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Category: Natural Disasters

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Facing Earthquakes and Extremes, Asia-Pacific Deepens Disaster Cooperation Incheon, Republic of Korea | 01 August 2025 Issued by the APEC Emergency Preparedness Working Group The meeting’s agenda covered digital-based disaster risk management strategies, community leadership in disaster response and strengthening multi-layered governance.

    Source: APEC – Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation

    A powerful earthquake off the coast of Kamchatka jolted the Asia-Pacific just hours before emergency officials from APEC economies convened in Incheon for the 21st meeting of the APEC Emergency Preparedness Working Group (EPWG), a timely reminder of how disasters can ripple across the region without warning.

    “Disasters know no borders, and they affect not only local communities but have long-term consequences for entire economies,” said Kim Gwang-yong, Vice Minister of Korea’s Ministry of the Interior and Safety, in his welcome address. “Cooperation and solidarity among APEC economies are more important than ever.”

    Vice Minister Kim highlighted Korea’s recent experiences with typhoons, heavy rainfall and wildfires, noting that the country has continuously improved its disaster management systems. 

    He also emphasized Korea’s commitment to sharing these best practices with fellow APEC economies and expanding cooperation in ICT-based early warning systems, disaster prediction models using artificial intelligence (AI), and community-centered disaster resilience strategies.

    The meeting’s agenda covered digital-based disaster risk management strategies, community leadership in disaster response and strengthening multi-layered governance. 

    Experts and officials discussed enhancing early warning systems, leveraging big data and satellite technologies and developing resilient infrastructure that can support disaster-affected communities. 

    Sessions also focused on advancing collaborative governance, bridging gaps in disaster risk management, and preparing communities for emerging risks.

    EPWG co-chair Dayra Carvajal of the United States Federal Emergency Management Agency, urged members to recognize the compounding risks affecting the region’s interconnected systems. 

    “From devastating earthquakes to wildfires and catastrophic flooding, this year has once again underscored the interconnected impacts of disasters in Asia-Pacific,” she said. “These compounding stressors that ripple through shared infrastructure remind us that events in one economy are frequently felt elsewhere.”

    “This year, we must endeavor to identify concrete and practical ways in which to strengthen the systems that sustain regional economic growth and prosperity: our infrastructure, markets and supply chains.”

    The agenda featured project updates and best practice exchanges by member economies including on topics such as disaster risk prediction and whole-community preparedness in urban, coastal and inland areas. Delegates examined how to bridge gaps in early warning systems, scale agile and adaptable governance across central and local levels and enable technology-driven disaster leadership.

    “The more we prepare, the more we can reduce disaster damage. And the more we cooperate, the stronger our response can become,” Vice Minister Kim concluded.

    Looking ahead, the group emphasized that continued collaboration under the newly launched EPWG Strategic Plan 2025–2027 will be essential to turn this momentum into durable systems of protection and preparedness. 

    The EPWG meeting is a key platform for promoting APEC’s vision of a resilient and prosperous future, with discussions expected to result in actionable policies and collaborative projects that can mitigate disaster risks, enhance regional preparedness and protect the lives and livelihoods of the 2.9 billion people who call the APEC region home.

    For more information or media inquiries, please contact:
    [email protected]

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-Evening Report: ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for August 1, 2025

    ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on August 1, 2025.

    Why UK recognition of a Palestinian state should not be conditional on Israel’s actions
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Karen Scott, Professor in Law, University of Canterbury Getty Images The announcement this week by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on the recognition of a Palestininian state has been welcomed by many who want to see a ceasefire in Gaza and lasting peace in the region. In

    Governments are becoming increasingly secretive. Here’s how they can be made to be more transparent
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gabrielle Appleby, Professor of Law, UNSW Law School, UNSW Sydney Transparency is vital to our democratic system of government. It promotes good government, spurring those in power into better practice. Even when what is revealed is pretty revolting, transparency means those transgressions are known, and accountability for

    Wood fires, warm drinks, hot water bottles: 5 expert tips on how to avoid burns this winter
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lisa Martin, Adjunct Senior Research Fellow, School of Biomedical Sciences, Pathology and Laboratory Science, The University of Western Australia Alex P/Pexels It’s a cold, crisp evening and the air carries a chill that bites. As temperatures drop and houses get colder, we turn to trusted sources of

    Is Australia becoming a more violent country?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Samara McPhedran, Principal Research Fellow, Violence Research and Prevention Program, Griffith University Almost every day, it seems we read or hear reports another family is grieving the murder of a loved one in a street brawl, another business owner is hospitalised after trying to fend off armed

    The royal commission recommended abolishing time limits on abuse cases – a year on, nothing has changed
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Zoë Prebble, Lecturer in Criminal Law, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington Getty Images Among the 138 recommendations of the Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry’s final report to parliament was a clear call: remove the legal time limits that prevent survivors of historic

    Industrial-scale deepfake abuse caused a crisis in South Korean schools. Here’s how Australia can avoid the same fate
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joel Scanlan, Senior Lecturer in Health Information Management, University of Tasmania South Korea’s deepfake crisis triggered a wave of protests in 2024. Anthony WALLACE / AFP Australian schools are seeing a growing number of incidents in which students have created deepfake sexualised imagery of their classmates. The

    Colombia is producing more cocaine than ever – and more is reaching Australian shores
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cesar Alvarez, Lecturer in Terrorism and Security Studies, Charles Sturt University Members of the Colombian anti-narcotics police test cocaine after a drug bust. RAUL ARBOLEDA/AFP via Getty Images Imagine an area larger than the Australian Capital Territory, nearly twice the size of London and four times that

    How can I tell if I am lonely? What are some of the signs?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marlee Bower, Senior Research Fellow, Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use, University of Sydney gremlin/Getty Images Without even realising it, your world sometimes gradually gets smaller: less walking, fewer days in the office, cancelling on friends. Watching plans disintegrate on the chat as

    Rockabye baby: the ‘love songs’ of lonely leopard seals resemble human nursery rhymes
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lucinda Chambers, PhD Candidate in Marine Bioacoustics, UNSW Sydney CassandraSm/Shutterstock Late in the evening, the Antarctic sky flushes pink. The male leopard seal wakes and slips from the ice into the water. There, he’ll spend the night singing underwater amongst the floating ice floes. For the next

    Shark tales, a sinking city and a breathless cop thriller: what to watch in August
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexa Scarlata, Lecturer, Digital Communication, RMIT University As the cool nights continue, it’s the perfect time to cozy up with a new batch of captivating films and series. This month’s streaming highlights bring a little bit of everything, from gripping true crime, to thought-provoking political drama, and

    A Hawaiian epic made in NZ: why Jason Momoa’s Chief of War wasn’t filmed in its star’s homeland
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Duncan Caillard, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, School of Communication Studies, Auckland University of Technology Jason Momoa’s historical epic Chief of War, launching August 1 on Apple TV+, is a triumph of Hawaiians telling their own stories – despite the fact their film and TV production industry now struggles

    As protesters condemn Western media ‘complicity’, Gaza journalists struggle for survival
    Asia Pacific Report Protesters demonstrated outside several major US media outlets in Washington this week condemning their coverage of the genocide in Gaza, claiming they were to blame over misinformation and the worsening catastrophe. Banging pots and pans to spotlight the starvation crisis, they accused the media of “complicity in genocide”. Banners and placards proclaimed

    The company tax regime is a roadblock to business investment. Here’s what needs to change
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alex Robson, Deputy Chair, Productivity Commission, and Adjunct Professor, Queensland University of Technology Erman Gunes/Shutterstock Productivity growth is a key driver of improvements in living standards. But in Australia over the last decade, output per hour worked grew by less than a quarter of its 60-year average.

    Grattan on Friday: Aggrieved Liberals stamp their feet, testing Sussan Ley’s authority
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra As any leader of a political party knows, when you demote people they can become difficult, or worse. Among Opposition Leader Sussan Ley’s multiple problems are two very unhappy former frontbenchers. Sarah Henderson, who was opposition education spokeswoman last term,

    Espionage cost Australia $12.5 billion in 2023-24, ASIO boss Mike Burgess says
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Espionage cost Australia $12.5 billion in 2023-24, according to a study by ASIO and the Australian Institute of Criminology. The figure includes the direct costs of known espionage incidents, including state-sponsored theft of intellectual property, as well as the indirect

    Labor well-placed to win three Bass seats in Tasmanian election, giving left a total of 20 of 35 MPs
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne Labor is well-placed to win three seats in the electorate of Bass at the Tasmanian election, although its party totals imply it deserves only two. This would

    The Muslim world has been strong on rhetoric, short on action over Gaza and Afghanistan
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Saikal, Emeritus Professor of Middle Eastern and Central Asian Studies, Australian National University; and Vice Chancellor’s Strategic Fellow, Australian National University When it comes to dealing with two of the biggest current crises in the Muslim world – the devastation of Gaza and the Taliban’s draconian

    Kids need to floss too, even their baby teeth. But how do you actually get them to do it?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dileep Sharma, Professor and Head of Discipline – Oral Health, University of Newcastle Jonathan Borba/Pexels A survey from the Australian Dental Association out this week shows about three in four children never floss their teeth, or have adults do it for them. Many of the survey respondents

    Grief is the Thing with Feathers comes to the stage with a glorious intensity of purpose
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Huw Griffiths, Associate Professor of English Literature, University of Sydney Brett Boardman/Belvoir The idea of the titular Crow in Ted Hughes’ poems is wild, untameable and irreducible to words. In an early poem in the sequence, words come at Crow from all angles but he just ignores

    Politics with Michelle Grattan: independent MP Allegra Spender on making tax fairer for younger Australians
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra With parliament now finished its first fortnight’s session, attention will soon be on the government’s August 19-21 economic reform roundtable, bringing together business, unions, experts and community representatives to pursue consensus on ways to lift Australia’s flagging productivity. Independent member

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: ‘The great mass of waters killed many thousands’: how earthquakes and tsunamis shook ancient Greece and Rome

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Konstantine Panegyres, Lecturer in Classics and Ancient History, The University of Western Australia

    The Roman baths at Sabratha, Libya, were damaged in the earthquake and tsunami of 365 AD Reza / Getty Images

    The Greek poet Crinagoras of Mytilene (1st century BC–1st century AD) once addressed a little poem to an earthquake. He asked the quake not to destroy his house:

    Earthquake, most dread of all shocks … spare my new-built house, for I do not know of any terror equal to the quivering of the earth.

    Like us, ancient people had many things to say about natural disasters. So, what information did they leave behind for us, and what can we learn from them?

    The story of Nicomedia

    One of the most vivid ancient accounts of an earthquake is found in the writings of the Roman historian Ammianus Marcellinus (c. 330–395 AD).

    On August 24 358 AD, there was a huge earthquake at Nicomedia, a city in Asia Minor.

    As Ammianus recounts:

    A terrific earthquake completely overturned the city and its suburbs … since most of the houses were carried down the slopes of the hill, they fell one upon another, while everything resounded with the vast roar of their destruction.

    The human effect was devastating.

    The palace of the emperor Diocletian at Nicomedia was damaged in the quake of 358 AD.
    G. Berggren / Getty Images

    Most people were “killed at one blow”, says Ammianus. Others, he tells us, were “imprisoned unhurt within slanting house roofs, to be consumed by the agony of starvation”.

    Hidden in the rubble “with fractured skulls or amputated arms or legs”, injured survivors “hovered between life and death”, but most could not be recovered, “despite their pleas and protestations” resounding from beneath the rubble, according to Ammianus.

    Famous natural disasters in the ancient world

    A number of natural disasters involving earthquakes and tsunamis were especially famous in ancient Greek and Roman times.

    In 464 BC, in Sparta, there was a huge earthquake. People at the time said it was greater than any earthquake that had ever occurred beforehand.

    According to the Greek writer Plutarch (c. 46–119 AD), the earthquake “tore the land of the Lacedaemonians into many chasms”, collapsed the peaks of the surrounding mountains, and “demolished the entire city with the exception of five houses”.

    In 373–372 BC, the Greek coastal cities of Helice and Buris were destroyed by tsunamis. They were permanently submerged beneath the waves.

    An anonymous Greek poet evocatively wrote that the walls of these cities, which had once been thriving with many people, were now silent under the waves, “clad with thick sea-moss”.

    But arguably the most famous ancient tsunami occurred on July 21 365 AD on the northern coast of Africa, at that time controlled by the Romans.

    Again according to Ammianus, early in the morning there was a huge earthquake. Then, not long after, the water retreated from the shore:

    the sea with its rolling waves was driven back and withdrew from the land, so that in the abyss of the deep thus revealed people saw many kinds of sea-creatures stuck fast in the slime … and vast mountains and deep valleys, which nature had hidden in the unplumbed depths.

    Then, suddenly, the sea returned with a vengeance. As Ammianus tells us, it smashed over the land destroying everything in its path:

    The great mass of waters killed many thousands of people by drowning … the lifeless bodies of shipwrecked persons lay floating on their backs or on their faces … great ships, driven by the mad blasts, landed on the tops of buildings, and some were driven almost two miles inland.

    Earthquakes were famous for their sound. The Roman scholar Pliny the Elder (23–79 AD) explained that earthquakes have a “terrible sound” – like “the bellowing of cattle or the shouts of human beings or the clash of weapons struck together”.

    Ancient ideas about what causes earthquakes and tsunamis

    Like today, ancient people wanted to know what caused these phenomena. There were various different theories.

    Some people thought Poseidon, god of the sea, earthquakes and horses, was responsible.

    As the Greek writer Plutarch (c. 46–119 AD) comments, “men sacrifice to Poseidon when they wish to put a stop to earthquakes”.

    An ancient statue of Poseidon, god of the sea and earthquakes, from the island of Milos.
    Sepia Times / Getty Images

    However, other people looked beyond divine explanations.

    One interesting theory held by the philosopher Anaximenes (6th century BC) was that the earth itself was the cause of earthquakes.

    According to Anaximenes, huge parts of the earth beneath the ground can move, collapse, detach or tear away, thus causing shaking.

    “Huge waves”, said Anaximenes, are “produced by the weight [of falling earth] crashing down into the [waters] from above”.

    Ancient people knew nothing of tectonic plates and continental drift. These were discovered much later, mainly through the pioneering work of Alfred Wegener (1880–1930).

    Preparing for natural disasters

    Ancient Greeks and Romans had little way of predicting or preparing for earthquakes and tsunamis.

    Pherecydes of Samos (6th century BC) was said to have predicted an earthquake “from the appearance of some water drawn from a well”, according to the Roman statesman Cicero (106–43 BC).

    For the most part, though, ancient people had to live at the mercy of these occurrences.

    As the anonymous author of a treatise titled On the Cosmos once wrote, natural disasters are part of life on earth:

    Violent earthquakes before now have torn up many parts of the earth; monstrous storms of rain have burst out and overwhelmed it; incursions and withdrawals of the waves have often made seas of dry land and dry land of seas…

    While our understanding of these events (and our ability to prepare for them, and recover afterward) has improved immeasurably since ancient times, earthquakes and tsunamis are things we will always have to deal with.

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

    – ref. ‘The great mass of waters killed many thousands’: how earthquakes and tsunamis shook ancient Greece and Rome – https://theconversation.com/the-great-mass-of-waters-killed-many-thousands-how-earthquakes-and-tsunamis-shook-ancient-greece-and-rome-262358

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: ‘The great mass of waters killed many thousands’: how earthquakes and tsunamis shook ancient Greece and Rome

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Konstantine Panegyres, Lecturer in Classics and Ancient History, The University of Western Australia

    The Roman baths at Sabratha, Libya, were damaged in the earthquake and tsunami of 365 AD Reza / Getty Images

    The Greek poet Crinagoras of Mytilene (1st century BC–1st century AD) once addressed a little poem to an earthquake. He asked the quake not to destroy his house:

    Earthquake, most dread of all shocks … spare my new-built house, for I do not know of any terror equal to the quivering of the earth.

    Like us, ancient people had many things to say about natural disasters. So, what information did they leave behind for us, and what can we learn from them?

    The story of Nicomedia

    One of the most vivid ancient accounts of an earthquake is found in the writings of the Roman historian Ammianus Marcellinus (c. 330–395 AD).

    On August 24 358 AD, there was a huge earthquake at Nicomedia, a city in Asia Minor.

    As Ammianus recounts:

    A terrific earthquake completely overturned the city and its suburbs … since most of the houses were carried down the slopes of the hill, they fell one upon another, while everything resounded with the vast roar of their destruction.

    The human effect was devastating.

    The palace of the emperor Diocletian at Nicomedia was damaged in the quake of 358 AD.
    G. Berggren / Getty Images

    Most people were “killed at one blow”, says Ammianus. Others, he tells us, were “imprisoned unhurt within slanting house roofs, to be consumed by the agony of starvation”.

    Hidden in the rubble “with fractured skulls or amputated arms or legs”, injured survivors “hovered between life and death”, but most could not be recovered, “despite their pleas and protestations” resounding from beneath the rubble, according to Ammianus.

    Famous natural disasters in the ancient world

    A number of natural disasters involving earthquakes and tsunamis were especially famous in ancient Greek and Roman times.

    In 464 BC, in Sparta, there was a huge earthquake. People at the time said it was greater than any earthquake that had ever occurred beforehand.

    According to the Greek writer Plutarch (c. 46–119 AD), the earthquake “tore the land of the Lacedaemonians into many chasms”, collapsed the peaks of the surrounding mountains, and “demolished the entire city with the exception of five houses”.

    In 373–372 BC, the Greek coastal cities of Helice and Buris were destroyed by tsunamis. They were permanently submerged beneath the waves.

    An anonymous Greek poet evocatively wrote that the walls of these cities, which had once been thriving with many people, were now silent under the waves, “clad with thick sea-moss”.

    But arguably the most famous ancient tsunami occurred on July 21 365 AD on the northern coast of Africa, at that time controlled by the Romans.

    Again according to Ammianus, early in the morning there was a huge earthquake. Then, not long after, the water retreated from the shore:

    the sea with its rolling waves was driven back and withdrew from the land, so that in the abyss of the deep thus revealed people saw many kinds of sea-creatures stuck fast in the slime … and vast mountains and deep valleys, which nature had hidden in the unplumbed depths.

    Then, suddenly, the sea returned with a vengeance. As Ammianus tells us, it smashed over the land destroying everything in its path:

    The great mass of waters killed many thousands of people by drowning … the lifeless bodies of shipwrecked persons lay floating on their backs or on their faces … great ships, driven by the mad blasts, landed on the tops of buildings, and some were driven almost two miles inland.

    Earthquakes were famous for their sound. The Roman scholar Pliny the Elder (23–79 AD) explained that earthquakes have a “terrible sound” – like “the bellowing of cattle or the shouts of human beings or the clash of weapons struck together”.

    Ancient ideas about what causes earthquakes and tsunamis

    Like today, ancient people wanted to know what caused these phenomena. There were various different theories.

    Some people thought Poseidon, god of the sea, earthquakes and horses, was responsible.

    As the Greek writer Plutarch (c. 46–119 AD) comments, “men sacrifice to Poseidon when they wish to put a stop to earthquakes”.

    An ancient statue of Poseidon, god of the sea and earthquakes, from the island of Milos.
    Sepia Times / Getty Images

    However, other people looked beyond divine explanations.

    One interesting theory held by the philosopher Anaximenes (6th century BC) was that the earth itself was the cause of earthquakes.

    According to Anaximenes, huge parts of the earth beneath the ground can move, collapse, detach or tear away, thus causing shaking.

    “Huge waves”, said Anaximenes, are “produced by the weight [of falling earth] crashing down into the [waters] from above”.

    Ancient people knew nothing of tectonic plates and continental drift. These were discovered much later, mainly through the pioneering work of Alfred Wegener (1880–1930).

    Preparing for natural disasters

    Ancient Greeks and Romans had little way of predicting or preparing for earthquakes and tsunamis.

    Pherecydes of Samos (6th century BC) was said to have predicted an earthquake “from the appearance of some water drawn from a well”, according to the Roman statesman Cicero (106–43 BC).

    For the most part, though, ancient people had to live at the mercy of these occurrences.

    As the anonymous author of a treatise titled On the Cosmos once wrote, natural disasters are part of life on earth:

    Violent earthquakes before now have torn up many parts of the earth; monstrous storms of rain have burst out and overwhelmed it; incursions and withdrawals of the waves have often made seas of dry land and dry land of seas…

    While our understanding of these events (and our ability to prepare for them, and recover afterward) has improved immeasurably since ancient times, earthquakes and tsunamis are things we will always have to deal with.

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

    – ref. ‘The great mass of waters killed many thousands’: how earthquakes and tsunamis shook ancient Greece and Rome – https://theconversation.com/the-great-mass-of-waters-killed-many-thousands-how-earthquakes-and-tsunamis-shook-ancient-greece-and-rome-262358

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Why UK recognition of a Palestinian state should not be conditional on Israel’s actions

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Karen Scott, Professor in Law, University of Canterbury

    Getty Images

    The announcement this week by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on the recognition of a Palestininian state has been welcomed by many who want to see a ceasefire in Gaza and lasting peace in the region.

    In contrast to other recent statements on the status of Palestine, however, the UK has said it will recognise Palestine as a state in September

    unless the Israeli government takes substantive steps to end the appalling situation in Gaza and commits to a long term sustainable peace, including through allowing the UN to restart without delay the supply of humanitarian support to the people of Gaza to end starvation, agreeing to a ceasefire, and making clear there will be no annexations in the West Bank.

    Until this week, the UK’s position had been that recognition would only follow a negotiated two-state solution in Israel-Palestine. Other countries have now begun to shift from that position, too.

    The latest UK statement was preceded by announcements from France on July 25 and Canada on July 31 that they too would recognise Palestine as a state in September.

    But the UK position is different in one important way: it is conditional on Israel failing to comply with its international humanitarian obligations in Gaza and the West Bank.

    In other words, recognition of Palestine as a state by the UK is being used as a stick to persuade Israel to agree to a ceasefire. Should Israel agree to those conditions, the UK will presumably not recognise Palestine as a state in September, but will revert to its original position on a two-state solution.

    Conditional recognition subject to action by Israel – a third state – represents an unwelcome and arguably dangerous departure from international practice.

    While recognition (or otherwise) of states is inherently political – as demonstrated by the unique status of Taiwan, for example – it is not and should not be made conditional on the action or inaction of third states.

    How states are recognised

    According to the Convention on the Rights and Duties of States, a state must have a permanent population, territory, an independent government, and the capacity to enter into relations with other states, as well as self-determination.

    Palestine has arguably met all these criteria, with the possible exception of an independent government, given the level of Israeli intervention in the West Bank and the current situation in Gaza.

    Although recognition by other states is arguably not a formal criterion of statehood, it is very difficult to function as a state without reasonably widespread recognition by other states.

    Some 147 countries – two-thirds of UN members – now recognise the State of Palestine, including Spain, Ireland and Norway, which made announcements in 2024.

    Those choosing not to formally recognise a Palestinian state are now in a small minority, including Australia and New Zealand. This is inevitably leading to calls in those countries to change position.

    Australia is considering such a shift, subject to conditions similar to those set out by Canada – including the release of Israeli hostages, the demilitarisation of Hamas, and reform of the Palestinian Authority.

    New Zealand is currently maintaining its longstanding position of recognising Palestine within the context of a two-state solution. On July 30, Foreign Minister Winston Peters and 13 of his counterparts issued a joint statement – the “New York Call” – demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and reiterating “unwavering commitment to the vision of the two-State solution”.

    The statement also asserted that “positive consideration” to recognise the state of Palestine is “an essential step towards the two-state solution”.

    Better options are available

    The UK’s position, however, introduces another dynamic. By using recognition of Palestine as a tool to punish Israel for its actual and alleged breaches of international law in Gaza, it is implicitly failing to respect Palestine’s right to self-determination.

    If Palestine deserves statehood, it is on its own terms, not as a condition of Israel’s policies and actions.

    But it is also setting a dangerous precedent. Countries could choose to recognise (or not recognise) states to pressure or punish them (or indeed other states) for breaches of international law. Such breaches may or may not be connected to the state actually seeking recognition.

    This is important, because the post-colonial settlement of geographical boundaries remains deeply insecure in many regions. As well, low-lying island nations at risk of losing territory from sea-level rise may also find their status challenged, as territory has traditionally been a requirement of statehood.

    The UK’s apparent conditional recognition of Palestine is only likely to increase this international instability around statehood.

    While the UK’s announcement may be “clever politics” from a domestic perspective, and avoids outright US opposition internationally, it has conflated two separate issues.

    The better option would be for the UK to recognise Palestine as a state, joining a growing number of countries that plan to do so in advance of the UN General Assembly meeting in September. It could make this subject to conditions, including the release of hostages and exclusion of Hamas from Palestinian governance.

    And it should continue to press Israel to agree to a ceasefire in addition to the other demands set out in its announcement, and hold Israel accountable for its gross breaches of international law in Gaza. It can back up those demands with appropriate diplomatic and trade sanctions.

    New Zealand, too, has a range of options available, and can help increase the pressure on Israel by using them.

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

    – ref. Why UK recognition of a Palestinian state should not be conditional on Israel’s actions – https://theconversation.com/why-uk-recognition-of-a-palestinian-state-should-not-be-conditional-on-israels-actions-262345

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI China: 44 dead, 9 missing after recent rainstorms hit Beijing

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

    Rescuers transfer a stranded resident in Liulimiao Town of Huairou District, Beijing, capital of China, July 30, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    The death toll from the recent intense rainstorms in Beijing has risen to 44, with nine others still missing, according to a press conference held on Thursday.

    Among the deaths, 31 were reported at an elderly care center in the town of Taishitun, Miyun District, said Xia Linmao, executive vice mayor of Beijing.

    Among those missing are four village Party secretaries who played crucial roles in the disaster relief and rescue efforts.

    Beijing’s latest flooding has affected more than 300,000 residents and damaged about 24,000 houses. The heavy rainfall was concentrated in the northern mountainous areas, where infrastructure in 40 townships and 312 administrative villages was badly damaged.

    The torrential rain triggered flash floods, which unleashed devastating force compounded by surging upstream flows, according to Xia.

    Xia added that the downpour placed enormous pressure on the operation of the Miyun Reservoir, Beijing’s largest reservoir. At its peak, the inflow could fill the entire Kunming Lake of the Summer Palace in just five minutes.

    Liu Bin, head of the Beijing municipal water affairs bureau, said that by Thursday noon, the Miyun Reservoir had received 910 million cubic meters of inflow in just seven days, nearly 30 percent above the previous record of 710 million cubic metres in 1974.

    As of Thursday noon, the reservoir’s water level had fallen back to 155.38 meters. The reservoir is in safe and stable conditions, Liu added.

    From July 23 to 29, the Chinese capital saw persistent extreme rainstorms, with mountainous areas of districts such as Miyun, Huairou, Yanqing and Pinggu being among the hardest hit.

    On Saturday evening, in response to sudden torrential rainfall and red warning for rainstorms and floods in the affected regions, Beijing authorities immediately launched the level I emergency response for flood, issuing public warnings and safety guidelines. Rescue and relief efforts were promptly organized, with teams working swiftly to evacuate a total of 104,000 people. Search and rescue operations have helped save more than 5,400 trapped individuals, while efforts continue to assist the injured, according to Xia.

    At present, 364 out of 424 disrupted rural roads have been cleared, with plans to reopen all major highways by Thursday. The emergency water supply has been restored to all affected administrative villages, while electricity has been restored to 105 of the 213 villages that experienced power outages.

    Wu Zhenkun, head of Beijing fire and rescue brigade, told the conference that during the recent rainstorms, a total of 6,830 personnel were dispatched, along with 1,356 vehicles and 296 boats. The rescue teams saved 1,879 people, evacuated 3,521 others, and delivered around 56 tonnes of emergency supplies.

    Drones and heavy machinery, such as bulldozers and excavators, were used in the rescue operations. The teams also utilized boats, ropes, ladders and swimming tactics to ensure the safe evacuation of the people that were trapped, Wu added.

    Xia said the government will ensure the living conditions of disaster-stricken communities by accelerating repairs of damaged homes and ensure that residents can safely return to their villages.

    All-out efforts are being made to ensure the provision of essential supplies and care for vulnerable groups. Further attention is being given to the families of the victims, offering psychological support and speeding up the repair of damaged infrastructure, including roads, power, water and communication services, according to Xia.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China’s desert spring hits 20-year high in water level, revealing ecological progress

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

    China’s desert spring hits 20-year high in water level, revealing ecological progress

    Tourists visit the Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Spring scenic spot in Dunhuang City, northwest China’s Gansu Province, May 31, 2025. Crescent Spring, a famed desert oasis in northwest China’s Gansu Province, has recorded its highest water level and largest surface area in over 20 years, signaling a major victory in ecological restoration efforts.(Photo by Zhang Xiaoliang/Xinhua)

    Crescent Spring, a famed desert oasis in northwest China’s Gansu Province, has recorded its highest water level and largest surface area in over 20 years, signaling a major victory in ecological restoration efforts.

    According to a report by the provincial geological environment monitoring institute released on Wednesday, the crescent-shaped oasis now stands at 3.8 meters deep and spans 2.12 hectares, a dramatic recovery from the late 1990s, when the average water level dropped below 1 meter and the surface area was reduced to just 0.17 hectares.

    Nestled among the towering dunes of Mingsha Mountain in Dunhuang, a key hub of the ancient Silk Road, Crescent Spring has been celebrated for at least 2,000 years as a natural marvel where shifting sands and clear waters coexist in harmonious balance, according to historical records.

    The beautiful spring not only dazzles visitors but also sustains Dunhuang’s fragile desert ecosystem, with groundwater from nearby rivers percolating through porous sands to offset evaporation.

    Over the past decades, however, environmental changes and human activities have led to falling groundwater levels that pushed the spring to the brink of drying up.

    The turning point came in 2011, when the State Council introduced a comprehensive plan for Dunhuang’s water protection and ecological restoration, with a groundwater replenishment project for Crescent Spring being its key part.

    Huang Wenming, the service center director of the Crescent Spring scenic area, explained that the project aims to enhance groundwater replenishment by constructing infiltration dams along the Dang River.

    “By prolonging water retention time through 12 permeable dams, it raises the upstream water table to reverse the declining trend around Crescent Spring, ensuring this natural wonder remains forever vibrant,” Huang said.

    Thanks to these efforts, the average water level of the spring has risen steadily, surpassing 3 meters in 2021 before reaching a new peak this year.

    In addition to restoring Crescent Spring, the project also supports the region’s water storage, flood control and wetland development, contributing to improvements in the local ecosystem.

    The spring is also safeguarded through scientific research. Using advanced techniques such as three-dimensional laser scanning, high-precision wind tunnel tests and numerical simulations based on actual terrain, teams from the Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources (NIEER) under the Chinese Academy of Sciences have successfully unraveled the sand-spring coexistence mechanism and proposed targeted measures to protect the spring from shifting dunes.

    An Zhishan, a senior engineer at NIEER, noted that protection efforts for Crescent Spring have evolved from ad-hoc emergency responses to long-term, standardized management, incorporating scientific monitoring, systematic regulation and routine conservation, which has yielded remarkable results.

    Thanks to these concerted efforts, the local ecosystem has seen significant improvements, injecting new vitality into the tourism industry.

    From January to June this year, the scenic area welcomed some 1.26 million visitors, up 3.2 percent year on year, according to the local culture and tourism bureau.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Child exploitation arrest

    Source: New South Wales – News

    A man has been arrested after child exploitation material was located at his home today.

    On Friday 1 August, investigators from the South Australian JACET, a joint taskforce between South Australia Police and Australian Federal Police, attended a northeast suburbs home as a result of an online conversation between the accused and a covert online police officer.

    The house was searched and a mobile phone, computer hard drives and a computer were seized.

    Child exploitation material was located on the devices by Digital Evidence Section specialists and further examinations will continue.

    Also during the search, investigators located three gel blasters.

    A 38-year-old man from the northeastern suburbs was arrested and charged with disseminating child exploitation material, possessing child exploitation material and three counts of possessing a firearm without a licence.

    He was refused police bail and will appear in the Adelaide Magistrates Court later today.

    “This operation is a stark reminder of the realities of child sexual exploitation and the proliferation of child sexual abuse material on the internet, and the need for proactive measures to address these crimes against our children,” said Chief Inspector George Fenwick Manager, of the Special Crimes Investigation Section.

    “Without my officers being online and in these chat forums, we may never have identified this man or his offending.”

    Members of the public who have information about people involved in child abuse and exploitation are urged to contact Crime Stoppers at www.crimestopperssa.com.au or on 1800 333 000. You can remain anonymous.

    CO2500196535

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Trump signs executive order increasing tariff on Canada to 35%

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

    U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order increasing the tariff on Canada from 25 percent to 35 percent, with the higher tariff set to go into effect on Aug. 1, the White House said in a fact sheet.

    “Canada has failed to cooperate in curbing the ongoing flood of fentanyl and other illicit drugs, and it has retaliated against the United States for the president’s actions to address this unusual and extraordinary threat to the United States,” said the fact sheet.

    The White House said that in response to Canada’s “continued inaction and retaliation,” Trump has found it necessary to increase the tariff on Canada to “effectively address the existing emergency.”

    Goods qualifying for preferential tariff treatment under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) will continue to remain exempt from the new tariffs. Goods transshipped to evade the 35 percent tariff will be subject, instead, to a transshipment tariff of 40 percent.

    The fact sheet addressed the presidential action as “necessary and appropriate to protect American lives and the national security and foreign policy of the United States.”

    In February, Trump signed an executive order to impose an ad valorem duty rate of 25 percent on imports from Canada in response to the national emergency. In March, he determined that Canada had failed to adequately address the situation and proceeded with the imposition of the 25 percent tariff, according to the fact sheet.

    “Now, President Trump is taking further action to hold Canada accountable for its continued role in the illicit drug crisis,” the White House said.

    On Thursday, Trump also announced so-called “reciprocal tariff rates” of up to 41 percent on many countries.

    In April, Canada imposed 25-percent tariffs on U.S. vehicles that didn’t meet CUSMA rules and on non-Canadian, non-Mexican content in vehicles imported under CUSMA, as countermeasures, said its government.

    Canada was the top buyer of U.S. exports last year, importing 349 billion dollars worth of goods, while exporting 413 billion dollars to the United States as its third-largest source of foreign goods, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Aid distribution in Gaza hampered despite checkpoint deliveries

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

    Palestinians carry bags of flour after the humanitarian aid entered Gaza through a border crossing, in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza Strip, on July 27, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    UN humanitarians said Thursday that as starvation worsens in Gaza, efforts to swiftly distribute aid are being hampered by delays, looting and military operations, even as shipments continue to arrive through Israeli checkpoints.

    The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that earlier this week, despite the Israeli military designating secure routes from border crossings into Gaza and toward distribution sites, aid trucks operated by the United Nations and its partners continued to face lengthy delays, putting drivers, humanitarian workers and crowds at risk.

    OCHA said that the sole route provided by Israeli authorities for UN teams exiting the Kerem Shalom/Karem Abu Salem crossing into Gaza is frequently disrupted by Israeli ground forces setting up ad hoc checkpoints, causing additional delays in aid delivery.

    The office said that despite such challenges, the world body and its humanitarian partners continue to seize every opportunity to collect supplies from the Israeli-controlled crossings.

    “The teams have managed to collect wheat flour, ready-to-eat rations, high-energy biscuits, nutrition items, hygiene kits and other critical supplies from the Israeli-controlled crossings,” OCHA said.

    The office said that “much of the food is taken by people en route, rather than reaching community-based distribution points,” adding that “aid must be distributed at the community level” to ensure no one is left behind.

    The United Nations and its partners insist on reaching Palestinians in need through community-based distribution points, numbering 400 across Gaza, rather than the four militarized Israeli and U.S.-sponsored Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) hubs, due to chaos and gunfire erupting near them.

    “OCHA urges the Israeli authorities to allow the consistent and simultaneous entry of large volumes of diverse humanitarian and commercial supplies through all crossing points and multiple routes,” the office said.

    Highlighting the difficulties aid workers face in coordinating movements across much of the Gaza Strip with Israeli authorities, OCHA said that only 47 percent were fully facilitated, while 11 percent were withdrawn by organizers, according to cumulative data from July 23 to 29.

    “Unimpeded humanitarian access within Gaza is essential,” the office said. “Without it, time and resources are wasted, lives are lost, and the response cannot match the scale of the needs.”

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Markey Builds Bipartisan Momentum with Reintroduction of His Warehouse Worker Protection Act

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey

    Bill Text (PDF)

    Washington (July 31, 2025) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), member of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, along with Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) and Representatives Donald Norcross (NJ-01), Mike Lawler (NY-17), and Haley Stevens (MI-11), today reintroduced the bipartisan, bicameral Warehouse Worker Protection Act, legislation to prohibit dangerous speed quotas and that threaten warehouse worker safety and lead to high injury rates. The legislation is cosponsored by Senators Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.).

    Major corporations often institute speed and productivity quotas for warehouse workers that force workers past their physical limits, leading to high injury rates. One in 15 Amazon warehouse workers is injured at work seriously enough to need days off or light duty to recover. Nearly 2 million Americans work in warehouses nationwide.

    The Warehouse Worker Protection Act would institute the basic standards necessary to ensure all workers experience a safe and dignified workplace. The bill would prohibit the use of dangerous speed quotas that rely on intrusive surveillance, interfere with workers’ ability to use the bathroom and take guaranteed breaks, and push workers past safe physical limits. The bill would also prohibit measures that prevent workers from exercising their right to unionize.

    “Workers deserve to clock in knowing they will return home safe and healthy at the end of their shift. The Warehouse Worker Protection Act would protect the basic health and dignity of workers from corporate bosses who time and again have prioritized unfettered greed and profit over their own people,” said Senator Markey. “I am proudly in solidarity with nearly two million warehouse workers nationwide in the fight to ensure that their rights, safety, and dignity are protected.”

    “Corporations need to prioritize their workers’ safety and well-being over profits. This bipartisan legislation will hold the warehouse industry accountable while combatting the industry’s worst practices. It’s time to put workers’ safety first and treat them with the dignity they deserve,” said Senator Hawley.

    “Corporate profits should never be placed above the safety and dignity of American workers,” said Senator Smith. “The Warehouse Worker Protection Act ends secret, aggressive productivity metrics and surveillance methods used by major companies, and instead puts power back in the hands of the workers who experience these conditions every day. Workers should never have to choose between their health and their next paycheck, and should not be harmed in service of corporate greed – this bill takes an important step in establishing safe, just workplaces for all.”

    “In 2022, three New Jersey warehouse workers tragically died on the job within weeks of each other, bringing attention to working conditions and injury rates in warehouses. Businesses can keep workers safe and earn a profit, but that’s only possible with more transparency and accountability,” said Congressman Norcross. “As a former electrician, I know firsthand what it’s like to lose a coworker on the job. The Warehouse Worker Protection Act takes necessary steps to ensure everyone can come home from work safely.”

    “Amid the vast expansion of shipping and online shopping, the warehouse workers keeping this economy moving have been left behind,” said Senator Marshall. “For too long, companies have been implementing outlandish quotas, cutting into workers’ rights and leading to injuries. That ends with this bill. I’m proud to support Senator Markey in providing proper protections for workers, ending the fear of abusive quotas.”

    “Amazon and other abusive warehouse employers are squeezing their workers for every penny of profit, leaving behind tired and broken bodies,” said Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien. “These corporate criminals are destroying good jobs in an industry that once supported a strong middle class. But one thing stands in their way—that’s the Teamsters Union, along with a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers who understand what’s at stake. It’s time to pass the Warehouse Worker Protection Act and put workers’ safety over corporate profits.”

    “Everyone deserves a guarantee of safety and dignity on the job, but retail giants like Amazon are raking in record profits on the backs of their workers, subjecting them to incredibly high rates of injury, unsustainable pace pressures, and punitive surveillance systems,” said Patricia Stottlemyer, Labor Rights Policy Lead at Oxfam America. “The re-introduction of the Warehouse Worker Protection Act is a critical step toward finally securing the safeguards and protections that these workers desperately need.”

    “Every day, we face unrealistic quotas and unsafe conditions just to keep our jobs at Amazon. The Warehouse Worker Protection Act gives us hope that our lives and safety will finally matter more than productivity rates. We fought for this law — and with support from Awood Center and national coalitions like Athena, we made it happen. Now we need Amazon to comply with the law or face consequences. It’s been in effect for a year, and they’re still falling short,” said an Amazon warehouse worker, supported by Awood Center, a worker center in Minnesota that uplifts East African immigrant workers.

    “At a time when Amazon warehouse workers like me are being injured at twice the rate as workers at other warehouses, this bill is a monumental step forward to holding companies like Amazon accountable and finally getting the workplace protections we deserve,” said Ronald “Mr. Ron” Sewell, an Amazon associate at ATL6 in Georgia and leader with United for Respect. “My coworkers and I are constantly putting our safety at risk to meet Amazon’s backbreaking productivity quotas, and we’ve had enough. Our lives are not expendable – we need real change to improve safety on the job, and this bill will help make that a reality.”

    “For too long, multi-billion dollar corporations like Walmart and Amazon have gotten away with forcing warehouse workers to meet unreasonable daily quotas — leading to countless injuries on the job — just so they can grow their profits. It’s long past time for that to change,” said Terrysa Guerra, Co-Executive Director of United for Respect. “These protections for warehouse workers will usher in a new era of accountability for these companies, and most importantly, will help improve workplace safety for hundreds of thousands of low-wage warehouse workers. United for Respect is thrilled to support this legislation.”

    “We’ve seen that when workers try to meet unattainable distribution center quotas, they get hurt; when they file for workers comp for their injuries, they get denied or fired. The Warehouse Worker Protection Act will protect workers from harm and blatant violation of their rights in an industry that treats them as expendable, and lead to safer, more dignified working conditions for the people who make life easier for the rest of us. Since New York’s version of this law went into effect in June, warehouse workers have already been feeling more secure in their rights. That’s something every single worker in the country deserves to feel—and why it’s so important that we pass the federal Warehouse Worker Protection Act as soon as possible,” said Vanessa Cid, Labor Organizer at For the Many.

    “Amazon’s greed has created a nationwide worker injury crisis as they put profit over people time and time again,” said Theodore A. Moore, Executive Director of ALIGN, leader of the New Yorkers for a Fair Economy coalition. “We’re proud of the work we’ve done to regulate warehouse safety in New York, but it’s time to take federal action and ensure that one of the richest companies in the world keeps their workers safe everywhere. We applaud Senator Markey’s leadership and urge Governor Hochul to lead the way with strong enforcement of New York’s Warehouse Worker Injury Reduction Act.”

    “We are facing a workplace injury crisis in warehouses across America,” said Irene Tung, Senior Researcher and Policy Analyst at the National Employment Law Project. “NELP’s research has found that the digital surveillance and disciplinary practices at companies like Amazon create a climate of fear for workers and astronomically high injury rates at warehouses. We urgently need the Warehouse Worker Protection Act to rein in these abuses and support workers’ right to organize for autonomy and safety on the job.”

    The Warehouse Worker Protection Act is endorsed by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, the National Employment Law Project (NELP), the Athena Coalition, and Oxfam America.

    In May 2024, Senator Markey, along with Senator Smith and then Senator Bob Casey (D-Pa.), first introduced the Warehouse Worker Protection Act. In September 2024, Senator Markey celebrated the bipartisan momentum growing behind the bill.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • Rain, thunderstorms likely in Delhi for next three days: IMD

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    The national capital is expected to witness a fresh spell of rain over the next three days, as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted light to moderate showers accompanied by thunderstorms between Friday and Sunday (August 3).

    According to the IMD’s Thursday bulletin, heavy to very heavy rainfall is also likely over parts of the Northeast and adjoining eastern India over the next seven days. In Delhi, however, the intensity of rainfall is expected to decrease slightly starting Friday.

    On Friday, Delhi will witness very light to light rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms or lightning. Maximum and minimum temperatures are expected to remain below normal, ranging between 33 to 35 degrees Celsius and 23 to 25 degrees Celsius, respectively.

    Winds will initially blow from the northeast in the morning, shift to the southwest by afternoon, and then turn southeasterly in the evening and night, at speeds of 10–15 kmph.

    Rainfall is expected to continue through August 2 and 3, with mostly cloudy skies and light showers accompanied by thunderstorms.

    Daytime temperatures are likely to hover around 34 to 36 degrees Celsius, while night temperatures will range between 24 to 26 degrees Celsius, remaining a few degrees below the seasonal average. Winds will vary in direction but remain steady at 10–20 kmph, mostly from the northwest and northeast.

    Earlier on Thursday, parts of Delhi received moderate rainfall, while isolated areas saw heavy showers that led to localised waterlogging and traffic congestion.

    The maximum temperature recorded was 29.9 degrees Celsius, five degrees below normal, while the minimum stood at 24.7 degrees Celsius, two degrees below the usual.

    The met department also noted that Delhi has been experiencing irregular rainfall over the past few days, which has caused significant inconvenience to daily commuters in several areas of the city.

    With weather conditions remaining unstable and intermittent showers expected to continue, residents are advised to remain cautious, especially during peak travel hours.

    (IANS)

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Angola protests: United Nations (UN) urges restraint, investigations into deaths

    Source: APO


    .

    What began as protests against fuel price hikes in Angola have escalated into deadly unrest across the country, with at least 22 people killed and more than 1,000 detained, prompting calls from the UN for restraint and urgent investigations into possible rights violations by security forces.

    The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on Thursday urged Angolan authorities to conduct prompt, thorough and independent investigations into the deaths as well as the reported use of excessive force during the demonstrations.

    “Unverified footage suggests that security forces used live ammunition and tear gas to disperse protesters, which points to an unnecessary and disproportionate use of force,” OHCHR spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan said.

    He added that while some demonstrators resorted to violence and looting, any force used by authorities must comply with international human rights standards.

    “Any individuals who may have been arbitrarily detained must be immediately released.”

    Rapid escalation in situation

    The protests began on Monday as a strike by minibus taxi drivers over a one-third rise in diesel prices, part of a government effort to reduce fuel subsidies. According to media reports, the demonstrations quickly spread, becoming one of Angola’s most disruptive protest waves in recent years.

    Government officials reported that at least one police officer was among those killed. Nearly 200 people are said to have been injured and shops and vehicles reportedly vandalised, mostly in the capital, Luanda.

    Sporadic gunfire was also reported in parts of the city earlier in the week, and emergency services were overwhelmed. Many businesses remained shuttered Thursday, and hospitals reportedly struggled to cope with the number of casualties.

    Ensure rights protection

    OHCHR emphasised that while authorities have a responsibility to maintain public order, they must do so in a way that protects human rights.

    “All protesters taking to the streets to express their opinions should do so peacefully,” said Mr. Al-Kheetan. “All human rights violations must be investigated and those responsible held accountable.”

    The UN rights office also reiterated the importance of safeguarding fundamental freedoms, including the rights to life, expression and peaceful assembly, in any law enforcement response.

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of UN News.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Operation Cloud and Advance Unite to Tackle Illicit Trade and Anti-Social Behaviour

    Source: City of Birmingham

    A coordinated enforcement operation between Birmingham City Council’s Trading Standards team and West Midlands Police has led to the seizure of a significant quantity of illegal goods.

    The action forms part of the ongoing Operation Cloud and the force-wide Operation Advance, both aimed at tackling crime, anti-social behaviour, and the sale of illicit products across the city.

    The raid, which took place earlier this month at multiple commercial premises and associated vehicles in Birmingham, resulted in the seizure of:

    • 40 large nitrous oxide canisters and related paraphernalia
    • More than 780 illicit vapes
    • 1,980 illicit and counterfeit cigarettes
    • More than 115 packets of oral snuff/smokeless tobacco
    • Nearly 50 unsafe counterfeit inflatable toys
    • 125 sachets of unlicensed erectile dysfunction medicine

    A concealed compartment was also discovered at one of the premises which contained a large quantity of nitrous oxide cannisters and illicit tobacco. A male suspect was also arrested at the scene.

    This latest enforcement builds on the success of Operation Cloud, which has been active since September 2024 and has already removed nearly £7 million worth of illegal goods from circulation. The operation targets the sale of illicit vapes, nitrous oxide, counterfeit tobacco, and other harmful products that pose serious risks to public health and safety.

    Last week’s action also forms part of Operation Advance, West Midlands Police’s force-wide initiative delivering 24 hours of high-impact policing activity. Officers from across departments joined forces with the Council’s Trading Standards teams to disrupt criminal activity, enforce public space protection orders, and reassure communities through high-visibility patrols.

    Councillor Jamie Tennant, Cabinet Member for Social Justice, Community Safety and Equalities, said: “This joint operation is a powerful demonstration of what we can achieve through partnership. Illegal goods like these are not only dangerous to health—especially for young people—but also fuel wider criminality and anti-social behaviour. We will continue to take robust action to protect our communities and uphold the law.

    “These products are often sold without any regard for safety standards, and in many cases, are deliberately marketed to appeal to children and teenagers. The presence of such goods in our neighbourhoods undermines community wellbeing and contributes to a cycle of harm that affects families, schools, and local businesses.

    “Through Operation Cloud and Operation Advance, we are sending a clear message: Birmingham will not tolerate the illegal trade of harmful products. We are committed to working with our partners to make our city safer, cleaner, and more resilient for everyone.”

    Ch Supt Tom Joyce, of Birmingham Police, said: “This was a fantastic day of really high-profile activity, using everyone from neighbourhood officers, to intelligence, traffic, firearms, gangs officers, investigators and more.

    “The activity is designed to be really visible and reassuring, while making a real impact in communities across the whole city.

    “This is all about making our town centres safe and welcoming for everyone, while making them hostile places for anyone wanting to commit crime.

    “Advance will be returning to Birmingham later in the year when we will be out in full force again to have that significant impact that using teams from across the West Midlands brings.

    “In the meantime, Birmingham officers will continue working 24/7 to make the city safer and help and support people when they need us most.”

    The Council is now pursuing a closure order for the premises under the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014. This follows the recent enforcement of the national ban on single-use vapes, which came into effect on 1 June 2025.

    Birmingham’s Trading Standards team has already seized over 14,000 illegal or non-compliant vapes since the launch of Operation Cloud.

    Residents are encouraged to report any suspicious activity or sales of illegal goods via by contacting the Council’s Trading Standards team on 0121 303 9360 or the West Midlands Police on 101.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: The SPbPU PISh team received a patent for an igniter for reactors of oil and gas processing plants

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    The team of the Scientific and Educational Center “Digital Engineering of the Main Equipment of Chemical-Engineering Systems” of the Advanced Engineering School of Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University “Digital Engineering” successfully completed the development and received a patent for an ignition device for reactors of oil and gas processing plants.

    Patent for invention RU 2842893 C1 was registered by the Federal Service for Intellectual Property on July 3, 2025.

    Leading industry research centers and strategic industrial partners of SPbPU have shown significant interest in the development. The partners of the invention were JSC TsKBM (part of the State Corporation Rosatom), LLC NTC Gazconsulting, and the Federal Research Center of Chemical Physics named after N. N. Semenov of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

    Among the ultimate stakeholders in the innovative device is JSC Research Institute of Scientific Production Association LUCH (part of the State Corporation Rosatom).

    Developers of ignition devices for reactors of oil and gas processing plants:

    Borovkov Aleksey Ivanovich, chief designer in the key scientific and technological direction of development of St. Petersburg SPBPU “System Digital Engineering”, director of the advanced engineering school of SPBPU “Digital Engineering”;
    Rozhdestvensky Oleg Igorevich, head of the Office of Technological Leadership of St. Petersburg State University;
    Aristovich Yuri Valerievich, expert NOC “Digital Engineering of the Basic Equipment of Chemical and Technological Systems” Pish SPBPU;
    Oganesyan Grach Varuzhanovich, chief specialist and researcher of Nutz “Digital Engineering of Basic Equipment of Chemical and Technological Systems” Pisch SPBPU;
    Mikheeva Valeria Yuryevna, engineer NOC “Digital Engineering of Basic Equipment of Chemical and Technological Systems” Pisch SPBPU;
    Nikolaeva Valery Andreevna, engineer NOC “Digital Engineering of the Basic Equipment of Chemical and Technological Systems” Pisch SPBPU;
    Ivanov Vladislav Sergeevich, Deputy Director of the Federal Research Center of Chemical Physics named after N. N. Semenova RAS for scientific work;
    Frolov Sergey Mikhailovich, head of the combustion department and explosion and head of the laboratory of the detonation of the Federal Research Center for Chemical Physics named after N. N. Semenova RAS;
    Vasiliev Nikolay Dmitrievich, chief designer for remotely controlled and transport and technological equipment of JSC “Central Design Bureau”;
    Marinchenko Nikita Aleksandrovich, head of the project office in shipbuilding and hydrogen energy of JSC “Central Design Bureau”;
    Bondarchuk Dmitry Vitalyevich, commercial director of NTC Gazksonsalting LLC.

    A critical production problem is to ensure reliable ignition of burner devices of complex process equipment, for example, an autothermal reforming reactor, during its start-up. Unsuccessful ignition can lead to the formation of explosive concentrations of a flammable mixture in subsequent elements of the process chain. This, in turn, can provoke uncontrolled exothermic reactions and, as a consequence, emergency situations with potential damage to equipment and personnel. The developed product provides a radical solution to the problem, guaranteeing stable and reliable ignition, – said the responsible executor of the development, an expert of the Scientific and Educational Center “Digital Engineering of the Main Equipment of Chemical-Engineering Systems” of the St. Petersburg Polytechnical School Yuri Aristovich.

    The ignition device is a structurally and functionally unified device – a complex technical system in which all components are interconnected and jointly implement the function of igniting the combustible mixture. The device contains a housing, an oxidizer supply pipe and a combustible gas supply pipe, a spark plug, valves of the oxidizer supply pipe and the combustible gas supply pipe, an outlet pipe. The housing contains a cylindrical mixing chamber, the inputs of the oxidizer supply pipe and the combustible gas supply pipe are located in the part of the mixing chamber that is most distant from the outlet pipe.

    The oxidizer feed pipe is connected to the housing so as to feed the oxidizer in the tangential direction, and the combustible gas feed pipe is connected so as to feed the combustible gas in the radial direction. The inlet openings of the pipes in the housing are made so as to ensure critical gas outflow. The dimensions of the inlet openings are reasonably selected so that when the back pressure changes, the flow rates of the combustible gas and oxidizer change proportionally, the diameter of the outlet pipe is from 10 to 50% of the diameter of the mixing chamber. The technical result is an increase in the reliability of the device.

    The ignition device is designed to operate in a short-pulse mode. This ensures reliable ignition at low thermal loads in a wide range of pressures (from 1 to several tens of atmospheres). The device forms and directs small volumes of flame – fire ellipses of a certain size and at a given speed. Ignition charges ensure reliable ignition of the main burner, minimizing the thermal load on the outflow zone and the ignition device body, which significantly simplifies the reactor design and its startup procedure.

    The task of developing an igniter within the established deadlines seemed extremely difficult. Initially, it was assumed that the system would be implemented with a developed cooling infrastructure and multi-component thermal protection, which is due to the extremely high operating temperatures that significantly exceed the parameters of standard devices. The specifics of the reactor excluded the possibility of using serial solutions. Alternative options were considered, including the use of pyrotechnic cartridges, but this approach was recognized as suboptimal in terms of manufacturability and operational safety. As a result, an original, reliable and safe igniter was created that meets all the requirements. The developed device demonstrates high potential for use not only within the framework of this project, but also in other industries that require reliable systems for initiating processes in high temperatures and aggressive environments, added Nikolay Vasiliev, Chief Designer for Remotely Controlled and Transport and Technological Equipment at JSC TsKBM.

    Chief designer for the key scientific and technological development area of SPbPU “Systemic Digital Engineering”, director of the Advanced Engineering School of SPbPU “Digital Engineering” Alexey Borovkov spoke about the key success factor: “At the beginning of the work, none of the authors of the development could foresee the final result of creating a science-intensive and high-tech product. By combining the knowledge, experience and competencies of scientists, engineers and designers from various fields of knowledge and industries, we managed to form a unique multidisciplinary team and obtain impressive results. Of course, this is a logical result of the application of systemic digital engineering technologies, including the technology of developing digital twins, mathematical and computer modeling of non-stationary nonlinear physical-mechanical and physical-chemical processes of the behavior of a high-tech product.

    The development of a complex technical system is based on the effective application of the created multidisciplinary digital model [ 1, 2, 3 ], which is a system of interconnected mathematical and computer models describing combustion kinetics, chemical thermodynamics of free-radical reactions, dynamics of vortex flows at supercritical parameters of substances and non-stationary nonlinear thermomechanics. Numerous digital (virtual) tests and the necessary full-scale tests made it possible to carry out verification [ 1, 2 ] and validation [1, 2] developed models, to raise the level adequacy of models and descriptions of complex processes confirmed the efficiency and reliability of the developed high-tech product.

    With the help of approaches, technologies and methods of system digital engineering, the formed innovative scientific and technical groundwork and on the basis of the digital platform for the development and application of digital twins CML-Bench® [ 1, 2 ] our team implemented all stages of creating a finished industrial product in record time: development and design took only 2 months, manufacturing and testing – 3 months. It is fundamentally important to note that traditional approaches are not capable of ensuring such a high speed of implementation of science-intensive and high-tech projects for the development of complex technical systems.”

    In conclusion, we note that the results of the development of the ignition device have made a significant contribution to the formation of a scientific and technological reserve for the creation digital (virtual) testing ground for burner devices. The development of a digital test site is one of the most important final goals of a large-scale project to develop new generation burner devices for pyrolysis furnaces, implemented within the framework of the key scientific and technological direction (KNTD-1) of the development of SPbPU “Systemic Digital Engineering” within the framework of the “Priority-2030” program.

    The project within the framework of KNTN-1 provides for the definition of approaches to mathematical and computer modeling of new burner devices, development matrices requirements, target indicators and resource constraints, creation of a series of computer models of the prototype (primary, refined, detailed, optimized), conducting full-scale tests of a pilot industrial model of a burner device for validations computer model, development of design documentation and implementation into production.

    Let us recall that in June 2025, specialists from the Scientific and Educational Center “Digital Engineering of the Main Equipment of Chemical-Engineering Systems” of the SPbPU PISh presented This project and the Center’s expertise in developing burner devices at the Gazprom Neft site, one of the leaders in the oil and gas industry and petrochemical industry in Russia.

    Methodological support and the process of registering the right to the intellectual property object of the igniter were provided by Center for Transfer and Import Substitution of Advanced Digital and Manufacturing Technologies SPbPU.

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

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Two dead, two missing after heavy rains hit northern Vietnam

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

    HANOI, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) — Heavy rains have triggered floods and landslides in Vietnam’s northern Dien Bien Province, leaving two people dead and two missing, the Vietnamese Department of Dam Management and Disaster Prevention said on Friday.

    Heavy rains from Thursday evening into early Friday morning in Thiazin commune, Dien Bien province, caused houses to collapse, trapping two people and killing two others.

    Authorities also reported damage to at least 25 homes in the affected areas, local newspaper Tuoitsche reported.

    Search and rescue operations are ongoing in the region. Some areas are inaccessible due to landslides, which complicates the situation. –0–

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

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Japan contributes towards food and nutrition security in Lesotho

    Source: World Food Programme

    Maseru– The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) today welcomed a contribution of JPY 200 million (approximately US$1.36 million) from the Government of Japan to support the national school feeding programme in Lesotho. Over the next year, this funding will provide nutritious meals to 50,000 pre-primary learners across the country.

    The contribution will ensureuninterrupted access to hot, nutritious school meals, boosting attendance and learning outcomes. It will also expand the home-grown school meals programme, linking smallholder farmers to schools and strengthening Lesotho’s local food systems.

    “We highly appreciate Japan’s continued support to Lesotho,” said Mr Elliot Vhurumuku, WFP Representative and Country Director in Lesotho. “Over the past five years, their contribution has enabled WFP to sustain the Government’s national school feeding programme while strengthening climate resilient food systems and sustainable livelihoods in Lesotho.” 

    Lesotho is currently recovering from the impact of a devastating drought, while grappling with economic shocks. With a high unemployment rate, rising food costs and declining household purchasing power, urgent action is needed to prevent even greater numbers of people from sliding into food insecurity.

    “Given Lesotho’s socio-economic challenges, driven by multiple, complexed factors including drought, Japan is glad to be able to assist in developing Lesotho’s food security, which will help meet the dietary needs of those affected, households,” said H.E. Shimizu Fumio, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to the Kingdom of Lesotho.” We hope that this food assistance will help meet the dietary needs of those affected, households, thus improve the nutritional status of children.”

    The Government of Japan is a long-standing partner of WFP in Lesotho, being a leading supporter of WFP’s school feeding programme, providing vital funding over the past 10 years to sustain WFP’s initiatives of supporting the national school feeding programme.

    #                 #                   #

    The United Nations World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters, and the impact of climate change.

    Follow us on X, formerly Twitter, via @wfp_media, @WFP_SAfrica and @evhurumukuwfp

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • Thailand returns some Cambodian soldiers ahead of key border talks

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Thailand’s army sent home two Cambodian soldiers from a group of 20 on Friday, ahead of a key meeting in Malaysia next week where defence ministers and military commanders will hold talks aimed at maintaining a ceasefire along their disputed border.

    Long-simmering tensions on the Thai-Cambodian border exploded into clashes last week, including exchanges of artillery fire and jet fighter sorties, the worst fighting between the Southeast Asian neighbours in over a decade.

    The clashes claimed at least 43 lives and left over 300,000 people displaced.

    A truce was achieved on Monday, following a push by Malaysia and phone calls from U.S President Trump who threatened to hold off tariff negotiations with both countries until fighting stopped.

    Thailand and Cambodia previously faced tariffs of 36% for sending goods to the U.S., their largest export markets. Following further negotiations, they will now pay a 19% tariff, the White House announced on Friday.

    In Bangkok, Thai government spokesperson Jirayu Houngsub told reporters on Friday that two Cambodian soldiers had been sent back, and the remaining 18 were being processed for violating immigration law.

    “The Cambodian soldiers intruded on Thai territory and the army took them into custody, treating them based on humanitarian principles,” he said.

    In a statement, the Cambodian defence ministry asked Thailand to return all the detained soldiers.

    “Cambodia is actively engaging in negotiations to secure their release, and reiterates its firm call for their immediate and unconditional release in accordance with the international humanitarian law,” a ministry spokesperson said.

    Defence ministers and military leaders from both sides, who were previously scheduled to meet in the Cambodian capital next week, will now hold talks in Malaysia, after Thailand sought a neutral venue for the meeting.

    The General Border Committee, which coordinates on border security, ceasefires, and troop deployments, will meet between August 4-7, Thai Acting Defence Minister Nattaphon Narkphanit told reporters.

    “Defence attachés from other ASEAN countries will be invited as well as the defence attachés from the U.S. and China,” a Malaysian government spokesperson told reporters, referring to the Southeast Asian regional bloc that the country currently chairs.

    Thailand and Cambodia have for decades claimed jurisdiction over undemarcated points along their 817-km (508-mile) land border, with ownership of several ancient temples at the centre of disputes.

    In May, a Cambodian soldier was killed in a skirmish, leading to a troop build-up and a diplomatic crisis, which eventually snowballed into five-days of intense fighting in late July.

    (Reuters)

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Interactive multimedia theatre “Home” from Netherlands to stage in August (with photos)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Interactive multimedia theatre “Home” from Netherlands to stage in August  
         “Home” is inspired by the creator Anastasiia’s own journey from Ukraine to the Netherlands. The story revolves around Anastasiia and her dog Djonnik, whose house is carried away by a storm. While searching for a new home, they meet and listen to stories of a number of animal friends, including a giraffe living in a skyscraper and a penguin in an ice house, and eventually discover the true meaning of home. Through engaging storytelling, vibrant animation and gentle music, audiences are encouraged to reflect on home not being about just four walls, but also as an irreplaceable bond in everyone’s heart.
     
         The performance schedule is as follows:
     
    Date and time: August 9 (Saturday), 2.30pm and 4.30pm
                           *August 10 (Sunday), 11am and 3pm
    Place:              Hong Kong Cultural Centre Studio Theatre
    Ticket price:     $320 (free seating)
     
    * For the more relaxed performances on August 10, lighting and sound will be adjusted to a softer level. The house rules will also be relaxed, allowing audience members to make noise and freely enter or exit the theatre at any time during the show. A designated chill-out area outside the theatre will be available for those who need a break.
     
    Date and time: August 16 (Saturday), 2.30pm and 4.30pm
    Place:              Sha Tin Town Hall Cultural Activities Hall
    Ticket price:     $280 and $320
     
    Date and time: August 17 (Sunday), 2.30pm and 4.30pm
    Place:              Ngau Chi Wan Civic Centre Cultural Activities Hall
    Ticket price:     $280 and $320
     
         The programme contains limited English dialogue. A “Draw your dream home” post-performance activity will be held after each performance. Tickets are now available at URBTIX (www.urbtix.hk 
          A “Mime Time” parent-child mime workshop will also be held on August 13 and 14. For programme enquiries and concessionary schemes, please call 2370 1044 or visit the IAC website     www.hkiac.gov.hk/2025/en/home.html#programme 
         This year’s IAC is running from July 11 to August 17, featuring a wide array of fun-filled educational programmes by overseas, Mainland and local art groups and artists.
    Issued at HKT 17:28

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Cambodia, Thailand to mull over border issue in Malaysia next week

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

    Cambodia has welcomed Thailand’s proposal to hold talks on border issue in Malaysia next week, a Cambodian defense ministry spokesperson said on Friday.

    “I would like to take this opportunity to confirm that Cambodia welcomes Thailand’s proposal to hold a meeting of the General Border Committee (GBC) in Kuala Lumpur,” Cambodian Defense Ministry’s Undersecretary of State and spokesperson Lt. Gen. Maly Socheata said at a press briefing.

    “We’re very confident that this meeting will be constructive and yield fruitful outcomes,” she said.

    According to Socheata, Cambodia’s Defense Minister Tea Seiha and Thailand’s Deputy Defense Minister Nattaphon Narkphanit will attend the upcoming meeting.

    The office of the spokesperson of Thailand’s Ministry of Defense said Thursday on social media that Deputy Minister of Defense Nattaphon Narkphanit had officially responded to “Cambodia’s invitation” for a special GBC meeting.

    In his reply, Nattaphon welcomed the opportunity to join the meeting and emphasized a shared commitment to reduce tensions and resolve border security issues in a peaceful and constructive manner.

    On July 24, armed clashes broke out between soldiers of Cambodia and Thailand along disputed border. The two countries agreed on a ceasefire on July 28, taking effect at the midnight of July 28.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Islanders who live in tall residential buildings in Jersey to be consulted on proposal to introduce new fire safety regulations01 August 2025 Islanders who live in tall residential buildings in Jersey to be consulted on proposal to introduce new fire safety regulations Islanders who live in tall residential buildings in Jersey, or are involved… Read more

    Source: Channel Islands – Jersey

    01 August 2025

    Islanders who live in tall residential buildings in Jersey to be consulted on proposal to introduce new fire safety regulations Islanders who live in tall residential buildings in Jersey, or are involved in their ownership or management, are to be consulted on a proposal from the Minister for Justice and Home Affairs to introduce new fire safety regulations for tall residential buildings in Jersey. 

    The proposed regulations would directly implement some of the key recommendations from the Grenfell Tower Phase One inquiry report which are aimed at maintaining and where necessary, improving safety for residents of tall residential buildings. Tall residential buildings, TRBs, are defined, in Jersey as those buildings which are 11 metres tall and above. 

    Typically, these are blocks of flats where there are five or more stories, including the ground level. In some limited cases, this can include four-storey blocks of flats. 

    Jersey currently has more than 125 of these buildings providing homes to thousands of islanders, including both renters and owner occupiers. 

    In the regulations, tall residential buildings are defined as buildings which meet all of the following criteria: 

    • contains a top storey more than 11 metres above ground level 
    • contains two or more residential dwellings (typically flats) 
    • contains common parts through which residents evacuate in the case of an emergency (typically shared corridors and stairways).

    Speaking about the proposals, Minister for Justice and Home Affairs, Deputy Mary Le Hegarat, said: “Islanders will recall that Grenfell Tower was a 24-floor tall block of flats in London in which a significant fire occurred in 2017, leading to the tragic death of 72 people. Thankfully, no similar fires have occurred here, but that does not mean we should not seek to make the places where so many Islanders live as safe as possible.”

    In England, a similar set of regulations to those being proposed by the Minister were introduced in January 2023 known as the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022. Since the introduction of the English regulations, Jersey’s Fire and Rescue Service has been working closely with local property managers and building owner groups to implement the requirements on a voluntary basis in their buildings. 

    This approach has allowed property managers and building owners to become more familiar with the requirements and provided the Minister’s team with the opportunity to assess the impact of the regulations in England before designing something similar for Jersey. 

    “Throughout this work, it has been clear that fire safety responsibilities are taken very seriously. Approximately 19 per cent of Jersey’s tall residential buildings are estimated to be closely meeting the English regulatory requirements, with some others partially achieving them. 

    “However, the fact that the requirements are currently voluntary risks investment and time being de-prioritised in favour of other areas.” 

    While there has been no significant evidence of excessive fire risk, Jersey’s tall residential buildings as a group are now at risk of falling behind similar buildings in England in three areas: 

    • The frequency of routine checks taking place on key fire safety features such as self-closing fire doors, fire service lifts, dry risers and smoke control systems and resolution of any issues 
    • The provision of fire safety instructions to residents 
    • The quality of building information provided to the Fire Service to help them tackle fires in tall residential buildings where the risk and complexity can be higher.

    While Jersey’s building byelaws will have ensured tall residential buildings are built to local fire safety standards, there is currently no dedicated Jersey fire safety law that requires these buildings to manage and maintain their fire safety measures on an ongoing basis. 

    Deputy Le Hegarat added: “Creating regulations to implement some of the key building fire safety recommendations from the Grenfell Tower Phase One inquiry report is a logical and sensible step in the light of the inquiry’s findings.” 

    States of Jersey Fire and Rescue Service Area Commander, Jason Masterman said: “As firefighters, our top priority is keeping Islanders safe, especially in the places they call home. The proposed fire safety regulations for tall residential buildings are a vital step toward that goal. 

    “They will ensure key safety features, like self-closing fire doors, smoke control systems, and fire service lifts, are regularly checked and maintained. Residents will also receive clear fire safety information, and our crews will have access to simple accurate building floor plans and signposting to help them respond more effectively in emergencies.” 

    The consultation opens on Monday 4 August and will be available on gov.je. ​

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI: Marquette National Corporation Reports Second Quarter 2025 Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CHICAGO, Aug. 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Marquette National Corporation (OTCQX: MNAT) today reported year-to-date net income of $6.6 million compared to net income of $13.2 million for the first six months of 2024. Earnings per share for the first six months of 2025 were $1.52, as compared to income of $3.02 per share for the comparable period in 2024.

    At June 30, 2025, total assets were $2.23 billion, an increase of $22 million, or 1%, compared to $2.21 billion at December 31, 2024. Total loans increased by $32 million to $1.44 billion compared to $1.41 billion at the end of 2024. Total deposits increased by $20 million, or 1%, to $1.76 billion compared to $1.74 billion at the end of 2024.

    Paul M. McCarthy, Chairman & CEO, said, “the primary reason for the decrease in consolidated earnings was a lower level of unrealized gains on the Company’s equity portfolio in 2025. The decrease in unrealized gains on the Company’s equity portfolio was partially offset by an increase in realized gains on the Company’s equity portfolio and an increase in net interest income. Other comprehensive income was positive for the first six months of 2025 and helped deliver an increase to tangible book value per share in 2025. Tangible book value per share increased by $2.69 during the first six months of 2025.”

    Marquette National Corporation is a diversified financial holding company and the parent of Marquette Bank, a full-service, community bank that serves the financial needs of communities in Chicagoland. The Bank has branches located in: Chicago, Bolingbrook, Bridgeview, Evergreen Park, Hickory Hills, Lemont, New Lenox, Oak Forest, Oak Lawn, Orland Park, Summit and Tinley Park, Illinois.

    For further information on financial results, visit: https://www.otcmarkets.com/stock/MNAT/disclosure.

    Special Note Concerning Forward-Looking Statements. 
    This document contains, and future oral and written statements of the Company and its management may contain, forward-looking statements with respect to the financial condition, results of operations, plans, objectives, future performance and business of the Company. Forward-looking statements, which may be based upon beliefs, expectations and assumptions of the Company’s management and on information currently available to management, are generally identifiable by the use of words such as “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “bode”, “predict,” “suggest,” “project”, “appear,” “plan,” “intend,” “estimate,” ”annualize,” “may,” “will,” “would,” “could,” “should,” “likely,” “might,” “potential,” “continue,” “annualized,” “target,” “outlook,” as well as the negative forms of those words, or other similar expressions. Additionally, all statements in this document, including forward-looking statements, speak only as of the date they are made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update any statement in light of new information or future events.

    A number of factors, many of which are beyond the ability of the Company to control or predict, could cause actual results to differ materially from those in its forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to: (i) the strength of the local, state, national and international economies and financial markets (including effects of inflationary pressures and supply chain constraints); (ii) effects on the U.S. economy resulting from the implementation of policies proposed by the new presidential administration, including tariffs, mass deportations and tax regulations; (iii) the economic impact of any future terrorist threats and attacks, widespread disease or pandemics, acts of war or threats thereof (including the Russian invasion of Ukraine and ongoing conflicts in the Middle East), or other adverse events that could cause economic deterioration or instability in credit markets, and the response of the local, state and national governments to any such adverse external events; (iv) new or revised accounting policies and practices, as may be adopted by state and federal regulatory agencies, the Financial Accounting Standards Board or the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board; (v) changes in local, state and federal laws, regulations and governmental policies concerning the Company’s general business and any changes in response to the bank failures in 2023; (vi) the imposition of tariffs or other governmental policies impacting the value of products produced by the Company’s commercial borrowers; (vii) increased competition in the financial services sector, including from non-bank competitors such as credit unions and fintech companies, and the inability to attract new customers; (viii) changes in technology and the ability to develop and maintain secure and reliable electronic systems; (ix) unexpected results of acquisitions which may include failure to realize the anticipated benefits of the acquisitions and the possibility that transaction costs may be greater than anticipated; (x) the loss of key executives and employees, talent shortages and employee turnover; (xi) changes in consumer spending; (xii) unexpected outcomes and costs of existing or new litigation or other legal proceedings and regulatory actions involving the Company; (xiii) the economic impact on the Company and its customers of climate change, natural disasters and exceptional weather occurrences such as tornadoes, floods and blizzards; (xiv) fluctuations in the value of securities held in our securities portfolio, including as a result of changes in interest rates; (xv) credit risk and risks from concentrations (by type of borrower, geographic area, collateral and industry) within our loan portfolio and large loans to certain borrowers (including CRE loans); (xvi) the overall health of the local and national real estate market; (xvii) the ability to maintain an adequate level of allowance for credit losses on loans; (xviii) the concentration of large deposits from certain clients who have balances above current FDIC insurance limits and who may withdraw deposits to diversify their exposure; (xix) the ability to successfully manage liquidity risk, which may increase dependence on non-core funding sources such as brokered deposits, and may negatively impact the Company’s cost of funds; (xx) the level of non-performing assets on our balance sheets; (xxi) interruptions involving our information technology and communications systems or third-party servicers; (xxii) the occurrence of fraudulent activity, breaches or failures of our third-party vendors’ information security controls or cybersecurity-related incidents, including as a result of sophisticated attacks using artificial intelligence and similar tools or as a result of insider fraud; (xxiii) changes in the interest rates and repayment rates of the Company’s assets; (xxiv) the effectiveness of the Company’s risk management framework, and (xxv) the ability of the Company to manage the risks associated with the foregoing as well as anticipated. These risks and uncertainties should be considered in evaluating forward-looking statements and undue reliance should not be placed on such statements.

    Marquette National Corporation and Subsidiaries
    Financial Highlights
    (Unaudited)
    (in thousands, except share and per share data)
                 
                 
    Balance Sheet        
               06/30/25       12/31/24 Percent
    Change
      Total assets   $2,229,653 $2,207,663 1%
      Total loans, net     1,421,815   1,390,799 2%
      Total deposits     1,759,649   1,739,799 1%
      Total stockholders’ equity   185,298   173,579 7%
             
      Shares outstanding   4,366,911   4,367,477 0%
      Book value per share $42.43 $39.74 7%
      Tangible book value per share $34.34 $31.65 8%
             
             
    Operating Results        
        Six Months Ended June 30,
    		 Percent
    Change
         2025   2024 
    		  
      Net Interest income $25,003 $22,486 10%
      Provision for credit losses   619   1,894 -67%
      Realized securities gains, net   9,996   1,261 *
      Unrealized holding gains (losses) on equity securities and exchange traded funds   (4,825)   16,294 *
      Other income   7,767   8,264 -6%
      Other expense   28,453   28,533 0%
      Income tax expense   2,233   4,645 -52%
      Net income   6,636   13,233 -50%
             
      Basic and fully diluted earnings per share $1.52 $3.02 -50%
      Weighted average shares outstanding   4,367,277   4,381,037 0%
             
      Cash dividends declared per share $0.62 $0.56 11%
             
      Comprehensive income $14,442 $12,348 17%
               
      * Not meaningful        
               

    For more information:
    Patrick Hunt
    EVP & CFO
    708-364-9019           
    phunt@emarquettebank.com 

    The MIL Network –

  • IMD predicts heavy rainfall over northeast, eastern India; TN and Kerala in for week-long wet spell

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Friday forecast continued heavy to very heavy rainfall over Northeast and adjoining eastern India over the next seven days, with extremely heavy downpours expected in specific pockets. Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim, along with Meghalaya, are likely to receive intense rainfall on August 2 and 3. Arunachal Pradesh and Bihar are also forecast to witness extremely heavy rainfall on August 3.

    Southern states, including Tamil Nadu and Kerala are expected to experience sustained heavy to very heavy rainfall over the next six to seven days. In contrast, subdued rainfall activity is likely over central and north peninsular India during this period.

    Additional bouts of very heavy rainfall are anticipated in various parts of north and central India in the coming days.

    Himachal Pradesh is likely to receive very heavy showers on August 1. Eastern Rajasthan and western Uttar Pradesh are expected to see intense rain on August 4, while eastern Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand may witness heavy showers on August 3 and 4. Tamil Nadu is likely to receive very heavy rainfall on August 4 and 5, followed by Kerala and Mahe on August 6 and 7.

    In the past 24 hours (leading up to 8:30 a.m. on August 1), isolated locations across Rajasthan, Haryana, Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, and Meghalaya recorded heavy to very heavy rainfall (ranging between 7 and 20 cm). Isolated heavy rainfall was also reported from parts of sub-Himalayan West Bengal, Jharkhand, Uttarakhand, Punjab, western Uttar Pradesh, and central Maharashtra.

    Weather outlook for Delhi-NCR

    On Friday, Delhi is likely to remain under a generally cloudy sky, with one or two spells of light rain and the possibility of moderate showers in isolated areas during the evening or night. Thunderstorms and lightning are also expected. Maximum temperatures are projected between 32°C and 34°C, which is 2 to 4 degrees below normal. Surface winds will predominantly blow from the south at 10–15 kmph during the afternoon, weakening to 5–10 kmph from the southwest by evening.

    On August 2, the capital will continue to witness a generally cloudy sky, accompanied by very light to light rain and occasional thunderstorms. Daytime temperatures may rise slightly, ranging from 34°C to 36°C, with minimums between 24°C and 26°C. Winds will shift from the west in the morning to the southwest by afternoon, reaching up to 20 kmph before subsiding to around 10–15 kmph in the evening.

    August 3 is forecast to bring light to moderate rainfall along with thunderstorms. Temperatures will dip slightly again, with maximums between 32°C and 34°C and minimums in the 24°C to 26°C range. Winds will initially come from the northwest at around 10–15 kmph and later shift to the southwest during the afternoon, before transitioning to the northeast in the evening.

    On August 4, the city is expected to remain under a cloudy sky, with light rainfall and thunderstorms. Maximum temperatures will continue to hover between 32°C and 34°C, while minimums may fall to 23°C to 25°C. Winds will begin from the northeast and increase from the east in the afternoon before calming again in the evening.

    Overall, the Delhi-NCR region is likely to experience relatively cooler days with intermittent rainfall and thunderstorms through the first week of August.

  • MIL-OSI USA: Flood Survivors in Four More Counties May Apply for Federal Assistance

    Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

    Headline: Flood Survivors in Four More Counties May Apply for Federal Assistance

    Flood Survivors in Four More Counties May Apply for Federal Assistance

    AUSTIN, Texas – Homeowners and renters in Guadalupe, Kimble, McCulloch and Menard counties are now eligible to apply for federal disaster assistance if you were affected by the Central Texas flooding in July

    FEMA, the State of Texas and the U

    S

    Small Business Administration may be able to help with serious disaster-related needs, temporary lodging, basic home repair costs, personal property loss and disaster loans

    Previously, Burnet, Kerr, San Saba, Tom Green, Travis and Williamson counties were designated for FEMA assistance, meaning survivors with losses in those counties could apply even if they do not live in the county or in Texas

    A total of 10 counties are now designated for federal assistance under the major presidential disaster declaration for the July 2-18 severe storms and flooding in Central Texas

    Survivors with homeowners’, renters’ and flood insurance are encouraged to file a claim with their insurance carrier as soon as possible

    By law, FEMA cannot provide funding for losses covered by your insurance

    If your policy does not cover all disaster expenses, you may be eligible for federal assistance

    FEMA works closely with the Small Business Administration, which provides low-interest disaster loans for homeowners, renters, nonprofit organizations and businesses of all sizes

    You have until Thursday, Sept

    4, to apply for FEMA disaster assistance, which is not the same as reporting your damage to the state

    Reporting disaster damage to the Texas Division of Emergency Management at damage

    tdem

    texas

    gov helps officials connect you with resources and services

    The fastest way to apply to FEMA is online at DisasterAssistance

    gov

    You may also use the FEMA mobile app or call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362

    Lines are open from 6 a

    m

    to 10 p

    m

    CT daily

    If you use a relay service, captioned telephone or other service, you can give FEMA your number for that service

    Helpline specialists speak many languages

    Press 2 for Spanish

    To apply online or to download an SBA application, go to SBA

    gov/disaster

    You may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955 or email DisasterCustomerService@sba

    gov

     The deadline to apply for an SBA physical disaster loan is also Thursday, Sept

    4

    The last day to apply for an SBA economic injury loan is April 6, 2026

    You may also visit any Disaster Recovery Center to receive in-person assistance

    To find one close to you, use your ZIP code to search FEMA

    gov/DRC

    To view an accessible video, visit What You Need to Know Before Applying for FEMA Assistance

    For the latest information about the Texas recovery, visit fema

    gov/disaster/4879

    Follow FEMA Region 6 on social media at x

    com/FEMARegion6 and at facebook

    com/FEMARegion6
    toan

    nguyen
    Thu, 07/31/2025 – 15:35

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: News Release – DOH Urges Residents With Electric Medical Devices to Prepare for Potential Power Outages

    Source: US State of Hawaii

    News Release – DOH Urges Residents With Electric Medical Devices to Prepare for Potential Power Outages

    Posted on Jul 31, 2025 in Latest Department News, Newsroom

     

     

     

    STATE OF HAWAIʻI

    KA MOKU ʻĀINA O HAWAIʻI

     

    JOSH GREEN, M.D.
    GOVERNOR

    KE KIA‘ĀINA

     

    DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH

    KA ʻOIHANA OLAKINO

    KENNETH S. FINK, M.D., MGA, MPH
    DIRECTOR

    KA LUNA HO‘OKELE

    DOH URGES RESIDENTS WITH ELECTRIC MEDICAL DEVICES TO PREPARE FOR POTENTIAL POWER OUTAGES DURING RED FLAG WARNING

    25-086

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    July 31, 2025

    HONOLULU — The Hawaiʻi Department of Health (DOH) is encouraging residents who rely on electric- or battery-powered medical devices to prepare for potential power outages. A Red Flag Warning is in effect until 6 p.m. Friday, Aug. 1, due to heightened wildfire risk, underscoring the importance of power outage preparedness.

    Households with a member who depends on electricity for medical needs are urged to speak with their health care provider about backup options and planning. Families should review and update their emergency plans, including the possibility of temporarily relocating if adequate backup power is not available.

    The Pacific ADA Center offers a helpful emergency preparedness checklist, available here.

    Hawaiian Electric (HECO) may implement Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) in high-risk areas to prevent wildfires. Residents in Honolulu, Maui and Hawaiʻi counties who use powered medical devices should review HECO’s PSPS preparedness recommendations:

    • Check if your residence is in a designated PSPS area.
    • Sign up for emergency outage alerts.
    • Complete a Medical Needs Communication Form.
    • Contact HECO’s customer service for help:
      • Oʻahu: 808-548-7311
      • Maui: 808-871-9777
      • Molokaʻi and Lānaʻi: 877-871-8461
      • Hilo: 808-969-6999
      • Kona: 808-329-3584
      • Waimea: 808-885-4605
    • Kauai Residents: Contact KIUC at 808-246-4300
    • If you have a smartphone, download the HECO app and enable notifications.

    All households are encouraged to visit www.preparenowhawaii.org for emergency preparedness tips and resources to support health and safety. For questions about electrical service, please contact your utility provider directly.

    #  #  #

    Media Contact:

    Adam LeFebvre
    Information Specialist
    Hawai‘i State Department of Health
    Phone: 808-586-4439
    Email: [email protected]

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: As Trump defunds federal firefighting, California steps up: introducing the world’s largest helicopter firefighting fleet

    Source: US State of California 2

    Jul 31, 2025

    What you need to know: California has completed a multi-year effort to modernize its aerial firefighting fleet, with the final delivery of two state-of-the-art Fire Hawk helicopters arriving in Sacramento – bringing CAL FIRE’s Fire Hawk fleet to a total of 16 stationed throughout the state.

    SACRAMENTO – In stark contrast to the Trump administration’s cuts to public safety and emergency response, California continues to ramp up its firefighting arsenal: the state now has the largest civilian helicopter firefighting fleet in the world.

    Governor Gavin Newsom today announced a monumental achievement in CAL FIRE’s ongoing commitment to protecting California, as the final two of sixteen Sikorsky S-70i Fire Hawk helicopters arrived at McClellan Airfield in Sacramento. This arrival completes a multi-year transition that significantly upgrades the department’s aerial firefighting capabilities. This year also marks the full conversion of all ten CAL FIRE Helitack bases from the Vietnam-era Huey UH-1H helicopters to the state-of-the-art Fire Hawk. It’s a full circle moment on an effort that the Governor initiated at the beginning of his first term. 

    This comprehensive modernization effort, which began with the first base receiving a Fire Hawk in 2020, represents a substantial statewide initiative and a long-term investment in the safety and protection of California’s communities, property, and natural landscapes.

    Our fleet of Fire Hawk helicopters – now the largest in the world – is a proven tool in our growing firefighting arsenal. During the devastating Los Angeles fires, we saw them in action, conducting critical missions at night which stopped the Palisades Fire from dipping into Mandeville Canyon and toward the 405 freeway. Hundreds of homes were saved because of these state-of-the-art helicopters and their heroic pilots.

    With the Trump Administration pulling back on federal firefighting, California continues to step up to protect our communities.

    Governor Gavin Newsom

    Earlier this month, the Governor sent a model executive order to the White House for the President to issue to help the federal government match California’s efforts and better manage its forestlands, which make up 57% of California’s forests (compared to just 3% managed by the state). 

    This comes amid the Trump administration’s dangerous cuts to the U.S. Forest Service, which also threatens the safety of communities across the state. The U.S. Forest Service has lost 10% of all positions and 25% of positions outside of direct wildfire response – both of which are likely to impact wildfire response this year. Just last week, the Trump administration proposed a massive reorganization that would shutter the Pacific Regional Forest Service office and other regional Forest Service offices across the West, compounding staff cuts and voluntary resignations across the agency.

    The world’s largest aerial firefighting fleet – just got even bigger

    The new Fire Hawk helicopters add to the largest aerial firefighting fleet in the world. Governor Newsom recently announced that the state’s second C-130 Hercules airtanker is ready for firefighting operations. 

    CAL FIRE’s history with helicopters in firefighting dates back to the 1960s, when the Department first utilized choppers for reconnaissance and transport. Their versatility and ability to operate in challenging terrain led to their adoption for fire suppression in support of ground crews. 

    “The completion of our S-70i Fire Hawk fleet and the transition of all Helitack bases is thanks to the dedication of the entire CAL FIRE aviation program,” said CAL FIRE Chief and Director Joe Tyler. “This is about equipping our firefighters with the most advanced tools available to respond to the increasing complexities of wildland fires.”

    In the 1980s, CAL FIRE began its helicopter fleet with the Bell Huey, and for over four decades, the Huey has been the workhorse of the CAL FIRE Helitack program.

    The impacts of the transition to the purpose-built S-70i Fire Hawk, which began in 2018, are significant:

    • Increased water-dropping capacity: The Fire Hawk can carry nearly three times as much water as its predecessors (1000 gallons), allowing for more effective and immediate suppression efforts.
    • Enhanced night operations: Outfitted for night operations, the Fire Hawk extends CAL FIRE’s ability to fight fires around the clock, a critical advantage in containing rapidly spreading incidents. This capability proved valuable in January when CAL FIRE responded to the Palisades Fire. Multiple CAL FIRE helicopters, and partner agency aircraft, conducted crucial night operations in the Mandeville Canyon area, dropping over 375,000 gallons of water. Operating at low altitudes under night vision goggles (NVG) and navigating complex terrain and hazards such as high-tension power lines, flight crews were instrumental in halting the fire’s advance toward residential neighborhoods. Had the fire breached Mandeville Canyon, projections indicated a rapid spread toward the 405 Freeway corridor, putting hundreds of homes at risk. The combined nighttime and daylight operations ultimately prevented structural loss and showcased the value of CAL FIRE’s modernized aerial fleet and highly trained personnel in defending high-risk urban interface zones. CAL FIRE flew its first night mission with the Fire Hawk in 2022 in response to the Electra Fire.
    • Expanded crew and capabilities: With the capacity for more crew and an external permanently affixed hoist, the Fire Hawk provides greater flexibility for personnel deployment and rescue operations.
    • Improved flight safety: These state-of-the-art helicopters offer a greater degree of safety for firefighters and the community.

    Governor Newsom receives a demo of a CAL FIRE Fire Hawk simulator.

    California’s unprecedented wildfire readiness 

    As part of the state’s ongoing investment in wildfire resilience and emergency response, CAL FIRE has significantly expanded its workforce over the past five years by adding an average of 1,800 full-time and 600 seasonal positions annually – nearly double that of the previous administration. Over the next four years and beyond, CAL FIRE will be hiring thousands of additional firefighters, natural resource professionals, and support personnel to meet the state’s growing demands.

    In recent months, the Governor has announced millions of dollars in investments to protect communities from wildfire – with $135 million available for new and ongoing prevention projects and $72 million going out the door to projects across the state. This is part of over $5 billion the Newsom administration, in collaboration with the legislature, has invested in wildfire and forest resilience since 2019. Additionally, 54 new vegetation management projects spanning nearly 12,000 acres have already been fast-tracked to approval under the streamlined process provided by the Governor’s March 2025 state of emergency proclamation.

    This builds on consecutive years of intensive and focused work by California to confront the severe ongoing risk of catastrophic wildfires. New, bold moves to streamline state-level regulatory processes builds long-term efforts already underway in California to increase wildfire response and forest management in the face of a hotter, drier climate.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: JULY 31, 2025-2025-011_NEWS RELEASE-HIEMA ALERTS PUBLIC TO RED FLAG WARNING-EXTREME FIRE DANGER CONDITIONS EXIST

    Source: US State of Hawaii

    JULY 31, 2025-2025-011_NEWS RELEASE-HIEMA ALERTS PUBLIC TO RED FLAG WARNING-EXTREME FIRE DANGER CONDITIONS EXIST

    Posted on Jul 31, 2025 in Latest Department News, Newsroom

    STATE OF HAWAIʻI

    KA MOKU ʻĀINA O HAWAIʻI

     

    JOSH GREEN, M.D.

    GOVERNOR

    KE KIAʻĀINA

     

    DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

    KA ʻOIHANA PILI KAUA

     

    MAJOR GENERAL STEPHEN F. LOGAN

    DIRECTOR OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
    LUNA HOʻOMALU PŌULIA

    HAWAIʻI EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY

    KEʻENA HOʻOMALU PŌULIA O HAWAIʻI

    JAMES DS. BARROS

    ADMINISTRATOR OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
    KAHU HOʻOMALU PŌULIA

     

     

    HIEMA ALERTS PUBLIC TO RED FLAG WARNING: EXTREME FIRE DANGER CONDITIONS EXIST

     

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         2025-011

    July 31, 2025

    HONOLULU — The Hawaiʻi Emergency Management Agency (HIEMA) is alerting the public that the National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a Red Flag Warning for portions of the state. The Red Flag Warning is in effect until 6:00 p.m. Friday, August 1. This warning signals that critical fire weather conditions — strong winds, low humidity and dry fuels — are creating an extreme wildfire risk.

    “We cannot afford to be careless when conditions are this dangerous,” said Governor Josh Green, M.D.. “Nearly all of Hawaiʻi’s wildfires are started by human activity, which means nearly all of them are preventable. Every person in our state — residents and visitors alike – has a role to play in reducing the risk. Please take this warning seriously, avoid activities that can spark fires and do your part to keep our communities and ‘ohana safe.”

    “Red Flag Warnings are a serious call to action,” said James Barros, HIEMA Administrator. “A single spark can have devastating consequences. It is everyone’s kuleana — our shared responsibility — to prevent ignition and protect our communities.”

     

    Human-caused ignitions remain the primary threat

    Nearly 99 % of wildfires in Hawaiʻi are caused by human activity, including careless disposal of cigarette butts, unattended campfires, “hot work” such as welding that uses machinery causing sparks, burning of yard waste, and sparks along roadways and powerline corridors (dlnr.hawaii.gov). Individual actions make the difference.

     

    Fuel loads and climate conditions drive fire severity

    Non-native, fire-prone grasses and shrubs cover more than 25 % of Hawaiʻi’s landscape, creating “fine fuels” that can spread fire rapidly and unpredictably (hwmo.org). Combined with warming, drier conditions, Hawaiʻi’s fire season is effectively year-round, with about 0.5 % of state land burning each year — among the highest proportions in the nation.

     

    Resource challenges and community preparedness

    The Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW) manages fire response across nearly 60% of Hawaiʻi’s lands, but constrained personnel and equipment make wildfire mitigation and suppression challenging. This year’s state budget included additional staffing and funding for fire mitigation, as well as approval to reduce fuels on state lands not maintained by DOFAW.

    Residents and visitors can also help protect their homes and communities by:

    • Clearing defensible space: Remove dry vegetation and combustible materials from around structures.
    • Avoiding activities that can start fires: Do not burn debris, discard cigarettes, or use open flames outdoors.

     

    • Maintaining property: Clear gutters, trim fire-prone vegetation and secure loose items.
    • Being evacuation-ready: Know at least two ways out of your neighborhood and have an emergency kit prepared.

    Infrastructure and evacuation challenges

    HIEMA continues to work with partnering agencies and counties, utilizing modernized alert systems and enhanced public safety during fast-moving fire events.

    “Wildfire preparedness is everyone’s kuleana — from individual homeowners and landowners to public land managers, large agricultural operations and even visitors,” said State Fire Marshal Dori Booth. “We must all work together to build a safer, more resilient Hawaiʻi.”

    For real-time updates on weather conditions and warnings, visit the National Weather Service at www.weather.gov/hfo and follow HIEMA on X (formerly Twitter) at @Hawaii_EMA. For more information on wildfire conditions and preparedness, visit https://dod.hawaii.gov/hiema/wildfire/.

    # # #

    Contact:

    1. Kīelekū Amundson

    Communications Director

    Phone: 808-733-4300 Ext 522

    Email: [email protected]

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Facing Earthquakes and Extremes, Asia-Pacific Deepens Disaster Cooperation Incheon, Republic of Korea | 01 August 2025 APEC Emergency Preparedness Working Group

    Source: APEC Secretariat

    A powerful earthquake off the coast of Kamchatka jolted the Asia-Pacific just hours before emergency officials from APEC economies convened in Incheon for the 21st meeting of the APEC Emergency Preparedness Working Group (EPWG), a timely reminder of how disasters can ripple across the region without warning.

    “Disasters know no borders, and they affect not only local communities but have long-term consequences for entire economies,” said Kim Gwang-yong, Vice Minister of Korea’s Ministry of the Interior and Safety, in his welcome address. “Cooperation and solidarity among APEC economies are more important than ever.”

    Vice Minister Kim highlighted Korea’s recent experiences with typhoons, heavy rainfall and wildfires, noting that the country has continuously improved its disaster management systems. 

    He also emphasized Korea’s commitment to sharing these best practices with fellow APEC economies and expanding cooperation in ICT-based early warning systems, disaster prediction models using artificial intelligence (AI), and community-centered disaster resilience strategies.

    The meeting’s agenda covered digital-based disaster risk management strategies, community leadership in disaster response and strengthening multi-layered governance. 

    Experts and officials discussed enhancing early warning systems, leveraging big data and satellite technologies and developing resilient infrastructure that can support disaster-affected communities. 

    Sessions also focused on advancing collaborative governance, bridging gaps in disaster risk management, and preparing communities for emerging risks.

    EPWG co-chair Dayra Carvajal of the United States Federal Emergency Management Agency, urged members to recognize the compounding risks affecting the region’s interconnected systems. 

    “From devastating earthquakes to wildfires and catastrophic flooding, this year has once again underscored the interconnected impacts of disasters in Asia-Pacific,” she said. “These compounding stressors that ripple through shared infrastructure remind us that events in one economy are frequently felt elsewhere.”

    “This year, we must endeavor to identify concrete and practical ways in which to strengthen the systems that sustain regional economic growth and prosperity: our infrastructure, markets and supply chains.”

    The agenda featured project updates and best practice exchanges by member economies including on topics such as disaster risk prediction and whole-community preparedness in urban, coastal and inland areas. Delegates examined how to bridge gaps in early warning systems, scale agile and adaptable governance across central and local levels and enable technology-driven disaster leadership.

    “The more we prepare, the more we can reduce disaster damage. And the more we cooperate, the stronger our response can become,” Vice Minister Kim concluded.

    Looking ahead, the group emphasized that continued collaboration under the newly launched EPWG Strategic Plan 2025–2027 will be essential to turn this momentum into durable systems of protection and preparedness. 

    The EPWG meeting is a key platform for promoting APEC’s vision of a resilient and prosperous future, with discussions expected to result in actionable policies and collaborative projects that can mitigate disaster risks, enhance regional preparedness and protect the lives and livelihoods of the 2.9 billion people who call the APEC region home.

    For more information or media inquiries, please contact:
    [email protected]

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI: Brookfield Business Partners Reports Second Quarter 2025 Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    BROOKFIELD, NEWS, Aug. 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Brookfield Business Partners (NYSE: BBU, BBUC; TSX: BBU.UN, BBUC) announced today financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2025.

    “We had an active quarter, reaching an agreement on the sale of a partial interest in three businesses, investing $300 million to acquire two market-leading businesses, and repurchasing an additional 2.2 million of common equity at highly accretive levels,” said Anuj Ranjan, CEO of Brookfield Business Partners. “The strength of our financial results in an uneven macroeconomic environment underscores the resilience of our operations, while progress on our value creation plans and capital recycling initiatives enable us to continue compounding growth for investors.”

      Three Months Ended
    June 30,    		   Six Months Ended
    June 30,
    US$ millions (except per unit amounts), unaudited   2025   2024       2025   2024
    Net income (loss) attributable to Unitholders1 $ 26 $ (20 )   $ 106 $ 28
    Net income (loss) per limited partnership unit2 $ 0.12 $ (0.10 )   $ 0.49 $ 0.13
               
    Adjusted EBITDA3 $ 591 $ 524     $ 1,182 $ 1,068

    Net income attributable to Unitholders for the three months ended June 30, 2025 was $26 million ($0.12 per limited partnership unit), compared to net loss of $20 million (loss of $0.10 per limited partnership unit) in the prior period.

    Adjusted EBITDA for the three months ended June 30, 2025 was $591 million, compared to $524 million in the prior period reflecting increased performance on a same store basis and contribution from recently completed acquisitions. Prior period results included $71 million of contribution from disposed operations including our offshore oil services’ shuttle tanker operation which was sold in January 2025.

    Operational Update

    The following table presents Adjusted EBITDA by segment:

      Three Months Ended
    June 30,    		   Six Months Ended
    June 30,
    US$ millions, unaudited   2025     2024       2025     2024  
    Industrials $ 307   $ 213     $ 611   $ 441  
    Business Services   205     182       418     387  
    Infrastructure Services   109     157       213     300  
    Corporate and Other   (30 )   (28 )     (60 )   (60 )
    Adjusted EBITDA $ 591   $ 524     $ 1,182   $ 1,068  

    Our Industrials segment generated Adjusted EBITDA of $307 million for the three months ended June 30, 2025, compared to $213 million during the same period in 2024, benefiting from strong operating performance at our advanced energy storage operation. Current period results included $71 million of tax recoveries as well as contribution from recent acquisitions including our electric heat tracing systems manufacturer which was acquired in January 2025. Prior period results included contribution from our Canadian aggregates production operation which was sold in June 2024.

    Our Business Services segment generated Adjusted EBITDA of $205 million for the three months ended June 30, 2025, compared to $182 million during the same period in 2024 which reflected the impact of reduced contribution from our dealer software and technology services operation in the prior period. Prior period results included contribution from our road fuels operation which was sold in July 2024.

    Our Infrastructure Services segment generated Adjusted EBITDA of $109 million for the three months ended June 30, 2025, compared to $157 million during the same period in 2024 primarily reflecting the sale of our offshore oil services’ shuttle tanker operation in January 2025.

    The following table presents Adjusted EFO4 by segment:

      Three Months Ended
    June 30,    		   Six Months Ended
    June 30,
    US$ millions, unaudited   2025     2024       2025     2024  
    Adjusted EFO          
    Industrials $ 154   $ 206     $ 284   $ 386  
    Business Services   105     86       222     254  
    Infrastructure Services   38     76       204     148  
    Corporate and Other   (63 )   (79 )     (131 )   (168 )

    Adjusted EFO included the benefit of lower interest expense due to a reduction in corporate borrowings compared to the prior period. Industrials Adjusted EFO reflected the impact of higher interest expense related to the funding of a distribution received from our advanced energy storage operation during the current year. Adjusted EFO in the prior period included $103 million of net gains related to the disposition of our Canadian aggregates production operation and the sale of public securities.

    Strategic Initiatives

    • Capital Recycling
      In July, we completed the previously announced sale of a partial interest in three businesses to a new evergreen private equity fund managed by Brookfield Asset Management. In exchange, BBU will receive units of the new evergreen fund with an initial redemption value of approximately $690 million, representing an aggregate 8.6% discount to net asset value (NAV) of the interests sold. In the 18-month period following the initial close of the new evergreen fund, the units are expected to be redeemed for cash.
    • Canadian Mortgage Lender
      In July, we entered into a partnership to privatize First National Financial Corporation, a leading publicly-listed Canadian residential and multi-family mortgage lender, for $2.7 billion. The transaction is expected to be funded with approximately $1.3 billion of equity, of which BBU’s share is expected to be approximately $145 million for an 11% interest in the business. The transaction is expected to close later this year, subject to obtaining the required shareholder, court and regulatory approvals and the satisfaction of other customary closing conditions.
    • Specialty Consumables and Equipment Manufacturer
      In May, we completed the previously announced acquisition of Antylia Scientific, a leading manufacturer and distributor of critical consumables and testing equipment serving life sciences and environmental labs for approximately $1.3 billion. BBU invested $168 million for a 26% interest.
    • Unit Repurchase Program
      During the quarter, we invested $56 million to repurchase 2.2 million units and shares of Brookfield Business Partners at an average price of approximately $25 per unit and share. Since the start of the year, our buyback program has returned $157 million to owners through the repurchase of 6.5 million units and shares under our normal course issuer bid (NCIB), which we plan to renew once it expires later this month.

    Liquidity

    We ended the quarter with approximately $2.3 billion of liquidity at the corporate level, including $2.2 billion of availability on our credit facilities. Pro forma for announced and recently closed transactions, corporate liquidity is approximately $2.9 billion.

    Distribution

    The Board of Directors has declared a quarterly distribution in the amount of $0.0625 per unit, payable on September 29, 2025 to unitholders of record as at the close of business on August 29, 2025.

    Additional Information

    The Board has reviewed and approved this news release, including the summarized unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements contained herein.

    Brookfield Business Partners’ Letter to Unitholders and the Supplemental Information are available on our website https://bbu.brookfield.com under Reports & Filings.

    Notes:
    1 Attributable to limited partnership unitholders, general partnership unitholders, redemption-exchange unitholders, special limited partnership unitholders and BBUC exchangeable shareholders.
    2 Net income (loss) per limited partnership unit calculated as net income (loss) attributable to limited partners divided by the average number of limited partnership units outstanding for the three and six months ended June 30, 2025 which were 88.9 million and 84.5 million, respectively (June 30, 2024: 74.3 million and 74.3 million, respectively).
    3 Adjusted EBITDA is a non-IFRS measure of operating performance presented as net income and equity accounted income at the partnership’s economic ownership interest in consolidated subsidiaries and equity accounted investments, respectively, excluding the impact of interest income (expense), net, income taxes, depreciation and amortization expense, gains (losses) on dispositions, net, transaction costs, restructuring charges, revaluation gains or losses, impairment expenses or reversals, other income or expenses, and preferred equity distributions. The partnership’s economic ownership interest in consolidated subsidiaries and equity accounted investments excludes amounts attributable to non-controlling interests consistent with how the partnership determines net income attributable to non-controlling interests in its unaudited interim condensed consolidated statements of operating results. The partnership believes that Adjusted EBITDA provides a comprehensive understanding of the ability of its businesses to generate recurring earnings which allows users to better understand and evaluate the underlying financial performance of the partnership’s operations and excludes items that the partnership believes do not directly relate to revenue earning activities and are not normal, recurring items necessary for business operations. Please refer to the reconciliation of net income (loss) to Adjusted EBITDA included in this news release.
    4 Adjusted EFO is the partnership’s segment measure of profit or loss and is presented as net income and equity accounted income at the partnership’s economic ownership interest in consolidated subsidiaries and equity accounted investments, respectively, excluding the impact of depreciation and amortization expense, deferred income taxes, transaction costs, restructuring charges, unrealized revaluation gains or losses, impairment expenses or reversals and other income or expense items that are not directly related to revenue generating activities. The partnership’s economic ownership interest in consolidated subsidiaries excludes amounts attributable to non-controlling interests consistent with how the partnership determines net income attributable to non-controlling interests in its unaudited interim condensed consolidated statements of operating results. In order to provide additional insight regarding the partnership’s operating performance over the lifecycle of an investment, Adjusted EFO includes the impact of preferred equity distributions and realized disposition gains or losses recorded in net income, other comprehensive income, or directly in equity, such as ownership changes. Adjusted EFO does not include legal and other provisions that may occur from time to time in the partnership’s operations and that are one-time or non-recurring and not directly tied to the partnership’s operations, such as those for litigation or contingencies. Adjusted EFO includes expected credit losses and bad debt allowances recorded in the normal course of the partnership’s operations. Adjusted EFO allows the partnership to evaluate its segments on the basis of return on invested capital generated by its operations and allows the partnership to evaluate the performance of its segments on a levered basis.

    Brookfield Business Partners is a global business services and industrials company focused on owning and operating high-quality businesses that provide essential products and services and benefit from a strong competitive position. Investors have flexibility to invest in our company either through Brookfield Business Partners L.P. (NYSE: BBU; TSX: BBU.UN), a limited partnership or Brookfield Business Corporation (NYSE, TSX: BBUC), a corporation. For more information, please visit https://bbu.brookfield.com.

    Brookfield Business Partners is the flagship listed vehicle of Brookfield Asset Management’s Private Equity Group. Brookfield Asset Management is a leading global alternative asset manager with over $1 trillion of assets under management.

    Please note that Brookfield Business Partners’ previous audited annual and unaudited quarterly reports have been filed on SEDAR+ and EDGAR, and are available at https://bbu.brookfield.com under Reports & Filings. Hard copies of the annual and quarterly reports can be obtained free of charge upon request.

    For more information, please contact:

    Conference Call and Quarterly Earnings Webcast Details

    Investors, analysts and other interested parties can access Brookfield Business Partners’ second quarter 2025 results as well as the Letter to Unitholders and Supplemental Information on our website https://bbu.brookfield.com under Reports & Filings.

    The results call can be accessed via webcast on August 1, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time at BBU2025Q2Webcast or participants can preregister at BBU2025Q2ConferenceCall. Upon registering, participants will be emailed a dial-in number and unique PIN. A replay of the webcast will be available at https://bbu.brookfield.com.

    Brookfield Business Partners L.P.
    Consolidated Statements of Financial Position
     
      As at
    US$ millions, unaudited June 30, 2025   December 31, 2024
               
    Assets          
    Cash and cash equivalents   $ 3,329     $ 3,239
    Financial assets     11,658       12,371
    Accounts and other receivable, net     7,148       6,279
    Inventory and other assets     5,808       5,728
    Property, plant and equipment     10,591       13,232
    Deferred income tax assets     1,959       1,744
    Intangible assets     19,158       18,317
    Equity accounted investments     2,397       2,325
    Goodwill     13,287       12,239
    Total Assets   $ 75,335     $ 75,474
               
    Liabilities and Equity          
    Liabilities          
    Corporate borrowings   $ 1,116     $ 2,142
    Accounts payable and other     13,766       16,691
    Non-recourse borrowings in subsidiaries of the partnership     42,493       36,720
    Deferred income tax liabilities     2,639       2,613
               
    Equity          
    Limited partners $ 2,291     $ 1,752  
    Non-controlling interests attributable to:          
    Redemption-exchange units   1,330       1,644  
    Special limited partner   —       —  
    BBUC exchangeable shares   1,805       1,721  
    Preferred securities   740       740  
    Interest of others in operating subsidiaries   9,155       11,451  
          15,321       17,308
    Total Liabilities and Equity   $ 75,335     $ 75,474
    Brookfield Business Partners L.P.
    Consolidated Statements of Operating Results
     
    US$ millions, unaudited Three Months Ended
    June 30,    		   Six Months Ended
    June 30,
      2025     2024       2025     2024  
               
    Revenues $ 6,695   $ 11,946     $ 13,444   $ 23,961  
    Direct operating costs   (5,465 )   (10,928 )     (10,867 )   (21,806 )
    General and administrative expenses   (271 )   (307 )     (582 )   (624 )
    Interest income (expense), net   (801 )   (778 )     (1,571 )   (1,574 )
    Equity accounted income (loss)   23     31       15     54  
    Impairment reversal (expense), net   (14 )   —       (14 )   10  
    Gain (loss) on dispositions, net   6     84       220     99  
    Other income (expense), net   (103 )   (100 )     (186 )   16  
    Income (loss) before income tax   70     (52 )     459     136  
    Income tax (expense) recovery          
    Current   (119 )   (122 )     (316 )   (212 )
    Deferred   184     239       248     344  
    Net income (loss) $ 135   $ 65     $ 391   $ 268  
    Attributable to:          
    Limited partners $ 11   $ (7 )   $ 41   $ 10  
    Non-controlling interests attributable to:          
    Redemption-exchange units   6     (6 )     29     9  
    Special limited partner   —     —       —     —  
    BBUC exchangeable shares   9     (7 )     36     9  
    Preferred securities   13     13       26     26  
    Interest of others in operating subsidiaries   96     72       259     214  
    Brookfield Business Partners L.P.
    Reconciliation of Non-IFRS Measure
     
    US$ millions, unaudited   Three Months Ended June 30, 2025
      Business
    Services    		   Infrastructure
    Services    		   Industrials   Corporate
    and Other    		   Total
                         
    Net income (loss)   $ 253     $ (173 )   $ 95     $ (40 )   $ 135  
                         
    Add or subtract the following:                    
    Depreciation and amortization expense     208       175       384       —       767  
    Impairment reversal (expense), net     —       —       14       —       14  
    Gain (loss) on dispositions, net     (6 )     —       —       —       (6 )
    Other income (expense), net1     (200 )     76       229       (2 )     103  
    Income tax (expense) recovery     9       10       (76 )     (8 )     (65 )
    Equity accounted income (loss)     (5 )     (4 )     (14 )     —       (23 )
    Interest income (expense), net     238       142       401       20       801  
    Equity accounted Adjusted EBITDA2     28       40       20       —       88  
    Amounts attributable to non-controlling interests3     (320 )     (157 )     (746 )     —       (1,223 )
    Adjusted EBITDA   $ 205     $ 109     $ 307     $ (30 )   $ 591  

    Notes:
    1 Other income (expense), net corresponds to amounts that are not directly related to revenue earning activities and are not normal, recurring income or expenses necessary for business operations. The components of other income (expense), net include $236 million of net gain recognized upon the deconsolidation of our healthcare services operation, $183 million of expenses related to employee incentive payments linked to the realization of value at our advanced energy storage operation, $59 million of net revaluation losses, $57 million of business separation expenses, stand-up costs and restructuring charges, $19 million of net loss on debt modification and extinguishment, $3 million of transaction costs and $18 million of other expenses.
    2 Equity accounted Adjusted EBITDA corresponds to the Adjusted EBITDA attributable to the partnership that is generated by its investments in associates and joint ventures accounted for using the equity method.
    3 Amounts attributable to non-controlling interests are calculated based on the economic ownership interests held by the non-controlling interests in consolidated subsidiaries.

    Brookfield Business Partners L.P.
    Reconciliation of Non-IFRS Measure
     
    US$ millions, unaudited   Six Months Ended June 30, 2025
      Business
    Services    		   Infrastructure
    Services    		   Industrials   Corporate
    and Other    		   Total
                         
    Net income (loss)   $ 253     $ (17 )   $ 240     $ (85 )   $ 391  
                         
    Add or subtract the following:                    
    Depreciation and amortization expense     430       340       727       —       1,497  
    Impairment reversal (expense), net     —       —       14       —       14  
    Gain (loss) on dispositions, net     (6 )     (214 )     —       —       (220 )
    Other income (expense), net1     (132 )     (3 )     322       (1 )     186  
    Income tax (expense) recovery     27       35       25       (19 )     68  
    Equity accounted income (loss)     (8 )     22       (29 )     —       (15 )
    Interest income (expense), net     468       291       767       45       1,571  
    Equity accounted Adjusted EBITDA2     52       73       35       —       160  
    Amounts attributable to non-controlling interests3     (666 )     (314 )     (1,490 )     —       (2,470 )
    Adjusted EBITDA   $ 418     $ 213     $ 611     $ (60 )   $ 1,182  

    Notes:
    1 Other income (expense), net corresponds to amounts that are not directly related to revenue earning activities and are not normal, recurring income or expenses necessary for business operations. The components of other income (expense), net include $236 million of net gain recognized upon the deconsolidation of our healthcare services operation, $183 million of expenses related to employee incentive payments linked to the realization of value at our advanced energy storage operation, $135 million of business separation expenses, stand-up costs and restructuring charges, $125 million of unrealized gains recorded on reclassification of property, plant and equipment to finance leases at our offshore oil services operation, $110 million of net revaluation losses, $38 million of transaction costs, $22 million of net loss on debt modification and extinguishment and $59 million of other expenses.
    2 Equity accounted Adjusted EBITDA corresponds to the Adjusted EBITDA attributable to the partnership that is generated by our investments in associates and joint ventures accounted for using the equity method.
    3 Amounts attributable to non-controlling interests are calculated based on the economic ownership interests held by the non-controlling interests in consolidated subsidiaries.

    Brookfield Business Partners L.P.
    Reconciliation of Non-IFRS Measure
     
    US$ millions, unaudited   Three Months Ended June 30, 2024
      Business
    Services    		   Infrastructure
    Services    		   Industrials   Corporate
    and Other    		   Total
                         
    Net income (loss)   $ (5 )   $ (92 )   $ 216     $ (54 )   $ 65  
                         
    Add back or deduct the following:                    
    Depreciation and amortization expense     248       222       339       —       809  
    Gain (loss) on dispositions, net     —       —       (84 )     —       (84 )
    Other income (expense), net1     51       22       26       1       100  
    Income tax expense (recovery)     (17 )     4       (91 )     (13 )     (117 )
    Equity accounted income (loss)     (5 )     (11 )     (15 )     —       (31 )
    Interest income (expense), net     253       178       309       38       778  
    Equity accounted Adjusted EBITDA2     18       44       15       —       77  
    Amounts attributable to non-controlling interests3     (361 )     (210 )     (502 )     —       (1,073 )
    Adjusted EBITDA   $ 182     $ 157     $ 213     $ (28 )   $ 524  

    Notes:
    1 Other income (expense), net corresponds to amounts that are not directly related to revenue earning activities and are not normal, recurring income or expenses necessary for business operations. The components of other income (expense), net include $82 million related to provisions recorded at our construction operation, $49 million of net gains on debt modification and extinguishment, $41 million of business separation expenses, stand-up costs, and restructuring charges, $21 million of net revaluation gains, $8 million of transaction costs and $39 million of other expenses.
    2 Equity accounted Adjusted EBITDA corresponds to the Adjusted EBITDA attributable to the partnership that is generated by our investments in associates and joint ventures accounted for using the equity method.
    3 Amounts attributable to non-controlling interests are calculated based on the economic ownership interests held by the non-controlling interests in consolidated subsidiaries.

    Brookfield Business Partners L.P.
    Reconciliation of Non-IFRS Measure
     
    US$ millions, unaudited   Six Months Ended June 30, 2024
      Business
    Services    		   Infrastructure
    Services    		   Industrials   Corporate
    and Other    		   Total
                         
    Net income (loss)   $ 235     $ (157 )   $ 314     $ (124 )   $ 268  
                         
    Add back or deduct the following:                    
    Depreciation and amortization expense     502       434       681       —       1,617  
    Impairment reversal (expense), net     (4 )     (12 )     6       —       (10 )
    Gain (loss) on dispositions, net     (15 )     —       (84 )     —       (99 )
    Other income (expense), net1     (89 )     4       58       11       (16 )
    Income tax expense (recovery)     7       1       (118 )     (22 )     (132 )
    Equity accounted income (loss), net     (6 )     (15 )     (33 )     —       (54 )
    Interest income (expense), net     505       358       636       75       1,574  
    Equity accounted Adjusted EBITDA2     35       83       31       —       149  
    Amounts attributable to non-controlling interests3     (783 )     (396 )     (1,050 )     —       (2,229 )
    Adjusted EBITDA   $ 387     $ 300     $ 441     $ (60 )   $ 1,068  

    Notes:
    1 Other income (expense), net corresponds to amounts that are not directly related to revenue earning activities and are not normal, recurring income or expenses necessary for business operations. The components of other income (expense), net include $179 million of net revaluation gains, $82 million related to provisions recorded at our construction operation, $61 million of business separation expenses, stand-up costs and restructuring charges, $50 million of other income related to a distribution at our entertainment operation, $38 million of net gains on debt modification and extinguishment, $29 million of transaction costs and $79 million of other expenses.
    2 Equity accounted Adjusted EBITDA corresponds to the Adjusted EBITDA attributable to the partnership that is generated by our investments in associates and joint ventures accounted for using the equity method.
    3 Amounts attributable to non-controlling interests are calculated based on the economic ownership interests held by the non-controlling interests in consolidated subsidiaries.

    Brookfield Business Corporation Reports Second Quarter 2025 Results
     

    Brookfield, News, August 1, 2025 – Brookfield Business Corporation (NYSE, TSX: BBUC) announced today its net income (loss) for the quarter ended June 30, 2025.

      Three Months Ended
    June 30,    		   Six Months Ended
    June 30,
    US$ millions, unaudited   2025     2024     2025     2024  
               
    Net income (loss) attributable to Brookfield Business Partners $ (120 ) $ 124   $ (178 ) $ (26 )

    Net loss attributable to Brookfield Business Partners for the three months ended June 30, 2025 was $120 million, compared to net income of $124 million during the same period in 2024. Current period results included $176 million of remeasurement loss on our exchangeable and class B shares that are classified as liabilities under IFRS and a net gain recognized upon the deconsolidation of our healthcare services operation due to loss of control. Prior period results reflect the impact of reduced contribution from our construction operation. As at June 30, 2025, the exchangeable and class B shares were remeasured to reflect the closing price of $25.93 per unit.

    Dividend

    The Board of Directors has declared a quarterly dividend in the amount of $0.0625 per share, payable on September 29, 2025 to shareholders of record as at the close of business on August 29, 2025.

    Additional Information

    Each exchangeable share of Brookfield Business Corporation has been structured with the intention of providing an economic return equivalent to one unit of Brookfield Business Partners L.P. Each exchangeable share will be exchangeable at the option of the holder for one unit. Brookfield Business Corporation will target that dividends on its exchangeable shares be declared and paid at the same time as distributions are declared and paid on the Brookfield Business Partners’ units and that dividends on each exchangeable share will be declared and paid in the same amount as distributions are declared and paid on each unit to provide holders of exchangeable shares with an economic return equivalent to holders of units.

    In addition to carefully considering the disclosures made in this news release in its entirety, shareholders are strongly encouraged to carefully review the Letter to Unitholders, Supplemental Information and other continuous disclosure filings which are available at https://bbu.brookfield.com.

    Please note that Brookfield Business Corporation’s previous audited annual and unaudited quarterly reports have been filed on SEDAR+ and EDGAR and are available at https://bbu.brookfield.com/bbuc under Reports & Filings. Hard copies of the annual and quarterly reports can be obtained free of charge upon request.

    Brookfield Business Corporation
    Consolidated Statements of Financial Position
     
      As at
    US$ millions, unaudited June 30, 2025   December 31, 2024
               
    Assets          
    Cash and cash equivalents   $ 613     $ 1,008
    Financial assets     290       353
    Accounts and other receivable, net     3,234       3,229
    Inventory, net     26       52
    Other assets     517       627
    Property, plant and equipment     181       2,480
    Deferred income tax assets     236       197
    Intangible assets     5,980       5,966
    Equity accounted investments     187       198
    Goodwill     5,018       4,988
    Total Assets   $ 16,282     $ 19,098
               
    Liabilities and Equity          
    Liabilities          
    Accounts payable and other   $ 2,981     $ 5,276
    Non-recourse borrowings in subsidiaries of the company     7,940       8,490
    Exchangeable and class B shares     1,815       1,709
    Deferred income tax liabilities     967       988
               
    Equity          
    Brookfield Business Partners $ (159 )     $ (59 )  
    Non-controlling interests   2,738         2,694    
          2,579       2,635
    Total Liabilities and Equity   $ 16,282     $ 19,098
    Brookfield Business Corporation
    Consolidated Statements of Operating Results
     
    US$ millions, unaudited Three Months Ended
    June 30,    		   Six Months Ended
    June 30,
      2025     2024       2025     2024  
               
    Revenues $ 1,860   $ 1,929     $ 3,826   $ 3,794  
    Direct operating costs   (1,695 )   (1,860 )     (3,484 )   (3,512 )
    General and administrative expenses   (69 )   (77 )     (144 )   (141 )
    Interest income (expense), net   (212 )   (203 )     (431 )   (413 )
    Equity accounted income (loss)   2     2       5     3  
    Impairment reversal (expense), net   —     —       —     (2 )
    Remeasurement of exchangeable and class B shares   (176 )   237       (183 )   126  
    Other income (expense), net   236     (59 )     202     (70 )
    Income (loss) before income tax   (54 )   (31 )     (209 )   (215 )
    Income tax (expense) recovery          
    Current   14     16       (9 )   (28 )
    Deferred   17     55       60     109  
    Net income (loss) $ (23 ) $ 40     $ (158 ) $ (134 )
    Attributable to:          
    Brookfield Business Partners   (120 )   124       (178 )   (26 )
    Non-controlling interests $ 97   $ (84 )   $ 20   $ (108 )


    Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-looking Statements and Information

    Note: This news release contains “forward-looking information” within the meaning of Canadian provincial securities laws and “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of applicable Canadian and U.S. securities laws. Forward-looking statements include statements that are predictive in nature, depend upon or refer to future events or conditions, include statements regarding the operations, business, financial condition, expected financial results, performance, prospects, opportunities, priorities, targets, goals, ongoing objectives, strategies and outlook of Brookfield Business Partners, as well as regarding recently completed and proposed acquisitions, dispositions, and other transactions, and the outlook for North American and international economies for the current fiscal year and subsequent periods, and include words such as “expects”, “anticipates”, “plans”, “believes”, “estimates”, “seeks”, “intends”, “targets”, “projects”, “forecasts”, “views”, “potential”, “likely” or negative versions thereof and other similar expressions, or future or conditional verbs such as “may”, “will”, “should”, “would” and “could”.

    Although we believe that our anticipated future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements and information are based upon reasonable assumptions and expectations, investors and other readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and information because they involve assumptions, known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are beyond our control, which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Brookfield Business Partners to differ materially from anticipated future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and information. These beliefs, assumptions and expectations can change as a result of many possible events or factors, not all of which are known to us or are within our control. If a change occurs, our business, financial condition, liquidity and results of operations and our plans and strategies may vary materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements and forward-looking information herein.

    Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated or implied by forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the following: the cyclical nature of our operating businesses and general economic conditions and risks relating to the economy, including unfavorable changes in interest rates, foreign exchange rates, inflation, commodity prices and volatility in the financial markets; the ability to complete and effectively integrate acquisitions into existing operations and the ability to attain expected benefits; business competition, including competition for acquisition opportunities; strategic actions including our ability to complete dispositions and achieve the anticipated benefits therefrom; global equity and capital markets and the availability of equity and debt financing and refinancing within these markets; changes to U.S. laws or policies, including changes in U.S. domestic and economic policies as well as foreign trade policies and tariffs; technological change; litigation; cybersecurity incidents; the possible impact of international conflicts, wars and related developments including terrorist acts and cyber terrorism; operational, or business risks that are specific to any of our business services operations, infrastructure services operations or industrials operations; changes in government policy and legislation; catastrophic events, such as earthquakes, hurricanes and pandemics/epidemics; changes in tax law and practice; and other risks and factors detailed from time to time in our documents filed with the securities regulators in Canada and the United States including those set forth in the “Risk Factors” section in our annual report for the year ended December 31, 2024 filed on Form 20-F.

    Statements relating to “reserves” are deemed to be forward-looking statements as they involve the implied assessment, based on certain estimates and assumptions, that the reserves described herein can be profitably produced in the future. We qualify any and all of our forward-looking statements by these cautionary factors.

    We caution that the foregoing list of important factors that may affect future results is not exhaustive. When relying on our forward-looking statements and information, investors and others should carefully consider the foregoing factors and other uncertainties and potential events. Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements or information, whether written or oral, that may be as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

    Cautionary Statement Regarding the Use of a Non-IFRS Measure

    This news release contains references to a Non-IFRS measure. Adjusted EBITDA is not a generally accepted accounting measure under IFRS and therefore may differ from definitions used by other entities. We believe this is a useful supplemental measure that may assist investors in assessing the financial performance of Brookfield Business Partners and its subsidiaries. However, Adjusted EBITDA should not be considered in isolation from, or as a substitute for, analysis of our financial statements prepared in accordance with IFRS.

    References to Brookfield Business Partners are to Brookfield Business Partners L.P. together with its subsidiaries, controlled affiliates and operating entities. Unitholders’ results include limited partnership units, redemption-exchange units, general partnership units, BBUC exchangeable shares and special limited partnership units. More detailed information on certain references made in this news release will be available in our Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations in our interim report for the second quarter ended June 30, 2025 furnished on Form 6-K.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: A university bookshop in Ibadan tells the story of Nigeria’s rich publishing culture

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Tinashe Mushakavanhu, Assistant Professor, Harvard University

    Driven by a desire to explore Nigeria’s literary and cultural history beyond the metropolis of Lagos, I took a road trip to Ibadan, once the most important university town in the country. Ibadan, in Oyo State, was the first city in Nigeria to have a university set up in 1948.

    Ibadan is where the Mbari Club once gathered, an experimental space where Nigerian writers, artists and thinkers – among them Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka, JP Clark, Christopher Okigbo, Uche Okeke, Bruce Onobrakpeya, Mabel Segun and South Africa’s Es’kia Mphahlele – met, debated and dreamed in the 1960s and 70s.

    It’s the city where celebrated Nigerian artist and architect Demas Nwoko imagined and built his utopias. Where the Oxford University Press and Heinemann Educational Books established their west African headquarters.



    Read more:
    Chimamanda’s Lagos homecoming wasn’t just a book launch, it was a cultural moment

    Books have always been a form of cultural currency in Ibadan. The presence of major publishers meant that bookshops were not just retail outlets, but intellectual salons, sites of encounter and exchange.

    So while in Ibadan I visited cultural spaces and independent bookshops but it was the charms of the University campus that mostly captured my imagination. And my favourite place was the University of Ibadan Bookshop. At this campus bookshop I lingered the most, in awe and wonder. Its eclectic range of books, journals, public lecture pamphlets, novels, poetry collections and monographs excited me.

    Today, when the global publishing economy has increasingly digitised and centralised, the bookshop feels almost radical just by existing. It’s a reminder that intellectual life in Africa is not peripheral or derived from the west. It is present, prolific and profoundly local. To walk through the shelves of this bookshop was to encounter a history of African thought written and produced on its own terms.

    As a scholar of African literature and archives, my research traces the hidden lives of spaces that have shaped publishing and archives. University bookshops have been overlooked but are essential nodes in the continent’s intellectual history.

    A snapshot of Nigeria

    This campus bookshop gives a snapshot of Nigeria as a print country. Here we witness the nation through its printed matter. A nation of prolific publishing. I found the literary output in the Ibadan campus bookshop not only vast but exuberant and unrelenting. It reflects the texture of the Nigerian personality: loud, boisterous, layered and insistent. Stacks upon stacks of books.

    In these stacks, it dawned on me that beneath the surface lies a vibrant, ongoing literary discourse that is unmistakably Nigerian, and sadly not resonant far beyond its borders. These are books you don’t see on reference lists of “popular” and “influential” scholarship that privileges work produced and imported to Africa from the Euro-American academy.

    I was especially intrigued with how the Nigerian academic and writer does not tire in producing academic and cultural journals. There are journals for every subject under the sun.

    While the critical framework of African literature is too often shaped by the global north (see critiques by Ato Quayson, Biodun Jeyifo, Simon Gikandi and Grace Musila) in Ibadan, I saw a distinctly local and deeply African critical discourse rooted in place, language and lived experience. To walk into the University of Ibadan Bookshop is to step into legacy. Its shelves bear the weight of decades of African thought, theory and storytelling.

    Despite being housed in an ageing building, it has stayed defiant. Even though floods destroyed books and computers worth a small fortune in 2019, the bookshop is still standing proudly. And there was pride too among the staff who were eager to help or answer any questions about the books.

    More than bookshops

    The University of Ibadan bookshop reminded me of the bookshop from my undergraduate days in Zimbabwe. Even though our campus bookshop was much smaller, I used to find pleasure going there in between lectures. It often felt like walking into a vault of African knowledge and memory.

    Our bookshop at Midlands State University stocked old, canonical books alongside current literature. On occasion, rare, out-of-print secondhand books would appear on the shelves. The bargain sales also meant I spent most of my money there.

    But to call these spaces on African university campuses “bookshops” hardly does them justice. They are hybrid cultural ecosystems that function as part bookshop, part print shop, stationer, library and sometimes even archive. They have long served as vital nodes in the circulation of African knowledge and thought.

    Yet this ecosystem is rapidly eroding, undermined by the rise of internet culture, artificial intelligence, piracy and harsh economic conditions. The result is a slow but devastating disappearance of African intellectual memory. As scholars remind us, digital platforms are not neutral. They are structured by algorithms that often marginalise black and African knowledge. So, the loss of these analogue spaces is more than nostalgic, it is epistemic erasure.

    In this digital age, there is something vital about the physical presence of bookshops on African campuses. Thanks to them, as a student, for me literature was the serendipity of discovery, the tactile feel of books, the beautiful persistence of a local knowledge system that was relatable and produced by people like me.



    Read more:
    Nigerian architect Demas Nwoko on his award-winning work: ‘Whatever you build, it should suit your culture’

    On the way out of the city, we stopped at Bower’s Tower. From there you can see Ibadan’s sprawling layout, the ancient hills from which the settlement was built, and its red roofs.

    The view reflected the complexity and density of ideas the city has nurtured. And despite shifts in Nigeria’s publishing geography from here to Lagos and Abuja, Ibadan still matters. It’s a city that remembers, that archives, that holds on to knowledge.

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

    – ref. A university bookshop in Ibadan tells the story of Nigeria’s rich publishing culture – https://theconversation.com/a-university-bookshop-in-ibadan-tells-the-story-of-nigerias-rich-publishing-culture-262050

    MIL OSI –