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Category: MIL-Submissions

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Texas’ annual reading test adjusted its difficulty every year, masking whether students are improving

    Source: The Conversation – USA (2) – By Jeanne Sinclair, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Education, Memorial University of Newfoundland

    Millions of Americans take high-stakes exams every year. Caiaimage/Chris Ryan/iStock via Getty Images

    Texas children’s performance on an annual reading test was basically flat from 2012 to 2021, even as the state spent billions of additional dollars on K-12 education.

    I recently did a peer-reviewed deep dive into the test design documentation to figure out why the reported results weren’t showing improvement. I found the flat scores were at least in part by design. According to policies buried in the documentation, the agency administering the tests adjusted their difficulty level every year. As a result, roughly the same share of students failed the test over that decade regardless of how objectively better they performed relative to previous years.

    From 2008 to 2014, I was a bilingual teacher in Texas. Most of my students’ families hailed from Mexico and Central America and were learning English as a new language. I loved seeing my students’ progress.

    Yet, no matter how much they learned, many failed the end-of-year tests in reading, writing and math. My hunch was that these tests were unfair, but I could not explain why. This, among other things, prompted me to pursue a Ph.D. in education to better understand large-scale educational assessment.

    Ten years later, in 2024, I completed a detailed exploration of Texas’s exam, currently known as the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, or STAAR. I found an unexpected trend: The share of students who correctly answered each test question was extraordinarily steady across years. Where we would expect to see fluctuation from year to year, performance instead appears artificially flat.

    The STAAR’s technical documents suggest that the test is designed much like a norm-referenced test – that is, assessing students relative to their peers, rather than if they meet a fixed standard. In other words, a norm-referenced test cannot tell us if students meet key, fixed criteria or grade-level standards set by the state.

    In addition, norm-referenced tests are designed so that a certain share of students always fail, because success is gauged by one’s position on the “bell curve” in relation to other students. Following this logic, STAAR developers use practices like omitting easier questions and adjusting scores to cancel out gains due to better teaching.

    Ultimately, the STAAR tests over this time frame – taken by students every year from grade 3 to grade 8 in language arts and math, and less frequently in science and social studies – were not designed to show improvement. Since the test seems designed to keep scores flat, it’s impossible to know for sure if a lack of expected learning gains following big increases in per-student spending was because the extra funds failed to improve teaching and learning, or simply because the test hid the improvements.

    Why it matters

    Ever since the federal education policy known as No Child Left Behind went into effect in 2002 and tied students’ test performance to rewards and sanctions for schools, achievement testing has been a primary driver of public education in the United States.

    Texas’ educational accountability system has been in place since 1980, and it is well known in the state that the stakes and difficulty of Texas’ academic readiness tests increase with each new version, which typically come out every five to 10 years. What the Texas public may not know is that the tests have been adjusted each and every year – at the expense of really knowing who should “pass” or “fail.”

    The test’s design affects not just students but also schools and communities. High-stakes test scores determine school resources, the state’s takeover of school districts and accreditation of teacher education programs. Home values are even driven by local schools’ performance on high-stakes tests.

    Students who are marginalized by racism, poverty or language have historically tended to underperform on standardized tests. I believe STAAR’s design makes this problem worse.

    On May 28, 2025, the Texas Senate passed a bill that would eliminate the STAAR test and replace it with a different, shorter test or a norm-referenced test. As best as I can tell, this wouldn’t address the problems I uncovered in my research.

    What still isn’t known

    I plan to investigate if other states or the federal government use similarly designed tests to evaluate students.

    My deep dive into Texas’ test focused on STAAR before its 2022 redevelopment. The latest iteration has changed the test format and question types, but there appears to be little change to the way the test is scored. Without substantive revisions to the scoring calculations “under the hood” of the STAAR test, it is likely Texas will continue to see flat performance.

    This article was updated on May 31, 2025, to clarify some language and the type of data used in the chart, replace a link and add a comment from the Texas Education Agency.

    The Texas Education Agency responded to a pre-publication request for comment after the piece was published. A spokesman refuted several of the scholar’s research conclusions, including that it behaved like a norm-referenced test. However, the scholar stands by them.

    The Research Brief is a short take on interesting academic work.

    Jeanne Sinclair receives funding from the Social Science and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) of Canada.

    – ref. Texas’ annual reading test adjusted its difficulty every year, masking whether students are improving – https://theconversation.com/texas-annual-reading-test-adjusted-its-difficulty-every-year-masking-whether-students-are-improving-244159

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  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Our trans health study was terminated by the government – the effects of abrupt NIH grant cuts ripple across science and society

    Source: The Conversation – USA (2) – By Jae A. Puckett, Associate Professor of Psychology, Michigan State University

    Funding cuts to trans health research are part of the Trump administration’s broader efforts to medically and legally restrict trans rights. AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson

    Given the Trump administration’s systematic attempts to medically and legally disenfranchise trans people, and its abrupt termination of grants focused on LGBTQ+ health, we can’t say that the notice of termination we received regarding our federally funded research on transgender and nonbinary people’s health was unexpected.

    As researchers who study the experiences of trans and nonbinary people, we have collectively dedicated nearly 50 years of our scientific careers to developing ways to address the health disparities negatively affecting these communities. The National Institutes of Health had placed a call for projects on this topic, and we had successfully applied for their support for our four-year study on resilience in trans communities.

    However, our project on trans health became one of the hundreds of grants that have been terminated on ideological grounds. The termination notice stated that the grant no longer fit agency priorities and claimed that this work was not based on scientific research.

    Termination notice sent to the authors from the National Institutes of Health.
    Jae A. Puckett and Paz Galupo, CC BY-ND

    These grant terminations undermine decades of science on gender diversity by dismissing research findings and purging data. During Trump’s current term, the NIH’s Sexual and Gender Minority Research Office was dismantled, references to LGBTQ+ people were removed from health-related websites, and datasets were removed from public access.

    The effects of ending research on trans health ripple throughout the scientific community, the communities served by this work and the U.S. economy.

    Studying resilience

    Research focused on the mental health of trans and nonbinary people has grown substantially in recent years. Over time, this work has expanded beyond understanding the hardships these communities face to also study their resilience and positive life experiences.

    Resilience is often understood as an ability to bounce back from challenges. For trans and nonbinary people experiencing gender-based stigma and discrimination, resilience can take several forms. This might look like simply continuing to survive in a transphobic climate, or it might take the form of being a role model for other trans and nonbinary people.

    As a result of gender-based stigma and discrimination, trans and nonbinary people experience a range of health disparities, from elevated rates of psychological distress to heightened risk for chronic health conditions and poor physical health. In the face of these challenges and growing anti-trans legislation in the U.S., we believe that studying resilience in these communities can provide insights into how to offset the harms of these stresses.

    Studies show anti-trans legislation is harming the mental health of LGBTQ+ youth.

    With the support of the NIH, we began our work in earnest in 2022. The project was built on many years of research from our teams preceding the grant. From the beginning, we collaborated with trans and nonbinary community members to ensure our research would be attuned to the needs of the community.

    At the time our grant was terminated, we were nearing completion of Year 3 of our four-year project. We had collected data from over 600 trans and nonbinary participants across the U.S. and started to follow their progress over time. We had developed a new way to measure resilience among trans and nonbinary people and were about to publish a second measure specifically tailored to people of color.

    The termination of our grant and others like it harms our immediate research team, the communities we worked with and the field more broadly.

    Loss of scientific workforce

    For many researchers in trans health, the losses from these cuts go beyond employment.

    Our project had served as a training opportunity for the students and early career professionals involved in the study, providing them with the research experience and mentorship necessary to advance their careers. But with the termination of our funding, two full-time researchers and at least three students will lose their positions. The three lead scientists have lost parts of their salaries and dedicated research time.

    These NIH cuts will likely result in the loss of much of the next generation of trans researchers and the contributions they would have made to science and society. Our team and other labs in similar situations will be less likely to work with graduate students due to a lack of available funding to pay and support them. This changes the landscape for future scientists, as it means there will be fewer opportunities for individuals interested in these areas of research to enter graduate training programs.

    The Trump administration has directly penalized universities across the country for ‘ideological overreach.’
    Zhu Ziyu/VCG via Getty Images

    As universities struggle to address federal funding cuts, junior academics will be less likely to gain tenure, and faculty in grant-funded positions may lose their jobs. Universities may also become hesitant to hire people who work in these areas because their research has essentially been banned from federal funding options.

    Loss of community trust

    Trans and nonbinary people have often been studied under opportunistic and demeaning circumstances. This includes when researchers collect data for their own gains but return little to the communities they work with, or when they do research that perpetuates theories that pathologize those communities. As a result, many are often reluctant to participate in research.

    To overcome this reluctance, we grounded our study on community input. We involved an advisory board composed of local trans and nonbinary community members who helped to inform how we conducted our study and measured our findings.

    Our work on resilience has been inspired by feedback we received from previous research participants who said that “[trans people] matter even when not in pain.”

    Abruptly terminating projects like these can break down trust between researchers and the populations they study.

    Loss of scientific knowledge

    Research that focuses on the strengths of trans and nonbinary communities is in its infancy. The termination of our grant has led to the loss of the insights our study would have provided on ways to improve health among trans and nonbinary people and future work that would have built off our findings. Resilience is a process that takes time to unfold, and we had not finished the longitudinal data collection in our study – nor will we have the protected time to publish and share other findings from this work.

    Meanwhile, the Department of Health and Human Services released a May 2025 report stating that there is not enough evidence to support gender-affirming care for young people, contradicting decades of scientific research. Scientists, researchers and medical professional organizations have widely criticized the report as misrepresenting study findings, dismissing research showing benefits to gender-affirming care, and promoting misinformation rejected by major medical associations. Instead, the report recommends “exploratory therapy,” which experts have likened to discredited conversion therapy.

    Transgender and nonbinary people continue to exist, regardless of legislation.
    Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images

    Despite claims that there is insufficient research on gender-affirming care and more data is needed on the health of trans and nonbinary people, the government has chosen to divest from actual scientific research about trans and nonbinary people’s lives.

    Loss of taxpayer dollars

    The termination of our grant means we are no longer able to achieve the aims of the project, which depended on the collection and analysis of data over time. This wastes the three years of NIH funding already spent on the project.

    Scientists and experts who participated in the review of our NIH grant proposal rated our project more highly than 96% of the projects we competed against. Even so, the government made the unscientific choice to override these decisions and terminate our work.

    Millions of taxpayer dollars have already been invested in these grants to improve the health of not only trans and nonbinary people, but also American society as a whole. With the termination of these grants, few will get to see the benefits of this investment.

    Jae A. Puckett has received funding from the National Institutes of Health.

    Paz Galupo has received funding from the National Institutes of Health.

    – ref. Our trans health study was terminated by the government – the effects of abrupt NIH grant cuts ripple across science and society – https://theconversation.com/our-trans-health-study-was-terminated-by-the-government-the-effects-of-abrupt-nih-grant-cuts-ripple-across-science-and-society-254021

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  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Teens say they can access firearms at home, even when parents lock them up, new research shows

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Katherine G. Hastings, PhD Candidate in Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia

    Most households that own firearms have more than one − and owners often don’t secure all of them. StockPlanets/E+ via Getty Images

    More than half of U.S. teens living in households with firearms believe they can access and load a firearm at home. Even when their parents report storing all firearms locked and unloaded, more than one-third of teens still believe they could access and load one. These are the main findings of our new study, published in the journal JAMA Network Open.

    We are behavioral scientists investigating youth injury prevention and youth safety. In this study, we analyzed national survey data from nearly 500 parents who owned firearms and their teens. One survey asked the parents to report how many firearms they had in the home and how they stored each one. Another asked their teens to estimate how quickly they could access and load a firearm at home.

    While the presence of unlocked and loaded firearms in the home was weakly linked to perceived access among teens, we found that parents’ storage practices alone were a poor predictor of whether teens believed they could access a firearm. What’s more, in households with more than one firearm, locking up more firearms was not at all linked to perceived access among teens if at least one remained unsecured.

    In short, just one unlocked firearm can undo the protective benefit of securing all other firearms in the home, our results showed.

    Why it matters

    In the U.S., firearms are now the leading cause of death among children and teens. In most of these cases, the firearm used belonged to a parent, relative or friend.

    Our study focused on teens’ beliefs about firearm access, not their actual access. However, these perceptions may provide important clues around firearm access and use. Prior research shows that teens who believe they can access a firearm are more likely to access and carry one. This is particularly concerning for teens who already have a higher risk for dying by suicide.

    One of the most widely supported ways to reduce teen injuries and deaths by firearms is to encourage owners to keep firearms locked and unloaded. However, most firearm-owning households in the U.S. have multiple firearms, and owners often store some firearms securely but not all.

    Firearms are the leading cause of death among children and teens.
    Kypros/Stock Photos Gun Safe via Getty Images

    Despite evidence that securely storing firearms saves lives, efforts to promote that messaging may be less effective when it is not universally applied to all firearms in the home or when teens still know how to access them.

    Our study also points to the need for messaging and safety strategies that consider teen behavior amid household firearm dynamics. For example, teens may observe where firearms are stored or know where keys or combinations are kept and unlock firearms in moments of impulsivity or emotional distress. Beyond securely storing firearms, encouraging parents to treat every firearm in the household as a potential source of risk and talking with teens about how to address conflicts and promote mental and emotional well-being may also be protective.

    Additionally, our study adds support for universal laws that require securely storing all firearms in homes in which children live and mandating routine assessments of teen firearm access by pediatricians.

    What still isn’t known

    It is still unclear how teens’ beliefs about their access to firearms affects whether they actually seek them out – or how the variability of parents’ practices on storing firearms affects teen access.

    Another important question is how teens’ perceptions of their access to firearms at home may vary depending on cultural backgrounds, geography and different households’ attitudes and beliefs around firearm use.

    Additionally, our study looked only at teens ages 14 to 18. Further research is needed to explore these associations among younger children in firearm-owning households.

    The Research Brief is a short take on interesting academic work.

    Rebeccah Sokol receives funding from the National Institutes of Health and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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

    – ref. Teens say they can access firearms at home, even when parents lock them up, new research shows – https://theconversation.com/teens-say-they-can-access-firearms-at-home-even-when-parents-lock-them-up-new-research-shows-256550

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  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Adolescents who smoke or vape may believe tobacco’s perceived coping benefits outweigh accepted health risks

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Adriana Espinosa, Associate Professor of Psychology, City College of New York

    Many parents are unaware of their adolescents’ tobacco use. Naveen Asaithambi/iStock via Getty Images Plus

    Tobacco use in a variety of forms is common in adolescent life today, with over 2.25 million youth using.

    Huge progress has been made over the past few decades in reducing cigarette use among young people. But tobacco use – primarily through e-cigarettes, also known as vapes – remains a complex problem for public health and policy.

    In 2024, just over 8% of U.S. middle and high school students reported having used a tobacco product. Among tobacco users, nearly 6% used e-cigarettes, more than a quarter of whom used an e-cigarette product daily.

    We are behavioral health researchers. Our team’s ongoing research examines the factors associated with adolescent tobacco product use in the U.S.

    According to our research, many adolescents who smoke and use vapes are aware of the health risks associated with tobacco use, which demonstrates the effectiveness of public health education campaigns.

    But our research has also found that some adolescents also view tobacco use as helpful in relieving emotional distress. These perceived benefits increase the likelihood of initiating and continuing tobacco use.

    When combined with factors such as easy access to tobacco products or living with someone who uses them, the risk of adolescent use more than doubles, which sets the stage for harmful physical and mental health effects.

    Parental awareness and adolescents’ motivations to use tobacco

    As a mother of a teenager, one of us, Adriana, has experienced this firsthand. For months, my 14-year-old son was vaping in his room, and I had no idea. When he finally told me that he turned to vaping whenever he felt upset, it was like coming face-to-face with the very issues we study.

    This scenario illustrates both the compelling reasons why adolescents may use tobacco and nicotine products and the reality that many parents don’t realize their kids are smoking or vaping.

    Since 2022, our team has been examining the factors associated with tobacco use among more than 8,000 adolescents ages 12 to 17 from the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health, or PATH, study – the largest multiyear, nationally representative study of tobacco use in the U.S. We looked at the use of cigarettes, electronic products, traditional or filtered cigars, cigarillos, pipes, hookahs, smokeless or dissolvable tobacco and more.

    We found that emotional distress, along with the belief that tobacco products help manage negative emotions, are significant factors driving adolescent tobacco use.

    This highlights the complexity of the issue – that even when teens recognize the health risks of tobacco use, vaping and other forms of tobacco use may function as a coping strategy, albeit an unhealthy one, for the wide range of emotional challenges that come with adolescence.

    Teachers and school administrators are struggling to control vaping among students because many devices are small, odorless and easy to conceal.
    Peter Dazeley/Photodisc via Getty Images

    Harmful effects of adolescent tobacco use

    Research has shown that adolescents may perceive e-cigarettes as a more appealing and less harmful alternative to traditional cigarettes.

    The availability of flavored options further increases the appeal of these products and can contribute to the progression from occasional to regular use and ultimately the development of nicotine dependence.

    A growing body of research continues to reveal the harmful effects of tobacco use, including vaping, on developing brains and lungs. Exposure to nicotine during adolescence can interfere with brain development, impair attention and learning, and increase the risk of use and dependence on other substances later in life.

    What makes vaping especially difficult to manage is its stealth. Unlike combustible products, many vaping devices are small, odorless and very easy to conceal. As a result, parents, teachers and school administrators are struggling to detect and curb vaping among teens.

    Strategies for addressing why teens use tobacco

    In our view, policy efforts that focus primarily on raising awareness about health risks, restricting access to tobacco products or reducing the appeal of e-cigarettes or vapes will reach only a subset of youth who use them, and not those who may use for emotional reasons.

    And while such bans may limit access to tobacco products in formal settings, the availability of these products from friends and social networks, online platforms or unregulated markets will not likely be reduced solely through that type of health messaging.

    As our findings show, these efforts may miss a stronger, even more enduring driver of youth tobacco use: the pervasive belief that tobacco use helps manage stress, anger and other difficult emotions. Our research highlights that emotional distress and the perception that tobacco use can help them cope with stress are central to why many adolescents begin and continue using these products, even when they are aware of the health risks.

    In this context, simply limiting access to tobacco products or repeating well-known health warnings will do little to address the underlying emotional motivations to use.

    We believe that to make meaningful progress, policy and prevention interventions will need to address the underlying motives for use, and not just focus on the harmful health effects of nicotine or means of access.

    This includes integrating emotional and behavioral health support into tobacco prevention strategies and expanding school-based and community mental health services. And while public health education campaigns such as The Real Cost have been successful in reducing the number of adolescents who begin using e-cigarettes, our findings suggest more emphasis on the emotional drivers of tobacco use is warranted.

    Adriana Espinosa receives funding from the National Institutes of Health (NCI and NIMHD).

    Lesia M. Ruglass receives funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIGMS, NIDA, NCI, and NIMHD).

    – ref. Adolescents who smoke or vape may believe tobacco’s perceived coping benefits outweigh accepted health risks – https://theconversation.com/adolescents-who-smoke-or-vape-may-believe-tobaccos-perceived-coping-benefits-outweigh-accepted-health-risks-254294

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  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Older adults with dementia misjudge their financial skills – which may make them more vulnerable to fraud, new research finds

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Ian McDonough, Associate Professor of Psychology, Binghamton University, State University of New York

    Older adults generally have a good sense of their own financial abilities – unless they have dementia. shapecharge/E+ via Getty Images

    Older adults diagnosed with dementia lose their ability to assess how well they manage their finances, according to a recent study I co-authored in The Gerontologist. In comparison, people of the same age who don’t have dementia are aware of their financial abilities – and this awareness improves over time.

    For our study, we used data from over 2,000 adults in the U.S. age 65 and older, collected during a long-term study on aging.
    We focused on how participants’ financial skills changed over time. The study began in 1998 and is still running, but we probed data collected between 1998 and 2009.

    Participants were assessed at one year, two years, five years and 10 years for their ability to carry out everyday tasks, including ones that required handling money. For example, they had to calculate the cost of a gym membership and a store discount rate, fill out part of a tax return and assess the cost of medical services. They also rated how well they thought they could do everyday financial tasks. Initially, none of the participants were diagnosed with dementia, but over the course of the decade, 87 participants, or 3.1%, received a dementia diagnosis.

    We found that even though participants’ performance on financial tasks declined as they aged, older adults who did not have dementia and older adults who had mild cognitive impairment were appropriately aware of their financial abilities. What’s more, that awareness increased over time. However, participants who were diagnosed with dementia during the study and experienced severe cognitive decline often misjudged how well they performed financial tasks.

    Financial scams targeting older adults are on the rise.

    The lack of insight into one’s cognitive abilities is called anosognosia. This study reveals a new type called financial anosognosia.

    Why it matters

    As people get older, their financial management skills start to deteriorate. The combination of a lifelong accumulation of wealth, declining financial abilities and a lack of awareness of those declines puts older adults at serious risk for financial scams.

    Few tools are available that can support families in helping cognitively impaired adults manage their finances. Our research suggests that there is a critical window of time after people begin to experience cognitive decline during which they are still aware of their financial abilities. We believe that this is when people can take action to secure their finances and develop systems to protect themselves from fraud.

    What still isn’t known

    Close friends or family members are often tempted to take away the financial autonomy of an older adult who is mismanaging their finances. However, that may not be the best solution, particularly for people who feel that handling their finances is a core part of their identity. More research is needed to identify how best to balance personal autonomy and the need to protect a person’s finances.

    What’s next

    This study used paper-and-pencil tasks to assess financial performance. But increasingly, many older adults are using online banking.

    E-banking simplifies many calculations, which may be helpful for older adults with declining cognition. However, e-banking can also make finances more of a black box, which may decrease a person’s awareness of their financial abilities. Furthermore, e-banking is constantly advancing, putting older adults at a disadvantage because they are more likely to be less cognitively flexible and to learn more slowly.

    We hope to explore whether older adults with and without cognitive decline have similar awareness of their ability to appropriately manage their finances online and identify potential financial scams.

    The Research Brief is a short take on interesting academic work.

    Ian McDonough receives funding from The National Institutes of Health.

    – ref. Older adults with dementia misjudge their financial skills – which may make them more vulnerable to fraud, new research finds – https://theconversation.com/older-adults-with-dementia-misjudge-their-financial-skills-which-may-make-them-more-vulnerable-to-fraud-new-research-finds-256973

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  • MIL-OSI Submissions: RFK Jr’s shakeup of vaccine advisory committee raises worries about scientific integrity of health recommendations

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Santosh Kumar Gautam, Associate Professor of Development and Global Health Economics, University of Notre Dame

    The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices played a key role in the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines. Frederic J. Brown / AFP via Getty Images

    On June 11, 2025, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced a slate of eight new members to serve on the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on national vaccine policy.

    The announcement, made on the social media platform X, comes two days after Kennedy removed all 17 of the serving committee members. Kennedy called their replacements “a bold step in restoring public trust” rooted in “radical transparency and gold standard science.”

    However, public health experts decried the removals, pointing to Kennedy’s promise not to change the committee and warning that the move politicizes its work and undermines its scientific integrity. Health experts have also noted that multiple new committee members appointed on June 11 have voiced anti-vaccine views that are not evidence-based.

    The Conversation U.S. asked Santosh Kumar Gautam, an expert in global health policy at the University of Notre Dame, to explain how the vaccine committee’s guidance has shaped vaccine recommendations for the public, and what the changes might mean for peoples’ ability to access vaccines in the future.

    What is the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices?

    The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, or ACIP, is a panel of experts appointed to advise the CDC on how to use vaccines to protect the health of people in the U.S. The committee’s job is to review multiple strands of scientific evidence to recommend which vaccines should be used, who should get them and when they should be given. Its guidance affects vaccine schedules for both children and adults, insurance coverage and public health policy across the country.

    The committee was formed in 1964 to establish national vaccine policy as federal immunization programs began to expand. It can have up to 19 voting members, who are appointed by the secretary of Health and Human Services. Members are experts in areas such as medicine, public health and immunology. Member usually serve overlapping four-year terms to ensure continuity. All 17 previous members were appointed at different times during the Biden administration. Removing all members of the committee at once is unprecedented.

    The group also includes nonvoting members from government health agencies, including the Food and Drug Administration and the National Institutes of Health. There are also representatives from more than 30 medical and public health organizations, such as the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Physicians.

    These nonvoting members share useful information and real-world experience such as practical issues in administering vaccines in hospitals, management of vaccine side effects and insights into adverse events. Their input helps the committee make recommendations that reflect both science and practical needs.

    The committee meets three times a year to review new data on vaccine safety and effectiveness. Its next meeting is scheduled for June 25-27 and is expected to include discussions on COVID-19 and HPV vaccines, with recommendation votes planned for COVID-19 boosters, human papilloma virus and influenza vaccines. The meeting is open to the public and will be telecast live online.

    What is the committee’s role in vaccine policy?

    The committee makes its recommendations to the CDC by reviewing scientific evidence about a vaccine’s safety and efficacy, as well as practical issues, such as how easy a vaccine is to use, how it affects different groups, its side-effects and how it fits into the health system. The recommendations don’t just consider whether a vaccine works, but how it can be most effectively deployed to protect the American public from disease outbreaks.

    The new lineup of the vaccine advisory committee may lead to changes in children’s vaccine schedules.
    SementsovaLesia/iStock via Getty Images Plus

    The committee looks at data from clinical trials and other research to examine the most recent data on a vaccine’s safety, efficacy and use in everyday settings. When new vaccines come out or a change occurs in the way a disease spreads or behaves, the committee often revises its advice. It also responds to public health emergencies such as recent measles outbreaks in the U.S.

    The committee has made many updates over time. It changed flu shot guidance when new strains appeared. It lowered the recommended age for the HPV vaccine based on new research. And it adjusted vaccine plans for meningitis to better protect people at higher risk.

    What was the committee’s role during the COVID-19 pandemic?

    The committee played a vital role in evaluating vaccine safety and effectiveness and authorizing the use of vaccines for different age groups by reviewing clinical trial data, from Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson and other vaccine manufacturers.

    The committee also developed step-by-step guidelines for who should get vaccinated first, based on how likely people were to catch the virus, their risk of serious disease, the type of work they did and whether they came from a population that was historically underserved or at higher risk. It also issued tailored guidance for pregnant and breastfeeding women, immunocompromised people and children and adolescents as more trial data became available.

    These recommendations shaped vaccine rollout strategies at both national and state levels, guided insurance coverage and influenced COVID-19 vaccination policies in other countries around the world.

    Public health experts have expressed concern that Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s decision to replace all 17 members of the vaccine advisory committee will erode its ability to provide evidence-based guidance.

    Who are the new members that Kennedy appointed?

    Although Kennedy promised more transparency, he handpicked the advisory committee’s new members without revealing how they were selected. Historically, the body’s members are selected after an extensive vetting process that can take two years.

    The newly appointed members have expertise in psychiatry, neuroscience, epidemiology, biostatistics and operations management. However, several have been linked to vaccine-related misinformation, particularly relating to COVID-19 vaccines, raising concerns about the scientific neutrality of the committee moving forward.

    For example, Retsef Levi, a professor of operations management at MIT Sloan School of Management, has publicly called for suspension of COVID-19 mRNA vaccines, claiming they cause serious harm and death in young people – a statement not supported by evidence.

    Another member, physician and biochemist Robert Malone, made scientifically inaccurate statements about the dangers of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines during the pandemic.

    A third member, epidemiologist and biostatistician Martin Kulldorff helped write the Great Barrington Declaration, which opposed lockdowns and argued that people at low risk of severe illness or death should be allowed to contract COVID-19 to build natural immunity – a stance that was heavily debated among health experts.

    What happens now?

    The committee’s new makeup and Kennedy’s decades-long anti-vaccine stance threaten to erode the integrity of scientific decision-making and commitment to ethical standards in vaccine recommendations.

    Kennedy’s overhaul of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices will likely affect how insurers, doctors and the public make decisions about vaccines – and vaccine policy generally. For example, the advisory committee’s decisions directly affect which vaccines are covered by health insurance. If a vaccine is not recommended by the committee, many insurance plans, including those under the Affordable Care Act, are not required to cover it. This means families could face out-of-pocket costs, making it harder for children to access routine immunizations.

    The advisory committee also plays a key role in shaping the U.S. childhood vaccine schedule. Given Kennedy’s long-held skepticism about childhood vaccines — including those for measles and polio — some public health experts worry that the newly appointed members could push to revisit or revise vaccine recommendations, especially for newer and more debated vaccines like those for COVID-19 or HPV.

    States usually base their school entry vaccine requirements on the committee’s guidelines, and insurers often use them to determine which vaccines are covered. As a result, shifts in policy to childhood vaccinations could influence both school vaccination mandates and access to vaccines for millions of children.

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

    – ref. RFK Jr’s shakeup of vaccine advisory committee raises worries about scientific integrity of health recommendations – https://theconversation.com/rfk-jrs-shakeup-of-vaccine-advisory-committee-raises-worries-about-scientific-integrity-of-health-recommendations-258674

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Economy – KOF Economic Barometer: Economic outlook deteriorates

    Source: KOF Economic Institute

    The KOF Economic Barometer decreases in June. After a moderate increase in the previous month, it now falls to its lowest level so far this year. The outlook for the Swiss economy deteriorates.

    In June, the KOF Economic Barometer decreases by 2.5 points to a level of 96.1 (after revised 98.6 in the previous month). The negative developments are reflected in the majority of the indicator bundles included in the KOF Economic Barometer. In particular, the indicator bundle for manufacturing is considerably under pressure. The negative perspectives are slightly cushioned by the indicator bundle for foreign demand which shows an improved outlook this month.

    Within the producing industry (manufacturing and construction), the sub-indicators for different aspects of business activity exhibit predominantly negative developments. The sub-indicators for the general business situation show a particularly strong downward tendency. Also weakened are the sub-indicators for production activity, stockpiling of intermediate goods, order backlogs, and stocks of finished products. Slightly positive, but almost unchanged, are the perspectives for the exports sub-indicators.

    The predominantly negative developments are present along the majority of sub-indicators within manufacturing. Particularly weakened are the sub-indicators for the wood, glass, stone and earth segment, the chemical and pharmaceutical industry, as well as the metal industry. The sub-indicators for the textile industry remain nearly unchanged.

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Energy – Oil discovery in the Johan Castberg area in the Barents Sea – Equinor

    Source: Equinor

    30 JUNE 2025 – Equinor has struck oil in exploration well 7720/7-DD-1H, Drivis Tubåen, on the Johan Castberg field in the Barents Sea.

    The well was drilled in the Drivis structure on the Johan Castberg field in the Barents Sea. According to preliminary estimates the size of the discovery is 9-15 million barrels of oil.

    Grete Birgitte Haaland, Equinor’s senior vice president for Exploration & Production North

    “Only a short time after Johan Castberg came on stream and is producing at full capacity, we have made a new discovery that can provide additional reserves for the field. The Johan Castberg volume base originally estimated at 450–650 million barrels, our clear ambition is to increase the reserves by a another 250–550 million barrels. 

    “To realise this, we are planning six new exploration wells and continuous exploration activity. At the same time, we will develop Isflak as a rapid field expansion with planned start-up in 2028,” says Grete Birgitte Haaland, Equinor’s senior vice president for Exploration & Production North.

    The oil was proven in a new segment called the Tubåen formation 1769 metres below the seabed in 345 metres of water. The well was drilled by the Transocean Enabler drilling rig as an exploratory extension from a production well. The licensees will consider tie-in of the discovery to the Johan Castberg field.

    The Barents Sea is the least explored ocean area on the Norwegian continental shelf. With the Johan Castberg’s production facilities in place, it becomes more attractive to explore the neighbouring areas. Going forward, two rigs will drill both production wells and new exploration wells in the areas around Johan Castberg and Goliat. Equinor will drill one to two exploration wells annually around Johan Castberg.

    On 17 June, the field reached a plateau and is now producing about 220,000 barrels of oil per day. Every three to four days, a loaded tanker now departs from Johan Castberg.

    Facts

    Drivis Tubåen is the fourteenth exploration well in production licence 532. The licence was awarded in the 20th licensing round in 2009.
    Transocean Enabler is now continuing drilling operations on the Johan Castberg field in production licence 532 for Equinor.
    The partners in the Johan Castberg licence are operator Equinor (46.3 percent), Vår Energi (30 percent) and Petoro (23.7 percent).

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Australia – Inspiring Aussies share their stories of doubt in new CommBank campaign – CBA

    Source: Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA)

    Hear how Australians from sport, entertainment and social enterprise turned doubt into action – as part of CommBank’s refreshed brand platform championing everyone to fulfil their personal potential.

    Doubt is something we all face, but it’s how we respond that defines us.

    CommBank’s new campaign, Doubt Never Did, shares the real stories of Australians from all walks of life who have faced self-doubt, setbacks and uncertainty – and kept going. From personal reinvention to pushing through rejections, doubt is part of the turning point that helped them succeed.

    Jo Boundy, CommBank Chief Marketing Officer, said: “Doubt can hold us back – whether it’s taking the first steps to start a business or savings goal, or hitting a roadblock further along in your journey. This campaign shows Australians they’re not alone, and that doubt can be a powerful turning point. Back yourself and know that with CommBank in your corner, you can.”

    Meet the Australians who turned doubt into something more

    From elite sport to the stage and kitchen, the inspiring Australians who feature in the national campaign have each faced down their own moments of doubts. Hear conversations with:

    Mary Fowler, CommBank Matilda’s superstar – who rose from Cairns to the world stage, overcoming pressure and expectation to become one of the most exciting talents in global football;
    Zoe Karatzovalis, Yellow Wiggle, inclusivity champion and business owner of inclusive dance studio, Infinite Abilities Performance Arts; and
    Shaun Christie-David, social entrepreneur, Founder of Plate it Forward and Colombo Social;

    From today, see these stories on billboards across the country with QR codes to listen to the full audio interviews hosted by podcaster Matty J.

    https://youtu.be/81FiIPeJerk

    Mary Fowler, CommBank Matildas superstar, said: “Doubt has been a constant presence in my journey.”

    Mary grew up in Cairns and quickly made her mark on football, playing professional overseas while still a teenager. But even as her career accelerated, self-doubt followed – especially during setbacks and injury.

    “Sometimes the situations we’re in and the problems that we’re facing… they feel so big to overcome that it seems like there’s no way through them.”

    Now, Mary is focused on flipping the mindset. “I really hate the idea of being a victim… As much as I can, I just try to flip the perspective on a lot of these things. That actually helps me see a lot more positives in what I’m doing and makes it a bit easier to get through it without feeling sorry for myself.”

    Mary’s advice? “Everyone experiences doubt. I think it’s a normal part of our journey. The thing to try change is not doubt itself, but the way you react to it and how quickly you can counter it. Don’t let doubt hold you back and keep believing in yourself.”

    Zoe Karatzovalis, Yellow Wiggle and Founder of Infinite Abilities Performance Arts, said: “I doubted myself more than everyone did. I think everyone believed in me more than I did… I just didn’t really know what I was doing.”

    Zoe grew up in Port Lincoln, where her passion for dance started early. But it was her brother, Costa, who shaped her purpose. “My brother, Costa, he’s on the autism spectrum… we always connected through music and dance. He was a big inspiration in my life… I really wanted to be the change and to inspire others too.”

    After moving to Sydney to pursue a professional dance career, Zoe faced pressure and rejection. “I felt like I was this small fish in this huge pond… I struggled to make fri

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Gaza: Deadly Israeli-US supply distribution scheme must be dismantled and siege lifted – MSF

    Source: Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)

    28 June, Gaza: The Israeli-US food distribution scheme in Gaza, launched one month ago, is degrading Palestinians by design, forcing them to choose between starvation or risking their lives for minimal supplies. With over 500 people killed and nearly 4,000 wounded while seeking food, this scheme is slaughter masquerading as humanitarian aid and must be immediately dismantled. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) calls on the Israeli authorities and their allies to lift the siege on food, fuel, medical, and humanitarian supplies and to revert to the pre-existing principled humanitarian system, coordinated by the UN.

    This disaster has been orchestrated by the Israeli-US proxy operating under the name Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). The way supplies are distributed forces thousands of Palestinians, who have been starved by an over 100 day-long Israeli siege, to walk long distances to reach the four distribution sites and fight for scraps of food supplies. These sites hinder women, children, the elderly, and people with disabilities from accessing aid and people are killed and wounded in the chaotic process. Yet each renewed atrocity now happens with barely a shrug, let alone condemnation, from an international community seemingly resigned to its role in allowing and perpetuating a campaign consistent with patterns of genocide. This cannot be allowed to continue.

    “The four distribution sites, all located in areas under the full control of Israeli forces after people had been forcibly displaced from there, are the size of football fields surrounded by watch points, mounds of earth and barbed wire. The fenced entrance gives only one access point in or out,” says Aitor Zabalgogeazkoa, MSF emergency coordinator in Gaza. “GHF workers drop the pallets and the boxes of food and open the fences, allowing thousands in all at once to fight down to the last grain of rice.

    “If people arrive early and approach the checkpoints, they get shot. If they arrive on time, but there is an overflow and they jump over the mounds and the wires, they get shot,” says Zabalgogeazkoa. “If they arrive late, they shouldn’t be there because it is an ‘evacuated zone’, they get shot.”

    Every day, MSF teams see patients who have been killed or wounded trying to get food at one of these sites.

    “A lot of people were getting directly shot at. This is not aid – it’s a death trap,” says Hani Abu Soud, a community member at Al-Mawasi primary healthcare centre. “They were going to kill us one by one.  We were hungry, we were just trying to feed our children. What else can I do?  A bag of lentils costs around 30-40 shekels [€6 – €10]”.

    “We do not have that kind of money. Death has become cheaper than survival.”

    As the distributions have continued, medical teams have noticed a stark increase in the number of patients with gunshot wounds. In the MSF field hospital in Deir Al-Balah the number of patients with gunshot wounds increased by 190 per cent the week of 8 June, compared to the week before. The still barely functioning hospitals in Gaza are devastated; running on minimal supplies of pain relief, anaesthetic and blood. Fully functioning hospitals would struggle to cope with such a high number of trauma patients flooding emergency rooms every day.

    Injured patients seek help at basic healthcare clinics or field hospitals, since larger hospitals better equipped to provide treatment for violent trauma have been damaged by Israel’s attacks on healthcare facilities, with many no longer functioning. The MSF clinic in Al Mawasi, which is not typically equipped to treat trauma patients, has received 423 people wounded from the distribution sites since 7 June.  Ten or more patients with violent injuries arrive from distribution sites each day. These injuries require immediate life-saving treatment, like blood transfusions or surgery, that our medical teams cannot provide in a basic healthcare clinic. Patients are referred to the few remaining hospitals still functioning like Nasser hospital, but with healthcare so scarce, MSF has received reports of people wounded at aid distribution sites dying from their injuries before they can receive treatment.

    With no food in the tent he shared with his family, seventeen-year-old Ashraf went to a distribution site on 23 June. “I told him it was too dangerous. He said he wanted to get something for his sister,” says Hanan, Ashraf’s mother. “Thirty minutes later he called me, crying for help. He had been shot. This ‘aid’ is soaked in blood.”

    Ashraf was being treated at Al Mawasi basic healthcare clinic.

    Aid must not be controlled by a warring party to further its military objectives. The Israeli authorities have used a deliberate tactic of food deprivation against Palestinians in Gaza. They have weaponised food supply by denying it to people, then by limiting it to a trickle, in a complete violation of international humanitarian law. Humanitarian principles exist to enable the facilitation of aid to those who need it most, with dignity. Aid must be delivered at scale, consistent with these principles. The people of Gaza are in vital and immediate need of the re-establishment of a genuine aid system, and a sustained ceasefire, for their very survival.

    MSF is an international, medical, humanitarian organisation that delivers medical care to people in need, regardless of their origin, religion, or political affiliation. MSF has been working in Haiti for over 30 years, offering general healthcare, trauma care, burn wound care, maternity care, and care for survivors of sexual violence. MSF Australia was established in 1995 and is one of 24 international MSF sections committed to delivering medical humanitarian assistance to people in crisis. In 2022, more than 120 project staff from Australia and New Zealand worked with MSF on assignment overseas. MSF delivers medical care based on need alone and operates independently of government, religion or economic influence and irrespective of race, religion or gender. For more information visit msf.org.au  

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Gaza: Deadly Israeli-US supply distribution scheme must be dismantled and siege lifted – MSF

    Source: Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)

    28 June, Gaza: The Israeli-US food distribution scheme in Gaza, launched one month ago, is degrading Palestinians by design, forcing them to choose between starvation or risking their lives for minimal supplies. With over 500 people killed and nearly 4,000 wounded while seeking food, this scheme is slaughter masquerading as humanitarian aid and must be immediately dismantled. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) calls on the Israeli authorities and their allies to lift the siege on food, fuel, medical, and humanitarian supplies and to revert to the pre-existing principled humanitarian system, coordinated by the UN.

    This disaster has been orchestrated by the Israeli-US proxy operating under the name Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). The way supplies are distributed forces thousands of Palestinians, who have been starved by an over 100 day-long Israeli siege, to walk long distances to reach the four distribution sites and fight for scraps of food supplies. These sites hinder women, children, the elderly, and people with disabilities from accessing aid and people are killed and wounded in the chaotic process. Yet each renewed atrocity now happens with barely a shrug, let alone condemnation, from an international community seemingly resigned to its role in allowing and perpetuating a campaign consistent with patterns of genocide. This cannot be allowed to continue.

    “The four distribution sites, all located in areas under the full control of Israeli forces after people had been forcibly displaced from there, are the size of football fields surrounded by watch points, mounds of earth and barbed wire. The fenced entrance gives only one access point in or out,” says Aitor Zabalgogeazkoa, MSF emergency coordinator in Gaza. “GHF workers drop the pallets and the boxes of food and open the fences, allowing thousands in all at once to fight down to the last grain of rice.

    “If people arrive early and approach the checkpoints, they get shot. If they arrive on time, but there is an overflow and they jump over the mounds and the wires, they get shot,” says Zabalgogeazkoa. “If they arrive late, they shouldn’t be there because it is an ‘evacuated zone’, they get shot.”

    Every day, MSF teams see patients who have been killed or wounded trying to get food at one of these sites.

    “A lot of people were getting directly shot at. This is not aid – it’s a death trap,” says Hani Abu Soud, a community member at Al-Mawasi primary healthcare centre. “They were going to kill us one by one.  We were hungry, we were just trying to feed our children. What else can I do?  A bag of lentils costs around 30-40 shekels [€6 – €10]”.

    “We do not have that kind of money. Death has become cheaper than survival.”

    As the distributions have continued, medical teams have noticed a stark increase in the number of patients with gunshot wounds. In the MSF field hospital in Deir Al-Balah the number of patients with gunshot wounds increased by 190 per cent the week of 8 June, compared to the week before. The still barely functioning hospitals in Gaza are devastated; running on minimal supplies of pain relief, anaesthetic and blood. Fully functioning hospitals would struggle to cope with such a high number of trauma patients flooding emergency rooms every day.

    Injured patients seek help at basic healthcare clinics or field hospitals, since larger hospitals better equipped to provide treatment for violent trauma have been damaged by Israel’s attacks on healthcare facilities, with many no longer functioning. The MSF clinic in Al Mawasi, which is not typically equipped to treat trauma patients, has received 423 people wounded from the distribution sites since 7 June.  Ten or more patients with violent injuries arrive from distribution sites each day. These injuries require immediate life-saving treatment, like blood transfusions or surgery, that our medical teams cannot provide in a basic healthcare clinic. Patients are referred to the few remaining hospitals still functioning like Nasser hospital, but with healthcare so scarce, MSF has received reports of people wounded at aid distribution sites dying from their injuries before they can receive treatment.

    With no food in the tent he shared with his family, seventeen-year-old Ashraf went to a distribution site on 23 June. “I told him it was too dangerous. He said he wanted to get something for his sister,” says Hanan, Ashraf’s mother. “Thirty minutes later he called me, crying for help. He had been shot. This ‘aid’ is soaked in blood.”

    Ashraf was being treated at Al Mawasi basic healthcare clinic.

    Aid must not be controlled by a warring party to further its military objectives. The Israeli authorities have used a deliberate tactic of food deprivation against Palestinians in Gaza. They have weaponised food supply by denying it to people, then by limiting it to a trickle, in a complete violation of international humanitarian law. Humanitarian principles exist to enable the facilitation of aid to those who need it most, with dignity. Aid must be delivered at scale, consistent with these principles. The people of Gaza are in vital and immediate need of the re-establishment of a genuine aid system, and a sustained ceasefire, for their very survival.

    MSF is an international, medical, humanitarian organisation that delivers medical care to people in need, regardless of their origin, religion, or political affiliation. MSF has been working in Haiti for over 30 years, offering general healthcare, trauma care, burn wound care, maternity care, and care for survivors of sexual violence. MSF Australia was established in 1995 and is one of 24 international MSF sections committed to delivering medical humanitarian assistance to people in crisis. In 2022, more than 120 project staff from Australia and New Zealand worked with MSF on assignment overseas. MSF delivers medical care based on need alone and operates independently of government, religion or economic influence and irrespective of race, religion or gender. For more information visit msf.org.au  

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Defense and Technology – Pacific Defense Secures Launch for MOSA Space RF Payload

    Source: Pacific Defense

    EL SEGUNDO, Calif. – Pacific Defense, the leading provider of Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA) products, announced it has secured the inaugural launch for its Moonraker MOSA space Radio Frequency (RF) payload on board the K2 Space Gravitas Mission in February 2026. The mission includes a series of multi-orbit Space Situational Awareness (SSA) demonstrations showcasing the payload’s mission flexibility.

    Moonraker is a RF sensing and high-performance computing (HPC) Payload for Space Situational Awareness (SSA). The payload demonstrates the rapidly deliverable, mission-flexible modular open systems approach (MOSA).

    Moonraker is a 3U Open VPX multi-function, RF payload with application software capable of performing a range of RF missions that fundamentally changes the cost, schedule, and deployment concept for responsive space missions. Designed for SSA, Moonraker payload architecture fully supports a range of receive and transmit Electromagnetic Spectrum Operation (EMSO) functions to command the electromagnetic operational environment.

    “We’re thrilled to take the United States Department of Defense’s MOSA initiative to new heights with Moonraker,” said Bryan Terlecky, Vice President of Space Systems at Pacific Defense. “As global space competition intensifies, there is a pressing need for adaptable, software-driven solutions that can rapidly evolve to counter emerging threats. This mission marks a significant step in our commitment to providing innovative and flexible solutions for space control”.

    The on-orbit demonstration, being completed under a contract with the Air Force Research Lab/Space Vehicles Directorate (AFRL/RV), is a critical milestone for Pacific Defense’s Space MOSA payloads and will inform future operational systems. For more information, please visit Space Systems (ref. https://www.pacific-defense.com/space-systems?utm_source=Business+Wire&utm_medium=Press+Release&utm_campaign=MoonrakerLaunch )

    About Pacific Defense

    Pacific Defense is purpose-built to drive the open systems transformation necessary to unlock rapid innovation and the power of commercial technology. Specializing in C5ISR and Electronic Warfare (EW) solutions for mission-critical environments, Pacific Defense leverages Modular Open Systems Architecture (MOSA) standards to deliver innovative, adaptable technology that enables faster response to emerging threats and evolving mission requirements. Learn more at https://pacific-defense.com 

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Energy – Introducing Adura: The UK North Sea’s largest independent oil and gas producer

    Source: Equinor

    27 JUNE 2025 – The name of the UK North Sea’s largest independent oil and gas producer has been revealed today, marking a major milestone in the creation of the new company.

    Equinor and Shell made the joint announcement to staff this afternoon – with Adura chosen as the bold new presence for their incorporated joint venture (IJV).

    With a long-standing presence in the North Sea, the two companies have collaborated closely to identify the new name – rooted in their respective heritage and focused on shaping the future of the basin in the years ahead. Adura has been created to bring together the A of Aberdeen and the dura of durability. It’s a company built on firm foundations, much like the strong granite synonymous with the city.

    The creation of Adura follows the announcement in December 2024 that Equinor and Shell would be combining their UK offshore oil and gas assets and world-class expertise to form a new company.

    Adura will sustain domestic oil and gas production and security of energy supply in the UK and beyond, headquartered at the Silver Fin building in Aberdeen city centre.

    Aberdeen, the UK’s energy capital and a major centre of global engineering and supply chain excellence, is at the heart of operations and central to the name of Adura, alongside an enduring commitment to the future of energy from the North Sea.

    Work continues towards securing regulatory approvals, with launch of the IJV expected by the end of this year.

    Camilla Salthe, Senior Vice President Equinor UK Upstream, said:

    “We are so pleased to have reached this major milestone in the creation of the new company with Shell. For us, the name Adura represents the very heart of this company and speaks to its people and place within the energy community anchored in Aberdeen, alongside its longevity and commitment to the North Sea.”

    Simon Roddy, Senior Vice President Shell UK Upstream, said:

    “Adura takes an exciting step forward today as we unveil its new name – rooted in a proud history in the North Sea and looking forward with confidence to delivering secure energy for the UK for many years to come.When Adura launches later this year it will become the UK’s largest independent producer. Through combining assets and expertise, we will create a robust portfolio, with a shared purpose, to unlock long term value.”

    Notes

    In the UK, Equinor currently produces approx. 38,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day; Shell UK produces over 100,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day. Adura is expected to produce over 140,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day in 2025.
    On deal completion, Adura will be jointly owned by Equinor (50%) and Shell (50%)
    Adura will include Equinor’s equity interests in Mariner, Rosebank and Buzzard; and Shell’s equity interests in Shearwater, Penguins, Gannet, Nelson, Pierce, Jackdaw, Victory, Clair and Schiehallion. A range of exploration licences will also be part of the transaction.
    Equinor will retain ownership of its cross-border assets, Utgard, Barnacle and Statfjord and offshore wind portfolio including Sheringham Shoal, Dudgeon, Hywind Scotland and Dogger Bank. It will also retain the hydrogen, carbon capture and storage, power generation, battery storage and gas storage assets.
    Shell UK will retain ownership of its interests in the Fife NGL plant, St Fergus Gas Terminal and floating wind projects under development – MarramWind and CampionWind. Shell UK will also remain Technical Developer of Acorn, Scotland’s largest carbon capture and storage project.
    Equinor employs around 300 people in oil and gas roles in the UK, while Shell employs approximately 1000 supporting its oil and gas business in the UK.

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Australia – CommBank harnesses near real-time, AI-powered intelligence to outsmart the scammers – CBA

    Source: Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA)

    In an Australian banking first, CommBank is collaborating with cyber-intelligence firm Apate.ai to harness near real-time scam intelligence and help protect Australians from harm.

    Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CommBank) today unveiled a new weapon in the fight against scams: a fleet of thousands of AI-powered bot profiles, deployed by Apate.ai – a cyber-intelligence firm and spin-out from Macquarie University. These AI-bots are engineered to engage scammers, gather critical intelligence and disrupt scam operations – with near real-time scam intelligence harnessed by CommBank to safeguard both our customers and the wider Australian community.

    “This is about flipping the script,” said James Roberts, CommBank’s General Manager of Group Fraud. “Scammers are increasingly using AI to target Australians – we’re turning the tables by using AI to fight back. Every minute a scammer is engaging with a bot, is a minute they’re not targeting an Australian. The near real-time intelligence being gathered is a game-changer in how we help to protect our customers and the broader community.”

    Every day, Apate.ai deploys thousands of conversational AI bots to disrupt scammers targeting unsuspecting Australians, via text-based conversations and voice calls. This expanded and increasingly sophisticated bot network follows a successful pilot program announced by Macquarie University in late 2024.

    When a scammer calls or texts, sophisticated bots engage them in extended conversations, gather intelligence, and feed near real-time insights directly into CommBank’s scam control systems and the broader cross-sector anti-scam ecosystem.

    “We’re on a mission to dismantle the business models of scammers around the world. Our bots share near real-time intelligence to our partners like CommBank to fight scams, helping to shield consumers and businesses and making it harder for scammers to operate,” said Professor Dali Kaafar, CEO & Founder of Apate.ai.

    “Our system is based on a “Honeypot” strategy. In collaboration with our telco partners, Apate.ai operates a vast and constantly growing network of dedicated telephone numbers connected to the telcos networks and designed specifically to be discovered and targeted by scammers. When a scammer dials or messages one of these numbers, they actually engage in conversations with one of our AI-powered bots and not a person,” Professor Kaafar added.

    Mr Roberts emphasised that protecting Australians from scams requires a united, cross-sector approach.

    “At CommBank, we’re focused on investing in innovative technologies to help combat scams and strengthen Australia’s broader anti-scam ecosystem. Our initiatives focus on enhancing cybersecurity, raising public awareness, and collaborating with industry leaders to build a safer digital environment for all Australians.”

    Phone and text scams remain Australia’s biggest threat

    In 2024, phone scams accounted for the highest overall financial losses and were more likely to result in significant individual losses, according to National Anti-Scams Centre data about contact methods used by scammers.1

    During the same period, text messages were the second most common contact method used by scammers, with investment scams responsible for the highest losses via this channel.2

    Intelligence in action

    CommBank is using intelligence gathered by Apate.ai in near real-time to help protect our customers and the broader Australian community.

    This intelligence helps CommBank to identify emerging scam tr

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Australia – Australia’s set to accept its one millionth refugee – AMES

    Source: AMES

    Sometime, probably around October this year, a person will step off aircraft somewhere in Australia in the last stage of their journey way from conflict or persecution.

    This person will be the one millionth refugee settled in Australia since the end of World War II.

    The Department of Home Affairs says Australia has successfully settled more than 985,000 refugees and humanitarian entrants since the country’s first humanitarian intake occurred in 1947.

    With 20,000 refugee places currently allocated for each financial year, the million milestone is due to be reached in the early months of the 2025-26 financial year.

    Based on these figures, it is expected the one-millionth arrival to occur sometime between September and November 2025.

    The milestone represents a million individual journeys toward refuge and a million stories of people rebuilding their lives in safety with hope for the future.

    Since the 1930s, Australia has welcomed refugees fleeing global conflicts — from Jewish refugees before and after World War Two, to Southeast Asians after the Vietnam War.

    Following World War Two, Australia entered formal agreements with international bodies to accept displaced people from Europe.

    In November 1947, more than 800 people from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania arrived in Fremantle. They were the first of 170,000 displaced persons resettled in Australia after World War Two.

    Later decades saw more structured resettlement, particularly in response to major global conflicts.

    Over the past 40 years, Australia has continued to resettle people from conflict-riven regions, including the Southeast Asia the Middle East, Africa and Myanmar.

    Today, refugees from Ukraine, Afghanistan, Venezuela, Iraq, Syria, Myanmar and countries in the Horn of Africa continue to arrive under the humanitarian program.

    In two recent emergency situations, Australia evacuated 4100 refugees from Afghanistan following the return of the Taliban to power in 2021 and around 4,000 Ukrainians, mostly women and children, who initially arrived on tourist visas after the Russian invasion are new transitioning to permanent protection visas.

    CEO of AMES Australia Cath Scarth said the million-refugee mark was a reflection of Australia’s proud history of affording refugee to people fleeing war, conflict or persecution.

    “Australia has a generous and sophisticated refugee settlement program that not only offers refuge to people fleeing war or persecution but also equips them to build successful lives and become contributors,” Ms Scarth said.

    “We are an example to the world at a time when more than 122 million people are displaced due to war, conflict or persecution,” she said.

    Australia is a leading refugee resettlement country, ranking among the top few resettlement countries on a per capita basis.

    The United States has historically accepted the greatest number of refugees, but its program has recently been effectively shuttered by the Trump administration, meaning the loss of 100,000 annual resettlement places.

    Among refugees who have come to Australia in recent years are:

    Iraqi doctor Asseel Yako who, in his homeland, tended to battlefield wounds suffered by soldiers or militia members fighting ISIS or patching up women children horrifically injured in explosions of gunfire.

    Ten years later he is still saving lives working a consultant physician, specialising in internal medicine at Warragul Hospital, in Gippsland, Victoria.

    The job is the culmination of years of hard work, striving to get his qualifications recognised in Australia.

    He had studied and worked as a doctor for almost twenty years before arriving in Australia, but he was forced to jump through extraordinary hoops to be able practice medicine again.

    Cambodian refugee Chan Uoy has helped breathe new life into the struggling regional town of Dimboola, in Victoria’s west.

    Chan has opened the Dimboola Imaginarium, an eclectic and exotic gift shop and Air BnB recently featured in the high-end magazine Conde Nast Traveller. Chan has also recently become the deputy mayor of the local Hindmarsh Shire.

    The Dimboola Imaginarium is a stimulating space with a cornucopia of exotic wares, including an almost life-size giraffe, oversize world globes, and colourfully painted rocking horses. The five Air BB bedrooms have differing but exotic and indulgent décor.

    He has also launched the Wimmera Steampunk Festival, which this year is expected to attract 5000 visitors to the town.

    Young soccer star Yaya Dukuly is the embodiment of refugee aspiration and success.

    The 22-year-old Adelaide United soccer star was born into a refugee family in Guinea. His father is a Liberian and his mother is from Guinea.

    Yaya arrived in Australia with his family as a child and grew up in Adelaide. Now a professional footballer and Australian under-23 representative, he is also an emerging community leader and role model.

    Yaya brought is powerful and authentic new voice in the multicultural sector, supporting newly arrived refugees and advocating for their communities.

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Climate Report – Global Drought Hotspots Report Catalogs Severe Suffering, Economic Damage

    Source: United Nations – Convention to Combat Desertification

    Food, water, energy crises, human tragedies in 2023-2025 detailed in sweeping analysis by U.S. National Drought Mitigation Center and the UN Convention to Combat Desertification.

    Fuelled by climate change and relentless pressure on land and water resources, some of the most widespread and damaging drought events in recorded history have taken place since 2023, according to a UN-backed report launched today.

    Prepared by the U.S. National Drought Mitigation Center (NDMC) and the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), with support from the International Drought Resilience Alliance (IDRA), the report “Drought Hotspots Around the World 2023-2025” provides a comprehensive account of how droughts compound poverty, hunger, energy insecurity, and ecosystem collapse.

    Says UNCCD Executive Secretary Ibrahim Thiaw: “Drought is a silent killer. It creeps in, drains resources, and devastates lives in slow motion. Its scars run deep.”

    “Drought is no longer a distant threat,” he adds. “It is here, escalating, and demands urgent global cooperation. When energy, food, and water all go at once, societies start to unravel. That’s the new normal we need to be ready for.”

    “This is not a dry spell,” says Dr. Mark Svoboda, report co-author and NDMC Founding Director. “This is a slow-moving global catastrophe, the worst I’ve ever seen. This report underscores the need for systematic monitoring of how drought affects lives, livelihoods, and the health of the ecosystems that we all depend on.”

    “The Mediterranean countries represent canaries in the coal mine for all modern economies,” he adds. “The struggles experienced by Spain, Morocco and Türkiye to secure water, food, and energy under persistent drought offer a preview of water futures under unchecked global warming. No country, regardless of wealth or capacity, can afford to be complacent.”

    A wide-ranging crisis

    The new report synthesizes information from hundreds of government, scientific and media sources to highlight impacts within the most acute drought hotspots in Africa (Somalia, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Botswana, Namibia), the Mediterranean (Spain, Morocco, Türkiye), Latin America (Panama, Amazon Basin), Southeast Asia, and beyond.

    Africa: 

    • Over 90 million people across Eastern and Southern Africa face acute hunger. Some areas have been enduring their worst ever recorded drought.
    • Southern Africa, already drought-prone, was devastated with roughly 1/6th of the population (68 million) needing food aid in August 2024. 
    • In Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Malawi, maize and wheat crops have failed repeatedly. In Zimbabwe alone, the 2024 corn crop was down 70% year on year, and maize prices doubled while 9,000 cattle died of thirst and starvation. 
    • In Somalia, the government estimated 43,000 people died in 2022 alone due to drought-linked hunger. As of early 2025, 4.4 million people – a quarter of the population – face crisis-level food insecurity, including 784,000 expected to reach emergency levels.
    • Zambia suffered one of the world’s worst energy crises as the Zambezi River in April 2024 plummeted to 20% of its long-term average. The country’s largest hydroelectric plant, the Kariba Dam, fell to 7% generation capacity, causing blackouts of up to 21 hours per day and shuttering hospitals, bakeries, and factories.

    Mediterranean:

    • Spain: Water shortages hit agriculture, tourism, and domestic supply. By September 2023, two years of drought and record heat caused a 50% drop in Spain’s olive crop, causing its olive oil prices to double across the country. 
    • Morocco: The sheep population was 38% smaller in 2025 relative to 2016, prompting a royal plea to cancel traditional Eid sacrifices.
    • Türkiye: Drought accelerated groundwater depletion, triggering sinkholes that present hazards to communities and their infrastructure while permanently reducing aquifer storage capacity.

    Latin America:

    • Amazon Basin: Record-low river levels in 2023 and 2024 led to mass deaths of fish and endangered dolphins, and disrupted drinking water and transport for hundreds of thousands. As deforestation and fires intensify, the Amazon risks transitioning from a carbon sink to a carbon source.
    • Panama Canal: Water levels dropped so low that transits were slashed by over one-third (from 38 to 24 ships daily between October 2023 and January 2024), causing major global trade disruptions. Facing multi-week delays, many ships were rerouted to longer, costlier paths via the Suez Canal or South Africa’s infamous Cape of Good Hope. Among the knock-on effects, U.S. soybean exports slowed, and UK grocery stores reported shortages and rising prices of fruits and vegetables.

    Southeast Asia:

    • Drought disrupted production and supply chains of key crops such as rice, coffee, and sugar. In 2023-2024, dry conditions in Thailand and India, for example, triggered shortages leading to a 8.9% increase in the price of sugar in the US.

    “A Perfect Storm” of El Niño and climate change

    The 2023–2024 El Niño event amplified already harsh climate change impacts, triggering dry conditions across major agricultural and ecological zones. Drought’s impacts hit hardest in climate hotspots, regions already suffering from warming tr

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Universities – Golden opportunity to remove toxic waste and recover precious metal

    Source: Flinders University

    Jackpot! Gold from e-waste opens a rich vein for miners and the environment – An interdisciplinary team of experts in green chemistry, engineering and physics at Flinders University has developed a safer and more sustainable approach to extract and recover gold from ore and electronic waste.

    Explained in the leading journal Nature Sustainability, the gold-extraction technique promises to reduce levels of toxic waste from mining and shows that high purity gold can be recovered from recycling valuable components in printed circuit boards in discarded computers.

    The project team, led by Matthew Flinders Professor Justin Chalker, applied this integrated method for high-yield gold extraction from many sources – even recovering trace gold found in scientific waste streams.

    The progress toward safer and more sustainable gold recovery was demonstrated for electronic waste, mixed-metal waste, and ore concentrates.

    “The study featured many innovations including a new and recyclable leaching reagent derived from a compound used to disinfect water,” says Professor of Chemistry Justin Chalker, who leads the Chalker Lab at Flinders University’s College of Science and Engineering.

    “The team also developed an entirely new way to make the polymer sorbent, or the material that binds the gold after extraction into water, using light to initiate the key reaction.”

    Extensive investigation into the mechanisms, scope and limitations of the methods are reported in the new study, and the team now plans to work with mining and e-waste recycling operations to trial the method on a larger scale.

    “The aim is to provide effective gold recovery methods that support the many uses of gold, while lessening the impact on the environment and human health,” says Professor Chalker.

    The new process uses a low-cost and benign compound to extract the gold. This reagent (trichloroisocyanuric acid) is widely used in water sanitation and disinfection. When activated by salt water, the reagent can dissolve gold.

    Next, the gold can be selectively bound to a novel sulfur-rich polymer developed by the Flinders team. The selectivity of the polymer allows gold recovery even in highly complex mixtures.

    The gold can then be recovered by triggering the polymer to “un-make” itself and convert back to monomer. This allows the gold to be recovered and the polymer to be recycled and re-used.

    Global demand for gold is driven by its high economic and monetary value but is also a vital element in electronics, medicine, aerospace technologies and other products and industries. However, mining the previous metal can involve the use of highly toxic substances such as cyanide and mercury for gold extraction – and other negative environmental impacts on water, air and land including CO2 emissions and deforestation.

    The aim of the Flinders-led project was to provide alternative methods that are safer than mercury or cyanide in gold extraction and recovery.

    The team also collaborated with experts in the US and Peru to validate the method on ore, in an effort to support small-scale mines that otherwise rely on toxic mercury to amalgamate gold.

    Gold mining typically uses highly toxic cyanide to extract gold from ore, with risks to the wildlife and the broader environment if it is not contained properly. Artisanal and small-scale gold mines still use mercury to amalgamate gold. Unfortunately, the use of mercury in gold mining is one of the largest sources of mercury pollution on Earth.

    Professor Chalker says interdisciplinary research collaborations with industry and environmental groups will help to address highly complex problems that support the economy and the environment.

    “We are especially grateful to our engineering, mining, and philanthropic partners for supporting translation of laboratory discoveries to larger scale demonstrations of the gold recovery techniques.”

    Lead authors of the major new study – Flinders University postdoctoral research associates Dr Max Mann, Dr Thomas Nicholls, Dr Harshal Patel and Dr Lynn Lisboa – extensively tested the new technique on piles of electronic waste, with the aim of finding more sustainable, circular economy solutions to make better use of ever-more-scarce resources in the world. Many components of electronic waste, such as computer processing units and RAM cards, contain valuable metals such as gold and copper.

    Dr Mann says: “This paper shows that interdisciplinary collaborations are needed to address the world’s big problems managing the growing stockpiles of e-waste.”

    ARC DECRA Fellow Dr Nicholls, adds: “The newly developed gold sorbent is made using a sustainable approach in which UV light is used to make the sulfur-rich polymer. Then, recycling the polymer after the gold has been recovered further increases the green credentials of this method.”

    Dr Patel says: “We dived into a mound of e-waste and climbed out with a block of gold! I hope this research inspires impactful solutions to pressing global challenges.”

    “With the ever-growing technological and societal demand for gold, it is increasingly important to develop safe and versatile methods to purify gold from varying sources,” Dr Lisboa concludes.

     

    The article, Sustainable gold extraction from ore and electronic waste (2025) by Maximilian Mann, Thomas P Nicholls, Harshal D Patel, Lynn S Lisboa, Jasmine MM Pople, Le Nhan Pham, Max JH Worthington, Matthew R Smith, Yanting Yin, Gunther G Andersson, Christopher T Gibson, Louisa J Esdaile, Claire E Lenehan, Michelle L Coote, Zhongfan Jia and Justin M Chalker has been published in Nature Sustainability. DOI: 10.1038/s41893-025-01586-w


    https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-025-01586-w

     

    Funding: The project was supported by generous funding from the Australian Research Council including Fellowships, Discovery Grants and Linkage Projects spanning 2015 to 2025 (DE150101863, DP200100090, DP21010002, DP230100587, LP200301660, LP200301661, FT220100054, and DE250100525). Additional funding was provided by a 2024 Flinders University High Impact Collaboration Grant.

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Energy Sector – More oil and gas to Europe from the Fram and Troll area – Equinor

    Source: Equinor

    26 JUNE 2025 – Equinor and its Fram partners will invest more than NOK 21 billion in a new subsea development. The plan for development and operation was today submitted to the Minister of Energy, Terje Aasland.

    “Fram Sør will contribute to security of energy supply from the Norwegian continental shelf (NCS) to Europe. The development will put new oil and gas resources on stream by connecting new infrastructure to existing facilities that provide good and robust profitability. With the host platform Troll C being powered from shore, the production from Fram Sør will have very low emissions. The project will generate activity for the Norwegian supply industry, with an estimated employment effect of 4,500 full-time equivalents (FTEs) during the development period,” says Geir Tungesvik, Equinor’s executive vice president, Projects, Drilling & Procurement.

    The Fram Sør project is a combined development of several discoveries that will export oil and gas via Troll C. Recoverable volumes are estimated at 116 million barrels of oil equivalent, 75 percent of which is oil and 25 percent is gas. Production is scheduled to start at the end of 2029.

    The CO2 intensity for the Fram Sør development is estimated at about 0.5 kg of CO2 per barrel of oil equivalent. The average for the NCS is 8 kg. The industry average is about 16 kg per barrel of oil equivalent (IOGP 2023).

    Kjetil Hove, Equinor’s executive vice president for Exploration & Production Norway
    (Photo: Ole Jørgen Bratland / Equinor)

    “We have done a thorough job maturing the new resources discovered in the Fram and Troll area in recent years. Fram Sør shows the importance of area solutions and close collaboration between partners and authorities in order to realise the resource values on a mature NCS. We have a large portfolio of projects that will phase in discoveries to our producing fields. Equinor expects to put more than 50 such projects on stream by 2035,” says Kjetil Hove, Equinor’s executive vice president for Exploration & Production Norway.

    In the autumn of 2019, Equinor and partners made a discovery of oil and gas in the Fram area of the North Sea. This discovery, called Echino South, supported the belief that more oil could be found, and contributed to nine discoveries made in the Troll-Fram area over a four-year period. In the spring of 2021, Equinor and partners made the Blasto discovery. Together with two smaller discoveries in previous years, Echino South and Blasto form the basis for Fram Sør.

    The field development is also technologically groundbreaking. As the first on the NCS, Fram Sør will use all-electric Christmas trees that eliminate the need for hydraulic fluid supplied from the platform and improve monitoring capabilities of the subsea equipment. It is an efficient and reliable system for operating subsea Christmas trees, as well as reducing the risk of environmental impact.

    The Fram Sør investments will contribute to the Norwegian supply industry both in the development and operation phases. A ripple effect study conducted by Kunnskapsparken in Bodø indicates an employment effect of 4,500 full-time equivalents in Norway through the development period. Most of the suppliers have a Norwegian invoice address, but some of the construction takes place abroad.

    In total, the contracts will have a value of about NOK 18 billion.

    All contracts will be subject to regulatory approval.

    Fram partners: Equinor Energy AS (45%), Vår Energi ASA (40%) and INPEX Idemitsu Norge AS (15%).

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Asia Pacific – Governments Commit to Ensuring Every Birth is Registered and Every Death in Asia and the Pacific is Recorded by 2030

    Source: United Nations – ESCAP

    Governments across Asia and the Pacific today reached a landmark decision to ensure that all births are registered and all deaths are recorded by 2030, bringing the vision of universal, inclusive and resilient civil registration and vital statistics (CRVS) systems one step closer to reality.

    This renewed pledge, adopted at the conclusion of the Third Ministerial Conference on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) in Asia and the Pacific, ushers in the next chapter of the CRVS Decade. It strengthens regional momentum and aligns more closely with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), reinforcing the shared vision of inclusive development for all.
     
    The Ministerial Declaration reaffirms the shared vision that all people in Asia and the Pacific will benefit from universal and responsive CRVS systems, essential for ensuring legal identity, protecting human rights, enabling good governance, strengthening public health and driving sustainable development. The Declaration also highlights the importance of marriage registration and the urgent need to build resilient and inclusive CRVS systems that can withstand future crises and reach everyone, especially the most vulnerable.
     
    Over the past decade, Asia and the Pacific has made remarkable progress: The number of unregistered children under five has dropped to 51 million today from 135 million in 2012, a reduction of more than 60 per cent. Twenty-nine countries now register over 90 per cent of births within a year, while 30 countries achieve the same for death registration. The quality of cause-of-death reporting has also significantly improved, thanks to sustained efforts to strengthen civil registration and health systems.
     
    But despite this progress, an estimated 14 million children across the region still do not have their births registered by their first birthday. And each year, approximately 6.9 million deaths go unrecorded, most often those occurring outside health facilities or in remote communities.
     
    “These numbers are more than statistics, they represent lives without legal recognition and families left without support,” said Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). “This week has been a powerful call to action. We have seen inspiring examples of countries reaching the most marginalized, embracing digital innovation and strengthening legal and institutional frameworks.”
     
    The Declaration sets out a bold and ambitious roadmap to 2030, one that places people at the centre. It calls for inclusive and accessible service delivery, harnesses the power of digital transformation, strengthens legal foundations and builds integrated interoperable data systems. Governments across the region also committed to improving gender equity in registration processes, safeguarding personal data and privacy and ensuring the continuity of CRVS services even in times of crises.
     
    The renewed commitment marks a powerful regional pledge to leave no one behind. It signals a united drive to close the remaining gaps, build resilient and inclusive CRVS systems and ensure that every person – regardless of gender, location or circumstance – is counted, protected and visible in public policy.

    The Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) is the most inclusive intergovernmental platform in the Asia-Pacific region. The Commission promotes cooperation among its 53 member States and 9 associate members in pursuit of solutions to sustainable development challenges. ESCAP is one of the five regional commissions of the United Nations.
     

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: World Solar Challenge 2025: Gebrüder Weiss and ETH Zurich students team up again

    Source: Gebrüder Weiss 

    Gebrüder Weiss is once again the a Centauri Solar Racing Team’s logistics partner / Branches in Zurich, Wolfurt, and Adelaide ensure seamless transport of the custom-built solar-powered racing car.

    Wolfurt, June 26, 2025. Logistics company Gebrüder Weiss is once again supporting the students of the a Centauri Solar Racing Team from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich as they travel to Australia for the World Solar Challenge 2025. At this year’s international solar vehicle race, the Swiss students are aiming to improve on their 12th place debut result from 2023, having developed a vehicle with improved aerodynamics and a larger solar surface area. To ensure that everything runs smoothly before the race begins in Darwin on August 24, the team has once again entrusted Gebrüder Weiss with the complex transport.

    “We are delighted to be accompanying the aCentauri team from ETH Zurich again this year. Such collaborations are in line with our understanding of partnership: long-term, trusting, and focused on a sustainable future for mobility,” explains Frank Haas, Head of Communications at Gebrüder Weiss. “The students already demonstrated in 2023 that solar mobility works, and we wish them every success in reaching the top ten.”

    The technical equipment was shipped to Australia by sea freight back in May. Now, the vehicle itself is embarking on its journey by air freight, after a live presentation at the Gebrüder Weiss location in Wolfurt. After completing a final test drive in front of press representatives, the vehicle was prepared for air transport at the IATA-certified terminal.

    Certification from the IATA (International Air Transport Association) means that the Air & Sea Terminal at Wolfurt is an officially recognized air freight terminal where shipments can be prepared for air transport in accordance with IATA standards – including special packaging, security checks, and all required inspection processes. The flight will then depart for Australia via Frankfurt Airport without any intermediate steps.

    Upon arrival in Australia, the logistics experts at the new Gebrüder Weiss location in Adelaide will take charge of the next stage of the process: They will coordinate the import formalities and transport to the University of Adelaide.

    The World Solar Challenge starts on August 24, 2025, and covers 3,000 kilometers across the Australian outback. First held in 1987, the race promotes innovation in the areas of sustainable mobility and renewable energies.

    As a company with a history spanning over 500 years, Gebrüder Weiss is eager to play an active role in shaping the future of mobility. Since 2021, the company has been involved in relevant projects, working closely with universities, research teams, and start-ups. In addition to logistics, Gebrüder Weiss promotes exchange between project partners and raises the profile of forward-thinking ideas. The aim is to implement new technologies at an early stage.

    Further background information on the projects can be found at: https://www.gw-world.com/company/sustainability/future-of-mobility, or via the logistics company’s social media channels.

    About Gebrüder Weiss

    Gebrüder Weiss Holding AG, based in Lauterach, Austria, is a globally operative full-service logistics provider with about 8,600 employees at 180 company-owned locations. The company generated revenues of 2.71 billion euros in 2024. Its portfolio encompasses transport and logistics solutions, digital services, and supply chain management. The twin strengths of digital and physical competence enable Gebrüder Weiss to respond swiftly and flexibly to customers’ needs. The family-run organization – with a history going back more than half a millennium – has implemented a wide variety of environmental, economic, and social initiatives. Today, it is also considered a pioneer in sustainable business practices. www.gw-world.com

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Australia – SMEs resilient in the face of rising costs – CBA

    Source: Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA)

    With around 90 per cent of small to medium enterprises (SMEs) having experienced an increase in costs in the past year, keeping up with utilities, supplier and marketing costs is proving ever more challenging.

    Key findings:

    • New research commissioned by CommBank shows 89 per cent of small to medium enterprises (SMEs) have experienced an increase in business costs in the past 12 months.
    • Utility bills, including phone, internet and electricity bills, are by far the greatest contributor to the increased costs (66 per cent), while nearly half (47 per cent) have seen supplier costs soar.
    • These increases are followed by marketing (29 per cent), staff (26 per cent), and accounting software costs (25 per cent).
    • On average, business costs have increased by 10 per cent, however 40 per cent of SMEs who have experienced a rise report increases of more than 10 per cent.

    Justine Dalrymple, owner of Front Room Hair in Sydney’s lower North Shore suburb of Crows Nest, prides herself on not only the high standard of service her salon offers to local customers, but the community she’s been able to build around her business.

    “What I love the most about being a small business owner is the opportunity to bring the community together. We are so blessed that we get to make fri

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Africa – Shelter Afrique Development Bank Extends USD15M Housing Loan to Banque Mauritanienne de l’Investissement to Finance Affordable Housing projects in Mauritania

    Source: MediaFast

    Nouakchott, Mauritania – 25 June, 2025 – Shelter Afrique Development Bank (ShafDB), a leading Pan-African multilateral development bank committed to financing and advancing housing, urban, and related infrastructure development, has signed a USD 15 million loan agreement with Banque Mauritanienne de l’Investissement (BMI) to finance affordable housing in Mauritania.

    This transaction, signed Monday in Nouakchott, Mauritania, is part of the ShafDB’s strategy to promote access to decent housing for low- and middle-income populations in Africa, and will strengthen Mauritania’s housing finance ecosystem, particularly for under-served populations.

    The loan will be used to co-finance the construction of 1,000 homes in the town of ZOUÉRATT and the servicing of 1,000 plots in the commune of TEVRAGH ZEINA for the diaspora and residents.

    Commenting on the agreement, Shelter Afrique Development Bank Managing Director Mr Thierno-Habib Hann noted that ShafDB and the BMI shared a similar vision: to help the diaspora and residents of the town of ZOUÉRATT to build their own homes.

    “This partnership with BMI will make it possible to offer affordable and decent housing to low-income households, filling part of the 50,000 housing deficit in Mauritania in a context where urbanisation is growing at a rate of 4%,” said Mr Hann,” said Mr. Hann.

    BMI Managing Director Mohamed Yahya Sidi welcomed the agreement, saying his institution was honoured to work with Shelter Afrique Development Bank to finance affordable housing projects in Mauritania.  

    “This partnership strengthens our commitment to Mauritania’s socio-economic development, broadens our inclusive housing finance solutions, and confirms our support for the country’s ambitious urban development programme,” said Mr. Sidi.

    Through this partnership, it is estimated that around 5,000 jobs will be created, 12,400 people will benefit from the project and 2,000 households will gain access to housing through self-build or direct purchase.

    About Shelter Afrique Development Bank

    Established in 1981 in Lusaka, Zambia, Shelter Afrique Development Bank (ShafDB) is a Pan-African Multilateral Development Bank (MDB) dedicated to promoting and financing sustainable green housing, urban development and related infrastructure. It operates through a shareholding of 44 African governments and two institutional shareholders: African Development Bank (AfDB) and African Reinsurance Corporation (Africa-Re).

    The institution is involved in financing housing and related infrastructure across the value chain, both on the demand and supply sides, through its four (4) business lines: Financial Institutions Group (FIG), the Project Finance Group (PFG), the Sovereign and Public-Private partnerships (PPP) Group, and the Fund Management Group (FMG).  

    https://www.shelterafrique.org/en/home

    About Banque Mauritanienne de l’Investissement (BMI)

    Banque Mauritanienne de l’Investissement (BMI) is a leading financial institution in Mauritania, providing innovative Islamic banking services tailored to individuals, SMEs, and corporations. The bank is bank committed to supporting economic growth and social development in Mauritania.  https://bmi.mr/fr/

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Appointments – EWC Board Selects Celeste Connors as Next East-West Center President

    Source: East-West Center

    Recognized international leader in risk management, international affairs, and development policy will head EWC’s mission starting in July

    HONOLULU (June 24, 2025) — The East-West Center Board of Governors is pleased to announce the selection of Celeste A. Connors as the institution’s next President, effective July 1. A Hawai‘i-raised leader with over 25 years of global experience in risk management, diplomacy, national security, and development policy, Ms. Connors brings a deep understanding of both international affairs and regional priorities to the role.

    Her appointment concludes an extensive search to succeed outgoing Interim President James K. Scott, the former EWC Board chair who has been serving in the presidential post temporarily since the beginning of this year. The Board selected Connors following a robust process engaging a broad range of EWC stakeholders.

    Experience across sectors

    “Ms. Connors was selected from an impressive applicant pool of talented and experienced individuals,” said EWC Board of Governors Chairman John Waihe‘e. “We feel strongly that her breadth of leadership experience across government, civil society, academia, and business sectors is exactly what the Center requires to carry our mission and legacy forward to a bright new future at this pivotal time in our institution’s proud 65-year history.”

    “I’m deeply honored and excited to lead the East-West Center team in continuing to advance regional cooperation,” said Connors. “Strategically based in the Pacific Ocean, the EWC plays a critical role in supporting US engagement in the Indo-Pacific region through convening, expert dialogue, educational exchange, and people-to-people connections. In Hawai‘i and beyond, we seek to support security and prosperity by promoting leadership and partnerships around our shared interests and values.”

    “I am delighted with the Board’s selection,” said outgoing Interim President Scott, who will be returning to a fundraising position on the EWC Foundation board. “Celeste is already a close partner to the Center, as well as being one of our adjunct experts, and I know she will devote herself to East-West Center’s continued success with the same passion for our mission that inspires our dedicated staff and community. I look forward to working with her on a seamless transition.”

    Insight and inspiration

    “The role of leading the East-West Center demands a leader with profound insight into the complex interplay of global, regional, and national dynamics—particularly across Asia and the Pacific,” said Adm. Thomas Fargo (Ret.), former commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command and current Chairman of Hawaiian Electric Industries, where Connors is a board member. “Equally important is a deep appreciation for the diverse cultures, values, and relationships that shape this region. Celeste Connors brings to this position not only these essential qualities, but also a breadth of experience and vision that will serve the Center exceptionally well.”

    “Celeste has been an energetic, enthusiastic, knowledgeable, and inspirational leader who has put Hawai‘i Green Growth on the local, national, and international map. She is indeed leaving us very large shoes to fill,” added Hawai‘i Green Growth Board Chair Randy Moore, former head of the University of Hawai‘i Board of Regents and a noted educator and business executive. “On the other hand, we cannot think of a better candidate to lead the East-West Center. Celeste has developed strong contacts with leaders of Pacific Island nations, and together with her prior experience in the US Department of State and the White House, she is plugged into a network that will enable the Center to productively serve Hawaiʻi, the nation, and the world. We wish her every success.”

    About Celeste Connors

    Celeste A. Connors, who was raised in Hawai‘i, is a recognized international leader with more than 25 years of risk management and national security experience. As a former Director on both the National Security Council and the National Economic Council under both Republican and Democratic administrations, she chaired complex interagency processes and advised White House leaders on energy, trade, environment, and technology strategies. She previously gained extensive foreign policy experience while serving as a US diplomat in Saudi Arabia, Greece, Germany, and the US Mission to the United Nations, and as Foreign Policy Adviser to the Mayor of New York City.

    In recent years, Connors has led the internationally recognized center of excellence Hawaii Green Growth, where she developed policy and investment solutions to help build resilient communities. She is also co-founder of c.dots development LLC, and the Co-Chair of the Local2030 Islands Network, a group of 45 island economies focused on building a safer, more resilient future.  

    Ms. Connors has an extensive background in corporate and nonprofit governance, including serving on the boards of Hawaiian Electric Industries, the state’s primary electricity provider, and the Hawai‘i Visitors and Convention Bureau. She also co-chairs the Hawai‘i Sustainability Business Forum, which brings together the CEOs of the state’s top public and private companies.

    She has served in academia as well, as a faculty lecturer and practitioner with the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), where she led a practicum program focused on risk management. In addition, she has been an Adjunct Senior Fellow with the East-West Center since 2021, when Hawai‘i Green Growth entered a formal partnership with the Center to collaborate on sustainable development initiatives.  

    Ms. Connors holds a master’s degree in Development Studies from the University of London School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) and an undergraduate degree in International Relations from Tufts University. Her husband Paul is a former diplomat and teacher, and they have a son and daughter in their teens.

    The East-West Center promotes better relations and understanding among the people and nations of the United States, Asia, and the Pacific through cooperative study, research, and dialogue. Established by the US Congress in 1960, the Center serves as a resource for information and analysis on critical issues of common concern, bringing people together to exchange views, build expertise, and develop policy options.

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Middle East turmoil lays the case bare for real portfolio diversification – deVere Group

    Source: deVere Group

    June 24 2025 – The volatile developments across the Middle East—culminating in a dramatic US-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Iran—underscore, yet again, a powerful and urgent truth: diversification isn’t optional. It’s a necessity.

    Markets around the world have been on a knife’s edge for nearly two weeks, reacting sharply to every twist in the conflict.

    Brent crude tumbled nearly 5% after Iran’s missile strike on the Al Udeid air base, interpreted by markets as a restrained signal rather than an escalation.

    With confirmation of the ceasefire, European stocks have surged—Germany’s DAX jumped 2%, the French CAC 40 climbed 1.8%, and futures for the S&P 500 in the US are pointing higher. Yet energy stocks have taken a hit as oil prices slide.

    Nigel Green, CEO of global financial advisory deVere Group, said the “whiplash” in prices across commodities, equities, and safe-haven assets is not just a response to geopolitics—it’s a “flashing red warning light” for investors with narrow allocations.

    “The events of the past two weeks are a textbook case for true portfolio diversification,” he says.

    “One day oil is spiking on nuclear fears, the next it’s plunging on de-escalation. Stocks swing wildly depending on headlines out of Tehran or Tel Aviv. You can’t build or preserve wealth if your investment strategy is overly concentrated in one region, sector, or asset class. That’s not a strategy; that’s a gamble.”

    As the conflict escalated, oil prices spiked on fears of supply disruption. Brent crude surged above $72 before crashing back to near $68 following signs of restraint and the ceasefire announcement. Defence stocks rallied while Middle East-exposed emerging markets sank. Gold flirted with $2,400 as investors scrambled for safety.

    Nigel Green says that for investors, this sequence of events should trigger immediate action.

    “Every global investor must ask themselves today: Am I protected against geopolitical shocks? Do I have meaningful exposure to counter-correlated assets? Am I truly diversified across sectors, geographies, currencies, and asset classes?”

    He adds: “Diversification doesn’t mean owning five different tech stocks or parking all your money in a single bond fund. It means uncorrelated positions across the risk spectrum—think gold, infrastructure, dividend-paying stocks, green energy, and alternatives like real estate and digital assets.”

    Nigel Green also warns that while the ceasefire offers relief, it doesn’t remove risk.

    “This truce is fragile. It’s politically brokered and militarily uneasy. One wrong move and tensions could flare again, dragging markets down with them. That’s the danger of relying too heavily on a single narrative or region in your portfolio.”

    The deVere CEO notes that while markets may breathe a sigh of relief in the short term, the deeper issue is structural instability in a critical region for energy, security, and global trade routes.

    “The Middle East remains a geopolitical powder keg, and history tells us that calm doesn’t last.

    “What does last is a properly diversified portfolio, one that absorbs these shocks without falling apart.”

    With global equities rallying and oil prices sliding, some investors may be tempted to lean back into familiar strategies. Nigel Green says this would be a critical mistake.

    “When markets are jittery, many investors double down on what they know—often increasing risk without realising it. What’s needed now is a measured, deliberate shift into broader exposure.”

    He concludes: “You diversify when the skies are clear, so that you’re protected when the storm breaks.

    “But after what we’ve just seen in the Middle East, the need for real diversification isn’t hypothetical, it’s immediate.”

    deVere Group is one of the world’s largest independent advisors of specialist global financial solutions to international, local mass affluent, and high-net-worth clients.  It has a network of offices around the world, more than 80,000 clients, and $14bn under advisement.

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Pakistan: Recurrent drone strikes in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa signal alarming disregard for civilian life – Amnesty International

    Source: Amnesty International

    Responding to recurrent drone strikes in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan that have killed at least 17 people, including five children, this year with the latest deadly strike on Friday, 20 June, Isabelle Lassée, Deputy Regional Director for South Asia at Amnesty International said:

    “Pakistani authorities have failed to take action to protect the lives and property of civilians in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa who continue to pay the price of an escalating number of drone strikes in the province. Last Friday’s drone strike, killing one child, is part of an alarming series of attacks which have escalated since March of this year.

    “Use of drones and quadcopters to conduct attacks resulting in unlawful killing of civilians violates international law. Reports that the strikes have hit homes and volleyball games indicate a reckless disregard for civilian life.

    “While Pakistani authorities have often denied responsibility for these attacks, they are obligated to conduct prompt, independent, transparent and effective investigations into these attacks and bring all those responsible to justice through fair trials. In cases where the Pakistani authorities are found to be directly responsible or where authorities failed to protect civilians from foreseeable threats, victims and families impacted in the strike must be provided with effective remedies, including compensation and other appropriate reparation.”

    BACKGROUND:

    Multiple drone strikes have taken place in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan, at least four of which have killed or injured civilians since March 2025.

    The latest drone strike on 20 June resulted in the death of one child and left five others injured in Dashka, Makeen Tehsil, South Waziristan district. Earlier this year, on 29 March, a strike in Katlang, Mardan district killed at least 11 people. The provincial government, in a press note, acknowledged civilian casualties. On 19 May a strike in Hurmuz, Mir Ali, North Waziristan district killed four children and injured five others. The Pakistani authorities deniedresponsibility, accusing the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) of carrying out the attack. On 28 May, a drone struck a volleyball match injuring 22 people, including seven children, in Wana, South Waziristan district. In September last year, a drone strike in Sararogha Tehsil, South Waziristan district killed one person and injured three others.

    Drone strikes have been long part of “counterterrorism” efforts in Pakistan.

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Palestinian Territories – Israeli authorities further tighten their grip on the West Bank amid escalation with Iran – MSF

    Source: Médecins sans Frontières (MSF)

    24 June, Jerusalem – As international focus shifts to the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran, Israeli forces have ramped up their activities in the West Bank. Increased military operations in Jenin, Nablus, and Tulkarem governorates, along with additional troop deployments, have led to heightened restrictions on Palestinians. Médecins sans Frontières (MSF) warns that these actions exacerbate the already dire situation for Palestinians in the West Bank, who face significant barriers to accessing healthcare and essential services, especially since October 2023. MSF urges an immediate halt to measures that contribute to forced displacement and a system of annexation, including prolonged military presence, movement restrictions, demolitions, excessive use of force, and denial of basic services.

    “On June 13 the Israeli forces raided my village in Tulkarem, they took over two residential buildings and turned them into military barracks, displacing the people who were living there. Since then, they have been patrolling the village regularly, conducting investigations, interrogations, arrests, searches, and detentions.” Karim*, MSF staff member  

     “Over the past week, West Bank communities have seen their lives further controlled by an occupying power while the world looks away. This cannot continue.” Simona Onidi, project coordinator Jenin and Tulkarem.  

    On 13 June, the day the escalations started, the Israeli authorities blocked all major Israeli checkpoints and road gates entrances to Hebron for four days. This forced people seeking medical care to cross between areas on foot, forcing critically ill people to walk long distances, taking the risk of being shot at, or being prevented from crossing at all.  

    “On 14 June, I tried to take my brother from Bethlehem to a medical appointment in Hebron – a trip that should take 25 minutes. But due to the new Israeli restrictions, all main entrances and exits were closed. It took us three hours, and in the end, despite being very ill, he had to walk through a closed checkpoint on foot, like many others, which is not safe.” Oday Al-Shobaki, communications officer.

    MSF has suspended mobile clinics in Hebron and Nablus that provide mental health, sexual reproductive care, and basic healthcare due to these checkpoint closures and security concerns from the intensified military operations. In Jenin and Tulkarem, mobile clinics had to adapt working hours, running on some days, not others, because of Israeli forces’ presence in nearby villages. This has forced patients to rely on phone consultations.  

    Military operations and violent raids by the Israeli army have been going on for years in the West Bank. 2022 saw a then-record number of Palestinian deaths due to violence by Israeli forces or settlers. Since October 2023, Israeli forces have increased the number of coercive measures and use of extreme physical violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank including severe movement restrictions, military raids, and systemic barriers to essential services.  

    In January 2025, the Israeli forces began the ‘Iron Wall’ military operation in northern West Bank, which is still ongoing. Violently emptying well-established camps and preventing any return. More than 42,000 people have been forcibly displaced and left without stable homes and with limited access to food, water, and medical care.

    “This latest wave of restrictions and violence over the last week, seems to be an opportunity for Israeli forces to entrench control, deepen the fragmentation of Palestinian communities and further the system that the International Court of Justice has described as amounting to racial segregation and apartheid. We urge third states to move beyond words of condemnation and put real pressure on Israeli authorities to end excessive force and lift movement restrictions blocking access to essential services and humanitarian aid, scaling up support for displaced and isolated communities across the West Bank.” Simona Onidi, project coordinator, Jenin and Tulkarem.  

    (*name changed.)

    MSF is an international, medical, humanitarian organisation that delivers medical care to people in need, regardless of their origin, religion, or political affiliation. MSF has been working in Haiti for over 30 years, offering general healthcare, trauma care, burn wound care, maternity care, and care for survivors of sexual violence. MSF Australia was established in 1995 and is one of 24 international MSF sections committed to delivering medical humanitarian assistance to people in crisis. In 2022, more than 120 project staff from Australia and New Zealand worked with MSF on assignment overseas. MSF delivers medical care based on need alone and operates independently of government, religion or economic influence and irrespective of race, religion or gender. For more information visit msf.org.au  

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Australia – New research reveals most Australians unprepared for future health care decisions

    Source: Advance Care Planning Australia

    A landmark national study commissioned by Advance Care Planning Australia reveals that only one in three Australians (33%) have taken steps to plan for their future health care, highlighting a widespread lack of preparation for critical medical decisions.

    Dr Catherine Joyce, National Manager for Advance Care Planning Australia says the findings show a major gap in routine health care.

    “This study shows that advance care planning is not a standard part of basic health care in Australia with many Australians missing the opportunity to plan ahead and ensure their health care preferences are known and respected,” Dr Joyce said.

    This is the first national prevalence study to take a modern approach to advance care planning. Rather than focusing solely on document completion, the research considers other key elements such as talking with loved ones, choosing substitute decision-makers, and overall motivators and attitudes that drive uptake.

    “We often think of advance care planning as just filling out a form, but it’s much more than that. It’s about open communication, understanding your options, and making sure your choices guide your care – especially during life’s most difficult moments,” Dr Joyce said.

    “While it might feel uncomfortable to think about, planning ahead can be one of the most empowering and compassionate choices you make. It brings peace of mind to individuals. It also reduces the burden on family, fri

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: US Iran strikes sparks oil shock, inflation fears, global sector shakeout – deVere Group

    Source: deVere Group

    June 22 2025 – The market impact of President Donald Trump’s military strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities is already beginning to reshape investor expectations across asset classes, sectors and geographies, says Nigel Green, CEO of financial advisory giant deVere Group.

    As markets reopen, investors are bracing for sharp volatility, with crude oil prices expected to surge and inflation forecasts now under intense scrutiny.

    A conflict that had remained largely contained is now threatening to trigger broad-based repricing across the global economy.

    “The US strike on Iran’s nuclear sites is a market-defining moment,” says Nigel Green. “It’s a direct hit to the assumptions that have been driving investor positioning: lower inflation, falling rates, and stable energy prices. This framework has just been broken.”

    Brent crude had already been climbing steadily in recent weeks, but the decision to target Iranian nuclear facilities has dramatically increased fears of retaliation and disruption.

    Any closure or threat to the Strait of Hormuz, through which nearly 20% of the world’s oil flows, would send prices sharply higher.

    Some analysts now warn that crude could spike toward $130 per barrel, depending on Iran’s next move.

    “Such a price shock would filter through to global inflation, which remains elevated and/or sticky in many regions. Market participants had been pricing in rate cuts from central banks including the Federal Reserve in the second half of the year. That is now in question,” notes the deVere CEO.

    “A sustained surge in oil makes rate cuts very difficult to justify. If inflation spikes back up, monetary policymakers will be forced to hold, and possibly even reconsider the easing cycle altogether,” saysNigel Green.

    “That fundamentally changes the landscape for equity sectors, currencies, and credit.”

    He continues: “In equities, the most immediate reaction is likely to be a rotation out of rate-sensitive and consumer-driven sectors. Travel and tourism companies, which are highly vulnerable to energy costs and geopolitical disruptions, are expected to come under pressure. Tech stocks, particularly those trading on high multiples, may also see selling as the bond market rethinks the rate outlook.”

    At the same time, there is likely to be “increased investor appetite for energy producers, commodity firms and companies tied to national defense. With military budgets already rising in several developed economies, firms linked to security, surveillance, aerospace and weapons manufacturing are well-positioned to benefit from a surge in demand.”

    Meanwhile, consumer staples and utility companies, with stable earnings profiles and pricing power, may also draw inflows in this higher-volatility environment.

    Safe-haven flows are expected to intensify. “Government bond yields may fall sharply on the short end, even as long-term inflation expectations creep higher. Gold, which has already rallied this year, is likely to climb further as investors hedge geopolitical and monetary risk.”

    Currency markets could see a short-term bid for the US dollar on safety grounds, but the longer-term picture is more uncertain. With America now deeply embedded in a widening Middle East conflict, and inflation risks rising, the dollar’s appeal could diminish if the US growth outlook deteriorates.

    “The dollar may rally initially, but this isn’t a clean safe-haven story,” says Nigel Green.

    “If oil drives up inflation and suppresses consumer demand, we may see slower growth in the US and renewed pressure on fiscal stability. That’s not necessarily a supportive environment for the dollar longer-term.”

    Green also notes that although past geopolitical events in the region have often led to short-term drawdowns followed by market recoveries, 2025 presents a very different macro backdrop. In previous conflicts, inflation was low, rates were near zero, and central banks had ample room to support asset prices. This is no longer the case.

    “This is not 2019. We’re in a tighter, more fragile system now, with less room for error,” he says.

    “Investors can’t afford to wait and see. They need to respond now, reposition portfolios, and focus on sectors and strategies that can withstand prolonged uncertainty.”

    deVere is advising clients globally to reduce exposure to sectors vulnerable to energy cost spikes and to consider shifting allocations toward energy, commodities, and defensive names. Gold and inflation-linked bonds are also being recommended as part of broader portfolio hedging strategies.

    “The time for passive optimism is over,” conclude the chief executive.

    “This strike marks a turning point. The smart investors are already repositioning, those who hesitate risk being left exposed.”

    deVere Group is one of the world’s largest independent advisors of specialist global financial solutions to international, local mass affluent, and high-net-worth clients.  It has a network of offices around the world, more than 80,000 clients, and $14bn under advisement.


    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: DAWN Statement on the Trump Administration’s War on Iran

    Source: DAWN

    In response to U.S. airstrikes inside Iran ordered by President Trump,, DAWN issued the following statements:

    “Trump’s unprovoked and unauthorized attacks on Iran not only violate international law but the U.S. Constitution, which grants only Congress the right to declare war,” said Sarah Leah Whitson, DAWN’s Executive Director. “Trump has recklessly launched a war that harms American interests in service of Israeli demands, and broken his promise to the American people to put America first.”

    “President Trump’s actions will most likely lead to retaliation from Iran that puts American troops and citizens across the Middle East in harm’s way,” said Raed Jarrar, DAWN’s Advocacy Director. “Congress should immediately pass a War Powers Resolution to prohibit further U.S. military involvement, even in the event of retaliation. We need de-escalation, not more bombs.”

    “Trump has completely folded to Netanyahu, dragging the U.S. into a war that undermines American interests,” said Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man, Israel-Palestine Director at DAWN. “The UN General Assembly should immediately pass a ‘Uniting for Peace’ resolution to hold both Israel and the U.S. accountable and demand an end to this regime-change campaign.”

    DAWN is a non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C. Please refer to the organization’s name as “DAWN”.

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: DAWN Statement on the Trump Administration’s War on Iran

    Source: DAWN

    In response to U.S. airstrikes inside Iran ordered by President Trump,, DAWN issued the following statements:

    “Trump’s unprovoked and unauthorized attacks on Iran not only violate international law but the U.S. Constitution, which grants only Congress the right to declare war,” said Sarah Leah Whitson, DAWN’s Executive Director. “Trump has recklessly launched a war that harms American interests in service of Israeli demands, and broken his promise to the American people to put America first.”

    “President Trump’s actions will most likely lead to retaliation from Iran that puts American troops and citizens across the Middle East in harm’s way,” said Raed Jarrar, DAWN’s Advocacy Director. “Congress should immediately pass a War Powers Resolution to prohibit further U.S. military involvement, even in the event of retaliation. We need de-escalation, not more bombs.”

    “Trump has completely folded to Netanyahu, dragging the U.S. into a war that undermines American interests,” said Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man, Israel-Palestine Director at DAWN. “The UN General Assembly should immediately pass a ‘Uniting for Peace’ resolution to hold both Israel and the U.S. accountable and demand an end to this regime-change campaign.”

    DAWN is a non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C. Please refer to the organization’s name as “DAWN”.

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –