just declared it will recognise Palestine as a state, faces another, albeit different, iteration of the Palestinian status issue. The circumstances are much more direct and acute. On this occasion, he is arguing for time.

    Carr is still out there advocating. But a more central voice is former minister Ed Husic (who was around in 2012, too, but still on the backbench). The Labor rank and file are strongly pro-Palestine. They are backed by the ALP platform, which calls for Palestine to be recognised as a state.

    Even as a minister in the last parliamentary term, bound by cabinet solidarity, Husic pushed the boundaries when speaking out about the Middle East conflict. Having been dumped from the frontbench in factional manoeuvring after the election, he is free to say bluntly what he thinks. Now he is putting his shoulder to the wheel to advocate recognition.

    In a Guardian article on Monday he reminded his Labor peers and betters “that our party has twice agreed at its highest decision-making forum – the National Conference of the Australian Labor party – to recognise the state of Palestine.

    “The time to do so is absolutely right now.”

    Albanese is caught between his party and his caution.

    It is a fair assumption the prime minister, with his long history of being pro-Palestinian, would like to follow the lead of French President Emmanuel Macron.

    Equally, however, he would want Australia to move in concert with like-minded countries, including the United Kingdom, Canada and New Zealand. Australia has previously banded with these countries in joint statements about the Middle East conflict.

    Albanese said at the weekend Australian recognition of a Palestinian state wasn’t imminent – although last year Foreign Minister Penny Wong opened the way for possible recognition as part of a peace process (rather than only accorded at the end of it).

    The prime minister put a context around recognition. “How do you exclude Hamas from any involvement there? How do you ensure that a Palestinian state operates in an appropriate way which does not threaten the existence of Israel? And so we don’t do any decision as a gesture. We will do it as a way forward if the circumstances are met.”

    In caucus on Tuesday, Husic pressed his point, asking how long the preconditions for statehood could be expected to take. Albanese essentially went through what he’d said before.

    Labor’s Friends of Palestine group is pressing for sanctions, as well as recognition.

    The group’s spokesperson Peter Moss says: “Over the past 21 months, Labor members in branches and conferences have repeatedly urged the government to join 147 UN member states and now France in recognising Palestine.

    “By making recognition contingent on a non-existent peace process, the government has effectively ruled out delivering on policy that has broad public support.

    “We call on the Australian government to implement official platform policy and immediately and unconditionally recognise a Palestinian state on the pre-4 June 1967 borders.”

    In recent weeks more than 80 Labor branches and other party units have passed a strong motion calling for sanctions and an arms embargo on Israel.

    In the last few days, the group wrote to Wong, seeking a meeting to discuss its calls for sanctions and for the Albanese government “to work with international partners to develop a practical plan for the establishment of a free and independent Palestinian State”. No meeting has yet been arranged.

    Michelle Grattan 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. View from The Hill: Albanese wants international cover before Australia recognises Palestine as a state – https://theconversation.com/view-from-the-hill-albanese-wants-international-cover-before-australia-recognises-palestine-as-a-state-262028

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: A rare, direct warning from Japan signals a shift in the fight against child sex tourism in Asia

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Ming Gao, Research Fellow of East Asia Studies, Lund University

    Jonas Gratzer/LightRocket via Getty Images

    Japan’s embassy in Laos and its Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued a rare and unusually direct advisory, warning Japanese men against “buying sex from children” in Laos.

    The move was sparked by Ayako Iwatake, a restaurant owner in Vientiane, who allegedly saw social media posts of Japanese men bragging about child prostitution. In response, she launched a petition calling for government action.

    The Japanese-language bulletin makes clear such conduct is prosecutable under both Laotian law and Japan’s child prostitution and pornography law, which applies extraterritorially.

    This diplomatic statement was not only a legal warning. It was a rare public acknowledgement of Japanese men’s alleged entanglement in transnational child sex tourism, particularly in Southeast Asia.

    It’s also a moment that demands we look beyond individual criminal acts or any one nation and consider the historical, racial and structural inequalities that make such mobility and exploitation possible.

    A changing map of exploitation

    Selling and buying sex in Asia is nothing new. The contours have shifted over time but the underlying sentiment has remained constant: some lives are cheap and commodified, and some wallets are deep and entitled.

    Japan’s involvement in overseas prostitution stretches back to the Meiji period (1868-1912). Young women from impoverished rural regions (known as karayuki-san) migrated abroad, often to Southeast Asia, to work in the sex industry, from port towns in Malaya to brothels in China and the Pacific Islands.

    If poverty once pushed Japanese women abroad to sell their bodies, by the second half of the 20th century – fuelled by Japan’s postwar economic boom – it was wealthy Japanese men who began travelling overseas to buy sex.

    Around the 2000s, the dynamic flipped again. In South Korea, now a developed economy, men travelled to Southeast Asia – and later to countries such as Russia and Uzbekistan – following routes once taken by Japanese men.

    Later in the same period, the flow took an even darker turn.

    Japanese and South Korean men began to emerge as major buyers of child sex abroad, particularly across Southeast Asia, the Pacific Islands and even Mongolia.

    According to the United States Department of State, Japanese men continued to be “a significant source of demand for sex tourism”, while South Korean men remained “a source of demand for child sex tourism”.

    The UN Office on Drugs and Crime and other organisations have also flagged both countries as key contributors to child sexual exploitation in the region.

    From exporter to destination: Japan’s new role in the sex trade

    A more recent and troubling shift appears to be unfolding within Japan.

    Amid ongoing economic stagnation and the depreciation of the yen, Tokyo has reportedly become a destination for inbound sex tourism. Youth protection organisations have observed a notable rise in foreign male clients, particularly Chinese, frequenting areas where teenage girls and young women engage in survival sex.

    What ties these movements together is not just culturally specific beliefs, such as the fetishisation of virginity or the superstition that sex with young girls brings good luck in business, but power.

    The battle to protect children

    The global campaign to end child sex tourism began in earnest with the founding of ECPAT (a global network of organisations that seeks to end the sexual exploitation of children) in 1990 to confront the rising exploitation of children in Southeast Asia.

    Despite legal frameworks and international scrutiny, the abuse of children remains disturbingly common.

    Several factors converge here: endemic poverty, weak law enforcement and a constant influx of wealthier foreign men. Add to that the digital age of information and communication technologies, where child sex can be advertised, arranged and commodified through encrypted platforms and invitation-only forums, and the crisis deepens.

    While local governments often pledge reform, implementation is inconsistent.

    Buyers, especially foreign buyers, often manage to evade consequences. However, in early 2025, Japan’s National Police Agency arrested 111 people – including high school teachers and tutors – in a nationwide crackdown on online child sexual exploitation, conducted in coordination with international partners.

    Why this moment matters

    The shock surrounding the Laos revelations and the unusually direct response from Japanese authorities offers a rare opportunity to confront the deeper systems at work.

    Sex tourism doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It’s enabled by uneven development, transnational mobility, weak regulation and social silence. But this moment also shows grassroots activism can force institutional action.

    Japan’s official warning wasn’t triggered by a government audit or diplomatic scandal. It came because Ayako Iwatake saw social media posts of Japanese men boasting about buying sex from children and refused to look away.

    When she delivered the petition to the embassy, it responded quickly. Less than ten days later, the Foreign Ministry issued a public warning, clearly outlining the legal consequences of child sex crimes committed abroad.

    Iwatake’s action is a reminder: it doesn’t take a government to expose a system. It takes someone willing to speak out – even when it’s uncomfortable. As she told Japanese newspaper Mainichi Shimbun:

    It was just too blatant. I couldn’t look the other way.

    It’s commendable that Japan acted swiftly. But a warning alone isn’t enough. Japan should strengthen and expand its international cooperation to combat these heinous crimes.

    A more decisive model can be seen in a recent case in Vietnam, where US authorities infiltrated a livestream child sex abuse network for the first time in that country. Working undercover for months, they coordinated with Vietnamese officials to arrest a mother who had been sexually abusing her daughter on demand for paying viewers abroad.

    The rescue of the nine-year-old victim showed what serious cross-border intervention looks like.

    But for every headline-grabbing scandal, there are hundreds of untold stories.

    The Laos case should be the beginning of a broader reckoning with how sex, money and power move across borders – and who pays the price.

    Ming Gao receives funding from the Swedish Research Council. This research was produced with support from the Swedish Research Council grant “Moved Apart” (nr. 2022-01864). Ming Gao is a member of Lund University Profile Area: Human Rights.

    – ref. A rare, direct warning from Japan signals a shift in the fight against child sex tourism in Asia – https://theconversation.com/a-rare-direct-warning-from-japan-signals-a-shift-in-the-fight-against-child-sex-tourism-in-asia-261554

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Spanish PM urges EU to diversify trade relations after US deal

    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

    MADRID, July 29 (Xinhua) — Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Monday called on the European Union (EU) to “diversify” the country’s trade relations following the announcement of a new EU-U.S. trade deal late on Sunday.

    Speaking at his residence in Madrid ahead of the summer parliamentary recess, P. Sanchez told the press that he “appreciated” “the efforts made by the European Commission.”

    He said the trade deal showed that “one of the lessons Europe must learn in the face of the US administration is that we must act together in all aspects: in strategic autonomy and in commercial agreements with other countries.”

    “We must diversify our commercial relations with blocs that want to reach an agreement with Europe, such as Mercosur,” said P. Sanchez, stressing that Spain’s foreign policy is based on “commitment to peace, reality and cooperation between nations.”

    US President Donald Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the new deal on Sunday after trade talks at Trump’s golf club in Turnberry, South Ayrshire, Scotland.

    While both leaders described the agreement as a step toward restoring “trade balance” and promoting more equitable bilateral trade, the deal allows the United States to impose broad 15 percent tariffs on EU goods while providing zero-tariff access to a range of strategic U.S. exports. In return, the EU has committed to purchasing $750 billion in U.S. energy and investing an additional $600 billion in the United States. –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 Russia: UN chief welcomes Cambodia-Thailand ceasefire deal

    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 29 (Xinhua) — United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomes the ceasefire agreement between Cambodia and Thailand as a positive step toward ending ongoing hostilities and easing tensions, Farhan Haq, deputy spokesman for the world body chief, said on Monday.

    A. Guterres “urges both countries to fully comply with the agreement and create conditions conducive to resolving long-standing problems and achieving lasting peace,” the statement said.

    “The Secretary-General expresses his appreciation to Malaysia, the current ASEAN Chair, as well as the United States and China, for their tireless efforts to resolve the situation peacefully,” Haq said in a statement, adding that the UN stands ready to support efforts to strengthen peace and stability in the region.

    The leaders of Thailand and Cambodia agreed to a ceasefire from midnight Monday, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said after a meeting he hosted in the Malaysian city of Putrajaya. –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-Evening Report: Fiji ‘failing’ the Gaza genocide and humanity test, says rights group

    Asia Pacific Report

    The NGO Coalition on Human Rights in Fiji has sharply criticised the Fiji government’s stance over Israel’s genocide in Gaza, saying it “starkly contrasts” with the United Nations and international community’s condemnation as a violation of international law and an impediment to peace.

    In a statement today, the NGO Coalition said that the way the government was responding to the genocide and war crimes in Gaza would set a precedent for how it would deal with crises and conflict in future.

    It would be a marker for human rights responses both at home and the rest of the world.

    “We are now seeing whether our country will be a force that works to uphold human rights and international law, or one that tramples on them whenever convenient,” the statement said.

    “Fiji’s position on the genocide in Gaza and the occupation of Palestinians starkly contrasts with the values of justice, freedom, and international law that the Fijian people hold dear.

    “The genocide and colonial occupation have been widely recognised by the international community, including the United Nations, as a violation of international law and an impediment to peace and the self-determination of the Palestinian people.”

    Last week, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that France would formally recognise the state of Palestine — the first of G7 countries to do so — at the UN general Assembly in September.

    142 countries recognise Palestine
    At least 142 countries out of the 193 members of the UN currently recognise or plan to recognise a Palestinian state, including European Union members Norway, Ireland, Spain and Slovenia.

    However, several powerful Western countries have refused to do so, including the United States, the United Kingdom and Germany.

    At the UN this week, Saudi Arabia and France opened a three-day conference with the goal of recognising Palestinian statehood as part of a peaceful settlement to end the war in Gaza.

    Last year, Fiji’s coalition government submitted a written statement in support of the Israeli genocidal occupation of Palestine, including East Jerusalem, noted the NGO coalition.

    Last month, Fiji’s coalition government again voted against a UN General Assembly resolution that demanded an immediate, unconditional, and permanent ceasefire in Gaza.

    Also recently, the Fiji government approved the allocation of $1.12 million to establish an embassy “in the genocidal terror state of Israel as Fijians grapple with urgent issues, including poverty, violence against women and girls, deteriorating water and health infrastructure, drug use, high rates of HIV, poor educational outcomes, climate change, and unfair wages for workers”.

    Met with ‘indifference’
    The NGO coalition said that it had made repeated requests to the Fiji government to “do the bare minimum and enforce the basic tenets of international law on Israel”.

    “We have been calling upon the Fiji government to uphold the principles of peace, justice, and human rights that our nation cherishes,” the statement said.

    “We campaigned, we lobbied, we engaged, and we explained. We showed the evidence, pointed to the law, and asked our leaders to do the right thing.

    “We’ve been met with nothing but indifference.”

    Instead, said the NGO statement, Fiji leaders had met with Israeli government representatives and declared support for a country “committing the most heinous crimes” recognised in international law.

    “Fijian leaders and the Fiji government should not be supporting Israel or setting up an embassy in Israel while Israel continues to bomb refugee tents, kill journalists and medics, and block the delivery of humanitarian aid to a population under relentless siege.

    “No politician in Fiji can claim ignorance of what is happening.”

    62,000 Palestinians killed
    More than 62,000 Palestinians have been killed in the war on Gaza, most of them women and children.

    “Many more have been maimed, traumatised, and displaced. Starvation is being used by Israel as weapon to kill babies and children.

    “Hospitals, churches, mosques,, refugee camps, schools, universities, residential neighbourhoods, water and food facilities have been destroyed.

    “History will judge how we respond as Fijians to this moment.

    “Our rich cultural heritage and shared values teach us the importance of always standing up for what is right, even when it is not popular or convenient.”

    Members of the Fiji NGO Coalition on Human Rights are Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre (chair), Fiji Women’s Rights Movement, Citizens’ Constitutional Forum, femLINKpacific, Social Empowerment and Education Programme, and Diverse Voices and Action (DIVA) for Equality Fiji.

    Also, Pacific Network on Globalisation (PANG) is an observer.

    The NGO coalition said it stood in solidarity with the Palestinian people out of a shared belief in humanity, justice, and the inalienable human rights of every individual.

    “Silence is not an option,” it added.

    Fijians for Palestine Solidarity Network said it supported this NGO coalition statement.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI: Baker Hughes to Acquire Chart Industries, Accelerating Energy & Industrial Technology Strategy

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    • Significant step high-grades the portfolio and adds value accretive customer offerings, transforms Baker Hughes’ Industrial & Energy Technology segment
    • Chart Industries brings differentiated capabilities across a diverse set of end markets advantaged by secular growth drivers such as natural gas, data centers and decarbonization
    • Highly complementary capabilities enable enhanced value-creation solutions for customers across the lifecycle of projects and accelerate aftermarket growth through increased service penetration of combined installed base
    • $325 million in annualized cost synergies expected to be realized at end of third year
    • Compelling financial impact, as it is accretive to growth, margins, EPS and cash flow
    • Baker Hughes to host conference call today to discuss the transaction at 8:30 a.m. ET / 7:30 a.m. CT

    HOUSTON and LONDON and ATLANTA, July 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Baker Hughes (NASDAQ: BKR) and Chart Industries (NYSE: GTLS) (“Chart”) announced Tuesday they have entered into a definitive agreement under which Baker Hughes will acquire all outstanding shares of Chart’s common stock for $210 per share in cash, equivalent to a total enterprise value of $13.6 billion.

    Chart is a global leader in the design, engineering and manufacturing of process technologies and equipment for gas and liquid molecule handling across a broad range of industrial and energy end markets. Chart’s highly differentiated products and solutions are used in every phase of the liquid gas supply chain, from engineering and design to installation, preventative maintenance to repair and service, as well as ongoing digital monitoring. A technology leader in its markets, Chart generated $4.2 billion in revenue and $1.0 billion adjusted EBITDA in 2024. It operates 65 manufacturing locations with over 50 service centers globally.

    “This acquisition is a milestone for Baker Hughes and a testament to our strong financial execution and strategic focus as we continue to define our position as a leading energy and industrial technology company,” said Baker Hughes Chairman and CEO Lorenzo Simonelli. “We know Chart well, having worked alongside them on many critical energy infrastructure projects. Their products and services are highly complementary to our offerings and strongly aligned with our intent to deliver distinctive and efficient end-to-end lifecycle solutions for our customers across their most critical applications. The combination positions Baker Hughes to be a technology leader that can provide engineering and technology expertise to meet the growing demand for lower-carbon, efficient energy and industrial solutions across attractive growth markets such as LNG, data centers and New Energy.

    “The acquisition also delivers compelling financial returns for our shareholders. Adding this high-growth, high-margin business to our Industrial & Energy Technology segment will deliver strong earnings accretion and returns, contributing to an improved growth and margin profile,” Simonelli said. “We look forward to welcoming Chart into the Baker Hughes organization and, together, achieving even greater success and driving long-term value for shareholders.”

    “This all-cash transaction with Baker Hughes delivers immediate value to Chart shareholders,” said Chart President and CEO Jill Evanko. “Thanks to the outstanding work of our global OneChart team, we have successfully built a product and solution portfolio that spans front-end engineering design through aftermarket services. The Baker Hughes team shares our engineering-focused culture and commitment to operational excellence. Our complementary solutions fit seamlessly with Baker Hughes’ Industrial & Energy Technology segment, and together we can help our customers solve the most critical energy access and sustainability needs. Our Board is proud to deliver this outcome to our shareholders.”

    Compelling Strategic and Financial Benefits

    • Advances Baker Hughes’ Strategic Vision to be an Energy & Industrial Technology Leader: Chart and Baker Hughes together bring a highly differentiated set of capabilities to solve complex energy challenges and support customers’ sustainability goals – positioning the combined company as a leader in a lower-carbon, more resource-efficient future.
    • Expands Baker Hughes’ Offerings in Attractive Growth Markets: Chart’s offering is well positioned to deepen Baker Hughes’ exposure to attractive high-growth markets, including data centers, space and New Energy. The acquisition also broadens Baker Hughes’ exposure to more durable industrial sectors including industrial gas, metals and mining, and food and beverage, significantly increasing Baker Hughes’ addressable market and through-cycle growth potential.
    • Complementary Product Capabilities: Each company has distinctive products and solutions that together improve customer value proposition. Baker Hughes’ core competencies in rotating equipment, flow control and digital technology pair well with Chart’s competencies in heat transfer, air and gas handling, and process technologies.
    • Strengthens Baker Hughes’ Lifecycle Revenue Mix: The combined company will have a large and structurally growing installed base creating opportunities to drive growth in high-value aftermarket products and services, as well as digital services using Chart’s Uptime digital platform. Baker Hughes’ expansive service footprint is expected to increase service rates for Chart’s installed base driving more profitable, recurring revenue across the combined portfolio.
    • Delivers Substantial Synergies: Baker Hughes has identified $325 million of annualized cost synergy opportunities by the end of year three. Baker Hughes intends to drive productivity improvements by leveraging Baker Hughes’ scale in manufacturing and consolidating the companies’ supply chains, as well as optimizing costs across the SG&A and R&D functions. Baker Hughes’ confidence in realizing these synergies is supported by the continued success of its business system, a key driver of IET margin expansion over the past three years.
    • Attractive Financial Profile and Returns for Shareholders: The transaction is expected to be immediately accretive to growth, margins and cash flow, with double-digit EPS accretion in the first full year after the transaction closes. Chart’s differentiated position in attractive and growing markets is expected to deliver sustainable underlying growth that will be accretive to Baker Hughes’ through-cycle growth profile. The combination of strong growth, attractive margins and the synergy potential to expand operating margins meet all of Baker Hughes’ return criteria, including double-digit ROIC.

    Transaction Details & Approvals
    Under the terms of the agreement, Chart shareholders will receive $210 per share of common stock in cash. The purchase price represents an enterprise value of $13.6 billion, and a multiple of ~9x Chart Consensus 2025 EBITDA on a fully synergized basis.

    Baker Hughes has secured fully committed bridge debt financing to fund the transaction, provided by Goldman Sachs Bank USA, Goldman Sachs Lending Partners LLC, and Morgan Stanley Senior Funding, Inc., which is expected to be replaced with permanent debt financing prior to close. Baker Hughes remains committed to maintaining its A credit rating and will use its strong free cash flow and expected divestiture proceeds to support debt reduction while maintaining, and growing over time, its strong dividend. Baker Hughes projects net leverage at close will be 2.25x and will de-lever to 1.0-1.5x net leverage within 24 months after close. Flexibility will be maintained on share repurchases until leverage reaches the 1.0-1.5x target, after which Baker Hughes intends to return 60-80% of FCF to shareholders.

    The Boards of Directors of Baker Hughes and Chart have each unanimously approved the transaction, and the Chart Board of Directors has unanimously recommended that Chart shareholders approve the transaction. The transaction is subject to customary conditions, including approval by Chart shareholders, and the receipt of applicable regulatory approvals. The transaction is expected to be completed by mid-year 2026.

    Advisers
    Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, Centerview Partners LLC, and Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC are serving as financial advisers to Baker Hughes, and Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP, and WilmerHale are serving as legal advisers. Wells Fargo is serving as financial adviser to Chart, and Winston & Strawn is serving as legal adviser.

    Investor Conference Call and Presentation
    Baker Hughes will host a conference call to discuss the transaction on July 29 at 8:30 a.m. ET, 7:30 a.m. CT. The conference call will be broadcast live via a webcast and can be accessed by visiting the Events and Presentations page on the company’s website at: investors.bakerhughes.com. Those who wish to dial in may call 1-800-343-1703 (U.S.) or 1-785-424-1226 (international) and enter passcode 52472. An archived version of the webcast will be available on the website for one month following the webcast.

    About Baker Hughes
    Baker Hughes (NASDAQ: BKR) is an energy technology company that provides solutions to energy and industrial customers worldwide. Built on a century of experience and conducting business in over 120 countries, our innovative technologies and services are taking energy forward – making it safer, cleaner and more efficient for people and the planet. Visit us at bakerhughes.com

    About Chart Industries, Inc.
    Chart Industries, Inc. is a global leader in the design, engineering, and manufacturing of process technologies and equipment for gas and liquid molecule handling for the Nexus of Clean™ – clean power, clean water, clean food, and clean industrials, regardless of molecule. The company’s unique product and solution portfolio across stationary and rotating equipment is used in every phase of the liquid gas supply chain, including engineering, service and repair and from installation to preventive maintenance and digital monitoring. Chart is a leading provider of technology, equipment and services related to liquefied natural gas, hydrogen, biogas and CO2 capture amongst other applications. Chart is committed to excellence in environmental, social and corporate governance issues both for its company as well as its customers. With 64 global manufacturing locations and over 50 service centers from the United States to Asia, Australia, India, Europe and South America, the company maintains accountability and transparency to its team members, suppliers, customers and communities. To learn more, visit www.chartindustries.com.

    For more information, please contact:

    Media Relations

    Baker Hughes
    Adrienne M. Lynch
    +1 713-906-8407
    adrienne.lynch@bakerhughes.com

    Chart Industries
    Jim Golden / Jude Gorman / Jack Kelleher
    Collected Strategies
    Chart-CS@collectedstrategies.com

    Investor Relations

    Baker Hughes
    Chase Mulvehill
    +1 346-297-2561
    investor.relations@bakerhughes.com

    Chart Industries
    John Walsh
    1-770-721-8899
    john.walsh@chartindustries.com

    Forward Looking Statements
    This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (each a “forward-looking statement”). All statements, other than historical facts, including statements regarding the presentation of Baker Hughes’ operations in future reports and any assumptions underlying any of the foregoing, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements concern future circumstances and results and other statements that are not historical facts and are sometimes identified by the words “may,” “will,” “should,” “potential,” “intend,” “expect,” “would,” “seek,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “overestimate,” “underestimate,” “believe,” “could,” “project,” “predict,” “continue,” “target,” “goal” or other similar words or expressions. Forward-looking statements are based upon current plans, estimates and expectations that are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those indicated or anticipated by such forward-looking statements. The inclusion of such statements should not be regarded as a representation that such plans, estimates or expectations will be achieved. Factors that could cause actual results to differ include, but are not limited to: Baker Hughes’ ability to consummate the proposed transaction with Chart (the “Proposed Transaction”); Baker Hughes and Chart obtaining the regulatory approvals required for the Proposed Transaction on the terms expected or on the anticipated schedule or at all; the failure to satisfy other conditions to the completion of the Proposed Transaction, including the receipt of Chart stockholder approval; Baker Hughes’ ability to finance the Proposed Transaction; Baker Hughes’ indebtedness, including the substantial indebtedness Baker Hughes expects to incur in connection with the Proposed Transaction and the need to generate sufficient cash flows to service and repay such debt; the possibility that Baker Hughes may be unable to achieve expected synergies and operating efficiencies from the Proposed Transaction within the expected time-frames or at all and to successfully integrate Chart’s operations with those of Baker Hughes; such integration may be more difficult, time-consuming or costly than expected; operating costs, customer loss and business disruption (including, without limitation, difficulties in retaining or maintaining relationships with employees, customers or suppliers) may be greater than expected following the Proposed Transaction or the public announcement of the Proposed Transaction; Baker Hughes and Chart being subject to competition and increased competition is expected in the future; general economic conditions that are less favorable than expected; the potential for litigation related to the Proposed Transaction. Other important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from such plans, estimates or expectations include, among others, the risk factors identified in the “Risk Factors” section of Part 1 of Item 1A of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, which was filed with the SEC on February 4, 2025, and those set forth from time-to-time in other filings by Baker Hughes with the SEC. Additional risks that may affect Chart’s results of operations are identified in the “Risk Factors” section of Part 1 of Item 1A of Chart’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, which was filed with the SEC on February 28, 2025, and those set forth from time-to-time in other filings by Chart with the SEC. These documents are available through our website or through the SEC’s Electronic Data Gathering and Analysis Retrieval (EDGAR) system at http://www.sec.gov.

    Any forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release. Neither Baker Hughes nor Chart undertakes any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information or developments, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any of these forward-looking statements.

    No Offer or Solicitation

    This communication shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. No offer of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

    Important Additional Information

    This communication may be deemed to be solicitation material in respect of the proposed merger transaction between Chart and Baker Hughes. In connection therewith, Chart intends to file relevant materials with the SEC, including a proxy statement of Chart (the “proxy statement”) that will be mailed to Chart stockholders seeking their approval of its transaction-related proposals. However, such documents are not currently available. BEFORE MAKING ANY VOTING OR ANY INVESTMENT DECISION, INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS ARE URGED TO READ THE PROXY STATEMENT REGARDING THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS FILED OR TO BE FILED WITH THE SEC CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION AND THE PARTIES TO THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION. Investors and security holders may obtain free copies of the proxy statement and other documents containing important information about each of Chart and Baker Hughes, once such documents are filed with the SEC, through the website maintained by the SEC at www.sec.gov. Copies of documents filed with the SEC by Chart will be available free of charge on Chart’s website at ir.chartindustries.com.

    Participants in the Solicitation

    Chart and its directors and executive officers may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from Chart’s stockholders in respect of the proposed transaction. Information regarding Chart’s directors and executive officers, including a description of their direct interests, by security holdings or otherwise, is contained in Chart’s Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, filed with the SEC on February 28, 2025, and its proxy statement filed with the SEC on April 8, 2025. To the extent holdings of Chart’s securities by its directors or executive officers have changed since the amounts set forth in Chart’s 2025 proxy statement, such changes have been or will be reflected on Initial Statements of Beneficial Ownership of Securities on Form 3, Statements of Changes in Beneficial Ownership on Form 4 or Annual Statements of Changes in Beneficial Ownership of Securities on Form 5 subsequently filed with the SEC. Additional information regarding the interests of such participants in the solicitation of proxies in respect of the proposed merger transaction will be included in the proxy statement and other relevant materials to be filed with the SEC when they become available. These documents (when available) can be obtained free of charge from the sources indicated above.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI China: China urges Philippines to stop colluding with other countries to escalate maritime tensions

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

    A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson on Tuesday urged the Philippines to stop colluding with other countries to exacerbate tensions on maritime issues.

    Spokesperson Guo Jiakun made the remarks during a daily news briefing in response to a media query about the recent announcement of military cooperation between the Philippines and the United States. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: US and EU reach trade deal – D. Trump, W. von der Leyen

    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

    LONDON, July 28 (Xinhua) — U.S. President Donald Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Sunday that the two sides have reached a trade deal under which the United States will impose a basic 15 percent tariff on goods from the European Union.

    The statement was made at a joint press briefing on Sunday afternoon following talks at US President Donald Trump’s golf club in Turnberry, Scotland.

    Pharmaceuticals were excluded from the deal, while existing 50 percent tariffs on EU steel and aluminum exports to the United States will remain in place.

    While both leaders described the deal as a step toward restoring “trade balance” and promoting more equitable bilateral trade, the agreement allows the United States to impose broad 15 percent tariffs on EU goods while providing zero-tariff access to a range of strategic American exports. In return, the EU has committed to purchasing $750 billion in American energy and investing an additional $600 billion in the United States.

    At a press briefing, D. Trump said the agreement would allow American cars to re-enter the European market and make American agricultural exports more accessible to the EU. –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 USA: Congressman Robert Garcia Statement On Ongoing Situation in Gaza

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Robert Garcia California (42nd District)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Robert Garcia (CA-42) released the following statement on the ongoing situation in Gaza:

    “The growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the famine unleashed upon children and families is horrific. People are being shot who are trying to get food. We need a full flow of aid and a ceasefire immediately. The war must end so we can save lives and return hostages home,” said Congressman Robert Garcia.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Case Provision To Strengthen Coast Guard Presence In The Indo-Pacific Secures Overwhelming Bi-Partisan Support In The House

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Ed Case (Hawai‘i – District 1)

    (Washington, DC) — U.S. Representative Ed Case Ed Case (Hawai‘i-First District) announced today that last week the full U.S. House of Representatives in an overwhelming show of bipartisan support passed the Coast Guard Reauthorization Act of 2025 (H.R. 4275) which includes a provision to increase focus on Coast Guard operations in the Indo-Pacific that he introduced with Congressman Trent Kelly (Mississippi-First District).

    Case explained, “With bipartisan support of the full House, the Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) Committee, Congressman Kelly and Congressman John Garamendi, the Coast Guard Reauthorization Act includes my push to mandate an annual plan for Coast Guard operations in the Indo-Pacific, including the annual budget needed to support these operations.”

    Case continued: “Our plan will significantly enhance the Coast Guard’s effectiveness, readiness and strategic alignment in the Indo-Pacific by integrating Coast Guard activities with broader U.S. defense and foreign policy goals in the region.”

    Case added that the provision “will allow for better forecasting of operational, personnel, asset and funding needs. It will ensure that the U.S. engagement in the region is sustained across the federal government and help to identify any operational gaps we have in the Indo-Pacific to better safeguard American and allied national security interests, respond to articulated needs of our Pacific Island partners and counter the People’s Republic of China’s increasingly malign influence in the region.”

    Case said the provision comes from H.R. 3397, the Pacific Ready Coast Guard Act, a measure introduced by himself and Congressman Kelly. The provision was taken from that measure and inserted into H.R. 4275 by Congressman John Garamendi (California-Eight District), a cosponsor of the measure and a member of the T&I Committee.

    Hawai‘i is the home of the Coast’s Guard’s operations throughout the Indo-Pacific. Its Oceania District is responsible for directing Coast Guard operations throughout Hawai‘i, Guam, the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, Oceania, Singapore and Japan. The Coast Guard works closely with the Department of Defense and America’s allies and partners to advance maritime governance as part of the rules-based international order essential to a free, open and secure Indo-Pacific. 

    H.R. 4275 authorizes $66.5 billion for Coast Guard operations and maintenance for five years, along with $185 billion in total funding for Coast Guard procurement and construction for the next five years. It also provides policy guidance for the Coast Guard. 

    The Coast Guard Reauthorization Act would also update Coast Guard sexual assault and harassment policies and modify requirements for commercial vessels. The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee previously approved the bill by a 60 to 0 vote on July 15 and sent the measure to the full House, which was approved on July 23 by a vote of 399 to 12.

    The text of the measure is here.

    ###

     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI China: US, EU seal trade deal amid concerns over tariff imbalance

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

    U.S. President Donald Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen claimed Sunday that they had reached a trade deal under which the United States would impose a baseline tariff of 15 percent on European Union (EU) goods.

    The announcement was made at a joint press briefing Sunday afternoon following trade talks at the Trump Turnberry in South Ayrshire, Scotland.

    Although both leaders described the deal as a step toward restoring “trade balance” and promoting more equitable two-way commerce, the agreement allows the United States to impose a broad 15 percent tariff on EU goods while securing zero-tariff access for a range of strategic American exports. In contrast, the EU has pledged to purchase 750 billion U.S. dollars’ worth of American energy and commit an additional 600 billion U.S. dollars in investments in the United States.

    At the press briefing, Trump claimed the agreement would enable American cars to re-enter the European market and make U.S. agricultural exports more accessible in the EU. He also said that pharmaceuticals were excluded from the agreement, while existing 50 percent tariffs on EU steel and aluminium exports to the United States will remain in place.

    However, at a separate press briefing, von der Leyen clarified that the EU and the U.S. had agreed to include pharmaceuticals under the 15 percent tariff framework. She did not rule out the possibility of further U.S. trade actions in the future.

    When asked whether a 15 percent tariff for EU carmakers-up from 2.5 percent under the Biden administration-was a favorable outcome, von der Leyen responded that, prior to this agreement, European vehicles faced a total tariff of 27.5 percent when entering the U.S. market. This included a 25 percent levy imposed during Trump’s previous term in addition to the original 2.5 percent. The new 15 percent rate, she argued, represents a reduction from that level.

    Bernd Lange, chair of the European Parliament’s Committee on International Trade, criticized the newly reached deal as “unsatisfactory” and “significantly imbalanced,” warning that it could undermine the EU’s economic stability and job security.

    “This is a deal with a slant. Clearly, concessions have been made that are difficult to bear,” Lange said in a statement on Sunday.

    Prior to the agreement, over 70 percent of EU exports to the United States were subject to tariffs, including 50 percent on steel and aluminium, 25 percent on automobiles and parts, and a 10 percent duty on most other goods. Trump had warned that if no deal was reached by Aug. 1, the 10 percent tariff would be raised to 30 percent. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICE arrests over 200 illegal alien child sex offenders in Houston area in past 6 months

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    HOUSTON — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested 214 illegal aliens for immigration offenses in the Houston area in the past six months who have been charged or convicted of a sex offense involving a minor. The 214 arrests were more than the Houston field office arrested during the entire 2024 fiscal year, when officers there arrested 211 illegal aliens charged or convicted of child sex offenses.

    The surge in arrests of illegal aliens charged with or convicted of child sex offenses is a direct result of a whole-of-government approach implemented under the current administration that led to the establishment of multiagency targeting teams in each area of responsibility. These teams conduct daily enhanced immigration enforcement operations targeting the “worst of the worst” criminal aliens for arrest and removal. In Southeast Texas, those efforts have resulted in an increase in arrests of all dangerous criminal aliens, leading to safer communities, stronger national security and enhanced border security.

    “Bringing together the resources and expertise of the entire federal law enforcement community to confront the overwhelming surge of illegal immigration that we saw over the past four years has resulted in the arrest and removal of historic numbers of violent criminal aliens, transnational gang members and child sex offenders,” said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Houston acting Field Office Director Paul McBride. “While we still have a long way to go to truly get this crisis under control, the strides we have made in just six months to make our local communities safer are substantial, and our officers continue to work tirelessly every day to get the worst of the worst criminal aliens out of Southeast Texas to return our communities to places we can all enjoy.”

    Among the illegal aliens charged or convicted of a child sex offense who were arrested by the ICE ERO Houston Field Office in the past six months were:

    1. Jesus Gutierrez Mireles, a 67-year-old, three-time deported criminal alien from Mexico, who was arrested March 28 and has been convicted of aggravated sexual assault of a child and driving while intoxicated. ICE removed Gutierrez Mireles to Mexico April 4.
    2. Jorge Zebra, a 48-year-old criminal alien from Mexico, who was arrested March 21 and has been convicted of two counts of aggravated sexual assault of a minor and sexual indecency with a minor. ICE removed Zebra to Mexico March 24.
    3. Manuel Antonio Castro-Juarez, a 37-year-old, twice-deported criminal alien from El Salvador who was arrested July 18 and has been convicted of sexual assault of a minor and twice for illegal reentry. Castro-Juarez remains in ICE custody pending his third removal to El Salvador.
    4. Jose Guadalupe Meza, a 40-year-old, four-time deported criminal alien from Mexico who was arrested June 24 and has been convicted of theft and sexual assault of a child. ICE removed Guadalupe Meza to Mexico June 25.
    5. Sergio Rolando Galvan Guerrero, a 45-year-old, three-time deported criminal alien from Mexico who was arrested July 12 and has been convicted of DWI and aggravated sexual assault of a child. ICE removed Galvan Guerrero to Mexico July 14.

    Federal law enforcement agencies that have contributed to the multiagency targeting teams include the Houston offices of the FBI, the ATF, the DEA, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Diplomatic Security Service and the U.S. Marshals Service. State and local law enforcement agencies have also assisted ICE.

    Members of the public can report crimes and suspicious activity by dialing 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.

    ICE’s Houston field office is responsible for conducting immigration enforcement in 57 counties in Southeast Texas, stretching down the Texas Gulf Coast from Beaumont to Corpus Christi and from Houston/Galveston out to Waco, Texas. To learn more about ICE’s immigration enforcement mission in Southeast Texas, follow us on X at @EROHouston.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Women’s rugby is booming, but safety relies on borrowed assumptions from the men’s game

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kathryn Dane, Postdoctoral associate, University of Calgary

    Rugby union, commonly known as just rugby, is a fast-paced and physical team sport. More girls and women in Canada and around the world are playing it now than ever before.

    As of 2021, women’s rugby reached a record 2.7 million players globally, a 25 per cent increase over four years, and by 2023, women’s rugby participation was growing at a rate of 38 per cent year-over-year.

    Countries including Australia, England, Ireland and the United States offer professional contracts for women’s teams. While these remain modest compared to the men’s game, they still represent a clear step forward.

    Canada’s senior women’s XVs team is currently ranked second in the world and heading into the 2025 Rugby World Cup, which kicks off on Aug. 22 in England. The national sevens team also captured silver at the 2024 Paris Olympics — further evidence of the game’s growing competitiveness in Canada.

    However, many systems, including coaching and medical support, have not kept pace with the demands of elite competition. With visibility increasing ahead of the 2025 World Cup, stronger institutional support is needed to match the sports’ growing professionalism and popularity.

    Safety concerns

    Often described as a “game for all”, rugby builds confidence, resilience and lifelong friendships. For girls and women especially, rugby can be empowering in ways few sports can match. It embraces the physicality of tackling, pushes back against traditional gender expectations and fosters solidarity and inclusion by valuing all body shapes and abilities.

    But rugby is also a collision sport, and as such, it carries inherent risks. Tackling is the top cause of injury in rugby, and it has one of the highest concussion rates among youth girls’ sports in Canada. Concussions can have long-term effects on players’ health.



    Read more:
    Concussion is more than sports injuries: Who’s at risk and how Canadian researchers are seeking better diagnostics and treatments

    These concerns are especially urgent as the women’s game becomes more physical and professionalized, and players are hit harder and more often. Unlike men’s rugby, women’s teams often operate with fewer medical or coaching support resources, which can lead to inconsistent or absent injury prevention programs.

    Compounding the risk is the fact that many women also come to rugby later in life, often with less experience in contact sports. This delayed exposure restricts proper tackle skill development and player confidence in contact. This means safe tackling is even more important.

    Without proper supports, the physical risks of the game may outweigh its benefits.

    Science is still playing catch-up

    While women’s rugby is growing rapidly, the science behind it is has not kept pace. Most of what we know about rugby safety — how to tackle, how much to train or when it’s safe to return to play after injury — largely comes from research on men.

    Decisions around coaching and player welfare have been based on male data, leaving female players under-served and potentially at greater risk. While these foundations may well apply to girls and women, the problem is we don’t yet know for sure.

    Only four per cent of rugby tackle research has focused on women. Much of the early evidence on girls rugby comes from Canada, underscoring the country’s leadership in this space. Still, most coaches and clinicians rely on a “one-size-fits-all” approach that may not account for menstrual cycles, pregnancy, different injury profiles or later sport entry.

    The differences matter because strength, speed and injury risk all vary. Women are 2.6 times more likely than men to sustain a concussion. Gender also shapes access to training, care and facilities, often limiting opportunities for women to develop safe tackling skills, receive adequate support and train in safe, well-resourced environments, factors that impact both performance and safety.



    Read more:
    Prevention is better than cure when it comes to high concussion rates in girls’ rugby

    Even safety tools reflect this gap. World Rugby’s Tackle Ready and contact load guidelines were designed around male athletes. While well-intentioned, we know little about how they work for girls and women. Instead of discarding these tools, we need to adapt and evaluate them in female contexts to ensure they support injury prevention and provide equal protection.

    Women’s rugby needs better data

    Change is underway. More research and tools are being designed specifically for girls and women. A search of PubMed, a database of published biomedical research, reveals a steep rise in studies on women’s rugby over the past decade, especially in injury surveillance, injury prevention, performance, physiology and sociocultural contexts.

    New rule trials, such as testing lower tackle heights, are being evaluated on women athletes. New technologies like instrumented mouthguards and video analysis are also helping researchers understand how girls and women tackle, how head impacts happen and how they can be prevented.

    Much of this new research is led by our team at the Sport Injury Prevention Research Centre, a pan-Canadian, multidisciplinary group focused on moving upstream to prevent concussions in adolescent girls’ rugby.

    The women’s game is also driving its own innovations. Resources like World Rugby’s Contact Confident help girls and women safely build tackle skills, particularly those new to contact sport.

    Researchers are analyzing injury patterns, interviewing players and coaches and studying return-to-play pathways that reflect girls’ and women’s physiology and life stages.

    The scope of research is also expanding to pelvic health, breast protection and more tailored injury prevention. Global collaboration is making this work more inclusive, spanning different countries, skill levels and age groups, not just elite competitions.

    But this is just the start.

    A golden opportunity lies ahead

    Girls’ and women’s rugby is experiencing unprecedented growth. Rising participation, media attention and new sponsorships are fuelling momentum. It’s a golden opportunity to build strong, sustainable foundations.

    Gold-standard support requires focused, ongoing research and a commitment to sharing that evidence with players, coaches, health-care providers and policymakers. It’s time to build systems for women’s rugby based on women’s data, not borrowed assumptions from the men’s game.

    But challenges remain. Some national teams still have to raise funds to attend World Cups. Others train without consistent access to medical or performance staff — clear signs that the women’s game is still catching up.

    To sustain and accelerate the growth of girls’ and women’s rugby, the sport deserves more resources and research tailored specifically to participants. A “one-size-fits-all” model no longer works. By investing in systems that are safer, focused on prevention, more inclusive and grounded in evidence, we can build a thriving future for women’s rugby that lasts for generations to come.

    Isla Shill has received funding from World Rugby.

    Stephen West has previously received funding from World Rugby

    Kathryn Dane 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. Women’s rugby is booming, but safety relies on borrowed assumptions from the men’s game – https://theconversation.com/womens-rugby-is-booming-but-safety-relies-on-borrowed-assumptions-from-the-mens-game-261055

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Cultural values shape tourists’ view of eco-friendly B&Bs

    Source:

    28 July 2025

    The demand for ‘greener’ bed and breakfast (B&B) accommodation is gaining traction worldwide, but operators should heed cultural differences when marketing their sustainable facilities, according to a new international study.

    Led by Hong Kong Shue Yan University and the University of South Australia, the survey of 800 people from 37 countries examined how cultural values, age and education levels influenced tourists’ acceptance of environmentally sustainable features in B&Bs.

    Previous global studies have indicated that many tourists are willing to pay more for environmentally friendly accommodation, but this is the first time that researchers have focused specifically on cultural attitudes towards B&B sustainable practices.

    The study focused on five categories of sustainable facilities: water treatment systems (rainwater harvesting systems, greywater); greenery systems (sky gardens and vertical green walls); sanitation (hand sanitiser and air purification units); ventilation (natural air or air conditioning); and eco-friendly facilities (LED lights, organic composting bins).

    Tourists from rules-based, autocratic and hierarchical countries such as China, India and Malaysia expressed the strongest support for all types of green features in B&Bs. Deemed ‘high-power distance’ cultures, citizens of these countries were more likely to use energy-saving products and choose natural ventilation over air conditioning, the survey revealed.

    University of South Australia (UniSA) researchers Dr Li Meng and Professor Simon Beecham, who co-authored the study published in Consumer Behaviour in Tourism and Hospitality, say other cultural dimensions were less clear cut.

    “Western cultures such as Australia, the United Kingdom and United States, appreciated rooftop gardens and vertical green walls, but these features were not strong factors in whether they chose a bed and breakfast,” according to the UniSA researchers.

    Tourists from risk-averse cultures such as Japan, France and Greece were less likely to embrace B&Bs with natural ventilation, preferring to control their environment with air conditioning, the researchers say.

    Highly-educated travellers rated sanitation and eco-friendly features more favourably, and younger tourists placed greater value on green systems than older people.

    “These findings challenge assumptions that all green tourists are alike,” says lead author Professor Rita Yi Man Li from Hong Kong Shue Yan University.

    “Many accommodation providers want to operate more sustainably, but few have considered how cultural values affect guest preferences,” Prof Li says.

    “This research shows that guests from different cultural backgrounds respond differently to the same green features. Understanding these nuances can help B&B owners tailor their sustainability investments more effectively depending on their most important tourism markets.”

    Dr Meng says younger guests may be drawn to visible features like rooftop gardens, while more educated visitors may look for practical elements like composting, LED lighting, or air purification systems.

    The researchers say that governments also have a role to play in supporting the development of sustainable B&Bs.

    By offering incentives, investing in sustainable infrastructure, and developing policies such as easing travel restrictions and visa policies, governments can help expand the international customer base for eco-friendly B&Bs, the study recommended.

    ‘Does culture really matter? A cross-cultural study of demand for B&B sustainable facilities’ is published in Consumer Behaviour in Tourism and Hospitality. DOI: 10.1108/CBTH-04-2024-0135. The study involved a cross-disciplinary team of researchers with expertise in economics, real estate, literature and environmental science.

    …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

    UniSA researcher contact: Professor Simon Beecham E: simon.beecham@unisa.edu.au
    Hong Kong Shue Yan University researcher contact: Professor Rita Li E: ymli@hksyu.edu

    Media contact: Candy Gibson M: +61 434 605 142 E: candy.gibson@unisa.edu.au

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hoyer Opening Remarks During Full Committee Markup of Fiscal Year 2026 National Security and Department of State Bill

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steny H Hoyer (MD-05)

    WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05), Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government (FSGG), delivered opening remarks at the House Appropriations Full Committee Markup of the Fiscal Year 2026 National Security, Department of State, and Related Agencies Bill. Below is a transcript of his remarks:
     

    “Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. There are many ways to sound retreat. Silence is one of them. Failure to articulate the principles of democracy and defense. Failing to fund properly the defense of democracy here and around the world. The chairman of this subcommittee and I have voted almost exactly alike over a long period of time, ensuring that we opposed communist dictatorship in a little island not too far from our shores.

    “Some of you perhaps saw my statement the day after we bombed Iran’s nuclear capacity in support of that action. I fully subscribe to the remarks of the Subcommittee Chairman in articulating the deficiencies of this bill, in articulating, in sounding a clear trumpet again here and around the world of America’s willingness to stand against dictators, despots, and war criminals. I also will take no second spot in my defense of Israel. And I thank the gentleman for – and the gentlelady for assuring that our intent to defend Israel and oppose those who want to kill Jews.

    “A few months ago, when DOGE eliminated [the] Near Eastern Regional Democracy Fund – which supported pro-democracy Iranian activists – the Ayatollah’s regime celebrated. An Iranian newspaper affiliated with Khomeini’s government praised the decision, writing, and I quote, ‘Trump, who was expected to undermine Iran, has instead disrupted the opposition.’ I think perhaps they’ve changed their views as a result of the Administration’s action in Iran just a few days ago. China was similarly elated when the Trump Administration gutted Voice of America early this year. Reacting to that news, the former head of the Chinese Communist Party’s flagship newspaper said, ‘How truly gratifying.’ He said that China was thrilled to see the program and, I quote, ‘crumble from within, scattering like a flock of startled birds.’ The reaction was similar in Russia, where the head of one of Vladimir Putin’s state media agencies said, and again, I quote, ‘Today is a holiday for me and my colleagues.’ These are Russian colleagues. ‘This is an awesome decision by Trump.’ ‘We couldn’t shut them down,’ the spokesman continued, ‘unfortunately, but America did so itself.’ The axis of aggression will have the same reaction to this bill.

    “Russia, China, Iran, and others are already working to fill in the vacuum the bill would help create on the global stage. China, Russia, and other adversaries are pouring money into foreign initiatives to expand their influence around the world. They’re training more diplomats and analysts. They are forging closer economic ties with developing nations, as the Chair Lady [Frankel] said. Investing in diplomacy and foreign aid is not simply the right thing to do, it is also the smart thing to do. It builds goodwill toward the United States. It helps stop humanitarian crises that would otherwise put additional strain on our broken immigration system. It helps stop the spread of dangerous diseases from HIV to Ebola to Covid. Crucially, investing in these programs enhances our national security without endangering our military service members.
     
    “I echo what Marco Rubio said in 2017: ‘Foreign aid is not charity. We must make sure it is well spent, but it is less than 1% of our budget and critical to our national security.’ That was the Secretary of State who said that in 2017. How sad to see him rationalize disinvestment, contradicting his own words. In just the past few weeks, we’ve seen the Administration purge over 1,300 employees from the State Department, allegedly to improve efficiency and perhaps because our foreign challenges have become less complicated. I had two separate constituents who were dismissed. They’re concerned that the purge will undermine the State Department’s ability to process American passports.

    “I will yield, and I would hope somebody would yield to me to continue my statement.”

    (Rep. Jim Clyburn yields for Mr. Hoyer to continue his remarks.)

    “I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Alford is one of my better friends on the Republican side. I respect him. I respect his remarks, and we are pleased, as the gentleman observed, that PEPFAR has been saved. It was saved from DOGE, it was saved from the Trump Administration. And yes, we support that effort, and we applaud the Chairman of the Subcommittee for doing that. However, when the gentleman talks about limited resources, there are limited resources. I care a great deal about the debt. We need to deal with $37 trillion of debt or my great grandchildren are going to be in real trouble. My grandchildren are going to be in trouble. Maybe my children won’t be in so much trouble. But we need to deal with that debt.

    “But a Republican former vice president who was governor of our state once said: ‘The cost of failure far exceeds the price of progress.’ That was Spiro Agnew. The cost of failure exceeds the price of progress. On your side, you made a determination. You were going to raise our debt by $5 trillion. Some people who had never voted to raise debt before voted to raise the debt by $5 trillion, and then you spent that additional debt, giving $3.4 trillion to some of the wealthiest people in America. Now, there were some who were not so wealthy [who] also got some small relief. So yes, this bill does some good things, but it is silent, and I think one of the biggest challenges to which John Kennedy was speaking, that, ‘we will pay any price, bear any burden to defend freedom here and around the world.’

    “And we have a dictator, despot, anti-democrat – with a small ‘d’ – attacking a democratic country, an ally of ours. We have had 12 votes on supporting Ukraine. There’s not a single Democrat [that] voted against Ukraine in those, and the overwhelming majority of Republicans voted for these 12 votes. An average of 79% of us in the Congress of the United States supported defending and helping Ukraine defend itself. Yet, as I understand it, there’s not a single word in this national security bill about Ukraine. I think the gentleman from Illinois has an amendment that may deal tangentially with Ukraine, but this bill is essentially silent. That’s what I mean about sounding retreat.

    “Now, we won’t know the full scope of the damage of this bill for a long time to come. I hope it’s a long time. It maybe sooner. We talk about China. We talk about Taiwan and supporting that $500 million. I guarantee you the message we send to China if Ukraine loses will be louder than anything this bill says. Many of those forced out of [the Department of State] were intelligence analysts specializing in Russia and China. Others focused on counterterrorism, on stopping drug trafficking. Some were tasked with ensuring America’s energy dominance. Maintaining America’s security and influence around the world is not a partisan issue. It has not been for me a single day I’ve been in this institution. I supported almost all of Ronald Reagan’s buildup, and I think it led directly to the ability of Gorbachev to look his industrial complex in the eye and say, ‘We can’t compete with America.’

    “We ought to put this legislation aside and act on the bipartisan consensus that I believe still exists on these priorities. I pray it still exists. If America retreats, our adversaries will inevitably advance. Are there some good things in this bill? There are. But they are woefully inadequate in so many other ways. I urge the defeat of this bill and yield back the balance of my time.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hoyer, Maryland Delegation Members’ Statement on Future of BARC

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steny H Hoyer (MD-05)

    WASHINGTON, DC –  Today, Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05), U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks (both D-MD), and U.S. Representatives Glenn Ivey (MD-04), Kweisi Mfume (MD-07), Jamie Raskin (MD-08), Sarah Elfreth (MD-03), Johnny Olszewski (MD-02), and April McClain Delaney (MD-06) released the following statement on the future of the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center: 

    “The Beltsville Agricultural Research Center (BARC) is the foundation of our country’s excellence in agricultural research, with its scientists working for more than 100 years on the front lines of protecting public health and supporting farmers and farming across the country. Shuttering BARC and uprooting its workforce will undercut its critical mission, endanger public safety, and unnecessarily waste taxpayer dollars. Clearly, the Trump Administration has not thought through the costs or consequences of this misguided decision. Congress and the courts must act swiftly to block this illegal and harmful reorganization and ensure BARC remains intact. The law demands it, and our farmers depend on it.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hoyer Statement on the 35th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steny H Hoyer (MD-05)

    WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05) released the following statement today to recognize the 35th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA):

    “When President George H.W. Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act into law thirty-five years ago today, we took one of the greatest steps in our nation’s history toward expanding the ‘the blessings of liberty’ promised to all Americans under the Constitution. It opened doors, both literally and figuratively, for millions of people living with disabilities, enabling them to live with greater dignity, independence, equality, and opportunity. Crucially, it changed the hearts and minds of the American people. The ADA sought to alleviate the stigma and prejudice against those with disabilities.

    “I was proud to serve as the lead House sponsor of the ADA. That historic legislation was only possible because of bipartisan cooperation in the Congress and grassroots advocacy throughout the country. Later, we built on that civil rights progress with the ADA Amendments Act of 2008.

    “At a time of division and gridlock, and an Administration undermining access to health care for millions, this anniversary ought to remind us of what we can achieve through cooperation. Today, many people with disabilities still face discrimination in health care, housing, employment, and other crucial aspects of American life. We have a duty to support with them not simply for their sake but for the sake of that age-old American promise that ‘all men are created equal.’ Let us make it so.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Barnaby Joyce wants Australia to abandon net zero – but his 4 central claims don’t stack up

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ella Vines, Post-doctoral researcher, Green Lab, Monash University

    One-time Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce sought to dominate the first sitting week of the current federal parliament by proposing a divisive plan to reverse Australia’s net zero emissions target.

    The campaign, backed by fellow former Nationals leader Michael McCormack, aims to repeal what Joyce calls Australia’s “lunatic crusade” of net zero by 2050. It comes as Opposition Leader Sussan Ley convenes a working group to set a way forward on climate and energy policy following the Coalition’s historic election defeat.

    Meanwhile, the Albanese government is considering Australia’s next round of emissions reduction targets. And scientists warn just three years remain for the world to keep global warming below the vital 1.5°C threshold.

    If Australia is to take meaningful climate action, federal parliament must engage with the facts honestly and without distortion. So let’s take a closer look at whether Joyce and McCormack’s latest claims withstand scrutiny.

    Claim 1: Australia’s net zero policy will not address climate change

    Joyce describes as “perverse” the notion that Australia’s net zero goal can meaningfully help address global climate change.

    This claim is not backed by science.

    Every tonne of greenhouse gas emissions adds to global warming. What’s more, Joyce’s claim ignores the near-universal agreement of nations signed up to the Paris Agreement – including Australia – to pursue efforts (including domestic measures) to limit the average global temperature rise to 1.5°C.

    It’s true that collective national efforts to curb warming have so far been insufficient. But that doesn’t mean they should be abandoned.

    Claim 2: Global support for net zero is waning

    McCormack claims there is a growing global shift against net zero, and Joyce describes it as “a peculiar minority position”.

    This statement is not backed by evidence.

    In fact, the number of countries, cities, businesses and other institutions pledging to get to net-zero is growing.

    In the United States, President Donald Trump has dismantled climate policy, damaging that nation’s progress towards net zero. But many US states have retained the target, and global climate action will continue regardless of Trump’s actions.

    A landmark court ruling this week is likely to further strengthen global pressure for nations to ramp up emissions reduction. The advisory opinion by the International Court of Justice observed countries are legally obliged to prevent harms caused by climate change – including by regulating the fossil fuel industry.

    As others have noted, Australia must now reconsider its stance on approving new fossil fuel projects – including those geared to export markets.

    the International Court of Justice said countries are legally obliged to prevent harms caused by climate change.
    JOHN THYS/AFP via Getty Images

    Claims 3: the net zero goal is a security threat

    Joyce claims a net zero policy agenda is “treacherous” for Australia’s security and will “inflame our incapacity” to contend with geopolitical threats.

    But evidence suggests the opposite is true. There is a significant link between climate change and certain types of military conflicts.

    Research predicts the Australian Defence Force will become involved in more wars as the climate crisis escalates, and respond to more frequent climate-related disasters inside our borders.

    Claim 4: net zero is bad for regional Australia

    Both Joyce and McCormack say the net zero target and associated renewable energy rollout is devastating regional Australia. The Institute of Public Affairs, a prominent right-wing think tank, this week launched a documentary making similar claims.

    Joyce cited division in rural communities over renewable energy. In reality, there is significant support in regional Australia for such technology. A poll last year by Farmers for Climate Action found 70% of regional Australians in renewable energy zones support the development of renewable energy projects on local farmland.

    Joyce also pointed to “the removal of agricultural land from production” to support his stance. However, analysis shows very little farmland is required for the clean energy transition.

    What’s more, the cost of inaction is high. Climate change is disproportionately affecting cost of living for regional households – for example, due to higher insurance premiums.

    Joyce also appears deaf to the myriad regional voices calling for stronger climate action.

    The Mackay Conservation Group, for example, is challenging Whitehaven’s Winchester South coal mine in Queensland’s Land Court. Similarly, an environment group based in the NSW Hunter Valley this week successfully appealed the expansion of MACH Energy’s Mount Pleasant coal mine.

    Only facts can stop a new wave of climate wars

    Clearly, the efforts of Joyce and McCormack to undermine Australia’s net zero goal are not backed by evidence.

    The Coalition must heed the facts – not backbench pressure – as it weighs its climate and energy policy. Only then can Australia avoid reigniting the divisive climate wars that stalled progress and positioned Australia as a global laggard.

    Likewise, the Albanese government must not be distracted from the climate action task. Australia’s next round of climate targets should be based on the best available science, and make a meaningful, credible contribution to the objectives of the Paris Agreement.

    Ella Vines 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. Barnaby Joyce wants Australia to abandon net zero – but his 4 central claims don’t stack up – https://theconversation.com/barnaby-joyce-wants-australia-to-abandon-net-zero-but-his-4-central-claims-dont-stack-up-261837

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Breaking: US and EU reach trade deal – D. Trump, W. von der Leyen

    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

    LONDON, July 27 (Xinhua) — U.S. President Donald Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Sunday they have reached a trade deal under which the United States will impose a basic 15 percent tariff on goods from the European Union. -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 Europe: Statement by the President of the Council of Ministers, Giorgia Meloni, and the Vice-Presidents of the Council of Ministers, Antonio Tajani and Matteo Salvini

    Source: Government of Italy (English)

    The Italian Government welcomes the news that an agreement has been reached between the European Union and the United States on tariffs and trade policies, averting the risk of a trade war within the West which would have had unforeseeable consequences.

    The European institutions and Member States, Italy included, worked together with great commitment as a team to reach a negotiated solution, thereby avoiding falling into the trap of those who called for a direct clash between the two sides of the Atlantic.

    The agreement guarantees stability, which is key for relations between two economic and business systems that are as strongly interconnected as those of the European Union and the United States are.

    We are in the process of reviewing the details of the agreement, but we consider the basis of the agreement, with tariffs at 15%, to be sustainable, especially if this percentage includes, and is not in addition to, previous tariffs, as was initially expected.

    At the same time, we are continuing to work in Brussels to strengthen the Single Market, simplify our rules, cut red tape, diversify trade relations and reduce our dependencies. Lastly, we are ready to activate support measures at national level, but we also ask for them be launched at European level for the sectors that may be particularly affected by US tariff measures.

    The Italian Government will continue to pursue the goal of maintaining the strong unity of the West, being aware that any division would make us all weaker and vulnerable to global challenges.

    Courtesy translation of the statement by the President of the Council of Ministers, Giorgia Meloni, and the Vice-Presidents of the Council of Ministers, Antonio Tajani and Matteo Salvini

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: The celebrity halo effect: why abuse allegations against powerful men like Brad Pitt are so easily forgotten

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jamilla Rosdahl, Senior Lecturer, Australian College of Applied Psychology

    Last month, actor Brad Pitt stepped onto the Formula One circuit as the leading man of the high-octane film F1, backed by Apple Studios, Jerry Bruckheimer Films and Pitt’s own Plan B Entertainment.

    During the publicity campaign, cameras followed Pitt at every twist and turn, beaming his heartthrob persona to audiences. The coverage was gushing, with few mentions of the 2016 allegations of physical and emotional abuse made by Angelina Jolie, the award-winning actor and Pitt’s former partner.

    Pitt was never charged over these allegations, but he was under considerable public scrutiny when they first came to light.

    The tone has since shifted. Now, many media outlets are focused on Pitt’s clothing, describing him as looking “effortlessly iconic” and someone who is “just trying to have fun with his style” – a seemingly polished return to the limelight.

    Pitt is far from an exception. He is part of a well-established pattern of powerful men in Hollywood who rebound from scandal quickly, and with seemingly little repercussion.

    Pitt’s career trajectory, bolstered by critical acclaim and PR campaigns, reveals how easily the public memory can be rewritten.

    How the media protects accused men

    One 2019 study that looked at coverage of rape allegations against Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo highlighted how the media helps construct narratives that favour the accused. The allegations came from American woman Kathryn Mayorga, who accused Ronaldo of raping her in 2009.

    The study found Portuguese media and political leaders largely defended Ronaldo, hailing him as a “national hero”. They focused on his career and presumption of innocence, while minimising and discrediting Mayorga’s account.

    When Mayorga reopened the case in 2018, alleging coercion into an earlier settlement, the coverage stereotyped her as a “gold digger”, diverting attention away from the issue of sexual violence. Reports also emphasised “collateral damages”, such as Ronaldo’s club avoiding matches in the United States.

    These findings underscore how the “celebrity halo” can compromise serious coverage of allegations.

    According to Karen Boyle, gender studies professor and author of the 2018 book #MeToo, Weinstein and Feminism, mainstream media and celebrity culture systemically protect powerful men accused of violence against women.

    Celebrity culture is fundamentally patriarchal, Boyle argues, and will centre men even when they’re found to be perpetrators. She writes:

    Even when these men fall, they fall spectacularly, with all eyes on them […] Their stories dominate.

    Instead of drawing attention to female survivors, media narratives orbit around the accused celebrity – including their downfall, legacy and potential redemption.

    The machinery of ‘redemption’

    The post-#MeToo era promised a reckoning. Survivors were to be heard, and powerful men held accountable. Yet the cultural reset hasn’t been what many supporters of the movement hoped for.

    Boyle argues we must understand #MeToo in relation to an ongoing history of popular misogyny which normalises men’s abuse of women.

    The #MeToo movement has faced mounting backlash since it went viral in 2017. Articles in Vox and Dame Magazine highlight how public sympathy is increasingly shifting towards accused men, recasting them as victims of “cancel culture” while sidelining survivors.

    Online platforms such as Instagram, Reddit and Youtbe have also created space for public commentators to blame victim-survivors and make excuses for famous male perpetrators.

    And it’s not just about attraction-leniency theory, wherein physically attractive people are judged more favourably. It’s also about race.

    One 2015 study found media coverage of intimate partner violence by celebrity men was more likely to be portrayed as “criminal” when the man was black.

    “Reports are more likely to include excuses for men’s violence against women when the coverage is of a white celebrity than when the celebrity is black,” said the author Joanna Pepin.

    White men in Hollywood accumulate prestige, status and connections that operate like currency, buffering them from consequences that would derail the careers of others.

    Ideology, power and coercive control

    As a scholar who had been analysing coercive control for more than ten years, I argue power operates not just through institutions, but through discourse: through who gets to speak, who is believed, what is remembered, and what is erased.

    Belief is often unconscious. The public may know violence occurred, but still act as though it didn’t. People choose to forget, to preserve the comforting fiction their favourite heartthrob is a good man.

    My research argues coercive control isn’t limited to perpetrators of domestic violence, but is a widespread tactic employed by high-profile men to assert power and dominance.

    It operates like a modern panopticon. Powerful men can use gendered power and social status to not only trap and discipline victims within an invisible prison, but can extend this control to entire communities.

    Importantly, this control can be subtle. It is often hidden behind performative niceness – hard to see and harder to prosecute.

    Shifting the lens

    Gender studies scholar Judith Butler argues Trump-era politics have actively distorted public conversations about gender, power and accountability. They explain in one interview:

    What we’re seeing with the Trump administration is a normalisation of hatred, of xenophobia, masculinity and misogyny that emboldens far-right groups and legitimises violence against vulnerable populations.

    Moving forward, we need to collectively recognise how media narratives can contribute to our collective amnesia of violence against women.

    We also need to prioritise teaching younger generations about masculine culture and the dangers of gendered violence. And when survivors speak, the focus shouldn’t be on whether they seem “credible” or “emotional enough”, but on the structures that may embolden the men they are accusing.

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

    – ref. The celebrity halo effect: why abuse allegations against powerful men like Brad Pitt are so easily forgotten – https://theconversation.com/the-celebrity-halo-effect-why-abuse-allegations-against-powerful-men-like-brad-pitt-are-so-easily-forgotten-261101

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –