NewzIntel.com

Category: Natural Disasters

  • MIL-OSI Security: Update 304 – IAEA Director General Statement on Situation in Ukraine

    Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

    The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) this week provided Ukraine with a freight vehicle for the transport of radioactive material, its 150th delivery of equipment to support nuclear safety and security in the country during the military conflict, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said today.

    State Enterprise USIE Izotop – involved in the management of radioactive material intended for medical, industrial and other purposes – received the truck that was funded by the European Union (EU) and Sweden. IAEA staff helped ensure that transport safety and security considerations were taken into account in the design of the vehicle.

    “Since the start of the conflict three and a half years ago, the IAEA has coordinated assistance for Ukraine of a wide range of technical equipment, medical supplies and other items that are of vital importance for nuclear safety and security. These deliveries are part of our overall efforts aimed at preventing a nuclear accident during this devastating war,” Director General Grossi said.

    “Thanks to the generous support of many of our Member States and the European Union, we have now carried out shipments with a total value of more than 19 million euros, each one helping to enhance different aspects of nuclear safety and security,” he said.

    Several other deliveries have taken place in recent weeks, supported by Belgium, the EU and Japan: the regional state laboratory in Mykolaiv province – badly affected by the destruction of the Kakhovka dam in mid-2023 – received a real-time PCR cycler (Polymerase Chain Reaction, a nuclear-derived technique) for fast and accurate analysis to help it fight the spread of disease as a result of the flooding; the medical unit of the Rivne Nuclear Power Plant received an ultrasound system; and a subsidiary of national nuclear operator Energoatom received a cryostat system ensuring continuity of services affected by power cuts and liquid nitrogen supply challenges.

    Director General Grossi said nuclear safety and security remains under threat in Ukraine.

    At the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), the IAEA team based at the site has continued to hear shelling, explosions, and gunfire almost every day.

    Earlier this month, the ZNPP informed the IAEA team that the site’s training centre was targeted in a drone strike on 13 July, resulting in damage to its roof. There were no reports of casualties. The team was not granted access to assess the damage to the training centre located outside the site perimeter, with the plant citing security concerns.

    In addition, the ZNPP’s off-site power situation continues to be extremely fragile, with the plant having had access to just one single power line for almost three months now, compared to ten before the conflict.

    The nearby city of Enerhodar – where most ZNPP staff live – suffered an electricity blackout on 17 July due to damage to its main power line, according to information provided to the IAEA team members.  They were also told that subsequent shelling had damaged some buildings in the city, which was also observed when the team visited Enerhodar on 19 July.

    A forest fire near Enerhodar that caused smoke which was observed by the IAEA team last weekend has been extinguished without any impact on nuclear safety, the plant said.  

    The IAEA team has continued to carry out walkdowns across the ZNPP site to monitor nuclear safety and security, observing the testing of three emergency diesel generators as well as visiting the containment and safety system rooms of two reactor units.

    They also discussed with the plant management different options for refilling the plant’s cooling pond following the loss of the Kakhovka dam two years ago and further planning on emergency preparedness and response, including preparations for a site exercise later this year.

    At Ukraine’s operating nuclear power plants (NPPs) – Khmelnytskyy, Rivne and South Ukraine – three of their total of nine units are currently in shutdown for refuelling and maintenance.

    The IAEA team based at these plants, and the Chornobyl site, reported hearing air raid alarms nearly every day over the past week.

    At the Khmelnytskyy and South Ukraine NPPs, the IAEA teams were informed that during the night of 18 July drones were detected a few kilometres away from the two sites. That same evening, the team at Chornobyl observed flashes of light and heard explosions in the distance.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Smuggler of Firearms from Key West to Haiti Sentenced in D.C. to 30 Months in Prison

    Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

                WASHINGTON – Jean Wiltene Eugene, 57, of Key West, Florida, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 30 months in prison and a $20,000 fine for his role in a gunrunning operation that illegally exported firearms to Haiti, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

                Eugene pleaded guilty on April 11, 2025, to one count of smuggling. In addition to the prison term, Judge Carl J. Nichols ordered Eugene to serve 24 months of supervised release.

                Joining in the announcement of the sentence were Assistant Attorney General John A. Eisenberg of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, and FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Justin Fleck of the Miami Field Office.

                According to court documents, Eugene is a U.S. citizen who was born in Haiti and resides in Key West. On Sept. 23, 2021, Eugene knowingly exported more than two firearms from the United States to Haiti contrary to U.S. laws and regulations, including the prohibitions in the Export Administration Regulations and the Export Control Reform Act of 2018, knowing the firearms were intended for exportation contrary to such laws and regulations. In particular, Eugene exported the firearms without having first obtained the required license from the Bureau of Industry and Security, located in the District of Columbia. Anyone who violates the smuggling statute may be fined up to $250,000 and imprisoned for up to 10 years.

                Eugene arranged to ship vehicles to Haiti through a Florida-based export company. Eugene signed the company’s terms and conditions of shipments, which required the shipper to affirm that the vehicles did not contain any firearms or ammunition. In a subsequent interview with law enforcement, Eugene admitted that, in 2020 and 2021, he shipped two vehicles to Haiti with firearms hidden inside. Eugene stated that he placed food and other items around the bins holding the firearms so border authorities would not find the weapons.

                In a later interview with federal agents, Eugene stated that nine firearms he purchased in Key West under his name were currently located at his gas station in Haiti and that none of those firearms remained in the United States. He admitted that he knew it was illegal to ship weapons to Haiti when confronted by the federal agents.

                Eugene was arrested May 4, 2024, in Key West.

                This case was investigated by the FBI Miami Field Office with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Department of Commerce’s Office of Export Enforcement. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Paschall and Trial Attorney Beau Barnes of the National Security Division, as well as former Assistant U.S. Attorney Pravallika Palacharla. Substantial assistance was provided by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida.

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Member of Frankford-Based Drug Gang Sentenced to 75 Years in Prison for Killing Philadelphia Police Sergeant James O’Connor, Kaseem Rogers, Tyrone Tyree, and Dontae Walker, and Additional Drug, Gun, and Violent Crimes

    Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

    PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Hassan Elliott, aka “Haz,” 26, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Juan R. Sánchez to 900 months in prison, five years of supervised release, and a special assessment of $2,500 for the fatal shootings of Philadelphia Police Sergeant James O’Connor, Kaseem Rogers, Tyrone Tyree, and Dontae Walker, and numerous other crimes arising from the defendant’s membership in a violent drug trafficking organization known by several names, including “SG1700” and “L-Block,” which operated in the Frankford section of Northeast Philadelphia.

    Elliott, along with Khalif Sears, aka “Leaf” and “Lil Leaf,” 23, Kelvin Jimenez, aka “Nip,” 34, and Dominique Parker, aka “Dom,” 34, all of Philadelphia, were charged in March 2023 by superseding indictment with conspiracy to engage in a racketeer influenced corrupt organization (RICO), violent crimes in aid of racketeering, to include murder, stemming from the killings of victims Rogers, Walker, Tyree, and Sergeant O’Connor, and numerous related offenses.

    Elliott and Sears pleaded guilty this January to RICO conspiracy, drug trafficking conspiracy, causing the death of Sergeant O’Connor by firearm, and multiple drug, gun, and violent offenses.

    Jimenez and Parker were convicted at trial in March of all charges against them, including racketeering conspiracy, drug trafficking conspiracy, maintaining a drug-involved premises, assaults in aid of racketeering, firearms offenses, and related crimes. Jimenez was also convicted of the murder of Kaseem Rogers, and Parker of the murder of Dontae Walker.

    On March 13, 2020, Elliott, Sears, and others previously indicted were inside a stash house on the 1600 block of Bridge Street, when Sergeant O’Connor and other members of the Philadelphia Police Department SWAT team arrived with an arrest warrant for Elliott for the March 2019 murder of Tyrone Tyree. As Sergeant O’Connor and his fellow officers ascended the staircase to the second floor of the residence and repeatedly announced their presence, Elliott fired a semiautomatic assault rifle 16 times, striking and killing Sergeant O’Connor.

    Sears, Parker, and Jimenez will be sentenced at a later date.

    “Hassan Elliott murdered a police officer who was protecting and serving his community,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “Unfortunately, Philadelphia Police Department Sergeant James O’Connor is only one of many victims of SG1700’s rampage of violence. The punishment Mr. Elliott received today is justice for these outrageous crimes, and our efforts — past, present, and future — to prosecute anyone who harms law enforcement will forever honor the sacrifice of Sergeant O’Connor.”

    “Hassan Elliott is now facing justice for the murder of Sergeant O’Connor and his other victims,” said Eric DeGree, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Philadelphia Field Division. “Criminal gang members can’t hide from the mayhem they inflict, especially when their violence turns against the law enforcement officers who protect our communities. Thanks to the diligent and meticulous work in partnership with the Philadelphia Police Department and U.S. Attorney’s Office, Elliott and those who enabled him are being held accountable for these heinous crimes.”

    The case was investigated by the ATF and the Philadelphia Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ashley Martin, Christopher Diviny, and Lauren Stram.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: CONVICTED FELON CHARGED WITH POSSESSION OF A FIREARM

    Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

    PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Jason Wayne Coleman, 41, of Pensacola, Florida, has been indicted in federal court for two counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the charges.

    Coleman appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Zachary C. Bolitho at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola, Florida on July 22, 2025.

    Coleman faces a maximum of 15 years’ imprisonment for each count.

    The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office are investigating the case. Assistant United States Attorney Jessica S. Etherton is prosecuting the case.

    An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

    The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access available public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Breaking: According to preliminary data, all those on board the An-24 in the Amur Region have died — TASS

    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

    Vladivostok, July 24 /Xinhua/ — All those on board the An-24 plane that crashed in the Amur Region have died, according to preliminary information, TASS reported, citing emergency services.

    “According to preliminary information, everyone died. So far, the helicopter with rescuers cannot land in the crash site – it is a hard-to-reach area, a mountain slope. There is a fire at the site,” the source said. -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 Africa: Togo’s ‘Nana-Benz’: how cheap Chinese imports of African fabrics have hurt the famous women traders

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Fidele B. Ebia, Postdoctoral fellow, Duke Africa Initiative, Duke University

    The manufacturing of African print textiles has shifted to China in the 21st century. While they are widely consumed in African countries – and symbolic of the continent – the rise of “made in China” has undermined the African women traders who have long shaped the retail and distribution of this cloth.

    For many decades Vlisco, the Dutch textile group which traces its origins to 1846 and whose products had been supplied to west Africa by European trading houses since the late 19th century, dominated manufacture of the cloth. But in the last 25 years dozens of factories in China have begun to supply African print textiles to west African markets. Qingdao Phoenix Hitarget Ltd, Sanhe Linqing Textile Group and Waxhaux Ltd are among the best known.

    We conducted research to establish how the rise of Chinese-made cloth has affected the African print textiles trade. We focused on Togo. Though it’s a tiny country with a population of only 9.7 million, the capital city, Lomé, is the trading hub in west Africa for the textiles.

    We conducted over 100 interviews with traders, street sellers, port agents or brokers, government officials and representatives of manufacturing companies to learn about how their activities have changed.

    “Made in China” African print textiles are substantially cheaper and more accessible to a wider population than Vlisco fabric. Our market observations in Lomé’s famous Assigamé market found that Chinese African print textiles cost about 9,000 CFA (US$16) for six yards – one complete outfit. Wax Hollandais (50,000 CFA or US$87) cost over five times more.

    Data is hard to come by, but our estimates suggest that 90% of imports of these textiles to Lomé port in 2019 came from China.

    One Togolese trader summed up the attraction:

    Who could resist a cloth that looked similar, but that cost much less than real Vlisco?

    Our research shows how the rise of China manufactured cloth has undermined Vlisco’s once dominant market share as well as the monopoly on the trade of Dutch African print textiles that Togolese traders once enjoyed.

    The traders, known as Nana-Benz because of the expensive cars they drove, once enjoyed an economic and political significance disproportionate to their small numbers. Their political influence was such that they were key backers of Togo’s first president, Sylvanus Olympio – himself a former director of the United Africa Company, which distributed Dutch cloth.

    In turn, Olympio and long-term leader General Gnassingbé Eyadéma provided policy favours – such as low taxes – to support trading activity. In the 1970s, African print textile trade was considered as significant as the phosphate industry – the country’s primary export.

    Nana-Benz have since been displaced – their numbers falling from 50 to about 20. Newer Togolese traders – known as Nanettes or “little Nanas” – have taken their place. While they have carved out a niche in mediating the textiles trade with China, they have lower economic and political stature. In turn, they too are increasingly threatened by Chinese competition, more recently within trading and distribution as well.

    China displaces the Dutch

    Dating back to the colonial period, African women traders have played essential roles in the wholesale and distribution of Dutch cloth in west African markets. As many countries in the region attained independence from the 1950s onwards, Grand Marché – or Assigamé – in Lomé became the hub for African print textile trade.

    While neighbouring countries such as Ghana limited imports as part of efforts to promote domestic industrialisation, Togolese traders secured favourable conditions. These included low taxes and use of the port.

    Read more: West Africans ditch Dutch wax prints for Chinese ‘real-fakes’

    Togolese women traders knew the taste of predominantly female, west African customers better than their mostly male, Dutch designers. The Nana-Benz were brought into the African print textile production and design process, selecting patterns and giving names to designs they knew would sell.

    They acquired such wealth from this trade that they earned the Nana-Benz nickname from the cars they purchased and which they used to collect and move merchandise.

    Nana-Benz exclusivity of trading and retailing of African print textiles cloth in west African markets has been disrupted. As Vlisco has responded to falling revenues – over 30% in the first five years of the 21st century – due to its Chinese competition, Togolese traders’ role in the supply chain of Dutch cloth has been downgraded.

    In response to the flood of Chinese imports, the Dutch manufacturer re-positioned itself as a luxury fashion brand and placed greater focus on the marketing and distribution of the textiles.

    Vlisco has opened several boutique stores in west and central Africa, starting with Cotonou (2008), Lomé (2008) and Abidjan (2009). The surviving Nana-Benz – an estimated 20 of the original 50 – operate under contract as retailers rather than traders and must follow strict rules of sale and pricing.

    While newer Togolese traders known as Nanettes are involved in the sourcing of textiles from China, they have lower economic and political stature. Up to 60 are involved in the trade.

    Former street sellers of textiles and other petty commodities, Nanettes began travelling to China in the early to mid-2000s to source African print textiles. They are involved in commissioning and advising on the manufacturing of African print textiles in China and the distribution in Africa.

    While many Nanettes order the common Chinese brands, some own and market their own. These include what are now well-known designs in Lomé and west Africa such as “Femme de Caractère”, “Binta”, “Prestige”, “Rebecca Wax”, “GMG” and “Homeland”.

    Compared to their Nana-Benz predecessors, the Nanettes carve out their business from the smaller pie available from the sale of cheaper Chinese cloth. Though the volumes traded are large, the margins are smaller due to the much lower final retail price compared to Dutch cloth.

    After procuring African print textiles from China, Nanettes sell wholesale to independent local traders or “sellers” as well as traders from neighbouring countries. These sellers in turn break down the bulk they have purchased and sell it in smaller quantities to independent street vendors.

    All African print textiles from China arrive in west Africa as an incomplete product – as six-yard or 12-yard segments of cloth, not as finished garments. Local tailors and seamstresses then make clothes according to consumer taste. Some fashion designers have also opened shops where they sell prêt-à-porter (ready-to-wear) garments made from bolts of African print and tailored to local taste. Thus, even though the monopoly of the Nana-Benz has been eroded, value is still added and captured locally.

    Since the COVID-19 pandemic, Chinese actors have become more involved in trading activity – and not just manufacturing. The further evolution of Chinese presence risks an even greater marginalisation of locals, already excluded from manufacturing, from the trading and distribution end of the value chain. Maintaining their role – tailoring products to local culture and trends and linking the formal and informal economy – is vital not just for Togolese traders, but also the wider economy.

    – Togo’s ‘Nana-Benz’: how cheap Chinese imports of African fabrics have hurt the famous women traders
    – https://theconversation.com/togos-nana-benz-how-cheap-chinese-imports-of-african-fabrics-have-hurt-the-famous-women-traders-260924

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • Russian plane crashes in Russia’s far east, nearly 50 people on board feared dead

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    An Antonov An-24 passenger plane carrying about 50 people crashed in Russia’s far east on Thursday and initial information suggested that everyone on board was killed, Russian emergency services officials said.

    The burning fuselage of the plane, which was from the Soviet era and was nearly 50 years old, was spotted on the ground by a helicopter and rescue crews were rushing to the scene.

    Unverified video, shot from a helicopter and posted on social media, appeared to show that the plane had come down in a densely forested area.

    The plane, whose tail number showed it was built in 1976, was operated by a Siberia-based airline called Angara.

    It was en route from the city of Blagoveshchensk to Tynda and dropped off radar screens while approaching Tynda, a remote town in the Amur region bordering China.

    There were 43 passengers, including five children, and six crew members on board according to preliminary data, Vasily Orlov, the regional governor said.

    The emergencies ministry put the number of people on board somewhat lower, at around 40.

    Debris from the plane was found on a hill around 15 km (10 miles) from Tynda, the Interfax news agency quoted emergency service officials as saying.

    “During the search operation, a Mi-8 helicopter belonging to Rossaviatsiya discovered the fuselage of the aircraft, which was on fire,” Yuliya Petina, an emergency services official, wrote on Telegram.

    “Rescuers continue to make their way to the scene of the accident”.

    Authorities announced an investigation into the crash.

    (Reuters)

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Togo’s ‘Nana-Benz’: how cheap Chinese imports of African fabrics have hurt the famous women traders

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Fidele B. Ebia, Postdoctoral fellow, Duke Africa Initiative, Duke University

    The manufacturing of African print textiles has shifted to China in the 21st century. While they are widely consumed in African countries – and symbolic of the continent – the rise of “made in China” has undermined the African women traders who have long shaped the retail and distribution of this cloth.

    For many decades Vlisco, the Dutch textile group which traces its origins to 1846 and whose products had been supplied to west Africa by European trading houses since the late 19th century, dominated manufacture of the cloth. But in the last 25 years dozens of factories in China have begun to supply African print textiles to west African markets. Qingdao Phoenix Hitarget Ltd, Sanhe Linqing Textile Group and Waxhaux Ltd are among the best known.

    We conducted research to establish how the rise of Chinese-made cloth has affected the African print textiles trade. We focused on Togo. Though it’s a tiny country with a population of only 9.7 million, the capital city, Lomé, is the trading hub in west Africa for the textiles.

    We conducted over 100 interviews with traders, street sellers, port agents or brokers, government officials and representatives of manufacturing companies to learn about how their activities have changed.

    “Made in China” African print textiles are substantially cheaper and more accessible to a wider population than Vlisco fabric. Our market observations in Lomé’s famous Assigamé market found that Chinese African print textiles cost about 9,000 CFA (US$16) for six yards – one complete outfit. Wax Hollandais (50,000 CFA or US$87) cost over five times more.

    Data is hard to come by, but our estimates suggest that 90% of imports of these textiles to Lomé port in 2019 came from China.

    One Togolese trader summed up the attraction:

    Who could resist a cloth that looked similar, but that cost much less than real Vlisco?

    Our research shows how the rise of China manufactured cloth has undermined Vlisco’s once dominant market share as well as the monopoly on the trade of Dutch African print textiles that Togolese traders once enjoyed.

    The traders, known as Nana-Benz because of the expensive cars they drove, once enjoyed an economic and political significance disproportionate to their small numbers. Their political influence was such that they were key backers of Togo’s first president, Sylvanus Olympio – himself a former director of the United Africa Company, which distributed Dutch cloth.

    In turn, Olympio and long-term leader General Gnassingbé Eyadéma provided policy favours – such as low taxes – to support trading activity. In the 1970s, African print textile trade was considered as significant as the phosphate industry – the country’s primary export.

    Nana-Benz have since been displaced – their numbers falling from 50 to about 20. Newer Togolese traders – known as Nanettes or “little Nanas” – have taken their place. While they have carved out a niche in mediating the textiles trade with China, they have lower economic and political stature. In turn, they too are increasingly threatened by Chinese competition, more recently within trading and distribution as well.

    China displaces the Dutch

    Dating back to the colonial period, African women traders have played essential roles in the wholesale and distribution of Dutch cloth in west African markets. As many countries in the region attained independence from the 1950s onwards, Grand Marché – or Assigamé – in Lomé became the hub for African print textile trade.

    While neighbouring countries such as Ghana limited imports as part of efforts to promote domestic industrialisation, Togolese traders secured favourable conditions. These included low taxes and use of the port.



    Read more:
    West Africans ditch Dutch wax prints for Chinese ‘real-fakes’

    Togolese women traders knew the taste of predominantly female, west African customers better than their mostly male, Dutch designers. The Nana-Benz were brought into the African print textile production and design process, selecting patterns and giving names to designs they knew would sell.

    They acquired such wealth from this trade that they earned the Nana-Benz nickname from the cars they purchased and which they used to collect and move merchandise.

    Nana-Benz exclusivity of trading and retailing of African print textiles cloth in west African markets has been disrupted. As Vlisco has responded to falling revenues – over 30% in the first five years of the 21st century – due to its Chinese competition, Togolese traders’ role in the supply chain of Dutch cloth has been downgraded.

    In response to the flood of Chinese imports, the Dutch manufacturer re-positioned itself as a luxury fashion brand and placed greater focus on the marketing and distribution of the textiles.

    Vlisco has opened several boutique stores in west and central Africa, starting with Cotonou (2008), Lomé (2008) and Abidjan (2009). The surviving Nana-Benz – an estimated 20 of the original 50 – operate under contract as retailers rather than traders and must follow strict rules of sale and pricing.

    While newer Togolese traders known as Nanettes are involved in the sourcing of textiles from China, they have lower economic and political stature. Up to 60 are involved in the trade.

    Former street sellers of textiles and other petty commodities, Nanettes began travelling to China in the early to mid-2000s to source African print textiles. They are involved in commissioning and advising on the manufacturing of African print textiles in China and the distribution in Africa.

    While many Nanettes order the common Chinese brands, some own and market their own. These include what are now well-known designs in Lomé and west Africa such as “Femme de Caractère”, “Binta”, “Prestige”, “Rebecca Wax”, “GMG” and “Homeland”.

    Compared to their Nana-Benz predecessors, the Nanettes carve out their business from the smaller pie available from the sale of cheaper Chinese cloth. Though the volumes traded are large, the margins are smaller due to the much lower final retail price compared to Dutch cloth.

    After procuring African print textiles from China, Nanettes sell wholesale to independent local traders or “sellers” as well as traders from neighbouring countries. These sellers in turn break down the bulk they have purchased and sell it in smaller quantities to independent street vendors.

    All African print textiles from China arrive in west Africa as an incomplete product – as six-yard or 12-yard segments of cloth, not as finished garments. Local tailors and seamstresses then make clothes according to consumer taste. Some fashion designers have also opened shops where they sell prêt-à-porter (ready-to-wear) garments made from bolts of African print and tailored to local taste. Thus, even though the monopoly of the Nana-Benz has been eroded, value is still added and captured locally.

    Since the COVID-19 pandemic, Chinese actors have become more involved in trading activity – and not just manufacturing. The further evolution of Chinese presence risks an even greater marginalisation of locals, already excluded from manufacturing, from the trading and distribution end of the value chain. Maintaining their role – tailoring products to local culture and trends and linking the formal and informal economy – is vital not just for Togolese traders, but also the wider economy.

    Rory Horner receives funding from the British Academy Mid-Career Fellowship. He is also a Research Associate at the Department of Geography, Environmental Management and Energy Studies at the University of Johannesburg.

    Fidele B. Ebia 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. Togo’s ‘Nana-Benz’: how cheap Chinese imports of African fabrics have hurt the famous women traders – https://theconversation.com/togos-nana-benz-how-cheap-chinese-imports-of-african-fabrics-have-hurt-the-famous-women-traders-260924

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: UNESCO strengthens fire resilience in the Pantanal and Cerrado with support from local communities

    Source: UNESCO World Heritage Centre

    The initiative aims to protect areas recognized as World Natural Heritage Sites and Biosphere Reserves through the Heritage Emergency Fund (HEF).

    UNESCO is intensifying its efforts in Brazil to protect areas recognized as World Natural Heritage Sites and Biosphere Reserves in response to the rise in extreme wildfires driven by climate change. Through the Heritage Emergency Fund (HEF), the organization is leading a strategic initiative to bolster fire resilience in the Pantanal of Mato Grosso and in Goiás.

    A total of 60 volunteers were trained through this project: 30 in the Pantanal Matogrossense National Park (MT), 15 in Chapada dos Veadeiros National Park (GO), and 15 in Emas National Park (GO). Around 800 pieces of equipment were distributed, including firefighting tools and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Additionally, an action plan is being developed to guide volunteer firefighters, based on Integrated Fire Management (IFM) and UNESCO’s Fire Risk Management Guide.

    “The project funded by the Heritage Emergency Fund makes a significant contribution to local communities by recognizing and strengthening their vital role in fire prevention and control”

    Interinstitutional initiative in the Pantanal

    From 22 to 25 April 2025, the Serra do Amolar — a remote and hard-to-reach region between Corumbá (MS) and Cáceres (MT), on the border with Bolivia — hosted a community brigade training supported by UNESCO’s Heritage Emergency Fund. The activity took place in the Pantanal Matogrossense National Park, in collaboration with WWF-Brazil, GEF Terrestrial (Funbio), Ibama (PrevFogo), Ecoa (Ecology and Action), and the Brazilian Navy.

    Three brigades, made up of 30 Pantanal residents — including 14 women — took part in the training. Over three intensive days of technical and practical lessons, participants learned fire prevention and control techniques from specialists.

    In addition to traditional methods — such as the use of specific tools, fire front control, heat mapping, and surveillance — the training incorporated agroforestry practices adapted to the Pantanal context. “One innovation was the management of slash-and-burn plots and backyard gardens. These areas, besides being vital for local subsistence, serve as ecological corridors that can protect wildlife during fires”, explains André Luiz Siqueira, Director of Ecoa.

    Another innovation was the introduction of the Sigma tool, a software developed by SOS Pantanal, which sends real-time fire alerts to mobile phones. Using satellite imagery and data such as wind direction and temperature, the technology is accessible even to those with limited formal education.

    Support from the Brazilian Navy enabled the logistics for participants and specialists, including transport via small boats, 950 liters of petrol, and 870 kilograms of food. Accommodation was provided by staff from the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio).

    Geographical and climatic challenges in firefighting

    Corumbá, covering over 64,000 km², is the 11th largest municipality in Brazil. The rugged terrain of the Serra do Amolar and limited access via rivers or air pose logistical challenges for firefighting. The presence of peat — organic matter accumulated in wetlands — creates highly flammable biomass during the dry season, making fires frequent and intense.

    The region encompassing the Pantanal Matogrossense National Park is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site alongside three Private Natural Heritage Reserves, and is also recognized as a Ramsar Site — an international designation for wetlands of high ecological importance.

    “The Pantanal harbors great biodiversity and is vital for fish reproduction (ichthyofauna). This region is essential for traditional peoples, sustainable tourism, and the conservation of species such as the jaguar, giant otter, and giant anteater”

    In 2024, the Pantanal experienced one of the worst wildfire seasons on record. According to the Laboratory for Environmental Satellite Applications (Lasa/UFRJ), around 2.6 million hectares — 17% of the biome — were consumed by fire. This was the second-highest figure since the historical series began in 2012, surpassed only by 2020, when 3.6 million hectares were devastated.

    “The drought pattern has changed. Although climate change is intensifying, those combating the fires are now better organized. We have more brigade members, resources, support from the National Security Force, the Armed Forces, and a more structured state response,” says Márcio Yule, coordinator of PrevFogo/Ibama in Mato Grosso do Sul.

    Extreme drought — worsened by the El Niño phenomenon — combined with improper fire use, high temperatures, and low humidity, has increased vegetation vulnerability and impacted biodiversity and traditional community livelihoods.

    I’ve been a brigade member since 2001, and the training helps us in many ways. Having the right equipment, rather than just our bare hands, makes all the difference. As traditional people, we have knowledge of fire management and know the land. When firefighters arrive, they need to talk to the community to understand what’s happening here. This combination of our knowledge, training, and equipment allows us to care for the land and the Pantanal.

    She is a quilombola and indigenous woman from the Guató people, living in the Barra de São Lourenço community — on the banks of the Cuiabá River near the Paraguay River, on the border between Mato Grosso do Sul and Mato Grosso, and the frontier with Bolivia.

    Silas Ismael

    Despite the increasingly challenging climate scenario, the combination of community mobilization, traditional knowledge, and technology has proven effective in mitigating damage. “The formation of civil brigades is more than a fire response plan — it is a territorial adaptation strategy that supports autonomy and resilience in the Pantanal,” says Osvaldo Barassi Gajardo, Conservation Specialist at WWF-Brazil.

    With each new training session, more than just skills are developed — a living protection network is built, where nature, science, and community walk hand in hand. Brigade member Eliane has a dream for the world’s largest wetland. “We care for nature, and nature cares for us. My dream is a green Pantanal full of animals”.

    Rosi do Céu, rooted in the Cerrado

    Since childhood, 47-year-old Rosilene Rodrigues da Silva Santos has guided people through the beauties and unique features of the Cerrado biome in Chapadão do Céu, Goiás, Brazil.

    “I grew up in this region. When visitors came to our house looking for tours, my parents would ask me to show them the trails, explain the routes, and teach them how to reach Emas National Park”. Today, Rosi works as a guide at the park during weekend and holidays, volunteers as a firefighter, and has served as a primary school teacher for the past 28 years. Currently, she teaches first grade at a municipal school in Chapadão do Céu from Monday to Friday.

    In 2010, a massive wildfire devastated approximately 90% of the 132,000 hectares of Emas National Park and the surrounding region. “That was my first time volunteering. The fire lasted several days, and the entire community helped. We brought clothes, supplies, and food for those battling the flames. It was my first experience with fire”.

    In her view, “nature still hasn’t fully recovered” from that fire. “The animals didn’t all return, there are far fewer now. But the Cerrado is life. It regenerates. The trees are twisted, with thick bark and deep roots. It’s on purpose. When fire comes, it doesn’t consume the forest floor. The Cerrado survives, it’s resilient,” she explains.

    In April, Rosi participated in a fire brigade training coordinated by UNESCO, with support from the Heritage Emergency Fund (HEF), and with WWF-Brazil. Trainings were held at three sites: Chapada dos Veadeiros National Park (GO), Emas National Park (GO), and Pantanal Matogrossense National Park (MT) – addressing conservation efforts across the Cerrado and Pantanal biomes.

    The training was excellent. Now we’re better prepared to manage the park during the dry season, following the management plan. And if emergencies arise, we know how to fight fires strategically, safely, and effectively.

    But if you ask Rosi do Céu (Rosi of the Sky) what she loves most, the answer is nature and wildlife. “Some people admire celebrities. I admire those who love nature. I love the wilderness and care for animals”.

    Rosi also makes handcrafted items from bamboo and wood, and rescues snakes and wild animals when needed. “Just send me a message on WhatsApp. If there’s an opossum or any creature, people say, Call Rosi, she’ll take care of it.” In 2018, she rescued a tapir and named her Preciosa (Precious). “Every time I go to Emas National Park, near where she stays, I call her name, she comes and eats from my hand. It’s love,” says the firefighter, guide, teacher, artisan, and animal caregiver.

    Eliane: ancestral wisdom

    Eliane Aires de Souza, 58 years, carries in her eyes and hands the wisdom born of deep interaction with nature and ancestral knowledge. A Pantanal native, she lives in the community of Barra de São Lourenço (MT), shaped by the waters and the vibrant life that surrounds her. She is an Indigenous woman of the Guató people, with quilombola ancestry, and works the land with knowledge and care as an agroforestry practitioner. Since 2001, she has served as a civilian firefighter, confronting the wildfires that each year are increasingly threatening the Pantanal.

    Silas Ismael

    This is our way of life. The Pantanal is our home. Having proper training and equipment helps us take care of it and protect our collective house.

    Eliane is a mother, grandmother, and president of the Renascer Women’s Association, created to strengthen the dreams and autonomy of the women in her community. In her words, she highlights the daily challenges of keeping culture alive and staying connected to the land. “Here, we live off fishing, bait, and handicrafts”.

    Eliane feels the effects of climate change and the abandonment of the rivers. She speaks with sadness of the Rio Velho, which no longer flows as it once did. “It’s like a clogged vein in the body. If we don’t take care of the river, the whole body falls ill”. For her, protecting nature means protecting herself, her family, her community, and the future. “That tree behind you is like a vein, it gives life to other lives”.

    In her daily life, Eliane cultivates an agroforestry system at home. She nurtures and protects the land. “That’s what agroforestry is: we care for it, and it cares for us”. Drawing on ancestral wisdom, she explains the importance of nourishing the soil, preserving humidity, and ensuring shade, life, and food. She grows bananas, cassava, lemons, and oranges, and dreams of more. She envisions a seedling nursery and a green corridor that reconnects fragmented forest areas, providing food for animals and nourishing hope.

    “If we keep waiting, the soil will die. And with it, our way of life”. She refuses to depend on the city for basic needs. “It’s the dream that keeps us going”.

    And perhaps it is that persistent force of dreaming, that way of resisting with hands in the soil, body in the canoe, and soul in the crafts, that keeps the Pantanal alive. As long as there are Elianes and Rosis, there will be hope for rebirth.

    About the UNESCO Heritage Emergency Fund

    This activity was supported by the UNESCO Heritage Emergency Fund (HEF). We express our gratitude to its donors: the Principality of Andorra, the Qatar Fund for Development, Canada, the Slovak Republic, the Republic of Estonia, the French Republic, the Republic of Lithuania, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, the Principality of Monaco, the Kingdom of Norway, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Republic of Poland, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the Republic of Serbia, and ANA Holdings INC.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China releases new e-bike safety standards enforcement guidelines

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

    BEIJING, July 24 — China has issued a set of guidelines ensuring the effective implementation of new mandatory national safety standards for electric bicycles (e-bikes), in an effort to improve regulation of this sector.

    The document, released by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), the Ministry of Public Security, the State Administration for Market Regulation, and the National Fire and Rescue Administration, outlines comprehensive measures which apply across the industry chain.

    There will be stricter oversight ranging from manufacturing to sales and registration, as well as the replacement of outdated vehicles, according to the guidelines.

    This move comes amid growing safety concerns over substandard e-bikes and unauthorized modifications, stoked by incidents involving e-bike fires and traffic accidents in recent years — which were often linked to illegal retrofitting that can make e-bikes exceed speed limits.

    To address these risks, China has already launched campaigns targeting safety hazards, while the new national standards will take effect on September 1.

    Preliminary results have indicated positive progress. In the first half of 2025, the country recorded 7,048 e-bike-related fire incidents, a 44.7-percent decrease compared to the same period last year.

    According to the MIIT, these guidelines aim to help manufacturers deliver compliant products to the market more quickly and accelerate the phasing out of non-conforming inventory. Efforts, notably, will be made to reinforce quality supervision endeavors and crack down on the production of non-compliant vehicles and illegal retrofitting.

    Meanwhile, China will continue to offer subsidies aimed at encouraging consumers to replace outdated e-bikes. So far this year, nearly 9.06 million new e-bikes have been sold nationwide via the government trade-in program.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Celebrating youth and Ugandan cinema with a double premiere

    Source: APO


    .

    The youth-focused “Opportunities are Here” project premiered season two of its reality TV show, alongside the thriller, “You May Kiss the Bride Goodbye”

    The TV reality series follows the personal and professional journeys of young creatives as they learn, collaborate and navigate the high-pressure demands of film production. The series captures the reality of building a career in Uganda’s film sector, from brainstorming and budgeting to late-night edits and final screening.

    With mentors including actor and broadcaster Gaetano Kaggwa, filmmaker and scriptwriter Nana Kagga, actress and writer Cleopatra Koheirwe, and actor Michael Wawuyo Jr., the series is airing on NTV every Thursday at 8:30 pm.

    Supported by the Geneva-based UN small business agency, the International Trade Centre (ITC), and the European Union (EU), “Opportunities are Here” season two builds on the momentum of its acclaimed first season, which featured creative minds from across the continent, including Nollywood star Dakore Egbuson-Akande and Ugandan actors Gaetano Kaggwa, Nana Kagga and Cleopatra Koheirwe.

    H.E. Jan Sadek, the European Union Ambassador to Uganda, expressed his admiration for the work achieved through the programme, saying, “We see huge potential in Uganda’s creative industries. Projects like OAH (Opportunities are Here) are a chance to build skills, connect with others, and get your work seen. Young Ugandan creatives should not be afraid to aim for international platforms. Their unique perspective is what the world is looking for.”

    Since its inception, the “Opportunities are Here” project has reached over seven million people through media and campaigns, with over 11,140 creatives trained. This has further resulted in 13,595+ jobs created, with 135+ youth-led productions completed.

    Chief of “Youth, Women and Vulnerable Communities” at ITC, Raimund Moser says: “Over the last three years, we’ve seen that with the right skills, mentorship and platforms, youth can lead the way in redefining African cinema. This is not just about storytelling—it’s about job creation and raising the visibility of creative services as a sector with great growth potential.” 

    The premiere night also featured a new film, “You May Kiss the Bride Goodbye”, a psychological thriller featuring Hellen Lukoma, Mbabazi Catherine Uwera, Fidel Sankara, Allan Kutos Katongole and Nuwa Wamala Nnyanzi, among other Ugandan actors. 

    The film was written, co-directed and produced by seven young filmmakers who participated in seasons one and two. The team includes Kahbuya Vanessa (Kvan), Kavuma Vieri, Nodryn Evanci Kabuye, Elly E. Debuni, Illungole Emmanuel, Nsiima Chloe and Manirahari Colline. 

    This project brought together writers, actors and producers to create their first commercially viable film using a team-based approach, mirroring real-life production, guided by industry professionals, including Joel Tugaineyo (co-producer), Drake Steven Makanga (director), Loukman Ali (creative director) and Alex Ireeta (director of photography), among others. 

    In close collaboration with international film distributors, it was decided the film would be a thriller, a genre with high commercial potential. The filmmakers have been screening the movie in cinemas throughout Uganda in the past several weeks. 

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of International Trade Centre.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Eswatini: How cash and voucher assistance is empowering women to rebuild after calamity

    Source: APO


    .

    In the southern African nation of Eswatini, cash and voucher assistance is making a real difference in people’s lives, particularly those most vulnerable after crisis. ‘It’s not just about fairness—it’s about effectiveness.’

    Even before the floods, life for Banele Mamba was hard enough. But then the floodwaters came and the 31-year-old mother of five had to cope with extensive damage to her family’s home. 

    “Water would seep in through the house,” she says. “I was so worried—especially because I live with chronic illness. I didn’t want the children to get sick from flu, cholera or other diseases.”

    Banele Mamba was able to fix some of those leaks, make other critical repairs and restock her pantry with support that came in the form of cash and voucher assistance provided by the Baphalali Eswatini Red Cross Society.

    The Red Cross here has been working in partnership with the IFRC Pretoria Delegation, as part of the EU-funded Pilot Programmatic Partnership (ECHO PPP), to deliver cash and vouchers to people impacted by recent floods.

    Unlike other forms of relief aid such as food or household supplies, cash transfer and vouchers give people such as Banele the power to decide what her families need most following times of crisis. 

    Delivered through mobile money transfers, both the cash and voucher components are redeemed in cash form. This approach empowers families while also supporting the local economy through increased purchasing at community shops and markets. 

    For Banele Mamba, the flexibility of cash support made a world of difference. She used part of the funds to seal parts of the leaking roof and reinforce the walls to prevent water from seeping in during heavy rains. 

    She also used the cash to buy essential food items and toiletries—products that she previously struggled to afford consistently. In months when the household budget was tight, she was therefore able to avoid borrowing from local money lenders. 

    “We believe that people affected by crises are the best placed to decide their needs,” says Tebukhosi Dlamini, Safe and Inclusive Programming Officer at Baphalali Eswatini Red Cross Society. 

    While the EU provided funding, the IFRC contributed technical guidance and policy review support to the Eswatini National Society during the planning and implementation of the programme. In doing so, the IFRC Pretoria delegation applied a protection- and gender-sensitive lens across all stages of the programmatic partnership. 

    “By applying protection and gender-sensitive principles, we ensure that women like Banele are not only included but prioritized in the selection processes,” Dlamini added.

    Putting inclusion into practice

    Women-headed households, survivors of gender-based violence, caregivers of orphaned children, and other at-risk groups were given high priority, recognizing people in these situations often face greater risks and barriers to recovery. 

    “Focusing on women and other vulnerable groups is not just about fairness—it’s about effectiveness,” says Boitumelo Phihlela, who works as focal person for protection, gender and inclusion, as well as community engagement and accountability, for the IFRC’s Pretoria Delegation. 

    “When we prioritize those most at risk, we strengthen the entire community’s resilience. Women, in particular, play a vital role in family and community wellbeing, so supporting them directly creates a ripple effect of positive change. 

    “This approach also ensures that protection and dignity are central to our response, which is key to building trust and long-term recovery.”

    The process is guided by inclusive criteria co-developed with the communities, which then participates in applying these standards to all aspects of the initiative.

    Continued learning and improvement: Key lessons learned

    The cash and voucher assistance programme in Eswatini fits in with larger efforts to continually improve the way the IFRC works with, supports and accompanies communities following crisis.

    The IFRC Pretoria Delegation and its partners, for example, also use this inclusive mindset – along with cash and voucher assistance – to strengthen long-term resilience local farmers in four other countries in southern Africa (Lesotho, Botswana, South Africa and Namibia). 

    The support also comes in the form of seeds and other agricultural inputs—ensuring communities are not only surviving today but are better prepared for the future. 

    Here are a few of the key takeaways from the IFRC Pretoria delegation’s three-year Programmatic Partnership collaboration.

    • Embed protection, gender and inclusion principles throughout all stages of programme design and implementation —ensuring that the unique needs, risks, and capacities of different groups, particularly women, children, people with disabilities, and other vulnerable populations, are considered and addressed.
    • Prioritize proactive, inclusive community engagement where feedback mechanisms are not only established but also trusted and accessible to all segments of the population.
    • Strengthen the feedback loop by ensuring community input is used to inform and adjust programming. The use of community feedback is needed to shape programming decisions which helps build trust and ensures greater accountability to target populations. In one farming community, for example, people noted that the seeds initially provided were not suited to their local soil and climate conditions, which affected crop growth. Upon hearing this, the Red Cross programme adapted by sourcing and distributing more appropriate seed varieties, improving harvest outcomes and reinforcing the community’s trust that their feedback leads to real changes.

    “It’s not enough to have feedback systems—we must make them visible, trusted, and use them to shape decisions,” said the IFRC’s Phihlela. “That’s how we build real accountability.”

    Read more about cash and voucher assistance at the IFRC

    Learn more about the Programmatic Partnership

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • Russia, Ukraine discuss more POW swaps; no deal on ceasefire or leaders’ meeting

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Russia and Ukraine discussed further prisoner swaps on Wednesday at a brief session of peace talks in Istanbul, but the sides remained far apart on ceasefire terms and a possible meeting of their leaders.

    “We have progress on the humanitarian track, with no progress on a cessation of hostilities,” Ukraine’s chief delegate Rustem Umerov said after talks that lasted just 40 minutes.

    He said Ukraine had proposed a meeting before the end of August between Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Russian President Vladimir Putin. He added: “By agreeing to this proposal, Russia can clearly demonstrate its constructive approach.”

    Russia’s chief delegate Vladimir Medinsky said the point of a leaders’ meeting should be to sign an agreement, not to “discuss everything from scratch”.

    He renewed Moscow’s call for a series of short ceasefires of 24-48 hours to enable the retrieval of bodies. Ukraine says it wants an immediate and much longer ceasefire.

    The talks took place just over a week after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened heavy new sanctions on Russia and countries that buy its exports unless a peace deal was reached within 50 days.

    There was no sign of any progress towards that goal, although both sides said there was discussion of further humanitarian exchanges following a series of prisoner swaps, the latest of which took place on Wednesday.

    Medinsky said the negotiators agreed to exchange at least 1,200 more prisoners of war from each side, and Russia had offered to hand over another 3,000 Ukrainian bodies.

    He said Moscow was working through a list of 339 names of Ukrainian children that Kyiv accuses it of abducting. Russia denies that charge and says it has offered protection to children separated from their parents during the war.

    “Some of the children have already been returned back to Ukraine. Work is under way on the rest. If their legal parents, close relatives, representatives are found, these children will immediately return home,” Medinsky said.

    Umerov said Kyiv was expecting “further progress” on POWs, adding: “We continue to insist on the release of civilians, including children.” Ukrainian authorities say at least 19,000 children have been forcibly deported.

    SHORTEST TALKS YET

    Before the talks, the Kremlin had played down expectations, describing the two sides’ positions as diametrically opposed and saying no one should expect miracles.

    At 40 minutes, the meeting was even shorter than the two sides’ previous encounters on May 16 and June 2, which lasted a combined total of under three hours.

    Oleksandr Bevz, a member of the Ukrainian delegation, said Kyiv had proposed a Putin-Zelenskiy meeting in August because that would fall within the deadline set by Trump for a deal.

    Putin turned down a previous challenge from Zelenskiy to meet in person and has said he does not see him as a legitimate leader because Ukraine, which is under martial law, did not hold new elections when Zelenskiy’s five-year mandate expired last year.

    Trump has patched up relations with Zelenskiy after a public row with him at the White House in February, and has lately expressed growing frustration with Putin.

    Three sources close to the Kremlin told Reuters last week that Putin, unfazed by Trump’s ultimatum, would keep fighting in Ukraine until the West engaged on his terms for peace, and that his territorial demands may widen as Russian forces advance.

    (Reuters)

  • MIL-Evening Report: Israel waging ‘horror show’ starvation campaign in Gaza, says UN chief

    This is Democracy Now!. I’m Amy Goodman.

    More than 100 humanitarian groups are demanding action to end Israel’s siege of Gaza, warning mass starvation is spreading across the Palestinian territory.

    The NGOs, including Amnesty International, Oxfam, Doctors Without Borders, warn, “illnesses like acute watery diarrhea are spreading, markets are empty, waste is piling up, and adults are collapsing on the streets from hunger and dehydration.”

    Their warning came as the Palestinian Ministry of Health said the number of starvation-related deaths has climbed to at least 111 people.

    This is Ghada al-Fayoumi, a displaced Palestinian mother of seven in Gaza City.

    GHADA AL-FAYOUMI: “[translated] My children wake up sick every day. What do I do? I get saline solution for them. What can I do?

    “There’s no food, no bread, no drinks, no rice, no sugar, no cooking oil, no bulgur, nothing. There is no kind of any food available to us at all.”

    AMY GOODMAN: Thousands of antiwar protesters marched on Tuesday in Tel Aviv outside Israel’s military headquarters, demanding an end to Israel’s assault and a lifting of the Gaza siege. This is Israeli peace activist Alon-Lee Green with the group Standing Together.

    ALON-LEE GREEN: “We are marching now in Tel Aviv, holding bags of flour and the pictures of these children that have been starved to death by our government and our army.

    “We demand to stop the starvation in Gaza. We demand to stop the annihilation of Gaza. We demand to stop the daily killing of children and innocent people in Gaza.

    “This cannot go on. We are Israelis, and this does not serve us. This only serves the Messianic people that lead us.”

    AMY GOODMAN: This comes as the World Health Organisation has released a video showing the Israeli military attacking WHO facilities in central Gaza’s Deir al-Balah. A WHO spokesperson condemned the attack, called for the immediate release of a staff member abducted by Israeli forces.

    TARIK JAŠAREVIĆ: “Male staff and family members were handcuffed, stripped, interrogated on the spot and screened at gunpoint.

    “Two WHO staff and two family members were detained.”

    AMY GOODMAN: Meanwhile, health officials in Gaza say Israeli attacks over the past day killed more than 70 people, including five more people seeking food at militarised aid sites. Amid growing outrage worldwide, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Tuesday the situation in Gaza right now is a “horror show”.

    UN SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES: “We need look no further than the horror show in Gaza, with a level of death and destruction without parallel in recent times.

    “Malnourishment is soaring. Starvation is knocking on every door.”

    AMY GOODMAN: For more, we’re joined by Michael Fakhri, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food. He is a professor of law at University of Oregon, where he leads the Food Resiliency Project.


    Israel waging ‘fastest starvation campaign’ in modern history    Video: Democracy Now!

    Dr Michael Fakhri, welcome back to Democracy Now! If you can respond to what’s happening right now, the images of dying infants starving to death, the numbers now at over 100, people dropping in the streets, reporters saying they can’t go on?

    Agence France-Presse’s union talked about they have had reporters killed in conflict, they have had reporters disappeared, injured, but they have not had this situation before with their reporters starving to death.

    DR MICHAEL FAKHRI: Amy, the word “horror” — I mean, we’re running out of words of what to say. And the reason it’s horrific is it was preventable. We saw this coming. We’ve seen this coming for 20 months.

    Israel announced its starvation campaign back in October 2023. And then again, Prime Minister Netanyahu announced on March 1 that nothing was to enter Gaza. And that’s what happened for 78 days. No food, no water, no fuel, no medicine entered Gaza.

    And then they built these militarised aid sites that are used to humiliate, weaken and kill the Palestinians. So, what makes this horrific is it has been preventable, it was predictable. And again, this is the fastest famine we’ve seen, the fastest starvation campaign we’ve seen in modern history.

    AMY GOODMAN: So, can you talk about what needs to be done at this point and the responsibility of the occupying power? Israel is occupying Gaza right now. What it means to have to protect the population it occupies?

    DR FAKHRI: The International Court of Justice outlined Israel’s duties in its decisions over the last year. So, what Israel has an obligation to do is, first, end its illegal occupation immediately. This came from the court itself.

    Second, it must allow humanitarian relief to enter with no restrictions. And this hasn’t been happening. So, usually, we would turn to the Security Council to authorise peacekeepers or something similar to assist.

    But predictably, again, the United States keeps vetoing anything to do with a ceasefire. When the Security Council is in a deadlock because of a veto, the General Assembly, the UN General Assembly, has the authority to call for peacekeepers to accompany humanitarian convoys to enter into Gaza and to end Israel’s starvation campaign against the Palestinian people.

    AMY GOODMAN: People actually protested outside the house of UN Secretary-General António Guterres yesterday. People protested all over the world yesterday against the Palestinians being starved and bombed to death. Those in front of the UN Secretary-General’s house said they don’t dispute that he has raised this issue almost every day, but they say he can do more.

    Finally, Michael Fakhri, what does the UN need to do — the US, Israel, the world?

    DR FAKHRI: So, as I mentioned, first and foremost, they can authorise peacekeepers to enter to stop the starvation. But, second, they need to create consequences.

    The world has a duty to prevent this starvation. The world has a duty to prevent and end this genocide. And as a result, then, what the world can do is impose sanctions.

    And again, this is supported by the International Court of Justice. The world needs to impose wide-scale sanctions against the state of Israel to force it to end the starvation and genocide of civilians, of Palestinian civilians in Gaza today.

    AMY GOODMAN: Well, I want to thank you so much for being with us, Michael Fakhri, UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, speaking to us from Eugene, Oregon.

    Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: The Murray–Darling Basin Plan Evaluation is out. The next step is to fix the land, not just the flows

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Stewardson, CEO One Basin CRC, The University of Melbourne

    Yarramalong Weir is one of many barriers to the passage of fish in the Murray-Darling Basin. Geoff Reid, One Basin CRC

    A report card into the A$13 billion Murray–Darling Basin Plan has found much work is needed to ensure the ecology of Australia’s largest river system is properly restored.

    The assessment, by the Murray–Darling Basin Authority, is the most comprehensive to date.

    The authority says the river system is doing better now than it would have without the plan, which aims to ensure sustainable water use for the environment, communities and industries. But it found there is more to be done.

    We are water, economics and environmental researchers with many years of experience working in the Murray-Darling Basin. We agree more work is needed, but with a more local focus, to restore the basin to health.

    This requires more than just more water for the environment. Coordinated local efforts to restore rivers and the surrounding land are desperately needed. There’s so much more to the river system than just the water it contains.

    Preparing for the 2026 Basin Plan Review (Murray–Darling Basin Authority)

    What’s the plan?

    The Murray-Darling Basin is Australia’s food bowl. But for too long, the health of environment was in decline – rivers were sick and wildlife was suffering. The river stopped flowing naturally to the sea because too much water was being taken from it.

    Poor land management has also degraded the river system over time. Floodplain vegetation has been damaged, the river channel has been re-engineered, and pest plants and animals have been introduced.

    The Murray-Darling Basin Plan was established in 2012. It aimed to recover water for the environment and safeguard the long-term health of the river system, while continuing to support productive agriculture and communities. It demanded more water for the environment and then described how this water would be delivered, in the form of targeted “environmental flows”.

    Since 2012, the allocation of water to various uses has gradually changed. So far, 2,069 billion litres (gigalitres) of surface water has been recovered for the environment. Combined with other earlier water recovery, a total of about 28% of water previously diverted for agriculture, towns and industry is now being used by the environment instead.

    A mixed report card

    The evaluation released today is the first step towards a complete review of the plan next year. The 2026 review will make recommendations to Environment and Water Minister Murray Watt. It will then be up to him to decide whether any changes are needed.

    It is a mixed report card. Ecological decline has been successfully halted at many sites. But sustained restoration of ecosystems across the basin is yet to be achieved, and native fish populations are in poor condition across 19 of the basin’s 23 catchments.

    Climate change is putting increasing pressure on water resources. More intense and frequent extreme climate events and an average 20–30% less streamflow (up to 50% in some rivers) are expected by mid-century.

    The evaluation also called for better policy and program design. Specifically, flexible programs have proven more effective than prescriptive, highly regulated programs.

    Finally, the report also highlights that the cost of water reform is increasing.

    Direct buybacks of water licences, mostly from irrigators, account for around two-thirds of the water recovered for the environment under the basin plan. Buybacks are the simplest and most cost-effective way to recover water but are controversial because of concerns about social and economic impacts.

    Much of the remaining water has been recovered through investment in more efficient water supply infrastructure, with water savings reserved for environmental use.

    The authority suggests different approaches will be needed for additional water recovery.

    Having plenty of native vegetation on river banks is important for river health.
    Geoff Reid, One Basin CRC

    Healthy rivers need more than water

    For the past two decades, measures to restore the Murray-Darling Basin have focused largely on water recovery. But research suggests attention now needs to be paid to other, more local actions.

    In March, one author of this article – Samantha Capon – identified nine priority actions to restore Australia’s inland river and groundwater ecosystems at local levels. They included:

    • revegetating land alongside waterways
    • retiring some farmland
    • modifying barriers to fish movements
    • installing modern fish screens on irrigation pumps.

    The study estimated such actions would cost around A$2.9 billion a year, if completed over the next 30 years.

    Works to restore vegetation or other environmental conditions at these critical habitats will only occur with landholders, as well as Traditional Owners.

    That’s because most of the basin’s wetlands and floodplain areas are on private property, including in irrigation districts.

    Irrigator involvement is needed to place fish screens on private irrigation pumps or retire farmland. There is a growing interest and some early experience in using private irrigation channels to deliver environmental water. This also requires local partnerships.

    The basin plan should include targets for environmental outcomes, not just water recovery. This will allow the benefits from local restoration measures and environmental flows to be included when tracking the plan.

    Such ecosystem accounting tools already exist. Research is urgently needed to make these tools both locally relevant and suitable for the basin plan.

    Time for a local approach

    To date, water for the environment under the basin plan has been recovered largely through centralised government-led programs. Decisions around the delivery of environmental flows are also largely in the hands of government agencies.

    But other local restoration actions are also needed.

    A business-as-usual approach would leave responsible agencies struggling to complete these vital local measures with limited funding, resources and accountability.

    Michael Stewardson is a member of the Advisory Committee on Social, Economic and Environmental Science, which advises the Murray Darling Basin Authority,, although he is not representing the views of this committee in this article. The committee is established under Section 203 of the Water Act 2007.
    Michael Stewardson is the CEO of the One Basin CRC, which is jointly funded under the commonwealth Cooperative Research Centre Program and by its partners listed here: https://onebasin.com.au/
    These partners include: state and federal government agencies including the Murray Darling Basin Authority; irrigation infrastructure operators (government owned and non-government), natural resource management agencies (government and non-government); agriculture businesses, industry organisation and R&D organisations; local government organisations; consulting companies in the water sector; technology companies; education and training organisations; and research organisation. Partners contribute to the One Basin CRC in the form of in-kind and cash contributions. The One Basin CRC is also funded by the Commonwealth Environmental Water Office under its FlowMER program. The views in this article do not necessarily represent the views of these partner and funding organisations.
    Michael Stewardson has previously received research funding from the Australian Research Council and both state and federal government agencies.

    Neville Crossman is a Program Leader for Adaptation and Innovation in the One Basin CRC. He is a past employee of the Murray-Darling Basin Authority (2018-2024). He has worked closely with a range of State and federal government agencies and many researchers, industry and community members in the Murray-Darling Basin throughout his career.

    Samantha Capon receives funding from the federal Department of Climate Change, Energy Efficiency, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW), NSW DCCEEW, the Cotton Research and Development Corporation. She is a member of the Murray-Darling Basin Authority’s Advisory Committee for Social, Economic and Environmental Science (ACSEES), but is not representing the view of this committee in this article. Samantha has worked closely with NRM agencies, a range of State and federal government agencies and many researchers, industry and community members in the Murray-Darling Basin throughout her career.

    Seth Westra is the Research Director for the One Basin CRC. He receives funding from the federal Department of Climate Change, Energy Efficiency, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW), NSW DCCEEW and the South Australian Department for Environment and Water (DEW). Seth is Research Director of the One Basin Cooperative Research Centre, Director of the Systems Cooperative, and has worked closely with NRM agencies, a range of State and federal government agencies and many researchers, industry and community members in the Murray-Darling Basin throughout his career.

    – ref. The Murray–Darling Basin Plan Evaluation is out. The next step is to fix the land, not just the flows – https://theconversation.com/the-murray-darling-basin-plan-evaluation-is-out-the-next-step-is-to-fix-the-land-not-just-the-flows-261840

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • EU’s von der Leyen says China ties are at ‘inflection point’ at tense summit

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called for an “essential” rebalancing of trade ties with China during a tense summit on Thursday with President Xi Jinping, saying ties stood at an “inflection point”, according to a pool report.

    Expectations were low for the summit marking 50 years of diplomatic ties after weeks of escalating tension and wrangling over its format, with the duration abruptly halved to a single day at Beijing’s request.

    Von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa met Xi at the start of an event set to be dominated by thorny issues ranging from trade frictions to the Ukraine war.

    “As our cooperation has deepened, so have imbalances. We have reached an inflection point,” von der Leyen told Xi during the meeting in the Great Hall of the People.

    She was referring to the EU’s trade deficit with China, which ballooned to a historic 305.8 billion euros ($360 billion) last year.

    “Rebalancing of our bilateral relation is essential … It is vital for China and Europe to acknowledge our respective concerns and come forward with real solutions.”

    However, Xi urged the EU to “make correct strategic choices” during the meeting, state broadcaster CCTV said, in a veiled criticism of Brussels’ hawkish stance on China.

    “The more severe and complex the international situation, the more China and the EU must strengthen communication, enhance mutual trust and deepen cooperation,” Xi told von der Leyen and Costa, it said.

    “Chinese and European leaders should … make correct strategic choices that meet the expectations of the people.”

    The weeks before the summit were dominated by tit-for-tat trade disputes and hawkish European rhetoric, such as a July 8 accusation by von der Leyen that China was flooding global markets as a result of its overcapacity and “enabling Russia’s war economy”.

    Shortly before the summit, however, von der Leyen struck a more conciliatory tone, describing it as an opportunity to “both advance and rebalance our relationship” in a post on X on Thursday.

    “I’m convinced there can be a mutually beneficial cooperation,” von der Leyen added.

    The two EU officials are set to meet Chinese Premier Li Qiang later. Both sides are hoping to reach a modest joint statement on climate, currently one of the only bright spots in EU-China cooperation.

    State news agency Xinhua also appeared to downplay Beijing’s rivalry with the 27-member bloc, saying China was a “critical partner” for Europe, with a range of shared interests.

    “China is a critical partner to Europe, not a systemic rival,” it said in a commentary.

    The two shared interests in trade, climate, and global governance, it said, adding, “These areas of common ground should not be eclipsed by isolated points of friction.”

    The EU defines China as a “partner, competitor and systemic rival”, which frames its strategic approach to China policy.

    At the summit, European leaders are also expected to raise topics such as electric vehicles and Chinese industrial overcapacity.

    China launched rare earth export controls in April that disrupted supply chains worldwide, leading to temporary stoppages in European automotive production lines the following month.

    But its exports of rare earth magnets to the EU surged in June by 245% from May, to stand at 1,364 metric tons, though that was still 35% lower than the year-earlier figure, customs data showed.

    The EU is likely to seal a trade deal with the United States for a broad tariff of 15% on its exports after intense negotiations, avoiding a harsher 30% figure threatened by President Donald Trump.

    (Reuters)

  • Israeli strike kills hungry Gaza family in their sleep

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    The Al-Shaer family went to bed hungry at their home in Gaza City. An Israeli airstrike killed them in their sleep.

    The family – freelance journalist Wala al-Jaabari, her husband and their five children – were among more than 100 people killed in 24 hours of Israeli strikes or gunfire, according to health officials.

    Their corpses lay in white shrouds outside their bombed home on Wednesday with their names scribbled in pen. Blood seeped through the shrouds as they lay there, staining them red.

    “This is my cousin. He was 10. We dug them out of the rubble,” Amr al-Shaer, holding one of the bodies after retrieving it.

    Iman al-Shaer, another relative who lives nearby, said the family hadn’t eaten anything before the bombs came down. “The children slept without food,” he said.

    The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the strike at the family’s home, but said its air force had struck 120 targets throughout Gaza in the past day, including “terrorist cells, military structures, tunnels, booby-trapped structures, and additional terrorist infrastructure sites”.

    Relatives said some neighbours were spared only because they had been out searching for food at the time of the strike.

    Ten more Palestinians died overnight from starvation, the Gaza health ministry said, bringing the total number of people who have starved to death to 111, most of them in recent weeks as a wave of hunger crashes on the Palestinian enclave.

    The World Health Organization said on Wednesday 21 children under the age of five were among those who died of malnutrition so far this year. It said it had been unable to deliver any food for nearly 80 days between March and May and that a resumption of food deliveries was still far below what is needed.

    In a statement on Wednesday, 111 organisations, including Mercy Corps, the Norwegian Refugee Council and Refugees International, said mass starvation was spreading even as tons of food, clean water and medical supplies sit untouched just outside Gaza, where aid groups are blocked from accessing them.

    Israel, which cut off all supplies to Gaza from the start of March and reopened it with new restrictions in May, says it is committed to allowing in aid but must control it to prevent it from being diverted by militants. It says it has let enough food into Gaza during the war and blames Hamas for the suffering of Gaza’s 2.2 million people.

    Israel has also accused the United Nations of failing to act in a timely fashion, saying 700 truckloads of aid are idling inside Gaza. “It is time for them to pick it up and stop blaming Israel for the bottlenecks which are occurring,” Israeli government spokesman David Mercer said on Wednesday.

    The United Nations and aid groups trying to deliver food to Gaza say Israel, which controls everything that comes in and out, is choking delivery, and Israeli troops have shot hundreds of Palestinians dead close to aid collection points since May.

    “We have a minimum set of requirements to be able to operate inside Gaza,” Ross Smith, the director of emergencies at the U.N. World Food Programme, told Reuters. “One of the most important things I want to emphasize is that we need to have no armed actors near our distribution points, near our convoys.”

    Israel’s U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon told the Security Council on Wednesday that Israel will now grant only one-month visas to international staff from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

    FALTERING PEACE TALKS

    The war between Israel and Hamas has been raging for nearly two years since Hamas killed some 1,200 Israelis and took 251 hostages from southern Israel in the deadliest attack in Israel’s history.

    Israel has since killed nearly 60,000 Palestinians in Gaza, decimated Hamas as a military force, reduced most of the territory to ruins and forced nearly the entire population to flee their homes multiple times.

    U.S. Middle East peace envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to hold new ceasefire talks, travelling to Europe this week for meetings on the Gaza war and a range of other issues, a U.S. official said on Tuesday.

    A Palestinian official close to the Gaza ceasefire talks and the mediation efforts told Reuters on Wednesday that Hamas had handed its response on the ceasefire proposal to mediators, declining to elaborate further.

    Talks on a proposal for a 60-day ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, which would include the release of more of the 50 hostages still being held in Gaza, are being mediated by Qatar and Egypt with Washington’s backing.

    Successive rounds of negotiations have achieved no breakthrough since the collapse of a ceasefire in March.

    Israel’s President Isaac Herzog told soldiers during a visit to Gaza on Wednesday that “intensive negotiations” about returning the hostages held there were underway and he hoped that they would soon “hear good news”, according to a statement.

    A senior Palestinian official earlier told Reuters Hamas might give mediators a response to the latest proposals in Doha later on Wednesday, on the condition that amendments be made to two major sticking points: details on an Israeli military withdrawal, and on how to distribute aid during a truce.

    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet includes far-right parties that oppose any agreement that ends without the total destruction of Hamas.

    “The second I spot weakness in the prime minister and if I come to think, heaven forbid, that this is about to end with us surrendering instead of with Hamas’s absolute surrender, I won’t remain (in the government) for even a single day,” Finance Minister Belalel Smotrich told Army Radio.

    (Reuters)

  • Thailand F-16 jet deployed against Cambodian forces as border clash escalates

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    A Thai F-16 fighter jet bombed targets in Cambodia on Thursday, both sides said, as weeks of tension over a border dispute escalated into clashes that have killed at least two civilians.

    Of the six F-16 fighter jets that Thailand readied to deploy along the disputed border, one of the aircraft fired into Cambodia and destroyed a military target, the Thai army said. Both countries accused each other of starting the clash early on Thursday.

    “We have used air power against military targets as planned,” Thai army deputy spokesperson Richa Suksuwanon told reporters. Thailand also closed its border with Cambodia.

    Cambodia’s defence ministry said the jets dropped two bombs on a road, and that it “strongly condemns the reckless and brutal military aggression of the Kingdom of Thailand against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Cambodia”.

    The skirmishes came after Thailand recalled its ambassador to Cambodia late on Wednesday and said it would expel Cambodia’s envoy in Bangkok, after a second Thai soldier in the space of a week lost a limb to a landmine that Bangkok alleged had been laid recently in the disputed area.

    Thai residents in the Surin border province fled to shelters built of concrete and fortified with sandbags and car tires as the two countries exchanged fire.

    “How many rounds have been fired? It’s countless,” an unidentified woman told the Thai Public Broadcasting Service (TPBS) while hiding in the shelter with gunfire and explosions heard intermittently in the background.

    For more than a century, Thailand and Cambodia have contested sovereignty at various undemarcated points along their 817 km (508 miles) land border, which has led to skirmishes over several years and at least a dozen deaths, including during a weeklong exchange of artillery in 2011.

    Tensions were reignited in May following the killing of a Cambodian soldier during a brief exchange of gunfire, which escalated into a full-blown diplomatic crisis and now has triggered armed clashes.

    LANDMINES

    The clashes began early on Thursday near the disputed Ta Moan Thom temple along the eastern border between Cambodia and Thailand, around 360 km from the Thai capital Bangkok.

    “Artillery shell fell on people’s homes,” Sutthirot Charoenthanasak, district chief of Kabcheing in Surin province, told Reuters, describing the firing by the Cambodian side.

    “Two people have died,” he said, adding that district authorities had evacuated 40,000 civilians from 86 villages near the border to safer locations.

    Thailand’s military said Cambodia deployed a surveillance drone before sending troops with heavy weapons to an area near the temple.

    Cambodian troops opened fire and two Thai soldiers were wounded, a Thai army spokesperson said, adding Cambodia had used multiple weapons, including rocket launchers.

    A spokesperson for Cambodia’s defence ministry, however, said there had been an unprovoked incursion by Thai troops and Cambodian forces had responded in self-defence.

    Thailand’s acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai said the situation was delicate.

    “We have to be careful,” he told reporters. “We will follow international law.”

    An attempt by Thai premier Paetongtarn Shinawatra to resolve the recent tensions via a call with Cambodia’s influential former Prime Minister Hun Sen, the contents of which were leaked, kicked off a political storm in Thailand, leading to her suspension by a court.

    Hun Sen said in a Facebook post that two Cambodian provinces had come under shelling from the Thai military.

    Thailand this week accused Cambodia of placing landmines in a disputed area that injured three soldiers. Phnom Penh denied the claim and said the soldiers had veered off agreed routes and triggered a mine left behind from decades of war.

    Cambodia has many landmines left over from its civil war decades ago, numbering in the millions according to de-mining groups.

    But Thailand maintains landmines have been placed at the border area recently, which Cambodia has described as baseless allegations.

    (Reuters) 

  • MIL-OSI Russia: More than 145,000 people have fled their homes due to violence in Syria’s As-Suwayda province – UN

    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

    DAMASCUS, July 24 (Xinhua) — Despite a declared ceasefire, sporadic clashes, drone strikes and ground fighting continue in Suwayda province and surrounding areas in southern Syria, with the number of displaced people exceeding 145,000, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said on Wednesday.

    According to him, mortar shelling and aerial reconnaissance were recorded from July 20 to 22, civilians were injured, and thousands were forced to flee. Most of the displaced persons remain within the province of As-Suwayda, while some are seeking refuge in the neighboring province of Daraa and rural areas of Damascus.

    Access to basic services remains severely disrupted across As-Suwayda. The UN reports widespread disruptions to electricity, water, fuel and communications, while food insecurity is exacerbated by disruptions to markets and the closure of bakeries.

    Humanitarian organisations have begun to respond to the crisis, providing health and protection services to affected communities, delivering food, clean water and non-food items. Access constraints remain, hampering their work.

    The UN warns that displacement continues in the region, with overcrowded shelters, poor sanitation and explosive contamination exacerbating risks for already vulnerable groups. –0–

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

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Golden, Collins introduce bipartisan legislation to create disaster relief fund for loggers

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02)

    WASHINGTON — Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02) and Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) today introduced the bicameral, bipartisan Loggers Economic Assistance and Relief Act, which would establish a new program within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to support loggers who have lost income due to natural disasters.

    Senator Angus King (I-ME) and Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (ME-01) are original cosponsors of the legislation, while Congressman Pete Stauber (R-MN-08) is the lead cosponsor in the House. 

    Current law excludes loggers from the kinds of disaster relief and assistance available to other industries, including fishermen and farmers, when natural disasters strike. Under the Loggers Economic Assistance and Relief Act, a disaster declaration from the president or governor would unlock federal assistance eligibility for logging businesses with at least a 10 percent loss in revenue or volume compared to the prior year. Covered damage would include high winds, fire, flooding, insect infestation and drought. 

    “You can’t write the story of Maine without loggers. Our forest products industry has provided for generations of Mainers and continues to be the economic bedrock of many rural communities. There must be a safety net to ensure one particularly bad season cannot uproot logging families and communities” Golden said. “I’m proud of our loggers, and I’m proud of the rock-solid coalition we’re building to support them. ”

    “Maine’s forest products industry has long supported good‑paying jobs and helped grow local economies across our state. Loggers are at the heart of that industry, but devastating storms in recent years have severely impacted the ability of logging businesses to operate at full capacity,” Senator Collins said. “This bipartisan bill would provide targeted financial assistance to help loggers recover from federally declared disasters, so that they can continue their important work, sustain rural communities, and contribute to our state’s economy.”

    “In Minnesota’s Eighth Congressional District, our forest products industry has created good paying jobs and driven our local economies,” Stauber said. “Unfortunately, this crucial industry is currently facing a wide variety of threats, from wildfires and drought to insect infestation. Minnesota’s loggers have supported our communities for generations, and it is now our turn to support them. That’s why I am proud to introduce legislation with my friend, Congressman Jared Golden, to establish a new program through the USDA that will provide financial assistance to timber harvesting and timber hauling businesses that have seen their bottom line impacted by natural disasters. I look forward to seeing this legislation help ensure Minnesota’s forest products industry remains strong and resilient.”

    In December 2023, Maine’s logging industry lost $2.6 million after just one particularly severe storm — with a survey released by the Professional Logging Contractors of the Northeast later finding that more than 90 percent of the industry’s businesses suffered damage to equipment or logistics. In total, Maine’s economy lost $5.5 million due to the loss in logging revenue and productivity that winter.

    “Generations of loggers have spent their lifetimes powering our state’s economy while providing for their families, which is why it is so important to protect and sustain this historic industry,”  Senator King said. “As natural disasters across Maine increase, the bipartisan Loggers Economic Assistance and Relief Act will help establish a new program within the USDA to support loggers who need assistance to overcome damage and lost income. The logging industry has supported rural Maine families and communities for hundreds of years, and it’s imperative that investments in our foresting community evolve for today’s challenges as we protect it for a sturdy future.” 

    “As Maine experiences more extreme weather events and natural disasters, it’s imperative that we protect our state’s loggers from potentially devastating financial impacts—just as we’ve long done for our fishermen and farmers,” Pingree, a member of the House Agriculture Committee, said.“We’ve already seen the harmful impacts climate change has created for our forest products industry, from delayed harvests to damaged equipment and infrastructure. This common-sense, bipartisan legislation will provide real relief to the families and communities that rely on Maine’s forests for their livelihoods and wellbeing.”

    Logging industry leaders praised the bipartisan legislation: 

    • Dana Doran, executive director of the Professional Logging Contractors of the Northeast: “For too long, logging and forest trucking contractors in the Northeast have been left out of federal relief efforts in the wake of natural disasters, despite suffering losses as severe as those in other industries like fishing and farming that have received aid. The extreme weather our region has experienced in recent years has idled harvest operations for long periods, destroyed logging and timber hauling infrastructure, and driven up costs at a time when the logging industry is already grappling with unprecedented challenges and can least afford it. We are grateful to Congressmen Golden and the rest of Maine’s delegation for their leadership in this effort to secure fair treatment for these hard-working small family businesses, and we encourage swift passage of the Loggers Economic Assistance and Relief Act to provide the aid the industry deserves.”
    • Chuck Ames, president of SDR Logging, Sebec, ME: “I talk to loggers every day and most are struggling, but all they ask for is a level playing field with other industries. I believe this legislation is a step in the right direction toward treating loggers the same as farmers and fishermen. We are all harvesting natural resources, and are all impacted by natural disasters. I appreciate the efforts of Congressman Golden and the rest of Maine’s congressional delegation to recognize that and pass this bill on our behalf.”
    • Marc Greaney, president of Western Maine Timberlands, Fryeburg, ME: “I have been logging for decades in Western Maine, and in recent years have seen severe weather limit my company’s ability to harvest and truck wood for longer periods of time than ever before. When we can’t cut and move wood we don’t get paid, and this is happening at the same time that operating costs are continuing to rise, so I am grateful to Congressman Golden and the other members of Maine’s congressional delegation for attempting to provide disaster relief to loggers in the same way it has been provided to other industries in the past.”
    • Scott Dane, executive director of the American Loggers Council: “The timber industry invests in public and private stumpage (timber) years in advance. A multiyear timber portfolio is necessary to adjust for market and weather conditions. This is an essential element for a logger’s business plan. When unforeseen natural disasters such as drought, wildfire, winds, and invasive species infestations occur, the timber is lost. There are limited options, if any, to replace that timber with new tracts in a timely manner. These losses are extremely disruptive to a logger’s harvest plan and create a significant revenue loss. Congressman Golden’s Loggers Assistance and Relief Act is necessary to support the timber industry, similar to assistance programs for other natural resource and agricultural sectors. The American Loggers Council appreciates the Maine Congressional Delegation, and other sponsors, for this Bill and the security it will provide to logging and trucking businesses” 

    Full text of the legislation can be found here.

    ###

     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: STMicroelectronics Reports 2025 Second Quarter Financial Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    PR No: C3349C

    STMicroelectronics Reports 2025 Second Quarter Financial Results

    • Q2 net revenues $2.77 billion; gross margin 33.5%; operating loss of $133 million, including $190 million related to impairment, restructuring charges and other related phase-out costs; net loss of $97 million
    • H1 net revenues $5.28 billion; gross margin 33.5%; operating loss of $130 million, including $198 million related to impairment, restructuring charges and other related phase-out costs; net loss of $41 million
    • Business outlook at mid-point: Q3 net revenues of $3.17 billion and gross margin of 33.5%

    Geneva, July 24, 2025 – STMicroelectronics N.V. (“ST”) (NYSE: STM), a global semiconductor leader serving customers across the spectrum of electronics applications, reported U.S. GAAP financial results for the second quarter ended June 28, 2025. This press release also contains non-U.S. GAAP measures (see Appendix for additional information).

    ST reported second quarter net revenues of $2.77 billion, gross margin of 33.5%, operating loss of $133 million, and net loss of $97 million or -$0.11 diluted earnings per share (non-U.S. GAAP1 operating income of $57 million, and non-U.S. GAAP1 net income of $57 million or $0.06 diluted earnings per share).

    Jean-Marc Chery, ST President & CEO, commented:

    • “Q2 net revenues came above the mid-point of our business outlook range, driven by higher revenues in Personal Electronics and Industrial, while Automotive was slightly below expectations. Gross margin was in line with the mid-point of our business outlook range.”
    • “On a year-over-year basis, Q2 net revenues decreased 14.4%, non-U.S. GAAP1operating margin decreased to 2.1% from 11.6% and non-U.S. GAAP1net income decreased to $57 million from $353 million.”
    • “First half net revenues decreased 21.1% year-over-year, with a decrease in all reportable segments. Non-U.S. GAAP1operating margin was 1.3% and non-U.S. GAAP1net income was $120 million.”
    • “In the second quarter, our book-to-bill ratio remained above one for Industrial, while Automotive was below parity. Bookings continued to increase sequentially.”
    • “Our third quarter business outlook, at the mid-point, is for net revenues of $3.17 billion, decreasing year-over-year by 2.5% and increasing sequentially by 14.6%; gross margin is expected to be about 33.5%; including about 340 basis points of unused capacity charges. On a sequential basis, our Q3 gross margin will be negatively impacted by about 140 basis points, mainly from currency effect and, to a lesser extent, the start of non-recurring cost related to our manufacturing reshaping program.”
    • “While we expect Q3 revenues to show a solid sequential growth enabling a continued year-over-year improvement, we are still operating amid an uncertain macroeconomic environment. Given these external factors, our priorities remain supporting our customers, accelerating new product introductions, and executing our company-wide program to reshape our manufacturing footprint and resize our global cost base.”

    Quarterly Financial Summary

    U.S. GAAP
    (US$ m, except per share data)    		 Q2 2025 Q1 2025 Q2 2024 Q/Q Y/Y
    Net Revenues $2,766 $2,517 $3,232 9.9% -14.4%
    Gross Profit $926 $841 $1,296 10.2% -28.5%
    Gross Margin 33.5% 33.4% 40.1% +10 bps – 660 bps
    Operating Income (Loss) $(133) $3 $375 – –
    Operating Margin -4.8% 0.1% 11.6% -490 bps -1,640 bps
    Net Income (Loss) $(97) $56 $353 – –
    Diluted Earnings Per Share $(0.11) $0.06 $0.38 – –
    Non-U.S. GAAP2
    (US$ m, except per share data)    		 Q2 2025 Q1 2025 Q2 2024 Q/Q Y/Y
    Operating Income $57 $11 $375 429.6% -84.7%
    Operating Margin 2.1% 0.4% 11.6% 170 bps -950 bps
    Net Income $57 $63 $353 -9.1% -83.9%
    Diluted Earnings Per Share $0.06 $0.07 $0.38 -14.3% -84.2%

    Second Quarter 2025 Summary Review
    Reminder: on January 1, 2025 we made some adjustments to our segment reporting. Prior year comparative periods have been adjusted accordingly. See Appendix for more detail.

    Net Revenues by Reportable Segment3 (US$ m) Q2 2025 Q1 2025 Q2 2024 Q/Q Y/Y
    Analog products, MEMS and Sensors (AM&S) segment 1,133 1,069 1,336 5.9% -15.2%
    Power and discrete products (P&D) segment 447 397 576 12.9% -22.2%
    Subtotal: Analog, Power & Discrete, MEMS and Sensors (APMS) Product Group 1,580 1,466 1,912 7.8% -17.4%
    Embedded Processing (EMP) segment 847 742 906 14.1% -6.5%
    RF & Optical Communications (RF&OC) segment 336 306 410 10.1% -17.9%
    Subtotal: Microcontrollers, Digital ICs and RF products (MDRF) Product Group 1,183 1,048 1,316 13.0% -10.1%
    Others 3 3 4 – –
    Total Net Revenues $2,766 $2,517 $3,232 9.9% -14.4%

    Net revenues totaled $2.77 billion, representing a year-over-year decrease of 14.4%. Year-over-year net sales to OEMs and Distribution decreased 15.3% and 12.0%, respectively. On a sequential basis, net revenues increased 9.9%, 220 basis points better than the mid-point of ST’s guidance.

    Gross profit totaled $926 million, representing a year-over-year decrease of 28.5%. Gross margin of 33.5%, 10 basis points above the mid-point of ST’s guidance, decreased 660 basis points year-over-year, mainly due to product mix, lower manufacturing efficiencies and, to a lesser extent, higher unused capacity charges.

    Operating income decreased from $375 million in the year-ago quarter to an operating loss of $133 million. ST’s operating margin decreased 1,640 basis points on a year-over-year basis to -4.8% of net revenues, compared to 11.6% in the second quarter of 2024. Operating loss included $190M impairment, restructuring charges and other related phase-out costs for the quarter, reflecting impairment of assets and restructuring charges predominantly associated with the previously announced company-wide program to reshape our manufacturing footprint and resize our global cost base. Excluding these items, non-U.S. GAAP1 Operating income stood at $57 million in the second quarter.

    By reportable segment, compared with the year-ago quarter:

    In Analog, Power & Discrete, MEMS and Sensors (APMS) Product Group:

    Analog products, MEMS and Sensors (AM&S) segment:

    • Revenue decreased 15.2% mainly due to a decrease in Analog.   
    • Operating profit decreased by 55.9% to $85 million. Operating margin was 7.5% compared to 14.5%.

    Power and Discrete products (P&D) segment:

    • Revenue decreased 22.2%.
    • Operating profit decreased from $61 million to an operating loss of $56 million. Operating margin was -12.5% compared to 10.6%.

    In Microcontrollers, Digital ICs and RF products (MDRF) Product Group:

    Embedded Processing (EMP) segment:

    • Revenue decreased 6.5% mainly due to Custom Processing.
    • Operating profit decreased by 8.7% to $114 million. Operating margin was 13.5% compared to 13.8%.

    RF & Optical Communications (RF&OC) segment:

    • Revenue decreased 17.9%.
    • Operating profit decreased by 37.2% to $60 million. Operating margin was 17.9% compared to 23.4%.

    Net Earnings and diluted Earnings Per Share decreased to a negative $97 million and a negative $0.11 respectively compared to a positive $353 million and $0.38 respectively in the year-ago quarter. Non-U.S. GAAP1 Net income and diluted Earnings Per Share, stood at $57 million and $0.06 respectively in the second quarter of 2025.

    Cash Flow and Balance Sheet Highlights

            Trailing 12 Months
    (US$ m) Q2 2025 Q1 2025 Q2 2024 Q2 2025 Q2 2024 TTM Change
    Net cash from operating activities 354 574 702 2,332 4,922 -52.6%
    Free cash flow (non-U.S. GAAP1) (152) 30 159 142 1,384 -89.7%

    Net cash from operating activities was $354 million in the second quarter compared to $702 million in the year-ago quarter.

    Net Capex (non-U.S. GAAP1), was $465 million in the second quarter compared to $528 million in the year-ago quarter.

    Free cash flow (non-U.S. GAAP1) was negative at $152 million in the second quarter, compared to positive $159 million in the year-ago quarter.

    Inventory at the end of the second quarter was $3.27 billion, compared to $3.01 billion in the previous quarter and $2.81 billion in the year-ago quarter. Days sales of inventory at quarter-end was 166 days, compared to 167 days for the previous quarter and 130 days for the year-ago quarter.

    In the second quarter, ST paid cash dividends to its stockholders totaling $81 million and executed a $92 million share buy-back, as part of its current share repurchase program.

    ST’s net financial position (non-U.S. GAAP4) remained strong at $2.67 billion as of June 28, 2025, compared to $3.08 billion as of March 29, 2025, and reflected total liquidity of $5.63 billion and total financial debt of $2.96 billion. Adjusted net financial position (non-U.S. GAAP1), taking into consideration the effect on total liquidity of advances from capital grants for which capital expenditures have not been incurred yet, stood at $2.31 billion as of June 28, 2025.

    Corporate developments

    On May 28, 2025, STMicroelectronics held its 2025 Annual General Meeting of Shareholders in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. All proposed resolutions were approved by the Shareholders.

    Business Outlook

    ST’s guidance, at the mid-point, for the 2025 third quarter is:

    • Net revenues are expected to be $3.17 billion, an increase of 14.6% sequentially, plus or minus 350 basis points.
    • Gross margin of 33.5%, plus or minus 200 basis points.
    • This outlook is based on an assumed effective currency exchange rate of approximately $1.14 = €1.00 for the 2025 third quarter and includes the impact of existing hedging contracts.
    • The third quarter will close on September 27, 2025.

    This business outlook does not include any impact of potential further changes to global trade tariffs compared to the current situation.

    Conference Call and Webcast Information

    ST will conduct a conference call with analysts, investors and reporters to discuss its second quarter 2025 financial results and current business outlook today at 9:30 a.m. Central European Time (CET) / 3:30 a.m. U.S. Eastern Time (ET). A live webcast (listen-only mode) of the conference call will be accessible at ST’s website, https://investors.st.com, and will be available for replay until August 8, 2025.

    Use of Supplemental Non-U.S. GAAP Financial Information

    This press release contains supplemental non-U.S. GAAP financial information.

    Readers are cautioned that these measures are unaudited and not prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP and should not be considered as a substitute for U.S. GAAP financial measures. In addition, such non-U.S. GAAP financial measures may not be comparable to similarly titled information from other companies. To compensate for these limitations, the supplemental non-U.S. GAAP financial information should not be read in isolation, but only in conjunction with ST’s consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP.

    See the Appendix of this press release for a reconciliation of ST’s non-U.S. GAAP financial measures to their corresponding U.S. GAAP financial measures.

    Forward-looking Information

    Some of the statements contained in this release that are not historical facts are statements of future expectations and other forward-looking statements (within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 or Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, each as amended) that are based on management’s current views and assumptions, and are conditioned upon and also involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance or events to differ materially from those anticipated by such statements due to, among other factors: 

    • changes in global trade policies, including the adoption and expansion of tariffs and trade barriers, that could affect the macro-economic environment and may directly or indirectly adversely impact the demand for our products;
    • uncertain macro-economic and industry trends (such as inflation and fluctuations in supply chains), which may impact production capacity and end-market demand for our products;
    • customer demand that differs from projections which may require us to undertake transformation measures that may not be successful in realizing the expected benefits in full or at all;
    • the ability to design, manufacture and sell innovative products in a rapidly changing technological environment;
    • changes in economic, social, public health, labor, political, or infrastructure conditions in the locations where we, our customers, or our suppliers operate, including as a result of macro-economic or regional events, geopolitical and military conflicts, social unrest, labor actions, or terrorist activities;
    • unanticipated events or circumstances, which may impact our ability to execute our plans and/or meet the objectives of our R&D and manufacturing programs, which benefit from public funding;
    • financial difficulties with any of our major distributors or significant curtailment of purchases by key customers;
    • the loading, product mix, and manufacturing performance of our production facilities and/or our required volume to fulfill capacity reserved with suppliers or third-party manufacturing providers;
    • availability and costs of equipment, raw materials, utilities, third-party manufacturing services and technology, or other supplies required by our operations (including increasing costs resulting from inflation);
    • the functionalities and performance of our IT systems, which are subject to cybersecurity threats and which support our critical operational activities including manufacturing, finance and sales, and any breaches of our IT systems or those of our customers, suppliers, partners and providers of third-party licensed technology;
    • theft, loss, or misuse of personal data about our employees, customers, or other third parties, and breaches of data privacy legislation;
    • the impact of IP claims by our competitors or other third parties, and our ability to obtain required licenses on reasonable terms and conditions;
    • changes in our overall tax position as a result of changes in tax rules, new or revised legislation, the outcome of tax audits or changes in international tax treaties which may impact our results of operations as well as our ability to accurately estimate tax credits, benefits, deductions and provisions and to realize deferred tax assets;
    • variations in the foreign exchange markets and, more particularly, the U.S. dollar exchange rate as compared to the Euro and the other major currencies we use for our operations;
    • the outcome of ongoing litigation as well as the impact of any new litigation to which we may become a defendant;
    • product liability or warranty claims, claims based on epidemic or delivery failure, or other claims relating to our products, or recalls by our customers for products containing our parts;
    • natural events such as severe weather, earthquakes, tsunamis, volcano eruptions or other acts of nature, the effects of climate change, health risks and epidemics or pandemics in locations where we, our customers or our suppliers operate;
    • increased regulation and initiatives in our industry, including those concerning climate change and sustainability matters and our goal to become carbon neutral in all direct and indirect emissions (scopes 1 and 2), product transportation, business travel, and employee commuting emissions (our scope 3 focus), and to achieve our 100% renewable electricity sourcing goal by the end of 2027;
    • epidemics or pandemics, which may negatively impact the global economy in a significant manner for an extended period of time, and could also materially adversely affect our business and operating results;
    • industry changes resulting from vertical and horizontal consolidation among our suppliers, competitors, and customers;
    • the ability to successfully ramp up new programs that could be impacted by factors beyond our control, including the availability of critical third-party components and performance of subcontractors in line with our expectations; and
    • individual customer use of certain products, which may differ from the anticipated uses of such products and result in differences in performance, including energy consumption, may lead to a failure to achieve our disclosed emission-reduction goals, adverse legal action or additional research costs.

    Such forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties, which may cause actual results and performance of our business to differ materially and adversely from the forward-looking statements. Certain forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology, such as “believes”, “expects”, “may”, “are expected to”, “should”, “would be”, “seeks” or “anticipates” or similar expressions or the negative thereof or other variations thereof or comparable terminology, or by discussions of strategy, plans or intentions.

    Some of these risk factors are set forth and are discussed in more detail in “Item 3. Key Information — Risk Factors” included in our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2024 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on February 27, 2025. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in this press release as anticipated, believed or expected. We do not intend, and do not assume any obligation, to update any industry information or forward-looking statements set forth in this release to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.

    Unfavorable changes in the above or other factors listed under “Item 3. Key Information — Risk Factors” from time to time in our Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) filings, could have a material adverse effect on our business and/or financial condition.

    About STMicroelectronics

    At ST, we are 50,000 creators and makers of semiconductor technologies mastering the semiconductor supply chain with state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities. An integrated device manufacturer, we work with more than 200,000 customers and thousands of partners to design and build products, solutions, and ecosystems that address their challenges and opportunities, and the need to support a more sustainable world. Our technologies enable smarter mobility, more efficient power and energy management, and the wide-scale deployment of cloud-connected autonomous things. We are on track to be carbon neutral in all direct and indirect emissions (scopes 1 and 2), product transportation, business travel, and employee commuting emissions (our scope 3 focus), and to achieve our 100% renewable electricity sourcing goal by the end of 2027. Further information can be found at www.st.com.

    For further information, please contact:

    INVESTOR RELATIONS:
    Jérôme Ramel
    EVP Corporate Development & Integrated External Communication
    Tel: +41 22 929 59 20
    jerome.ramel@st.com

    MEDIA RELATIONS:
    Alexis Breton
    Corporate External Communications
    Tel: + 33 6 59 16 79 08
    alexis.breton@st.com

    STMicroelectronics N.V.      
    CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME      
    (in millions of U.S. dollars, except per share data ($))      
           
      Three months ended  
      June 28, June 29,  
      2025 2024  
      (Unaudited) (Unaudited)  
           
    Net sales 2,745 3,227  
    Other revenues 21 5  
    NET REVENUES 2,766 3,232  
    Cost of sales (1,840) (1,936)  
    GROSS PROFIT 926 1,296  
    Selling, general and administrative expenses (420) (419)  
    Research and development expenses (514) (535)  
    Other income and expenses, net 65 33  
    Impairment, restructuring charges and other related phase-out costs (190) –  
    Total operating expenses (1,059) (921)  
    OPERATING INCOME (LOSS) (133) 375  
    Interest income, net 45 51  
    Other components of pension benefit costs (5) (4)  
    Loss on financial instruments, net (19) (1)  
    INCOME (LOSS) BEFORE INCOME TAXES AND NONCONTROLLING INTEREST (112) 421  
    Income tax benefit (expense) 18 (67)  
    NET INCOME (LOSS) (94) 354  
    Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest (3) (1)  
    NET INCOME (LOSS) ATTRIBUTABLE TO PARENT COMPANY STOCKHOLDERS (97) 353  
           
    EARNINGS PER SHARE (BASIC) ATTRIBUTABLE TO PARENT COMPANY STOCKHOLDERS (0.11) 0.39  
    EARNINGS PER SHARE (DILUTED) ATTRIBUTABLE TO PARENT COMPANY STOCKHOLDERS (0.11) 0.38  
           
    NUMBER OF WEIGHTED AVERAGE SHARES USED IN CALCULATING DILUTED EPS 893.9 941.1  
           
    STMicroelectronics N.V.      
    CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME      
    (in millions of U.S. dollars, except per share data ($))      
           
      Six months ended  
      June 28, June 29,  
      2025 2024  
      (Unaudited) (Unaudited)  
           
    Net sales 5,257 6,670  
    Other revenues 26 27  
    NET REVENUES 5,283 6,697  
    Cost of sales (3,516) (3,958)  
    GROSS PROFIT 1,767 2,739  
    Selling, general and administrative expenses (810) (844)  
    Research and development expenses (1,004) (1,063)  
    Other income and expenses, net 115 93  
    Impairment, restructuring charges and other related phase-out costs (198) –  
    Total operating expenses (1,897) (1,814)  
    OPERATING INCOME (LOSS) (130) 925  
    Interest income, net 93 111  
    Other components of pension benefit costs (9) (8)  
    Gain (loss) on financial instruments, net 6 (1)  
    INCOME (LOSS) BEFORE INCOME TAXES AND NONCONTROLLING INTEREST (40) 1,027  
    Income tax benefit (expense) 4 (159)  
    NET INCOME (LOSS) (36) 868  
    Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest (5) (3)  
    NET INCOME (LOSS) ATTRIBUTABLE TO PARENT COMPANY STOCKHOLDERS (41) 865  
           
    EARNINGS PER SHARE (BASIC) ATTRIBUTABLE TO PARENT COMPANY STOCKHOLDERS (0.05) 0.96  
    EARNINGS PER SHARE (DILUTED) ATTRIBUTABLE TO PARENT COMPANY STOCKHOLDERS (0.05) 0.92  
           
    NUMBER OF WEIGHTED AVERAGE SHARES USED IN CALCULATING DILUTED EPS 894.9 941.8  
           
           
    STMicroelectronics N.V.      
    CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS      
    As at June 28, March 29, December 31,
    In millions of U.S. dollars 2025 2025 2024
      (Unaudited) (Unaudited) (Audited)
    ASSETS      
    Current assets:      
    Cash and cash equivalents 1,616 1,781 2,282
    Short-term deposits 1,650 1,650 1,450
    Marketable securities 2,363 2,528 2,452
    Trade accounts receivable, net 1,352 1,385 1,749
    Inventories 3,273 3,014 2,794
    Other current assets 1,267 1,050 1,007
    Total current assets 11,521 11,408 11,734
    Goodwill 313 299 290
    Other intangible assets, net 342 338 346
    Property, plant and equipment, net 11,437 11,178 10,877
    Non-current deferred tax assets 558 490 464
    Long-term investments 77 96 71
    Other non-current assets 1,215 1,114 961
      13,942 13,515 13,009
    Total assets 25,463 24,923 24,743
           
    LIABILITIES AND EQUITY      
    Current liabilities:      
    Short-term debt 1,006 988 990
    Trade accounts payable 1,451 1,373 1,323
    Other payables and accrued liabilities 1,386 1,290 1,306
    Dividends payable to stockholders 257 16 88
    Accrued income tax 104 72 66
    Total current liabilities 4,204 3,739 3,773
    Long-term debt 1,951 1,889 1,963
    Post-employment benefit obligations 428 392 377
    Long-term deferred tax liabilities 48 48 47
    Other long-term liabilities 848 896 904
      3,275 3,225 3,291
    Total liabilities 7,479 6,964 7,064
    Commitment and contingencies      
    Equity      
    Parent company stockholders’ equity      
    Common stock (preferred stock: 540,000,000 shares authorized, not issued; common stock: Euro 1.04 par value, 1,200,000,000 shares authorized, 911,281,920 shares issued, 894,759,029 shares outstanding as of June 28, 2025) 1,157 1,157 1,157
    Additional Paid-in Capital 3,187 3,142 3,088
    Retained earnings 12,911 13,514 13,459
    Accumulated other comprehensive income 983 495 236
    Treasury stock (490) (582) (491)
    Total parent company stockholders’ equity 17,748 17,726 17,449
    Noncontrolling interest 236 233 230
    Total equity 17,984 17,959 17,679
    Total liabilities and equity 25,463 24,923 24,743
           
           
           
    STMicroelectronics N.V.      
           
    SELECTED CASH FLOW DATA      
           
    Cash Flow Data (in US$ millions) Q2 2025 Q1 2025 Q2 2024
           
    Net Cash from operating activities 354 574 702
    Net Cash used in investing activities (332) (796) (628)
    Net Cash used in financing activities (191) (282) (112)
    Net Cash decrease (165) (501) (41)
           
    Selected Cash Flow Data (in US$ millions) Q2 2025 Q1 2025 Q2 2024
           
    Depreciation & amortization 464 428 439
    Net payment for Capital expenditures (481) (538) (546)
    Dividends paid to stockholders (81) (72) (73)
    Change in inventories, net (140) (172) (136)
           

    Appendix
    ST
    Changes to reportable segments

    Following ST’s reorganization announced in January 2024 into two Product Groups and four reportable segments, we have made further progress in analyzing our global product portfolio, resulting in the following adjustments to our segments, effective starting January 1, 2025, without modifying subtotals at Product Group level: 

    • In Analog, Power & Discrete, MEMS and Sensors (APMS) Product Group:
      • The transfer of VIPower products from Power and Discrete products (“P&D”) reportable segment to Analog products, MEMS and Sensors (“AM&S”) reportable segment.    
    • In Microcontrollers, Digital ICs and RF products (MDRF) Product Group:
      • the newly created ‘Embedded Processing’ (“EMP”) reportable segment includes the former ‘MCU’ segment (excluding the RF ASICs mentioned below) as well as Custom Processing products (Automotive ADAS products).
      • the newly created ‘RF & Optical Communications’ (“RF&OC”) reportable segment includes the former ‘D&RF’ segment (excluding Automotive ADAS products) as well as some RF ASICs which were previously part of the former ‘MCU’ segment.

    We believe these adjustments are critical for implementing synergies and optimizing resources, which are necessary to fully deliver the benefits expected from our new organization.

    Our four reportable segments – within each Product Group – are now as follows: 

    • In Analog, Power & Discrete, MEMS and Sensors (APMS) Product Group:
      • Analog products, MEMS and Sensors (“AM&S”) reportable segment, comprised of ST analog products (now including VIPower products), MEMS sensors and actuators, and optical sensing solutions.
      • Power and Discrete products (“P&D”) reportable segment, comprised of discrete and power transistor products (now excluding VIPower products).

    In this Press Release, “Analog” refers to analog products, “MEMS” to MEMS sensors and actuators and “Imaging” to optical sensing solutions.

    • In Microcontrollers, Digital ICs and RF products (MDRF) Product Group:
      • Embedded Processing (“EMP”) reportable segment, comprised of general-purpose and automotive microcontrollers, connected security products and Custom Processing Products (Automotive ADAS)
      • RF & Optical Communications (“RF&OC”) reportable segment, comprised of Space, Ranging & Connectivity products, Digital Audio & Signaling Solutions and Optical & RF COT.

    In this Press release, “GPAM” refers to General purpose & automotive microcontrollers, “Connected Security” to connected security products, “Custom Processing” to automotive ADAS products.

    Prior year comparative periods have been adjusted accordingly.

    (Appendix – continued)
    ST Supplemental Financial Information

      Q2 2025 Q1 2025 Q4 2024 Q3 2024 Q2 2024
    Net Revenues By Market Channel (%)          
    Total OEM 72% 71% 73% 76% 73%
    Distribution 28% 29% 27% 24% 27%
               
    €/$ Effective Rate 1.09 1.06 1.09 1.08 1.08
               
    Reportable Segment Data (US$ m)          
    Analog products, MEMS and Sensors (AM&S) segment          
    – Net Revenues 1,133 1,069 1,348 1,340 1,336
    – Operating Income 85 82 220 216 193
    Power and Discrete products (P&D) segment          
    – Net Revenues 447 397 602 652 576
    – Operating Income (Loss) (56) (28) 45 80 61
    Subtotal: Analog, Power & Discrete, MEMS and Sensors (APMS) Product Group          
    – Net Revenues 1,580 1,466 1,950 1,992 1,912
    – Operating Income 29 54 265 296 254
    Embedded Processing (EMP) segment          
    – Net Revenues 847 742 1,002 898 906
    – Operating Income 114 66 181 146 126
    RF & Optical Communications (RF&OC) segment          
    – Net Revenues 336 306 366 357 410
    – Operating Income 60 43 95 84 96
    Subtotal: Microcontrollers, Digital ICs and RF products (MDRF) Product Group          
    – Net Revenues 1,183 1,048 1,368 1,255 1,316
    – Operating Income 174 109 276 230 222
    Others (a)          
    – Net Revenues 3 3 3 4 4
    – Operating Income (Loss) (336) (160) (172) (145) (101)
    Total          
    – Net Revenues 2,766 2,517 3,321 3,251 3,232
    – Operating Income (Loss) (133) 3 369 381 375

    (a)   Net revenues of Others include revenues from sales assembly services and other revenues. Operating income (loss) of Others include items such as unused capacity charges, including incidents leading to power outage, impairment, restructuring charges and other related phase-out costs, management reorganization costs, start-up costs, and other unallocated income (expenses) such as: strategic or special research and development programs, certain corporate-level operating expenses, patent claims and litigations, and other costs that are not allocated to reportable segments, as well as operating earnings of other products. Others includes:

    (US$ m) Q2 2025 Q1 2025 Q4 2024 Q3 2024 Q2 2024
    Unused capacity charges 103 123 118 104 84
    Impairment, restructuring charges and
    other related phase-out costs    		 190 8 – – –

    (Appendix – continued)
    ST
    Supplemental Non-U.S. GAAP Financial Information
    U.S. GAAP – Non-U.S. GAAP Reconciliation

    The supplemental non-U.S. GAAP information presented in this press release is unaudited and subject to inherent limitations. Such non-U.S. GAAP information is not based on any comprehensive set of accounting rules or principles and should not be considered as a substitute for U.S. GAAP measurements. Also, our supplemental non-U.S. GAAP financial information may not be comparable to similarly titled non-U.S. GAAP measures used by other companies. Further, specific limitations for individual non-U.S. GAAP measures, and the reasons for presenting non-U.S. GAAP financial information, are set forth in the paragraphs below. To compensate for these limitations, the supplemental non-U.S. GAAP financial information should not be read in isolation, but only in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP.

    ST believes that these non-U.S. GAAP financial measures provide useful information for investors and management because they offer, when read in conjunction with ST’s U.S. GAAP financials, (i) the ability to make more meaningful period-to-period comparisons of ST’s on-going operating results, (ii) the ability to better identify trends in ST’s business and perform related trend analysis, and (iii) to facilitate a comparison of ST’s results of operations against investor and analyst financial models and valuations, which may exclude these items.

    Non-U.S. GAAP Operating Income, Non-U.S. GAAP Net Earnings and Non-U.S. GAAP Earnings Per Share (non-U.S. GAAP measures)

    Operating income before impairment and restructuring charges and one-time items is used by management to help enhance an understanding of ongoing operations and to communicate the impact of the excluded items, such as impairment, restructuring charges and other related phase-out costs. Adjusted net earnings and earnings per share (EPS) are used by management to help enhance an understanding of ongoing operations and to communicate the impact of the excluded items like impairment, restructuring charges and other related phase-out costs attributable to ST and other one-time items, net of the relevant tax impact.

    Q2 2025
    (US$ m, except per share data)    		 Gross Profit Operating Income (Loss) Net Earnings Corresponding Diluted EPS
    U.S. GAAP 926 (133) (97) (0.11)
    Impairment, restructuring charges and other related phase-out costs – 190 190  
    Estimated income tax effect – – (36)  
    Non-U.S. GAAP 926 57 57 0.06
    H1 2025
    (US$ m, except per share data)    		 Gross Profit Operating Income (Loss) Net Earnings Corresponding Diluted EPS
    U.S. GAAP 1,767 (130) (41) (0.05)
    Impairment, restructuring charges and other related phase-out costs – 198 198  
    Estimated income tax effect – – (37)  
    Non-U.S. GAAP 1,767 68 120 0.13

    (Appendix – continued)

    Net Financial Position and Adjusted Net Financial Position (non-U.S. GAAP measures)

    Net Financial Position, a non-U.S. GAAP measure, represents the difference between our total liquidity and our total financial debt. Our total liquidity includes cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash, if any, short-term deposits, and marketable securities, and our total financial debt includes short-term debt and long-term debt, as reported in our Consolidated Balance Sheets. ST also presents adjusted net financial position as a non-U.S. GAAP measure, to take into consideration the effect on total liquidity of advances received on capital grants for which capital expenditures have not been incurred yet.

    ST believes its Net Financial Position and Adjusted Net Financial Position provide useful information for investors and management because they give evidence of our global position either in terms of net indebtedness or net cash by measuring our capital resources based on cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash, if any, short-term deposits and marketable securities and the total level of our financial debt. Our definitions of Net Financial Position and Adjusted Net Financial Position may differ from definitions used by other companies, and therefore, comparability may be limited.

    (US$ m) Jun 28
    2025    		 Mar 29
    2025    		 Dec 31
    2024    		 Sep 28
    2024    		 Jun 29
    2024
    Cash and cash equivalents 1,616 1,781 2,282 3,077 3,092
    Short term deposits 1,650 1,650 1,450 977 975
    Marketable securities 2,363 2,528 2,452 2,242 2,218
    Total liquidity 5,629 5,959 6,184 6,296 6,285
    Short-term debt (1,006) (988) (990) (1,003) (236)
    Long-term debt (a) (1,951) (1,889) (1,963) (2,112) (2,850)
    Total financial debt (2,957) (2,877) (2,953) (3,115) (3,086)
    Net Financial Position (non-U.S. GAAP) 2,672 3,082 3,231 3,181 3,199
    Advances received on capital grants (361) (377) (385) (366) (402)
    Adjusted Net Financial Position (non-U.S. GAAP) 2,311 2,705 2,846 2,815 2,797

    (a)  Long-term debt contains standard conditions but does not impose minimum financial ratios. Committed credit facilities for $639 million equivalent, are currently undrawn.

    (Appendix – continued)

    Net Capex and Free Cash Flow (non-U.S. GAAP measures)

    ST presents Net Capex as a non-U.S. GAAP measure, which is reported as part of our Free Cash Flow (non-U.S. GAAP measure), to take into consideration the effect of advances from capital grants received on prior periods allocated to property, plant and equipment in the reporting period.

    Net Capex, a non-U.S. GAAP measure, is defined as (i) Payment for purchase of tangible assets, as reported plus (ii) Proceeds from sale of tangible assets, as reported plus (iii) Proceeds from capital grants and other contributions, as reported plus (iv) Advances from capital grants allocated to property, plant and equipment in the reporting period.

    ST believes Net Capex provides useful information for investors and management because annual capital expenditures budget includes the effect of capital grants. Our definition of Net Capex may differ from definitions used by other companies.

    (US$ m) Q2 2025 Q1
    2025    		 Q4
    2024    		 Q3
    2024    		 Q2
    2024
    Payment for purchase of tangible assets, as reported (574) (587) (584) (669) (690)
    Proceeds from sale of tangible assets, as reported 4 2 – 2 1
    Proceeds from capital grants and other contributions, as reported 89 47 83 66 143
    Advances from capital grants allocated to property, plant and equipment 16 8 31 36 18
    Net Capex (non-U.S. GAAP) (465) (530) (470) (565) (528)

    Free Cash Flow, which is a non-U.S. GAAP measure, is defined as (i) net cash from operating activities plus (ii) Net Capex plus (iii) payment for purchase (and proceeds from sale) of intangible and financial assets and (iv) net cash paid for business acquisitions, if any.

    ST believes Free Cash Flow provides useful information for investors and management because it measures our capacity to generate cash from our operating and investing activities to sustain our operations.

    Free Cash Flow reconciles with the total cash flow and the net cash increase (decrease) by including the payment for purchases of (and proceeds from matured) marketable securities and net investment in (and proceeds from) short-term deposits, the net cash from (used in) financing activities and the effect of changes in exchange rates, and by excluding the advances from capital grants received on prior periods allocated to property, plant and equipment in the reporting period. Our definition of Free Cash Flow may differ from definitions used by other companies.

    (US$ m) Q2 2025 Q1
    2025    		 Q4
    2024    		 Q3
    2024    		 Q2
    2024
    Net cash from operating activities 354 574 681 723 702
    Net Capex (465) (530) (470) (565) (528)
    Payment for purchase of intangible assets, net of proceeds from sale (41) (14) (32) (20) (15)
    Payment for purchase of financial assets, net of proceeds from sale – – (51) (2) –
    Free Cash Flow (non-U.S. GAAP) (152) 30 128 136 159

    1Non-U.S. GAAP. See Appendix for reconciliation to U.S. GAAP and information explaining why the Company believes these measures are important.
    2Non-U.S. GAAP. See Appendix for reconciliation to U.S. GAAP and information explaining why the Company believes these measures are important.
    3See Appendix for the definition of reportable segments.
    4Non-U.S. GAAP. See Appendix for reconciliation to U.S. GAAP and information explaining why the Company believes these measures are important.

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: At least four killed in fire in Baghdad

    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

    BAGHDAD, July 24 (Xinhua) — A fire broke out in a residential building in eastern Baghdad on Wednesday, killing at least four people and seriously injuring two others, an Iraqi Interior Ministry source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

    According to him, the incident took place in the Al-Amin quarter. Due to the heat and severe overload, an electrical transformer caught fire, and the flames quickly spread to a nearby residential building.

    Civil defense personnel arrived at the scene to extinguish the fire, the source said.

    A few days ago, a major fire at a hypermarket in Kut, the capital of Wasit province in eastern Iraq, claimed the lives of at least 61 people.

    Fires have become more frequent in Iraq recently, with many parts of the country experiencing sweltering heat, reaching 50 degrees Celsius. –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 NGOs: Disease ripping through Gaza as Israel continues to deliberately block aid: Oxfam

    Source: Oxfam –

    Deadly diseases are now ripping through Gaza even as millions of dollars’ worth of humanitarian aid piles up in warehouses across the region, says Oxfam. 

    Water-borne diseases that are both preventable and readily treatable have increased by almost 150% inside Gaza over the past three months as Israel continues to deliberately block aid. 

    Available multi-agency health data shows that the numbers of Palestinians presenting to health facilities with acute watery diarrhea have increased by 150 per cent, bloody diarrhea by 302 per cent, and acute jaundice cases by 101 per cent. 

    Even these figures will be grossly under-reported because most of the two million people trapped by Israel’s continuing siege have little access to the few healthcare facilities that have managed to keep operating. 

    This surge of disease can quickly turn deadly especially as Palestinians living in Gaza have been deprived of enough food, water, shelter, and adequate healthcare for over 21 months.   Their community and family networks have been shattered, and people made more vulnerable by repeated forced mass displacements and continuing violence. 

    Israel has put Gaza under a near total blockade since March 2 of this year stopping all but a trickle of aid. There are no longer any humanitarian aid reserves held by international agencies inside of Gaza. 

    As a result, international humanitarian donors and agencies have been forced to accumulate more than 420,000 pallets of aid that now sit in limbo inside warehouses across the regions. This covers an area of around 75 hectares, or enough to cover 101 football fields. 

    “There is a grim and deliberate inevitability as to what Israel has created in Gaza. Each day that its siege continues and it denies aid, starvation becomes increasingly widespread and human deaths from entirely preventable diseases becomes an absolute certainty.” 

    Bushra Khalidi, Policy Lead

    Oxfam in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel

    This aid includes shelters, food and supplements to combat malnutrition, and water equipment, sanitation items and medicines that would be vital to tackle diseases and   

    Oxfam alone has over 110,000 items of humanitarian aid in one warehouse including water bladders and tanks, hygiene, dignity and water testing kits, food parcels, soap, nappies, pipes and latrine slabs. 

    Oxfam is waiting for clearances and permissions to enter, however the Israeli authorities have recently denied water and sanitation items and food parcels. 

    Bushra Khalidi, Oxfam in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel policy lead, said that time is running out to prevent an epidemic across Gaza and the mass death that would inevitably result. 

    “The conditions that Palestinians in Gaza are being forced to endure have created a petri dish for disease. These are diseases that thrive where people lack water – clean or otherwise – and are stuck in over-crowded unsanitary environments with almost no food,” Khalidi said.  

    “There is a grim and deliberate inevitability as to what Israel has created in Gaza. Each day that its siege continues and it denies aid, starvation becomes increasingly widespread and human deaths from entirely preventable diseases becomes an absolute certainty.” 

    “As Gaza bakes in the summer sun and the hottest month of the year looms, it is increasingly urgent that Israel’s siege must end. It is shameful Israel has been allowed to besiege Gaza and create this catastrophe. Nothing other than complete access to Gaza to deliver aid at scale can alleviate the conditions that people have been forced to live in.” 

    “Each day we wait for a ceasefire, more lives are lost through violence, hunger and disease. Palestinians in Gaza cannot wait a day longer for this hell to end. There must be a full and complete ceasefire, and all required aid must be able to enter via all crossings into Gaza so that Palestinians can finally begin to recover and rebuild.” 

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Why Texas Hill Country, where a devastating flood killed more than 135 people, is one of the deadliest places in the US for flash flooding

    Source: The Conversation – USA (2) – By Hatim Sharif, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The University of Texas at San Antonio

    A Kerrville, Texas, resident watches the flooded Guadalupe River on July 4, 2025. Eric Vryn/Getty Images

    Texas Hill Country is known for its landscapes, where shallow rivers wind among hills and through rugged valleys. That geography also makes it one of the deadliest places in the U.S. for flash flooding.

    In the early hours of July 4, 2025, a flash flood swept through an area of Hill Country dotted with summer camps and small towns about 70 miles northwest of San Antonio. More than 135 people died in the flooding. The majority of them were in Kerr County, including more than two dozen girls and counselors at one summer camp, Camp Mystic. Dozens more people were still unaccounted for a week later.

    The flooding began with a heavy downpour, with more than 10 inches of rain in some areas, that sent water sheeting off the hillsides and into creeks. The creeks poured into the Guadalupe River.

    A river gauge at Hunt, Texas, near Camp Mystic, showed how quickly the river flooded: Around 3 a.m. on July 4, the Guadalupe River was rising about 1 foot every 5 minutes at the gauge, National Weather Service data shows. By 4:30 a.m., it had risen more than 20 feet. As the water moved downstream, it reached Kerrville, where the river rose even faster.

    Flood expert Hatim Sharif, a hydrologist and civil engineer at the University of Texas at San Antonio, explains what makes this part of the country, known as Flash Flood Alley, so dangerous.

    What makes Hill Country so prone to flooding?

    Texas as a whole leads the nation in flood deaths, and by a wide margin. A colleague and I analyzed data from 1959 to 2019 and found 1,069 people had died in flooding in Texas over those six decades. The next highest total was in Louisiana, with 693.

    Many of those flood deaths have been in Hill County. It’s part of an area known as Flash Flood Alley, a crescent of land that curves from near Dallas down to San Antonio and then westward.

    The hills are steep, and the water moves quickly when it floods. This is a semi-arid area with soils that don’t soak up much water, so the water sheets off quickly and the shallow creeks can rise fast.

    When those creeks converge on a river, they can create a surge of water that wipes out homes and washes away cars and, unfortunately, anyone in its path.

    Hill Country has seen some devastating flash floods. In 1987, heavy rain in western Kerr County quickly flooded the Guadalupe River, triggering a flash flood similar to the one in 2025. Ten teenagers being evacuated from a camp died in the rushing water.

    San Antonio, at the eastern edge of Hill Country, was hit with a flash flood on June 12, 2025, that killed 13 people whose cars were swept away by high water from a fast-flooding creek near an interstate ramp in the early morning.

    Why does the region get such strong downpours?

    One reason Hill Country gets powerful downpours is the Balcones Escarpment.

    The escarpment is a line of cliffs and steep hills created by a geologic fault. When warm air from the Gulf rushes up the escarpment, it condenses and can dump a lot of moisture. That water flows down the hills quickly, from many different directions, filling streams and rivers below.

    As temperature rise, the warmer atmosphere can hold more moisture, increasing the downpour and flood risk.

    A tour of the Guadalupe River and its flood risk.

    The same effect can contribute to flash flooding in San Antonio, where the large amount of paved land and lack of updated drainage to control runoff adds to the risk.

    What can be done to improve flash flood safety?

    First, it’s important for people to understand why flash flooding happens and just how fast the water can rise and flow. In many arid areas, dry or shallow creeks can quickly fill up with fast-moving water and become deadly. So people should be aware of the risks and pay attention to the weather.

    Improving flood forecasting, with more detailed models of the physics and water velocity at different locations, can also help.

    Probabilistic forecasting, for example, can provide a range of rainfall scenarios, enabling authorities to prepare for worst-case scenarios. A scientific framework linking rainfall forecasts to the local impacts, such as streamflow, flood depth and water velocity, could also help decision-makers implement timely evacuations or road closures.

    Education is particularly essential for drivers. One to two feet of moving water can wash away a car. People may think their trucks and SUVs can go through anything, but fast-moving water can flip a truck and carry it away.

    Officials can also do more to barricade roads when the flood risk is high to prevent people from driving into harm’s way. We found that 58% of the flood deaths in Texas over the past six decades involved vehicles. The storm on June 12 in San Antonio was an example. It was early morning, and drivers had poor visibility. The cars were hit by fast-rising floodwater from an adjacent creek.

    This article, originally published July 5, 2025, has been updated with the death toll rising.

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

    – ref. Why Texas Hill Country, where a devastating flood killed more than 135 people, is one of the deadliest places in the US for flash flooding – https://theconversation.com/why-texas-hill-country-where-a-devastating-flood-killed-more-than-135-people-is-one-of-the-deadliest-places-in-the-us-for-flash-flooding-260555

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: July 23rd, 2025 Heinrich Blasts Trump Administration for Raising Electricity Costs on American Families Amidst Growing Energy Demand

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Mexico Martin Heinrich

    WASHINGTON — In his opening statement during a U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing on rising energy demand, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the Committee, raised the alarm on the energy affordability crisis facing working families and cited recent, irresponsible actions taken by the Trump Administration and Congressional Republicans that will raise energy costs on working families — including the passage of their Big, Bad Bill, their dismantling of our nation’s clean energy industry, and a recent directive from the Department of the Interior that will inevitably delay new generation additions to the grid and drive up costs further.

    VIDEO: Ranking Member Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) blasts Trump Administration for raising electricity prices on working families during a hearing on the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, July 23, 2025.

    “As Mr. Gramlich points out in his testimony, electricity bills are starting to become unaffordable for too many Americans,” said Heinrich. “And recent actions by President Trump and the Republican reconciliation bill will only make it worse.”

    “The reconciliation bill alone is estimated to increase annual energy costs more than $16 billion in 2030 and more than $33 billion by 2035,” continued Heinrich. “This is because, at a time when we need every electron we can get, the reconciliation bill is causing many clean energy projects to be canceled.”

    Heinrich additionally noted his concerns on how a new directive from the Department of the Interior that requires Secretary Doug Burgum to personally review and sign off on wind and solar projects on federal lands will risk delaying new generation additions to the grid, subsequently driving up families’ energy costs.

    A video of Heinrich’s opening remarks can be found here.

    A transcript of Heinrich’s remarks as delivered is below:

    Thank you, Chairman Lee. Welcome to our witnesses, Mr. Gramlich, Mr. Huntsman, and Mr. Tench.

    As we’ll discuss today, the scale and drivers of today’s rising electricity demand are relatively unprecedented.

    It’s not just that electricity demand is reaching record highs, it’s that we’re entering a new era of a sustained load growth.

    The structural forces underlying today’s load growth are converging: the growth of AI data centers; the electrification of vehicles, buildings, industry; as well as a resurgence in domestic manufacturing.

    And meeting this load growth will require structural changes to how we permit and build our energy infrastructure.

    In his testimony, Mr. Tench states that Vantage would prefer to “source power from the grid” but the “system is out of sync.”

    From interconnection timelines that are too long, transmission lines that take too long to build, and permitting that is too fragmented, the challenges that Mr. Tench articulates are the same ones that this Committee has been trying to address for some time.

    As Mr. Tench noted in his testimony, “No single business or technical workaround can substitute for a coordinated, modern, responsive grid.”

    Fortunately, we sit on the Committee that can help make that happen.

    The urgency isn’t just about maintaining our edge in AI innovation, it’s about affordability.

    As Mr. Gramlich points out in his testimony today, electricity bills are becoming unaffordable for too many Americans.

    And recent actions by President Trump and by the ‘Big, Bad Bill’ will make this worse.

    The reconciliation bill alone is estimated to increase annual energy costs more than $16 billion in 2030 and more than $33 billion by 2035.

    This is because, at a time when we need every single electron we can get, the reconciliation bill is causing many clean energy projects to be canceled.

    And the President’s tariffs are driving up equipment costs—raising the cost of all energy generation resources. All of them.

    This is leading directly to Americans spending more on their utility bills.

    And on top of this, an aging electrical grid is causing many energy projects to be stalled for years in interconnection queues.

    In June 2025, Grid Strategies released a study that found that investing in well-planned, high-capacity transmission could save U.S. households between $6.3 and $10.4 billion annually—and that’s even after accounting for the cost of actually building those transmission lines.

    The amount of energy currently in U.S. interconnection queues substantially exceeds the existing electricity demands—if only the grid could integrate it.

    According to the Energy Information Administration, in 2024, the U.S. installed nearly 49 gigawatts of new grid capacity, 95% of which was from renewable resources.

    This year, the EIA estimates that developers will build 63 GW of new capacity, including 32.5 GW of new utility-scale solar, 7.7 GW of wind power, 18.2 GW of energy storage, and just 4.4 GW of natural gas-fired generation.

    Clean energy is the most affordable and it’s the fastest type of energy generation to deploy—outpacing natural gas, which is facing years-long backlogs in turbine availability.

    If you order a gas, combine cycle natural gas turbine today, you’ll be lucky if it puts its first electron on the grid before 2032.

    Meanwhile, states like Texas and California are demonstrating that high levels of renewable energy do not compromise grid reliability—in fact, they improve it.

    After Texas added 9,600 MW of clean energy, including 5,400 MW of solar, 3,800 MW of energy storage, and 253 MW of wind, ERCOT CEO Pablo Vegas said that the risk of grid emergencies dropped to less than 1 percent, that’s down from 16 percent the previous year.

    NERC’s 2025 Summer Reliability Assessment confirmed this trend, showing that the risk of rolling blackouts in Texas fell from 15 percent to 3 percent as battery capacity came online.

    I’ll close by saying that I am deeply disturbed by the recent Department of Interior policy that requires Secretary Doug Burgum to personally review and sign off on wind and solar projects on federal lands.

    This nakedly political decision will risk delaying new generation additions to the grid when we need them the most.

    And consequently, will drive up costs.

    According to the Department of Energy, federal lands in the contiguous United States could support more than 7,700 GW of renewable energy capacity.

    And with that said, I look forward to discussing how we can meet the rise in electricity demand and lower energy costs for households by integrating the most affordable and rapidly deployable energy resources today, while also investing in long-term modernization.

    Thank you, Chairman.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cassidy Secures $49 Million for Louisiana in FY 2026 Appropriations

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Louisiana Bill Cassidy

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) announced that he successfully secured $49,102,00.00 in Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) in the first Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Appropriations bills advanced by the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee. These projects will support critical Louisiana priorities, from military construction and public safety to university research.
    “Whether it’s almost $1.4 million for Jefferson Parish to support criminal investigations, $500 thousand to the Northshore to address substance abuse and mental health issues, or multiple grants across the state to support first responders, this money works for the safety, security, and economic growth of Louisiana,” said Dr. Cassidy. Since taking office, Cassidy has emerged as one of the most effective U.S. Senators at directing federal dollars home to Louisiana, despite not serving on the Appropriations Committee. In FY2024, Roll Call reported that Cassidy was one of the top 20 senators in total funding secured for his state, and one of only five in that group who does not sit on the Appropriations Committee. That year, he secured a record $1.3 billion for Louisiana—the highest of any member of the state’s congressional delegation.
    See below for a list of the funding secured by Senator Cassidy.

    Funding Amount
    Recipient
    Project Description

    $30,000,000.00
    Fort Polk
    This funding will support construction of the Rotational Unit Billeting Area, Phase 1.

    $5,000,000.00
    University of Louisiana at Lafayette
    This funding will support purchase of equipment for the Silicon Bayou Semiconductor Technology Center.

    $4,000,000.00
    St. Bernard Parish
    This funding will support construction of a new fire station.

    $2,500,000.00
    Louisiana State University
    This funding will support LSU’s Electronic Microscopy Sight Initiative.

    $1,500,000.00
    City of Ruston Police Department
    This funding will support development of a Real Time Intelligence Crime Center.

    $1,395,000.00
    Jefferson Parish Coroner’s Office
    This funding will support purchase of advanced forensic equipment.

    $1,350,000.00
    University of New Orleans
    This funding will support instrumentation upgrades in computing and chemical sciences.

    $1,250,000.00
    East Baton Rouge DA’s Office
    This funding will support the Gun Intelligence Center Program.

    $794,000.00
    West Monroe Police Department
    This funding will support purchase of safety equipment for officers.

    $500,000.00
    22nd Judicial District Court
    This funding will support specialty courts for mental health and substance abuse treatment.

    $300,000.00
    Grant Parish Sheriff’s Office
    This funding will support upgrades to local law enforcement services.

    $263,000.00
    Town of Farmerville
    This funding will support renovations to the fire department.

    $250,000.00
    Tensas Parish Police Jury
    This funding will support security equipment upgrades.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Government Cuts – Govt funding squeeze sees DOC cutting a further 71 roles – PSA

    Source: PSA

    The need to meet Government spending cut requirements means the Department of Conservation (DOC) will be cutting a net 71 support roles around the country, many in small rural towns.
    DOC confirmed to staff today that it will be disestablishing 143 support roles and creating 72 new positions, meaning a net reduction of 71 roles. Of the 72 new support roles, 25 are half-time.
    Removing support staff, who monitor the radios used by DOC staff working away from the office to stay safe, poses health and safety risks, PSA National Secretary Fleur Fitzsimons says.
    “The current support staff have sizeable health and safety responsibilities, such as monitoring staff radio systems and helping to manage emergencies like fires. The loss of these team members will mean that these important duties will fall on others – and pose a significant health and safety risk.
    “DOC Rangers, contractors and volunteers rely on the radios to stay in regular contact with their offices and ensure they can get help if they run into trouble,” Fitzsimons says.
    “It’s one example of how the loss of business support staff will mean administrative work will have to be done by other DOC staff.
    “This will mean they have less time to focus on vital work like protecting threatened species, repairing tracks and pest control,” Fitzsimons says.
    The cuts also mean the public will no longer be able to access DOC offices, apart from Visitors’ Centres, because the loss of support staff will mean there will be no one to manage reception.
    “A farmer in town for errands will no longer be able to drop into the DOC office to talk with staff about matters of concern. A wealth of local knowledge and wisdom will be lost with the axing of support staff,” Fitzsimons says.
    “Downgrading 25 roles to half-time is a blow to the many workers who cannot make

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Peters, Slotkin Respond to Federal Disaster Declaration Following Catastrophic Northern Michigan Ice Storm

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Michigan Gary Peters
    WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senators Gary Peters (D-MI) and Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) responded to the approval of Michigan’s request for a major disaster declaration following the catastrophic ice storm that impacted communities throughout Northern Michigan and the Eastern Upper Peninsula in late March. In May, Peters and Slotkin sent a letter to President Trump urging his swift approval of this declaration to support areas affected by the storm. With this declaration, critical assistance through the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Public Assistance Program will be available to communities in Alcona, Alpena, Antrim, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Crawford, Emmet, Montmorency, Oscoda, Otsego, Presque Isle, Kalkaska and Mackinac Counties, as well as the Little Traverse Bay Band of Odawa Indians.
    “I’m pleased that funding is coming to Northern Michigan to bolster the ongoing recovery efforts following the ice storm this March,” said Senator Peters. “The State of Michigan and local emergency managers continue to work hard because this job is not finished, and I’ll keep fighting to help our communities get the resources they need to bounce back stronger.”
    “This is welcome news and a big step for the many Michiganders who are still recovering from the once-in-a-generation ice storm in Northern Michigan and the UP in March,” said Senator Slotkin. “There is still more work ahead, but my office is here to help Michiganders navigate the federal disaster process to rebuild and recover.”
    The National Weather Service has ranked this as one of the most significant ice storms ever recorded in Northern Michigan. State and federal officials estimate the storms caused more than $137 million in immediate response costs, and inflicted severe damage to homes, businesses, and critical infrastructure, including leaving residents without power for weeks. The long-term impacts to local government, industries, and residents remain to be seen.
    FEMA’s Public Assistance Program provides assistance to eligible applicants, including local governments, to respond and recover from major disasters. In Michigan, the authorized funding can be used for debris removal and emergency protective measures such as eligible overtime work and permanent restoration of infrastructure. For additional information regarding the federal assistance, please contact the MSP Emergency Management and Homeland Security Division at 517-243-0149.
    Peters and Slotkin have fought to aid Northern Michigan’s impacted communities from the start. In the days following this devastating storm, the lawmakers wrote to Governor Whitmer expressing their willingness to support any federal support needed as part of the State of Michigan’s response. In June, Peters and Slotkin called on the Small Business Administration to approve the State of Michigan’s Rapid Administrative Disaster Declaration request for eligible counties, which was later approved by SBA Administrator Loeffler.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Muscatine Men Sentenced to Federal Prison Related to Events Surrounding Officer Involved Shooting

    Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

    DAVENPORT, Iowa – Two Muscatine men were sentenced on July 22, 2025, to federal prison for drug and gun crimes, related to an officer involved shooting in Muscatine on May 29, 2024.

    According to public court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, on May 29, 2024, Juan Aldo Beltran Delgado, 34, and Isidro Barajas, Jr., 30, drove to a residence in Muscatine, Iowa, to await the delivery of a package they expected to contain more than 4.5 pounds of methamphetamine. Law enforcement observed Beltran Delgado and Barajas pick up the package from the residence and attempted to stop their vehicle. Beltran Delgado was driving the vehicle and drove over 100 miles per hour through Muscatine, drove through multiple red lights, attempting to evade law enforcement. Ultimately, Beltran Delgado crashed into two other vehicles near Highway 61 and Cedar Street. After crashing, both Beltran Delgado and Barajas fled from the car on foot carrying firearms. Officers arrived in the area and Beltran Delgado shot at officers. Officers were able to take both Beltran and Delgado and Barajas into custody.

    Beltran Delgado was sentenced to 35 years in federal prison, followed by a five-year term of supervised release, following his plea to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, attempted possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and carrying and discharging a firearm during an in relation to his drug trafficking. Barajas was sentenced to 32 years in federal prison, followed by a ten-year term of supervised release, following his plea to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, attempted possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, carrying and displaying a firearm during an in relation to his drug trafficking, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. There is no parole in the federal system.

    United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Muscatine County Sheriff’s Office, Iowa Department of Public Safety, Iowa Division of Criminal Investigations, Scott County Sheriff’s Office, Muscatine Police Department, Cedar County Sheriff’s Office, Muscatine County Drug Task Force, Johnson County Drug Taskforce, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.

    This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: TALLAHASSEE MAN RECEIVES 42 MONTHS FOR POSSESSION OF A MACHINEGUN

    Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

    TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Artaviyon Cornel Williams, 24, of Tallahassee, Florida, was sentenced in federal court for illegal possession of a machinegun. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

    U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Our brave law enforcement officers are increasingly encountering violent criminals and seizing firearms that have been illegally modified to fire as fully automatic machineguns. My office is committed to staunchly supporting law enforcement efforts to keep our communities safe from violent criminals.”

    Court documents reflect that law enforcement obtained an arrest warrant for Williams for an aggravated assault that had occurred on June 28, 2024, outside the Table Lounge in Tallahassee. Witnesses advised Williams broke up a fight involving his girlfriend by brandishing a firearm, firing a round into the air, and pointing the firearm at one woman and telling her “I’ll kill you.” Officers located Williams on July 6, 2024, outside the Table Lounge and arrested him on the outstanding warrant. When arrested, Williams had a stolen Glock pistol in his waistband which had been illegally modified to fire as a machinegun. Williams had a second, loaded, extended-round magazine in a pocket.

    Williams received a sentence of 42 months in prison, which will be followed by three years of supervised release.

    “The Tallahassee Police Department remains committed to removing illegal firearms from our streets,” said Tallahassee Police Chief Lawrence Revell. “Modifying a weapon to function as a machine gun is not only illegal, but also reckless and puts innocent lives at risk. We’re proud to work alongside our federal partners to ensure those who engage in this kind of violent behavior are held accountable.”

    The case involved an investigation by the Tallahassee Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.  Assistant United States Attorney James A. McCain prosecuted the case.

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

    As part of its PSN strategy, the United States Attorney’s Office is encouraging everyone to lock their car doors, particularly at night. Burglaries from unlocked automobiles are a significant source of guns for criminals in the Northern District of Florida. Please do your part and protect yourself by locking your car doors.

    The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

    MIL Security OSI –