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Category: Natural Disasters

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: How to give children the freedom to play all across the city – not just in playgrounds

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Michael Martin, Lecturer in Urban Design and Planning, University of Sheffield

    Co-created play space with children and the community, Via Val Lagarina Milan. Milan municipality

    Children play everywhere. Yet their right to play – protected by a UN convention – is constantly challenged by adults.

    Play is crucial to support children’s holistic development in cognitive, emotional, physical and social skills. Likewise, we know children’s environments significantly influence their health and wellbeing, for better or worse.

    But across cities, young people are let down by a built environment that fails to appropriately consider their needs.

    Places where children commonly used to play, such as streets and local neighbourhoods, have been transformed into car-only spaces where traffic and parking take priority. Likewise, city spaces frequently “design out” children by prohibiting skateboarding, ball games and other kinds of play.

    Over time, urban planning has confined children’s opportunities for play to dedicated playground spaces only.

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

    However, children don’t have equal access to these formal play spaces. In the largest study of playgrounds in England, my colleagues and I found substantial inequalities in access to play. Children in the most deprived areas needed to travel further to their nearest playground.

    In new research, I’ve explored four international examples of how children and play can be promoted in less likely urban spaces. My findings show how play can be promoted in cities to support children’s right to play anywhere – but also that there is widespread hostility to children’s right to use urban spaces for play.

    Power of play

    In Sydney, a pedal park installation with temporary jumps, ramps and a pump track was set up in different car parks for the duration of the winter. In Paris, a play street was created in central Paris by closing road traffic on Friday afternoons in autumn and spring.

    In Belfast, temporary play equipment and playful street furniture was set up in the Cathedral Gardens public space.

    Cathedral Gardens pop-up play space in Belfast meaningfully encourages children to use the city.
    Park Hood Ltd.

    In Milan, a community-led design involved children in creating a colourful grid, planters, growing beds and games in a school car park, which went on to inspire a new municipal programme of temporary school streets and piazzas.

    These play spaces allowed children to play freely, play with objects, play pretend, play games with rules, and play physically – the core pillars of play. What’s more, they enabled children to develop new connections with their community by appropriating urban spaces to promote relaxation and fun. This was vital following the trauma of the global pandemic – all the projects were active during COVID-19 outside of lockdown.

    Intergenerational encounters at the weekly play street in the 3rd District of Paris.
    Rue’golotte

    These short-term projects invited children to enjoy urban life in new ways. In fact, they bolstered civic access for people of all generations. In Sydney, the closure of the car park fostered a new sense of community. Caregivers, grandparents and residents were able to connect with each other in a whole different setting.

    Children in Sydney play freely in a ‘pop-up pedal park’ created in a public car park.
    Randwick City Council

    Politics of play

    But despite the positives, over time, the projects faced protest and tension. In Milan, fears from residents emerged on play being used as a tool to displace poorer communities. This was in response to the area having long been earmarked for regeneration. In Sydney, Paris and Belfast, people actively targeted and sabotaged the informal play spaces.

    In Sydney, to park their cars, older citizens successfully lobbied local councillors to reduce the total amount of space for play, from the entire car park to one aisle of parking. In Paris, local businesses were exasperated by the presence of children. Collectively they threatened project initiators and staged a protest, claiming that “play streets kill local shops”. In Belfast, the pop-up play space was set on fire, multiple times. By summer 2022, much of the park had been destroyed.

    Destruction and criminal damage of the Cathedral Gardens play space in Belfast.
    Author

    The outcomes demonstrate the politics that children, and their play, were exposed to. Because of a range of aggressive behaviour from adults, children’s use of streets and public spaces were consistently restricted. A common statement from dissenters was “children can go elsewhere”. The reality is they can’t.

    In tracking informal play projects through the pandemic and subsequent years, two additional factors hampered their longer-term success. For the council projects in Sydney and Belfast, council officers hoped to direct more resources to urban play, but the lack of a specific local policy to support play was a significant constraint. By comparison, the community projects in Paris and Milan placed an unsustainable pressure on volunteers to ensure prolonged success.

    Lessons from previous crises highlight how tensions and conflict can affect innovative uses of space, often diluting their progressive purpose. Ultimately, children’s play in recovery from the pandemic experienced a similar fate.

    This is worrying because Unicef research has shown children’s wellbeing has continued to suffer after COVID-19.

    Places that allow for children’s play can create dynamic neighbourhoods, intergenerational encounters, and meaningful participation in urban spaces – if only we let it happen.

    Michael Martin 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. How to give children the freedom to play all across the city – not just in playgrounds – https://theconversation.com/how-to-give-children-the-freedom-to-play-all-across-the-city-not-just-in-playgrounds-260444

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: How to give children the freedom to play all across the city – not just in playgrounds

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Michael Martin, Lecturer in Urban Design and Planning, University of Sheffield

    Co-created play space with children and the community, Via Val Lagarina Milan. Milan municipality

    Children play everywhere. Yet their right to play – protected by a UN convention – is constantly challenged by adults.

    Play is crucial to support children’s holistic development in cognitive, emotional, physical and social skills. Likewise, we know children’s environments significantly influence their health and wellbeing, for better or worse.

    But across cities, young people are let down by a built environment that fails to appropriately consider their needs.

    Places where children commonly used to play, such as streets and local neighbourhoods, have been transformed into car-only spaces where traffic and parking take priority. Likewise, city spaces frequently “design out” children by prohibiting skateboarding, ball games and other kinds of play.

    Over time, urban planning has confined children’s opportunities for play to dedicated playground spaces only.

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

    However, children don’t have equal access to these formal play spaces. In the largest study of playgrounds in England, my colleagues and I found substantial inequalities in access to play. Children in the most deprived areas needed to travel further to their nearest playground.

    In new research, I’ve explored four international examples of how children and play can be promoted in less likely urban spaces. My findings show how play can be promoted in cities to support children’s right to play anywhere – but also that there is widespread hostility to children’s right to use urban spaces for play.

    Power of play

    In Sydney, a pedal park installation with temporary jumps, ramps and a pump track was set up in different car parks for the duration of the winter. In Paris, a play street was created in central Paris by closing road traffic on Friday afternoons in autumn and spring.

    In Belfast, temporary play equipment and playful street furniture was set up in the Cathedral Gardens public space.

    Cathedral Gardens pop-up play space in Belfast meaningfully encourages children to use the city.
    Park Hood Ltd.

    In Milan, a community-led design involved children in creating a colourful grid, planters, growing beds and games in a school car park, which went on to inspire a new municipal programme of temporary school streets and piazzas.

    These play spaces allowed children to play freely, play with objects, play pretend, play games with rules, and play physically – the core pillars of play. What’s more, they enabled children to develop new connections with their community by appropriating urban spaces to promote relaxation and fun. This was vital following the trauma of the global pandemic – all the projects were active during COVID-19 outside of lockdown.

    Intergenerational encounters at the weekly play street in the 3rd District of Paris.
    Rue’golotte

    These short-term projects invited children to enjoy urban life in new ways. In fact, they bolstered civic access for people of all generations. In Sydney, the closure of the car park fostered a new sense of community. Caregivers, grandparents and residents were able to connect with each other in a whole different setting.

    Children in Sydney play freely in a ‘pop-up pedal park’ created in a public car park.
    Randwick City Council

    Politics of play

    But despite the positives, over time, the projects faced protest and tension. In Milan, fears from residents emerged on play being used as a tool to displace poorer communities. This was in response to the area having long been earmarked for regeneration. In Sydney, Paris and Belfast, people actively targeted and sabotaged the informal play spaces.

    In Sydney, to park their cars, older citizens successfully lobbied local councillors to reduce the total amount of space for play, from the entire car park to one aisle of parking. In Paris, local businesses were exasperated by the presence of children. Collectively they threatened project initiators and staged a protest, claiming that “play streets kill local shops”. In Belfast, the pop-up play space was set on fire, multiple times. By summer 2022, much of the park had been destroyed.

    Destruction and criminal damage of the Cathedral Gardens play space in Belfast.
    Author

    The outcomes demonstrate the politics that children, and their play, were exposed to. Because of a range of aggressive behaviour from adults, children’s use of streets and public spaces were consistently restricted. A common statement from dissenters was “children can go elsewhere”. The reality is they can’t.

    In tracking informal play projects through the pandemic and subsequent years, two additional factors hampered their longer-term success. For the council projects in Sydney and Belfast, council officers hoped to direct more resources to urban play, but the lack of a specific local policy to support play was a significant constraint. By comparison, the community projects in Paris and Milan placed an unsustainable pressure on volunteers to ensure prolonged success.

    Lessons from previous crises highlight how tensions and conflict can affect innovative uses of space, often diluting their progressive purpose. Ultimately, children’s play in recovery from the pandemic experienced a similar fate.

    This is worrying because Unicef research has shown children’s wellbeing has continued to suffer after COVID-19.

    Places that allow for children’s play can create dynamic neighbourhoods, intergenerational encounters, and meaningful participation in urban spaces – if only we let it happen.

    Michael Martin 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. How to give children the freedom to play all across the city – not just in playgrounds – https://theconversation.com/how-to-give-children-the-freedom-to-play-all-across-the-city-not-just-in-playgrounds-260444

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Consolation, community, national identity: what is lost when pubs close – and how they can be saved

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Thomas Thurnell-Read, Reader in Sociology, Loughborough University

    William Perugini/Shutterstock

    Recent figures from the British Beer and Pub Association show that pubs will close at the rate of one a day in the UK during 2025. This is just the latest chapter in a familiar story – more than a quarter of British pubs have closed since 2000.

    The cost of running a pub has risen dramatically. The ingredients used to brew beer all cost more, as do the business rates, rents, duties, utilities and wages required to operate a welcoming venue in which to serve it. Some publicans have reported utility bills doubling in a matter of months.

    Many pubs occupy prime locations and high-value buildings, which, coupled with larger floor space, mean business rates can be high relative to turnover and profit.

    Meanwhile, food offerings which had provided many pubs with a profitable alternative to a drinks-only model have also been hit by rapid increases in costs. Supermarkets and delivery platforms now provide food and drink directly to consumers at prices few licenced venues can compete with. Even pubs that are economically viable are often more profitable converted into residential or retail space.

    These economic challenges accompany wider cultural trends, such as the continued prevalence of home working, changes in drinking habits and competition from alternative forms of in person and online leisure.

    We’ve researched pub closures in England and Wales to learn what the loss of pubs means for the communities who drink and gather in them.

    When pubs closed temporarily during COVID-19 lockdowns, many people realised that what they missed about pubs was not alcohol but the social contact pubs provided. Pubs have a clear social value. They offer a space for people to meet and interact and have been shown to help tackling loneliness and social isolation.

    Our research participants relayed stories of pub closure in relation to their own lives and communities:

    I’ve been consoled in there, I’ve consoled friends in there. We’ve chopped up family issues, work issues. We’ve drunk for the sake of drinking in there.

    Pubs help people feel connected to a local place. When they close, they can become sites of mourning, a painful reminder of change and decline. One resident of a former colliery village in Nottinghamshire said of the pub she had once worked in – now derelict, fire damaged and vandalised as it awaits redevelopment – that despite her wish that it had remained open it was now better to “knock it down” to “put us out of our misery”.

    For many, pubs are a sort of bellwether for wider anxiety about social and generational change. The loss of pubs speaks to where “we” might be heading as a nation or as a community. Our recent analysis of how the British press has reported on pub closures since 2000 shows that a sense of national identity under threat is a recurring theme.

    Both local and national newspapers have made repeated use of the word “our” in this context, warning readers of the grave threat to “our pubs” and “our heritage”, often invoking an idyllic image of rural life. However, much of this coverage has also praised the pub as a great leveller, as a place where people come together as a community to socialise despite their differences.

    Can pubs be saved?

    The Campaign for Real Ale, the leading consumer group for beer drinkers and pub goers, suggests changing planning and licensing laws to protect pubs at local and national levels, and more support and publicity for pubs to cater to changing markets.

    Others have more directly lobbied for duty cuts that give pubs a fighting chance against supermarkets benefiting from economies of scale, VAT exemptions and convenience.

    A hot meal served in a pub incurs a standard 20% rate of VAT, while a supermarket ready meal to be heated at home does not. The rationale for a tax cut to support pubs would rest on the social benefits they offer to communities, in contrast to supermarket-bought alcohol typically consumed at home.

    A boarded-up pub in Bristol.
    Thomas Turnell-Read

    The Localism Act 2011 gave communities the right to bid to take pubs into community ownership, designating them as assets of community value. Yet while there are some terrific examples of community-owned pubs becoming both thriving businesses and a revived focal point for communities, residents in poorer areas lack the resources to sustain viable campaigns.

    In one village in our study, a pub listed as a going concern at £500,000 in fact sold as a development plot for over £660,000. A viability study suggested that an investment of £225,000, plus working capital of at least £20,000, would be needed to reopen the pub. The residents we spoke to all conceded that a purchase was far beyond the modest resources of the local community.

    While the loss of so many pubs is shocking, it obscures the fact that when other licensed venues, such as bars, restaurants and licensed cafes are factored in, the downward trend is flattened – and even reversed in some areas. This suggests a long-term diversification of the sector – the pub is no longer the only option when going out for a drink.

    This may also reflect a feeling that other hospitality venues better cater to different people and groups who may feel less at home in traditional pubs. Some interviewees told us that they felt craft brewery taprooms were more welcoming and family friendly. Others found cafe-bars to have a more appealing mix of coffee, food and both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.

    There’s a long history of pubs adapting to serve new needs and markets. Pub is the Hub, for example, has supported rural pubs to incorporate everything from village shops and libraries to pizza ovens and IT skills hubs. There have been promising experiments with fitting pubs for co-working and meeting space. And micropubs can continue to offer the benefits of a convivial social space, in a back-to-basics approach that reduces the costs of running bigger venues. Pubs can and must evolve.

    Thomas Thurnell-Read receives funding from The Leverhulme Trust.

    Robert Deakin 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. Consolation, community, national identity: what is lost when pubs close – and how they can be saved – https://theconversation.com/consolation-community-national-identity-what-is-lost-when-pubs-close-and-how-they-can-be-saved-260774

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Madagascar launches $7 million initiative to protect coasts from climate change

    Source: APO – Report:

    .

    Madagascar has officially launched a landmark initiative aimed at enhancing climate resilience by restoring critical coastal ecosystems and improving livelihoods across vulnerable regions. Nearly 100,000 people are expected to benefit directly across four key coastal regions—Boeny, Menabe, Diana, and Atsimo Atsinanana—where climate impacts are already threatening both livelihoods and biodiversity.

    The project, Scaling Up Ecosystem-Based Adaptation for Coastal Areas in Madagascar, will be executed by the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development with a USD 7.1 million grant from the Global Environment Facility and a cofinancing of USD 27 million. The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) assisted the government with developing the project and will act as the implementing agency, as a continuation of a long-standing partnership on resilience-building and strengthened environmental stewardship

    Madagascar’s coastal ecosystems—mangroves, coral reefs, and coastal forests—serve as natural buffers against rising seas, intensifying cyclones, and coastal erosion. Yet these ecosystems are under growing pressure from deforestation, overfishing, and a changing climate. Coastal zones support more than 75% of the local population by providing, for example, marine species for fisheries or valuable non-timber forest products.

    The new project aims to enhance the resilience of both ecosystems and communities through nature-based solutions, conventionally  referred to as ecosystem-based adaptation.

    In close coordination with the Regional Directorates for Environment and Sustainable Development (DREDD), the project will support integrated coastal zone management structures, enhance national and local adaptation coordination, and provide revised tools and plans to integrate EbA at the regional and municipal levels.

    The initiative will restore 3,000 hectares of mangroves and coastal forests and rehabilitate 2,000 hectares of degraded watersheds using community-based approaches. Over the course of the project, almost 100,000 people are expected to benefit directly from ecosystem-based adaptation interventions.

    It will also support the creation of 20 ecosystem-based businesses, with a focus on empowering women and youth through access to training, technical support, and equipment. These businesses will span climate-resilient sectors such as sustainable fisheries, aquaculture, beekeeping, ecotourism, and rainfed agriculture.

    An official high-level launch ceremony was held on 15 July at Hôtel Le Louvre Antaninarenina, bringing together representatives from national ministries, UN agencies, civil society, and development partners. 

    In her opening speech at the ceremony, the Secretary General of Environment and Sustainable Development Hahitantsoa Tokinirina Razafimahefa, said: “Restoring mangroves means protecting the coastline, supporting sustainable small-scale fishing, creating natural carbon sinks, and preserving nesting sites for rare species. In other words, it means acting on adaptation, mitigation, food security, and biodiversity conservation—all at once.”

    Paz Lopez-Rey, UNEP’s Programme Management Officer for the new project, said: “The project will strengthen local governance for integrated coastal zone management, while ensuring the integration of ecosystem-based adaptation into key regional and municipal planning tools. But it will go further than that; it will lead to a national strategy to scale up ecosystem-based adaptation in other vulnerable coastal areas of the country.”

    – on behalf of United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Consolation, community, national identity: what is lost when pubs close – and how they can be saved

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Thomas Thurnell-Read, Reader in Sociology, Loughborough University

    William Perugini/Shutterstock

    Recent figures from the British Beer and Pub Association show that pubs will close at the rate of one a day in the UK during 2025. This is just the latest chapter in a familiar story – more than a quarter of British pubs have closed since 2000.

    The cost of running a pub has risen dramatically. The ingredients used to brew beer all cost more, as do the business rates, rents, duties, utilities and wages required to operate a welcoming venue in which to serve it. Some publicans have reported utility bills doubling in a matter of months.

    Many pubs occupy prime locations and high-value buildings, which, coupled with larger floor space, mean business rates can be high relative to turnover and profit.

    Meanwhile, food offerings which had provided many pubs with a profitable alternative to a drinks-only model have also been hit by rapid increases in costs. Supermarkets and delivery platforms now provide food and drink directly to consumers at prices few licenced venues can compete with. Even pubs that are economically viable are often more profitable converted into residential or retail space.

    These economic challenges accompany wider cultural trends, such as the continued prevalence of home working, changes in drinking habits and competition from alternative forms of in person and online leisure.

    We’ve researched pub closures in England and Wales to learn what the loss of pubs means for the communities who drink and gather in them.

    When pubs closed temporarily during COVID-19 lockdowns, many people realised that what they missed about pubs was not alcohol but the social contact pubs provided. Pubs have a clear social value. They offer a space for people to meet and interact and have been shown to help tackling loneliness and social isolation.

    Our research participants relayed stories of pub closure in relation to their own lives and communities:

    I’ve been consoled in there, I’ve consoled friends in there. We’ve chopped up family issues, work issues. We’ve drunk for the sake of drinking in there.

    Pubs help people feel connected to a local place. When they close, they can become sites of mourning, a painful reminder of change and decline. One resident of a former colliery village in Nottinghamshire said of the pub she had once worked in – now derelict, fire damaged and vandalised as it awaits redevelopment – that despite her wish that it had remained open it was now better to “knock it down” to “put us out of our misery”.

    For many, pubs are a sort of bellwether for wider anxiety about social and generational change. The loss of pubs speaks to where “we” might be heading as a nation or as a community. Our recent analysis of how the British press has reported on pub closures since 2000 shows that a sense of national identity under threat is a recurring theme.

    Both local and national newspapers have made repeated use of the word “our” in this context, warning readers of the grave threat to “our pubs” and “our heritage”, often invoking an idyllic image of rural life. However, much of this coverage has also praised the pub as a great leveller, as a place where people come together as a community to socialise despite their differences.

    Can pubs be saved?

    The Campaign for Real Ale, the leading consumer group for beer drinkers and pub goers, suggests changing planning and licensing laws to protect pubs at local and national levels, and more support and publicity for pubs to cater to changing markets.

    Others have more directly lobbied for duty cuts that give pubs a fighting chance against supermarkets benefiting from economies of scale, VAT exemptions and convenience.

    A hot meal served in a pub incurs a standard 20% rate of VAT, while a supermarket ready meal to be heated at home does not. The rationale for a tax cut to support pubs would rest on the social benefits they offer to communities, in contrast to supermarket-bought alcohol typically consumed at home.

    A boarded-up pub in Bristol.
    Thomas Turnell-Read

    The Localism Act 2011 gave communities the right to bid to take pubs into community ownership, designating them as assets of community value. Yet while there are some terrific examples of community-owned pubs becoming both thriving businesses and a revived focal point for communities, residents in poorer areas lack the resources to sustain viable campaigns.

    In one village in our study, a pub listed as a going concern at £500,000 in fact sold as a development plot for over £660,000. A viability study suggested that an investment of £225,000, plus working capital of at least £20,000, would be needed to reopen the pub. The residents we spoke to all conceded that a purchase was far beyond the modest resources of the local community.

    While the loss of so many pubs is shocking, it obscures the fact that when other licensed venues, such as bars, restaurants and licensed cafes are factored in, the downward trend is flattened – and even reversed in some areas. This suggests a long-term diversification of the sector – the pub is no longer the only option when going out for a drink.

    This may also reflect a feeling that other hospitality venues better cater to different people and groups who may feel less at home in traditional pubs. Some interviewees told us that they felt craft brewery taprooms were more welcoming and family friendly. Others found cafe-bars to have a more appealing mix of coffee, food and both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.

    There’s a long history of pubs adapting to serve new needs and markets. Pub is the Hub, for example, has supported rural pubs to incorporate everything from village shops and libraries to pizza ovens and IT skills hubs. There have been promising experiments with fitting pubs for co-working and meeting space. And micropubs can continue to offer the benefits of a convivial social space, in a back-to-basics approach that reduces the costs of running bigger venues. Pubs can and must evolve.

    Thomas Thurnell-Read receives funding from The Leverhulme Trust.

    Robert Deakin 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. Consolation, community, national identity: what is lost when pubs close – and how they can be saved – https://theconversation.com/consolation-community-national-identity-what-is-lost-when-pubs-close-and-how-they-can-be-saved-260774

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: What Trump’s decision to send more weapons to Ukraine will mean for the war

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By David Hastings Dunn, Professor of International Politics in the Department of Political Science and International Studies, University of Birmingham

    At face value, Donald Trump’s announcement about his plans on Russia and Ukraine look like a major policy change. Speaking from the Oval Office on July 14, where he had been meeting with Nato secretary general Mark Rutte, the US president said he would send “top-of-the-line-weapons” to help Kyiv and – unless a ceasefire deal is agreed inside a 50-day time limit – the US would impose secondary sanctions on any countries dealing with Russia.

    But while this represents a significant departure from Trump’s previous approach, it’s more of a step back towards the policy approach of his predecessor Joe Biden than the U-turn that some commentators are claiming.

    For months Russia has stepped up its bombardment of Ukraine, buoyed by the fact that neither the US Congress nor the White House has authorised any new military aid to Kyiv. Moscow would have been aware of this lack of US action and its missile and drone attacks against Ukraine have aimed to run down the stocks of air defence missiles supplied by Biden while paying lip service to the idea of peace negotiations.

    For Trump the penny appears finally to have dropped as to what was happening. His frustration and disappointment in Putin is what has finally led to him calling this out. According to Trump, Putin “fooled a lot of people – Clinton, Bush, Obama, Biden – he didn’t fool me. At a certain point talk doesn’t talk, it’s got to be action”.

    The decision to send new supplies of defensive – and potentially even longer-range offensive missiles – to Ukraine (even if the Europeans pay for them) is an important signal to Russia. But so too is the threat of tariffs of 100% on countries, such as India and China, that sustain the Russian economy by buying its oil and gas at knockdown prices.

    The US senate, led by Lindsay Graham, the influential Republican senator for South Carolina, has been itching to pass these secondary sanctions for months. Now that the Trump administration appears to have adopted this plan it is a significant policy instrument to pile the pressure on Russia.

    The change in Trump’s approach may also mean that the $US8 billion (£6 billion) of frozen Russian assets in the US (and US$223 billion in Europe) could be released to aid Ukraine, which would provide a ready means to pay for the US arms transfers.

    Limits to US support

    What has not changed, however, is the goal of Trump’s policy towards the war in Ukraine. While the Biden administration called out the illegality of Putin’s unprovoked aggression and called for the restoration of Ukrainian sovereignty, Trump is merely calling for a ceasefire.

    Trump may say he is “disappointed” with Putin, but he has not labelled him as the aggressor. In fact at one point he was blaming Ukraine for the invasion. And, significantly, he has not demanded that Russia give up the 20% of Ukraine that it currently illegally occupies.

    As at July 14, Russian troops occupy about 20% of Ukraine’s sovereign territory.
    Institute for the Study of War

    The US president is also silent on what the US would commit to in terms of security and stability for Ukraine after the fighting stops. This is a much bigger question than Ukraine’s Nato membership. America’s European allies in Nato regard some sort of stability force on Ukrainian territory as necessary to deter any future Russian aggression.

    Whether or not US troops would be involved (and all the signs are that they would not), some sort of US security “back-stop” or guarantee is still seen in Europe as key to its success – as would be US logistical and intelligence support for its operation.

    But why the 50-day delay?

    Another aspect of the change in Trump’s policy is the long lead time that Russia has been given to come to the table. A lot of Ukrainian civilians are likely to die during this period if the intense bombardment continues. On the battlefield, 50 days would give the Russians an extended window during a renewed summer offensive to make further territorial gains inside the occupied provinces.

    So Trump’s proposals have to be viewed through the prism of his propensity to set deadlines that are then pushed back multiple times – as with the on-again, off-again tariffs, which have given Trump the nickname Taco (“Trump always chickens out”) on Wall Street.

    Russian senator, Konstantin Kosachev, was certainly taking this view when he told the BBC after Trump’s announcement that, “if this is all Trump had to say about Ukraine today, then so far it’s been much ado about nothing”.

    This sentiment was shared by the Russian stock market which rose 2.7% in the aftermath of Trump’s announcement. Analysts had expected much worse, so the long delay in the prospect of anything actually happening was clearly seen as a long way off and potentially subject to change or cancellation. Trump is seen by many as both inconsistent in his threats and unpredictable as to where policy will eventually settle.

    The fact that Trump told BBC Washington correspondent Gary O’Donoghue that while he was “disappointed” with Putin, he was “not done with him” – and his clear reluctance to act quickly and decisively in sanctioning Russia – should be seen as an important counterpart to the apparent policy shift.

    Like so many things with the 47th US president, it’s important not to react to the media appearances or the headlines they provoke, without also paying attention to the policy actions of his administration.

    David Hastings Dunn has previously received funding from the ESRC, the Gerda Henkel Foundation, the Open Democracy Foundation and has previously been both a NATO and a Fulbright Fellow.

    – ref. What Trump’s decision to send more weapons to Ukraine will mean for the war – https://theconversation.com/what-trumps-decision-to-send-more-weapons-to-ukraine-will-mean-for-the-war-261192

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: What Trump’s decision to send more weapons to Ukraine will mean for the war

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By David Hastings Dunn, Professor of International Politics in the Department of Political Science and International Studies, University of Birmingham

    At face value, Donald Trump’s announcement about his plans on Russia and Ukraine look like a major policy change. Speaking from the Oval Office on July 14, where he had been meeting with Nato secretary general Mark Rutte, the US president said he would send “top-of-the-line-weapons” to help Kyiv and – unless a ceasefire deal is agreed inside a 50-day time limit – the US would impose secondary sanctions on any countries dealing with Russia.

    But while this represents a significant departure from Trump’s previous approach, it’s more of a step back towards the policy approach of his predecessor Joe Biden than the U-turn that some commentators are claiming.

    For months Russia has stepped up its bombardment of Ukraine, buoyed by the fact that neither the US Congress nor the White House has authorised any new military aid to Kyiv. Moscow would have been aware of this lack of US action and its missile and drone attacks against Ukraine have aimed to run down the stocks of air defence missiles supplied by Biden while paying lip service to the idea of peace negotiations.

    For Trump the penny appears finally to have dropped as to what was happening. His frustration and disappointment in Putin is what has finally led to him calling this out. According to Trump, Putin “fooled a lot of people – Clinton, Bush, Obama, Biden – he didn’t fool me. At a certain point talk doesn’t talk, it’s got to be action”.

    The decision to send new supplies of defensive – and potentially even longer-range offensive missiles – to Ukraine (even if the Europeans pay for them) is an important signal to Russia. But so too is the threat of tariffs of 100% on countries, such as India and China, that sustain the Russian economy by buying its oil and gas at knockdown prices.

    The US senate, led by Lindsay Graham, the influential Republican senator for South Carolina, has been itching to pass these secondary sanctions for months. Now that the Trump administration appears to have adopted this plan it is a significant policy instrument to pile the pressure on Russia.

    The change in Trump’s approach may also mean that the $US8 billion (£6 billion) of frozen Russian assets in the US (and US$223 billion in Europe) could be released to aid Ukraine, which would provide a ready means to pay for the US arms transfers.

    Limits to US support

    What has not changed, however, is the goal of Trump’s policy towards the war in Ukraine. While the Biden administration called out the illegality of Putin’s unprovoked aggression and called for the restoration of Ukrainian sovereignty, Trump is merely calling for a ceasefire.

    Trump may say he is “disappointed” with Putin, but he has not labelled him as the aggressor. In fact at one point he was blaming Ukraine for the invasion. And, significantly, he has not demanded that Russia give up the 20% of Ukraine that it currently illegally occupies.

    As at July 14, Russian troops occupy about 20% of Ukraine’s sovereign territory.
    Institute for the Study of War

    The US president is also silent on what the US would commit to in terms of security and stability for Ukraine after the fighting stops. This is a much bigger question than Ukraine’s Nato membership. America’s European allies in Nato regard some sort of stability force on Ukrainian territory as necessary to deter any future Russian aggression.

    Whether or not US troops would be involved (and all the signs are that they would not), some sort of US security “back-stop” or guarantee is still seen in Europe as key to its success – as would be US logistical and intelligence support for its operation.

    But why the 50-day delay?

    Another aspect of the change in Trump’s policy is the long lead time that Russia has been given to come to the table. A lot of Ukrainian civilians are likely to die during this period if the intense bombardment continues. On the battlefield, 50 days would give the Russians an extended window during a renewed summer offensive to make further territorial gains inside the occupied provinces.

    So Trump’s proposals have to be viewed through the prism of his propensity to set deadlines that are then pushed back multiple times – as with the on-again, off-again tariffs, which have given Trump the nickname Taco (“Trump always chickens out”) on Wall Street.

    Russian senator, Konstantin Kosachev, was certainly taking this view when he told the BBC after Trump’s announcement that, “if this is all Trump had to say about Ukraine today, then so far it’s been much ado about nothing”.

    This sentiment was shared by the Russian stock market which rose 2.7% in the aftermath of Trump’s announcement. Analysts had expected much worse, so the long delay in the prospect of anything actually happening was clearly seen as a long way off and potentially subject to change or cancellation. Trump is seen by many as both inconsistent in his threats and unpredictable as to where policy will eventually settle.

    The fact that Trump told BBC Washington correspondent Gary O’Donoghue that while he was “disappointed” with Putin, he was “not done with him” – and his clear reluctance to act quickly and decisively in sanctioning Russia – should be seen as an important counterpart to the apparent policy shift.

    Like so many things with the 47th US president, it’s important not to react to the media appearances or the headlines they provoke, without also paying attention to the policy actions of his administration.

    David Hastings Dunn has previously received funding from the ESRC, the Gerda Henkel Foundation, the Open Democracy Foundation and has previously been both a NATO and a Fulbright Fellow.

    – ref. What Trump’s decision to send more weapons to Ukraine will mean for the war – https://theconversation.com/what-trumps-decision-to-send-more-weapons-to-ukraine-will-mean-for-the-war-261192

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Seeding gender empowerment: Women farmers in Peru contend with climate change

    Source: United Nations 2

    Ácora, located in the southeast corner of Peru almost 3,800 kilometres above sea level, is one of the Peruvian regions which has been most impacted by climate change – endangering crop production and biodiversity in addition to worsening food insecurity.

    “It was not like this before, the climate has changed a lot,” said Pascuala Pari, head of the Sumaq Chuyma Association in Ácora.

    Around the world, women farmers like Ms. Pari, who already face a series of intersectional challenges, are working tirelessly to secure their livelihoods despite an increasingly untenable climate situation.

    “Women in particular shoulder the burden of food insecurity as traditional caregivers which is intensified during climate crises,” said Bochola Sara Arero, a youth representative from the World Food Forum, at a side event during the ongoing UN High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development on Monday.

    Intersecting goals

    The forum in New York has been convened to discuss the Sustainable Development Goals, adopted in 2015 to promote global development for current and future generations.

    With only 18 per cent of these internationally agreed upon goals on track to being met by 2030, the Secretary-General António Guterres has called for urgent action and sustained multilateralism to address this gap.

    Mr. Guterres has also said that this forum is a unique opportunity to discuss the intersection between various goals, including the intersection between gender equality and climate change.

    A bipolar climate

    Last year in Ácora, dealing with a climate that oscillated between drought and torrential rains was next to impossible for the women who relied on the land.

    Crops would not grow and agrobiodiversity was under threat. In a country where 17.6 million people already experience food insecurity, this dual threat had the potential to wreak havoc on livelihoods.

    In response, Ms Pari and other women in Ácora formed seed banks. Not only do organizations like seed banks preserve indigenous agrobiodiversity, they also help sustain the livelihoods of women in the region.

    “Our crops were in danger of extinction, but now people are harvesting again and we are changing that,” said Fanny Ninaraqui, leader of the Ayrumas Carumas Association.

    Seeds that are not planted can be traded or bartered with other seed bank owners. Over 125 varieties of native crops have now been preserved across the region.

    “I am happy with my little seed bank … Now I have all kinds of quinoa: black, red, white. This supports me economically because I preserve and sell my products at local markets,” Ms. Pari said.

    © UNDP/MINAM/PPD/Nuria Angeles

    Aymara communities in Ácora are working to recover and conserve their agrobiodiversity.

    Once shut, doors open for women farmers

    In addition to climate challenges, women farmers also face a lack of legal rights. Specifically, they often do not have titles to their land.

    According to the Secretary-General’s Sustainable Development Report, released Monday, 58 per cent of the countries with available data lacked sufficient protection for women’s land rights.

    “Women’s land rights are fundamental for women’s voice and agency, livelihoods and well-being and resilience as well as for broader development outcomes,” said Seemin Qayum, policy advisor at UN Women.

    The in-depth report also noted that less than half of women had secure rights to land, with men being twice as likely to have land deeds and other protected property rights. [1]

    Experts say that insufficient legal protections not only negatively impact economic outcomes for women, they also sideline women’s needs and voices in policymaking. Therefore, it is essential to institute legal protections which formally recognize women as farmers.

    “When you are recognized as a farmer, a world of possibilities, a world of resources – opportunities for representation and rights – become available to you. Doors open,” said Carol Boudreaux, Senior Director of Land Programs at Landesa.

    © UNDP/MINAM/PPD/Nuria Angeles

    Another method implemented is the rehabiWaru warus in Thunco: an ancient farming technique with canals and raised beds to manage droughts and floods.

    Beyond legal protections

    While legal land rights are essential, they are not in and of themselves enough to empower rural women.

    “Initiatives that aim to change discriminatory social norms and institutions are also needed,” said Clara Park, senior gender officer at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

    Women in Ácora recognize that it is not just climate change which is negatively impacting their livelihoods – they are also grappling with unequal social norms.

    “When you are young and a woman, someone always tries to limit your progress,” Ms. Ninaraqui said.

    In Ácora, international and civil society organizations, including the UN Development Programme (UNDP), have worked to help women establish their seed banks and ensure that these women have the capacity to manage them long-term.

    “I can lead, I can teach what I have learned, now I feel I have this capacity,” Ms Pari said.

    Intergenerational knowledge

    Women like Ms. Pari and Ms. Ninaraqui are part of the Aymara indigenous community in Ácora. For them, the seed banks are a form of innovation which allows them to build upon indigenous knowledge regarding agrobiodiversity.

    “We are recovering the seeds from our grandparents’ time,” said Ms. Pari.

    And as they save these seeds, Ms. Pari said they are also thinking of the future.

    “Today, I would tell more women to keep going, to not be discouraged by what others think, and to take initiative like I did,” said Ms. Pari.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Luzerne County Man Sentenced to 15 Years’ Imprisonment on Drug Trafficking and Firearms Charges

    Source: US FBI

    SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Christopher Essameddin Birry, age 43, of Hanover Township, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on July 9, 2025, to 15 years’ imprisonment by United States District Judge Julia K. Munley on drug trafficking and firearms charges.

    According to Acting United States Attorney John Gurganus, between May 31, 2023, and July 27, 2023, Birry distributed methamphetamine on multiple occasions in the Wilkes-Barre area within Luzerne County. On September 11, 2023, Birry was involved in a motor vehicle stop in Olyphant, Lackawanna County. Birry attempted to flee on foot from law enforcement but was apprehended and found to be in possession of distribution amounts of methamphetamine and fentanyl and possessed a loaded handgun. Birry was prohibited from possessing a firearm due to prior felony drug trafficking convictions. At the time of this offense, Birry was on probation for a prior drug trafficking conviction.

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline) a nationwide initiate 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 case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Luzerne County Drug Task Force, the Pennsylvania State Police and Olyphant Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jenny P. Roberts and Patrick Bannon prosecuted the case.

    # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Welch Leads Legislation to Provide Rural Communities with Funding for Emergency Recovery Technical Assistance After Disasters Hit 

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture Subcommittee on Rural Development, Energy, and Credit, and U.S. Senators Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), reintroduced the Rural Recovery Act, legislation that will create a new program at U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development (RD) to provide RD state offices with automatic funding for emergency recovery technical assistance after disasters take place in their jurisdiction. The Rural Recovery Act was inspired and shaped by the need to bolster capacity of towns and cities across Vermont recovering from historic floods in 2023 and 2024. 
    “Vermont is still reeling from brutal back-to-back floods that tore through our state in July of 2023 and 2024. Just last week, towns were hit with flash flooding for the third year—it’s a painful reminder that these disasters are becoming more frequent, and we need to be ready for them. A critical part of the recovery process is ensuring every town has the resources necessary to access emergency relief funds when disasters strike. But many rural communities often don’t have the capacity to apply for disaster relief when they’re still trying to dig out their driveways and make sure their neighbors are safe after a major flood,” said Senator Welch. “The Rural Recovery Act will deliver vital assistance and improve the post-disaster recovery process for rural communities impacted by extreme weather across the country.” 
    “Climate change is making extreme weather more frequent, severe and damaging. Vermonters know this all too well following years of devastating flooding. What they also know is that the recovery process is difficult and slow, and that working with the various federal agencies involved is complicated and time-consuming. Many of our small towns simply don’t have the time or staff resources to manage the endless paperwork and apply for the resources available to help in recovery. The Rural Recovery Act will help ensure communities can access the disaster relief they need to recover and rebuild,” said Senator Sanders. 
    “New Hampshire has been hit hard by a number of severe storms in recent years that caused flooding and other serious damage to residences and businesses across the state, including in rural areas,” said Senator Shaheen. “The technical expertise needed to apply for emergency assistance is often a huge barrier for smaller, rural communities. Our legislation would allow USDA Rural Development to provide assistance, which will help more Granite Staters access recovery funds when they’re needed most.” 
    The Rural Recovery Act would provide automatic funding to USDA RD state offices in disaster impacted states, following a disaster declaration by the president. States can use funding to administer disaster recovery technical assistance to towns. The technical assistance funding—generally available up to three years after a disaster occurs—could be used by state RD offices to hire internal employees or contractors to provide technical assistance to towns for their recovery efforts. The program is modeled after a pilot program spearheaded by USDA RD and the Vermont League of Cities and Towns (VLCT) which provides towns with technical assistance for disaster recovery. 
    Technical assistance providers could also assist with any federal agency funding applications for disaster-damaged infrastructure, including U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Economic Development Administration (EDA), USDA, or state agency funding applications to address disaster damage.  
    Learn more about the Rural Recovery Act of 2025. 
    Read and download the full text of the bill. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Mayor backs Zane’s Law following pressure from Zack Polanski AM to tackle contaminated land crisis

    Source: Mayor of London

    The Mayor has finally confirmed his support for Zane’s Law following sustained pressure from Green Party London Assembly Member Zack Polanski. This marks a significant step forward in addressing the urgent and long-overlooked issue of contaminated land.

    Zane Gbangbola, aged seven, tragically died during the catastrophic 2014 floods in Chertsey, Surrey. Since then his parents, Kye Gbangbola and Nicole Lawler, have led a tireless campaign for justice to better protect the public from contaminated land.

    In November 2024, Zack Polanski AM proposed a motion in calling for the London Assembly to support Zane’s Law which was unanimously approved and agreed upon, it’s encouraging to now see the mayor share the same position as the Assembly.

    The Mayor’s support signals growing momentum for legislative change, and increasing recognition of the Zane’s family’s decade-long campaign.

    Zane’s Law would ensure that all potentially contaminated land is identified, made public, regularly inspected and properly cleaned up. It would mean local authorities would be given the funding, resources and powers to act, with the Government upholding the ‘polluter pays’ principle, where those responsible for the pollution can be identified.

    Zack Polanski AM, who has championed the cause within City Hall said:

    “Contaminated Land is a huge public health issue that needs urgent action but is too often ignored. We’re talking about lives at risk, families unknowingly living alongside toxic and dangerous contamination.

    “The Mayor has made an important step in backing Zane’s Law, but there’s still so much more that can be done. The Mayor should use his influence to urge the Government to bring in this Law and ensure its full support and implementation.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Regional School Feeding Forum kicks off in Latin America and the Caribbean

    Source: World Food Programme

    SAN PEDRO SULA, Honduras – Around 200 participants from 18 countries, including government ministers, representatives of civil society, international financial institutions, and the United Nations, are meeting in San Pedro Sula from 15-17 July for a key forum to strengthen commitments to school feeding programs in Latin America and the Caribbean.

    The XI Regional School Feeding Forum for Latin America and the Caribbean, co-organized by the Government of Honduras and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), is a high-level event for leaders to help transform national school feeding programmes into an engine for social protection, sustainability, and inclusion.

    Government-led school meal programmes in Latin America and the Caribbean reach over 80 million children – second to only South Asia, according to WFP’s flagship State of School Feeding Worldwide 2022 report – with a collective annual investment of approximately USD 7.6 billion. These governments are also increasingly choosing to use local produce for school meals; stimulating local markets, and including seasonal foods in school menus.

    School meals are a vital way to boost school enrollment and attendance, and offer a return on investment of between USD 7 and USD 35 for every USD 1 invested. In Latin America, they have also proven key in helping to promote healthy eating practices and provide good nutrition for children

    A healthy diet in Latin America costs on average USD 4.56 per person per day – the highest daily cost globally, according to the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) report released in 2024. Around 180 million Latin Americans cannot afford this – and by 2050, climate impacts could increase the cost of a healthy diet by an additional 34 percent.

    A Committed Host

    Honduras joins the list of countries that have hosted the Regional School Feeding Forums, promoting spaces in favor of children for more than two decades. In the country, over 1.2 million schoolchildren receive sustainable school meals across more than 20,000 pre-primary and primary public schools nationwide. Between 2022 and 2025, the country will invest more than USD 140 million to provide over 79,000 metric tons of fortified food to help prevent childhood anemia and malnutrition.

    The National School Feeding Programme, led by the Ministry of Social Development (SEDESOL), aims to ensure food security, school attendance, and the integral development of future generations as part of a national poverty reduction strategy. It reaches nearly 43 percent of school-aged children enrolled in public schools, including 97,400 girls and boys from the country’s nine Indigenous and Afro-Honduran peoples, across 1,074 educational centers.

    “The wellbeing of our children is at the heart of our social protection policies and the fight against poverty in Honduras,” said Mirtha Gutiérrez, Minister of Social Development. “The National School Feeding Programme not only ensures food security but also promotes school reintegration and combats child malnutrition. At SEDESOL, we are ready to implement this public policy as a State strategy, strengthening governance and ensuring the sustainable continuity of the programme.”

    In close coordination with the Ministry of Education, more than 4,000 school gardens have been established to improve access to fresh foods. Additionally, the country has launched the National Network of Agricultural Schools, comprising of seven specialized schools and more than 200 community-based institutes and associated educational centers.

    “This regional forum is a crucial space to showcase the positive experiences in school feeding,” said Minister of Education, Professor Daniel Esponda. “Honduras is building a food autonomy policy, promoting the use of locally produced foods in school meals, with the goal that what is served in schools is grown in the communities themselves.”

    WFP Support for National Efforts

    WFP works with governments in the region to strengthen national school feeding efforts – with support tailored to the local context. For example, transforming empty shipping containers into kitchens in El Salvador; providing lunches to children affected by violence in Haiti; connecting farms with nearby schools in Guatemala; and promoting fortified rice in schools in Peru.

    “We reach students in vulnerable areas with critical support: those affected by drought, environmental degradation, and social exclusion from the Dry Corridor to the high Andean zones to the Amazon,” said Lola Castro, WFP Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean. “Delivering life-changing assistance to communities affected by conflict, displacement, and migration, or in places with high malnutrition, poor access to water and health services, and increasing urban food insecurity is critical. Ensuring the quality and coverage of food assistance when funding is limited is not easy. But the returns are undeniable.”

    Towards the Global Summit

    School meals programmes are the largest social safety net in the world, according to the World Bank, but the scope of these programs is still very uneven across countries. In Latin American and the Caribbean alone, the range is huge with some countries spending only USD 10 per child per year, while others invest up to USD 300.

    During the three-day Forum, participants will explore the value of school feeding for greater social protection, explore the role of schools as catalysts for sustainability and resilience, and promote school feeding with a focus on indigenous peoples.

    Additionally, the new report “More than a Meal” on the potential of school feeding in Guatemala and Peru to address malnutrition in an efficient and cost-effective manner will be presented. Produced jointly by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and WFP, the report explores how to improve meals in school so that the hours children spend at school count towards improving their nutrition.

    Latin America and the Caribbean is a region pioneering the expansion of school meals programmes to meet some of the biggest challenges facing people and our planet – from childhood nutrition to climate resilient food systems. The Forum is a key event to exchange experiences and jointly prepare for the 2nd Global School Feeding Summit, which will take place in Fortaleza (Brazil) at the end of the year.

    Note to editors: For more information and audiovisual content on the forum, visit the website.

    #                           #                            #

    The United Nations World Food Program is the largest humanitarian organization in the world, which saves lives during emergencies and provides food assistance to build a road to peace, stability and prosperity amongst populations which are recovering from conflict, disasters, and the impact of climate change.

    Follow us on Twitter: @wfp_media @wfp_es

    Subscribe to our WhatsApp channel.

    For more information, please contact us with (email: name.lastname@wfp.org):

    María Gallar, World Food Programme, mobile: +34 662 435 125, maría.gallar@wfp.org
     

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Sixteen Members of a Violent Gang in San Germán, Puerto Rico, Charged with Drug Trafficking and Firearms Offenses

    Source: US FBI

    SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On July 2, 2025, a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment charging 16 violent gang members from the municipality of San Germán with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, possession and distribution of controlled substances, and firearms violations, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Puerto Rico Police Bureau (PRPB) Ponce and Mayagüez Strike Force were in charge of the investigation of the case, with the collaboration of the Puerto Rico Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. The Guaynabo Municipal Police SRT collaborated during the arrests.

    “As alleged in the indictment, the members of this drug trafficking organization conducted their criminal activities in the presence of minors, in complete disregard to the detriment of the children,” said U.S. Attorney Muldrow. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to work with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners to protect our children, make Puerto Rico neighborhoods safe, and bring criminals to justice.”

    “The FBI’s commitment to public safety is unwavering. I want to thank the men and women of the FBI, the United States Attorney’s Office, the Police of Puerto Rico and local partners that worked tirelessly to disrupt this violent criminal enterprise,” said Devin J. Kowalski, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s San Juan Field Office. “This group thought they were above the law and our message is simple: if you choose to operate like a street army, then you’re choosing to face the FBI—rest assured your days terrorizing our communities are numbered.”

    The indictment alleges that from in or about the year 2023 through the present, the drug trafficking organization distributed cocaine base (commonly known as “crack”),cocaine, fentanyl or a substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl, and marihuana within 1,000 feet of Manuel F. Rossy Public Housing Project (PHP), and other areas nearby the municipality of San Germán, all for significant financial gain and profit.

    The object of the conspiracy was the large-scale distribution of controlled substances at the Manuel F. Rossy PHP, and other areas nearby in the Municipality of San Germán, all for significant financial gain and profit. It was part of the manner and means of the conspiracy that there were at least two (2) drug points operating within the inside of two (2) apartments inside the PHP, and that sellers would sell drugs through a window to avoid being seen and/or detected by law enforcement.

    As part of the conspiracy the defendants would secure the entrance to the apartments that were utilized as drug points, with two (2) by four (4) wooden studs, to allow time for them to dispose of the drugs in the event of an unexpected law enforcement search and seizure.

    In preserving power and protecting territory, the members of the organization would use intimidation, force, and violence in order to maintain control of the drug trafficking operations and intimidate rival drug trafficking organizations. Moreover, they would give beatings to other co-conspirators and/or residents of the housing projects, with different weapons, including horse whips, as discipline for violating certain rules.

    The defendants acted in different roles to further the goals of the drug trafficking conspiracy, to include leaders, enforcers, runners, sellers, facilitators, andlookouts. The defendants charged in the drug trafficking conspiracy are:

    [1] Jonathan Humberto Peraza-Rosa, a.k.a. “El Negro”

    [2] Jesed Natan Pagán-Ríos, a.k.a. “J”

    [3] Karvinson Javier Medina-Figueroa, a.k.a. “Champi/Jampi”

    [4] Giancarlo Robles-Pérez, a.k.a. “Gps/Penuelas/Jp”

    [5] Kelvin Torres-Alvarado, a.k.a. “Pito Ciribillo/Ciribi”

    [6] Eliezer Mikael Cruz-Molinary, a.k.a. “Mikael”

    [7] Yafet Omar Alameda-Torres

    [8] Anabel Tina Rodríguez

    [9] Jan Louis García-Franqui

    [10] Joe Armando Cotte-Ruiz, a.k.a. “Chevy”

    [11] Katiushcka Angelis Toro-Flores, a.k.a. “Katy/Angie”

    [12] John Eric Javier Cintrón-Massanet, a.k.a. “Budah”

    [13] Yadiel Omar Ponce De Leon-Ruiz, a.k.a. “Koby/Kobe”

    [14] Joel Rivera-Medina, a.k.a. “Fugitivo”

    [15] Melvin Jermaine Mitchel-Pérez, a.k.a. “JM/El Padrino”

    [16] Justin Daniel Nieves

    Nine defendants are charged in Count Six with possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

    The FBI thanks the PRPB Ponce and Mayagüez Strike Force for their assistance in this investigation.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) and Chief of the Gang Section Alberto López-Rocafort, Deputy Chief of the Gang Section, AUSA Teresa Zapata-Valladares, and FBI Special AUSA Frank M. Norris are prosecuting the case. If convicted on the drug charges, the defendants face a minimum sentence of 10 years, and up to life in prison. If convicted of both the drug and firearms charges in Count Six, the defendants face a minimum sentence of 15 years, and up to life in prison. All defendants charged in the drug conspiracy are facing a narcotics forfeiture allegation of $2,850,900.

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America 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 take-down is part of the FBI’s Summer Heat initiative, which is taking place across the country during the summer months.  Summer Heat is targeting violent offenders and gang members who terrorize our communities and is part of Director Patel’s commitment to the American people to Crush Crime.

    An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Media Alert: Low-level flights to image geology over parts of southern Colorado

    Source: US Geological Survey

    Media Alert: Low-level flights to image geology over parts of southern Colorado

    USGS low-level helicopter surveys to map critical minerals in Southern Colorado starting Summer 2025

    RESTON, VA. — The U.S. Geology Survey will conduct low-level helicopter flights over parts of southern Colorado to map critical minerals using airborne geophysical technology, beginning in mid-July. The airborne survey will be conducted through Fall 2025, weather and wildfire restrictions permitting, covering parts of Park, Chaffee, Teller, Fremont, Custer, Pueblo, and Huerfano Counties.  

    Flights may resume in Spring 2026 if needed.

    The Colorado flights are part of a national effort to map the mineral resources needed to drive the U.S. economy and protect national security, searching below ground and in tailings from old mines.  As directed by the Energy Act of 2020, the USGS has identified 50 critical minerals essential to the U.S. economy and national security, with a supply chain vulnerable to disruption. 

    Instruments on the helicopter will measure variations in the Earth’s magnetic field and natural, low-level radiation created by different rock types beneath vegetation and up to several miles below the surface. This information will help researchers develop geologic maps in three dimensions. In addition to critical minerals, applications include evaluating natural resources such as water, preparing for natural hazards such as earthquakes and radon, and characterizing legacy mining areas.

    The aircraft will fly along pre-planned fight paths relatively low to the ground at about 300 feet (100 meters) above the surface in some areas. Experienced pilots who are specially trained and approved for low-level flying will operate the aircraft. All flights will occur during daylight hours and are coordinated with the Federal Aviation Administration to ensure accordance with U.S. law. The ground clearance will be increased to 1,000 feet (300+ meters) over populated areas. The flights will be based out of Fremont County airport near Cañon City, and will fly over the towns of Gardner, Rye, Colorado City, Beulah Valley, Rockvale, Coal Creek, Williamsburg, Florence, Penrose, Brookside, Lincoln Park, Cañon City, Park Center, Goldfield, Victor, Cripple Creek, Midland, Guffey, Cotopaxi, Coaldale, and Howard.  Surveying over wilderness areas in the survey block are subject to access permissions with the relevant agencies.

    The aircraft will be equipped with an elongated “boom” that extends in front of the main cabin that houses sensors. These scientific instruments are completely passive with no emissions that pose a risk to humans, animals, or plant life. No photography or video data will be collected. The data collected will be made freely available to the public on ScienceBase once complete. The aircraft will be flown by experienced pilots who are specially trained and approved for low-level flying. These pilots work with the FAA to ensure flights are safe and in accordance with U.S. law. The surveys will be conducted during daylight hours only. 

     The flights could shift to other parts of the survey area as necessitated by adverse flying conditions. 

    The USGS has contracted with NV5, Edcon-PRJ, and Precision GeoSurveys to collect data.

    The survey fits into a broader effort by the USGS Earth Mapping Resources Initiative, the Colorado Geological Survey, and other partners,  to modernize our understanding of the Nation’s fundamental geologic framework and knowledge of mineral resources. Funding by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act has facilitated coverage of such a large area.  This effort is known as the Earth Mapping Resources Initiative, and it includes airborne geophysical surveys like this one, geochemical reconnaissance surveys, topographic mapping using LiDAR technology, hyperspectral surveys, and geologic mapping projects. 

    The helicopter survey will take place within the polygon on the map, including the town of Cañon City, in south-central Colorado.  Surveying over wilderness areas in the survey block are subject to access permissions with the relevant agencies.

    Photo of the contractor’s helicopter with a “boom” containing sensors that measure the magnetic field. (Photo courtesy of Precision GeoSurveys)

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Oregon Joins Nationwide Campaign to Celebrate National Emergency Management Awareness Month

    Source: US State of Oregon

    strong>SALEM, Ore. — The Oregon Department of Emergency Management (OEM) is proud to celebrate August 2025 as the first-ever National Emergency Management Awareness Month, a time to recognize and elevate the critical work emergency managers do across the state—and encourage all Oregonians to learn more, get prepared, and get involved.

    Emergency managers play a vital role in protecting people, property, and the environment before, during, and after disasters. From wildfires and floods to winter storms and earthquakes, these professionals work year-round to strengthen Oregon’s ability to prevent, prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies.

    Throughout August, OEM will be participating in National Emergency Management Awareness Month, and we invite our partners across the state to join us in this important outreach effort. Together, we can raise awareness about the profession and the critical role emergency management plays in keeping Oregonians safe.

    Planned activities may include:

    • Community presentations about emergency preparedness
    • Behind-the-scenes tours of local Emergency Operations Centers
    • Training exercises and public safety demonstrations
    • Meetings with elected officials and key stakeholders
    • Social media campaigns, videos, and graphics that highlight the work of emergency managers

    Get Involved
    OEM invites residents, businesses, nonprofit organizations, and government leaders to participate. Whether it’s inviting your community to learn about emergency management, promoting local preparedness tips on social media, or simply starting a conversation with neighbors about making a plan—every action counts.

    Stay tuned and check back here for shareable graphics, outreach tools, and ideas on how your community can participate in National Emergency Management Awareness Month. We’ll be updating resources throughout August to support your local efforts.

    Stay connected by following OEM on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, NextDoor and help spread the word: Emergency management matters—and now, more than ever, we need every Oregonian to be part of the effort to build safer, more resilient communities.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Oregon Joins Nationwide Campaign to Celebrate National Emergency Management Awareness Month

    Source: US State of Oregon

    strong>SALEM, Ore. — The Oregon Department of Emergency Management (OEM) is proud to celebrate August 2025 as the first-ever National Emergency Management Awareness Month, a time to recognize and elevate the critical work emergency managers do across the state—and encourage all Oregonians to learn more, get prepared, and get involved.

    Emergency managers play a vital role in protecting people, property, and the environment before, during, and after disasters. From wildfires and floods to winter storms and earthquakes, these professionals work year-round to strengthen Oregon’s ability to prevent, prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies.

    Throughout August, OEM will be participating in National Emergency Management Awareness Month, and we invite our partners across the state to join us in this important outreach effort. Together, we can raise awareness about the profession and the critical role emergency management plays in keeping Oregonians safe.

    Planned activities may include:

    • Community presentations about emergency preparedness
    • Behind-the-scenes tours of local Emergency Operations Centers
    • Training exercises and public safety demonstrations
    • Meetings with elected officials and key stakeholders
    • Social media campaigns, videos, and graphics that highlight the work of emergency managers

    Get Involved
    OEM invites residents, businesses, nonprofit organizations, and government leaders to participate. Whether it’s inviting your community to learn about emergency management, promoting local preparedness tips on social media, or simply starting a conversation with neighbors about making a plan—every action counts.

    Stay tuned and check back here for shareable graphics, outreach tools, and ideas on how your community can participate in National Emergency Management Awareness Month. We’ll be updating resources throughout August to support your local efforts.

    Stay connected by following OEM on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, NextDoor and help spread the word: Emergency management matters—and now, more than ever, we need every Oregonian to be part of the effort to build safer, more resilient communities.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Oregon Joins Nationwide Campaign to Celebrate National Emergency Management Awareness Month

    Source: US State of Oregon

    strong>SALEM, Ore. — The Oregon Department of Emergency Management (OEM) is proud to celebrate August 2025 as the first-ever National Emergency Management Awareness Month, a time to recognize and elevate the critical work emergency managers do across the state—and encourage all Oregonians to learn more, get prepared, and get involved.

    Emergency managers play a vital role in protecting people, property, and the environment before, during, and after disasters. From wildfires and floods to winter storms and earthquakes, these professionals work year-round to strengthen Oregon’s ability to prevent, prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies.

    Throughout August, OEM will be participating in National Emergency Management Awareness Month, and we invite our partners across the state to join us in this important outreach effort. Together, we can raise awareness about the profession and the critical role emergency management plays in keeping Oregonians safe.

    Planned activities may include:

    • Community presentations about emergency preparedness
    • Behind-the-scenes tours of local Emergency Operations Centers
    • Training exercises and public safety demonstrations
    • Meetings with elected officials and key stakeholders
    • Social media campaigns, videos, and graphics that highlight the work of emergency managers

    Get Involved
    OEM invites residents, businesses, nonprofit organizations, and government leaders to participate. Whether it’s inviting your community to learn about emergency management, promoting local preparedness tips on social media, or simply starting a conversation with neighbors about making a plan—every action counts.

    Stay tuned and check back here for shareable graphics, outreach tools, and ideas on how your community can participate in National Emergency Management Awareness Month. We’ll be updating resources throughout August to support your local efforts.

    Stay connected by following OEM on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, NextDoor and help spread the word: Emergency management matters—and now, more than ever, we need every Oregonian to be part of the effort to build safer, more resilient communities.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Oregon Joins Nationwide Campaign to Celebrate National Emergency Management Awareness Month

    Source: US State of Oregon

    strong>SALEM, Ore. — The Oregon Department of Emergency Management (OEM) is proud to celebrate August 2025 as the first-ever National Emergency Management Awareness Month, a time to recognize and elevate the critical work emergency managers do across the state—and encourage all Oregonians to learn more, get prepared, and get involved.

    Emergency managers play a vital role in protecting people, property, and the environment before, during, and after disasters. From wildfires and floods to winter storms and earthquakes, these professionals work year-round to strengthen Oregon’s ability to prevent, prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies.

    Throughout August, OEM will be participating in National Emergency Management Awareness Month, and we invite our partners across the state to join us in this important outreach effort. Together, we can raise awareness about the profession and the critical role emergency management plays in keeping Oregonians safe.

    Planned activities may include:

    • Community presentations about emergency preparedness
    • Behind-the-scenes tours of local Emergency Operations Centers
    • Training exercises and public safety demonstrations
    • Meetings with elected officials and key stakeholders
    • Social media campaigns, videos, and graphics that highlight the work of emergency managers

    Get Involved
    OEM invites residents, businesses, nonprofit organizations, and government leaders to participate. Whether it’s inviting your community to learn about emergency management, promoting local preparedness tips on social media, or simply starting a conversation with neighbors about making a plan—every action counts.

    Stay tuned and check back here for shareable graphics, outreach tools, and ideas on how your community can participate in National Emergency Management Awareness Month. We’ll be updating resources throughout August to support your local efforts.

    Stay connected by following OEM on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, NextDoor and help spread the word: Emergency management matters—and now, more than ever, we need every Oregonian to be part of the effort to build safer, more resilient communities.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: King, Colleagues Press for Answers on “Striking Inconsistency” of Immigration Policies for Afghans Living in the U.S.

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maine Angus King

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Angus King and a number of his Senate colleagues are pressing the White House for clarity on their shifting immigration policies for Afghans living in the United States. In a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, King and his colleagues point out that the justifications for the decisions to implement a large-scale travel ban, which applies to Afghanistan, and terminate Temporary Protected Status, conflict with one another. Many of these Afghan nationals played essential, life-saving roles in supporting American servicemembers during the war in Afghanistan over two decades.

    Afghanistan remains gripped by violence and instability; the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP), the Afghan affiliate of the Islamic State (ISIS), continues to launch attacks against ethnic and religious minorities and against the Taliban, leading to innocent civilian casualties. If Afghan nationals are forced to return to Afghanistan, many risk being caught in the crossfire between the Taliban and ISKP, threatening their human rights and freedoms. These risks are on top of retribution risks for Afghan nationals that supported American armed forces.

    “We write to you with deep concern over President Donald Trump’s recently announced so-called travel ban and its striking inconsistency with the Department of Homeland Security’s justification for termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Afghanistan. We respectfully request that you provide detailed information regarding the State Department’s assessment of the conditions in Afghanistan to clarify the Trump Administration’s position,” the lawmakers wrote.

    “As you know, the U.S. visa vetting system is a multi-layered process involving extensive background checks, biometric data collection, interagency information sharing, and screening against a range of national security databases that works to keep residents of our country safe,” the lawmakers continued. “According to the Brennan Center for Justice, “[m]ore than 40 national security experts from across the political spectrum have unequivocally told courts that travelers to the U.S. should not be vetted on religious or national stereotypes, but rather on specific threat information.”

    Highlighting the inconsistencies between the reasoning for including Afghanistan in the travel ban and ending the country’s TPS designation, they wrote, “This [travel ban] determination appears to be at odds with the Trump Administration’s stated position just weeks ago. May 12, 2025, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Kristi Noem announced that DHS was ending TPS for Afghanistan. The basis offered in the Federal Register notice for this decision was ‘notable improvements in the security and economic situation such that requiring the return of Afghan nationals to Afghanistan does not pose a threat to their personal safety due to armed conflict or extraordinary and temporary conditions.’

    “As you are aware, many Afghan allies that received TPS stood shoulder to shoulder with American servicemembers for nearly two decades during the war in Afghanistan. Many fled to the United States out of fear of persecution by the Taliban or retaliation for such cooperation with the United States. It is unsafe for political targets of the Taliban to be forced to return against their will. TPS protections must be maintained for Afghan nationals in the United States,” the lawmakers concluded.

    In addition to King, the letter was signed by Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Chris Coons (D-DE), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Ed Markey (D-MA), Patty Murray (D-WA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Gary Peters (D-MI), Jack Reed (D-RI), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Tina Smith (D-MN), Mark Warner (D-VA), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), and Peter Welch (D-VT).

    Senator King has long supported the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program for America’s Afghan allies who assisted the U.S. government during the war in Afghanistan – having written that the policy likely saved Afghans from “a death sentence” in Defense News. Most recently, he signed a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Secretary of State Marco Rubio requesting answers on the cancellation of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for those who served alongside America’s military. King had also cosponsored the Afghan Allies Protection Act to increase the number of authorized visas for Afghan civilians who risked their lives to support the U.S. mission, remove extraneous paperwork requirements and improve the program’s efficiency during the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan. 

    The full text of the letter is available here and below.

    +++

    Dear Secretary Rubio:

    We write to you with deep concern over President Donald Trump’s recently announced so-called travel ban and its striking inconsistency with the Department of Homeland Security’s justification for termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Afghanistan. We respectfully request that you provide detailed information regarding the State Department’s assessment of the conditions in Afghanistan to clarify the Trump Administration’s position.

    On June 4, 2025, President Trump announced via a proclamation entitled “Restricting the Entry of Foreign Nationals to Protect the United States from Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats” that he was imposing travel restrictions for foreign nationals entering the United States. Among the countries included in this proclamation is Afghanistan. Specifically, the proclamation bans most entry into the United States from Afghanistan, stating the following as justification:

    “The Taliban, a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) group, controls Afghanistan. Afghanistan lacks a competent or cooperative central authority for issuing passports or civil documents and it does not have appropriate screening and vetting measures.”

    As you know, the U.S. visa vetting system is a multi-layered process involving extensive background checks, biometric data collection, interagency information sharing, and screening against a range of national security databases that works to keep residents of our country safe. According to the Brennan Center for Justice, “[m]ore than 40 national security experts from across the political spectrum have unequivocally told courts that travelers to the U.S. should not be vetted on religious or national stereotypes, but rather on specific threat information.” Categorically banning foreign nationals from coming to the United States based on their country of origin is discriminatory and harmful to our nation’s international relations and security interests.

    The proclamation further states that you, as the Secretary of State, were directed to make this determination, in consultation with other members of the President’s Cabinet including the Secretary of Homeland Security. Per the proclamation, you ultimately determined that “a number of countries remain deficient with regards to screening and vetting,” including the country of Afghanistan. Placing a blanket ban on another country’s citizens is a severe action, and the title of the proclamation states that it is being done “to protect the United States from foreign terrorists and other national security and public safety threats.” This determination appears to be at odds with the Trump Administration’s stated position just weeks ago. On May 12, 2025, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Kristi Noem announced that DHS was ending TPS for Afghanistan. The basis offered in the Federal Register notice for this decision was “notable improvements in the security and economic situation such that requiring the return of Afghan nationals to Afghanistan does not pose a threat to their personal safety due to armed conflict or extraordinary and temporary conditions.” Specifically, the notice points to:

    1. the totality of Taliban rule and lessening overt presence of ISIS-K and other various terrorist organizations;
    2. a decrease in large-scale violence and humanitarian need;
    3. a growing economy; and 
    4. increased tourism, with tourists “sharing their experiences on social media, highlighting the peaceful countryside, welcoming locals, and the cultural heritage.

    Further, Secretary Noem found that “permitting Afghan nationals to remain temporarily in the United States is contrary to the national interest of the United States.” The Federal Register notice cited consultation with your Department in making this determination.

    These seemingly incompatible recent decisions indicate a troubling lack of consistency in the Administration’s analysis of country conditions in Afghanistan. Either Afghanistan is safe for the return of Afghan refugees and nationals that fled following the return of the Taliban to power or it is not.

    According to Human Rights Watch, in 2024, Taliban authorities intensified their crackdown on human rights, especially against women and girls, who are banned from attending secondary school or university and are unable to move freely. The Taliban also continues to detain and torture journalists, curtailing free speech and media. The 2023 U.S. State Department Human Rights Report covering Afghanistan found that women’s rights rapidly declined and restrictions on freedom of expression increased. The horrific human rights conditions in Afghanistan are unsafe for Afghan nationals to return to and returning would put their personal safety at immediate risk. Additionally, the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP), the Afghan affiliate of the Islamic State (ISIS), continues to launch attacks against ethnic and religious minorities and against the Taliban, leading to innocent civilian casualties. If Afghan nationals are forced to return to Afghanistan, they will be caught in the crossfire between the Taliban and ISKP.

    As you are aware, many Afghan allies that received TPS stood shoulder to shoulder with American servicemembers for nearly two decades during the war in Afghanistan. Many fled to the United States out of fear of persecution by the Taliban or retaliation for such cooperation with the United States. It is unsafe for political targets of the Taliban to be forced to return against their will. TPS protections must be maintained for Afghan nationals in the United States.

    We would request that you immediately provide answers to the following questions:

    1. Please provide detailed reports or information that the State Department is relying upon in advising the Department of Homeland Security and the White House as to the conditions in Afghanistan. 
    2. How can you assure Afghan nationals fearing persecution in Afghanistan that the Taliban will not retaliate against them based upon their relationship with the United States?

    Congress has a strong interest in understanding what information the Trump Administration is using to carry out its policies and how it is making national security decisions that impact all of our constituents.  We look forward to receiving your response.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: More heat pump rebates on the way; now open for renters, condo owners

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    More British Columbians will benefit from a heat pump this summer with the B.C. government’s launch of a new program to reduce energy use, lower energy bills and improve comfort for income-qualified apartment renters and condo owners.

    The Better Homes Energy Savings Program Condo and Apartment Rebate will provide rebates up to $5,000 to support the purchase and installation of high-performance electric heat pumps in individual suites in multi-unit residential buildings (MURBs).

    “Nearly a third of homes in B.C. are in multi-unit residential buildings,” said Adrian Dix, Minister of Energy and Climate Solutions. “We’ve had great success supporting the switch to heat pumps in single-family homes and in entire multi-unit residential buildings. All British Columbians who need a heat pump should have access to one, to feel comfortable in their homes year-round, experience better energy efficiency, and save money. So, we’re expanding our support to focus on helping apartment renters and condominium owners.”

    The first phase of the program, available starting Tuesday, July 15, 2025, applies to suites in condo and apartment buildings that are six storeys and under, and are currently heated by electricity, such as electric baseboards. The program will be expanded in fall 2025 to include condos and apartments heated by fossil fuel (e.g., a gas-fired boiler).

    “We are encouraged by the expansion of the heat pump rebate program to renters and condo owners living in lower-rise MURBs,” said Shauna Sylvester, director, Urban Climate Leadership. “It’s been difficult for people living in these buildings to get relief from the extreme heat. This program is a step in the right direction in creating healthy, safe and resilient homes for more British Columbians.”

    To get a heat pump, income-qualified apartment renters and condo owners must include signed permission forms from their respective landlords and strata corporations in their applications. Applicants then receive an eligibility code that is used by a registered contractor to secure the rebates.

    “This program will support families and seniors in apartments and townhomes across B.C. managing affordability concerns, and ensure they have the opportunity to convert to heat pumps to provide a safe and healthy controlled climate for their homes,” said Tony Gioventu, executive director, Condominium Home Owners Association of B.C. “Owners, tenants, and residents of strata properties are reminded to work with their strata councils to confirm they are complying with the local bylaws.”

    In addition to this program, BC Hydro is offering non-income-qualified rebates to customers in individual suites in condo and apartment buildings of up to $2,500 on high-performance heat pumps and $1,000 for heat pump water heaters in electrically heated buildings. These energy-efficient upgrades help reduce utility costs and support a cleaner, more sustainable future.

    Quick Facts:

    • The Better Homes Energy Savings Program, launched in June 2024, is funded through the Province and leverages contributions from BC Hydro and the federal government to support greater access to home energy retrofits for households with low or moderate incomes, including renters.
    • In April 2025, the Province announced $50 million in each of the next two fiscal years to deliver as many as 8,300 new heat pump rebates to British Columbians.
    • This phase one of the new program is expected to result in approximately 500 heat pumps installed for applicants, however, that number could be higher.
    • To date, the B.C. government’s Better Homes Energy Savings Program has provided funding for 27,832 heat pumps.

    Learn More:

    For more information, or to apply for the Better Homes Energy Savings Program Condo and Apartment Rebate, visit: https://www.betterhomesbc.ca/rebates/condo-and-apartment-rebates

    For BC Hydro rebates, visit: www.bchydro.com/apartmentrebates

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Westminster Man Sentenced to 23 Years in Federal Prison in Connection with Drug Trafficking and Firearms Crimes

    Source: US FBI

    Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Adam B. Abelson sentenced Rodney Gaines, 35, of Westminster, Maryland, today, to 23 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. A federal jury found Gaines guilty back on April 4, of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and cocaine base and possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, and two counts of distribution of cocaine.

    Judge Abelson also found that Gaines ordered and arranged the murder of a man in Westminster, Maryland, on January 31, 2022.  The court applied sentencing guideline enhancements on the grounds that Gaines’s drug offenses involved firearms and violence or threats of violence, and that he served in a leadership role in the drug conspiracy.

    Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Acting Special Agent in Charge Amanda M. Koldjeski, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office; Colonel Roland L. Butler, Jr. Superintendent, Maryland State Police (MSP); Sheriff James T. DeWees, Carroll County Sheriff’s Office; and Chief Thomas Ledwell, Westminster Police Department.

    Evidence presented at trial included wiretaps that revealed Gaines arranged sales of cocaine to various customers.  During the recorded conversations, the cocaine was referred to in coded phrases such as “powder,” “8-balls,” “balls,” and the “sister,” among other terms.  Law enforcement also seized quantities of cocaine from Gaines’s customers after he sold to them. 

    The wiretaps also showed that Gaines sold cocaine in conspiracy with numerous accomplices, including people who he directed to deliver cocaine to customers; prepared the crack cocaine by “cooking” powder cocaine into crack; and hid drugs at various locations, including burying the drugs in wooded areas around Westminster.  Near the end of the investigation, law enforcement recovered more than $250,000 in cash in apparent drug proceeds from a storage unit that another member of the conspiracy acquired.  The jury found that the conspiracy involved 280 grams or more of cocaine base, which carries a 10-year mandatory minimum to a life sentence in prison.

    Additionally, the defense presented evidence at trial that proved Gaines’s activities — and the activities of his conspiracy — involved firearms, including Gaines’s efforts to acquire firearms from co-conspirators in January 2022. 

    U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI, MSP, Carroll County Sheriff’s Office, and Westminster Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys LaRai N. Everett and Michael C. Hanlon who prosecuted the federal case.

    For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit justice.gov/usao-md  and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

    # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SCHUMER, GILLIBRAND ANNOUNCE OVER $21 MILLION IN FEDERAL FUNDING FOR 16 AIRPORTS ACROSS NEW YORK STATE

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New York Charles E Schumer

    Major Projects Include Over $6 Million For Long Island’s Republic Airport And Over $5 Million For Buffalo Niagara International Airport

    Today, U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, the top-ranking Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Transportation Subcommittee, announced $21,155,843 in federal funding to upgrade airport facilities and equipment at 16 airports across New York State. This federal funding was awarded through the Federal Aviation Administration’s Airport Improvement Program and will help fund projects that strengthen safety measures, modernize terminals, and enhance passenger experience at New York’s airports.

    “Keeping our airports in top-notch state is crucial for traveler safety and attracting business and tourism across New York State. Our regional airports are a gateway for commerce, tourism and are vital connectors for residents and visitors. This $21+ million in federal funding will help airports from Long Island to Buffalo reach new heights,” said Senator Schumer. “As Americans across the country have grown more concerned about aviation safety, I’ve fought hard to boost the Airport Improvement Program so our local airports in NY have the resources they need to maintain the highest safety standards. This significant federal investment will help make much-needed improvements so our local economies take off.”

    “From big cities to rural communities, New York’s airports are gateways for commerce, tourism, and travel. It’s vital that every airport has the resources it needs to provide a safe and comfortable experience for anyone who travels through our state,” said Senator Gillibrand. “That’s why I’m proud to announce more than $21 million for airport projects that will deliver critical safety and infrastructure upgrades while enhancing reliability and comfort. I look forward to seeing the impact these improvements will have and will continue fighting for more federal funding to support the upgrades that airports across the country desperately need.”

    A full list of funding recipients can be found below:

    Region

    Recipient

    Project Description

    Award

    Central New York

    Oswego County Airport

    Reconstructs existing runway signage and rehabilitates existing runway lighting. Additionally, reconstructs the precision approach path indicator system

    $76,950

    Finger Lakes

    Ithaca Tompkins International Airport

    Acquires new aircraft rescue and firefighting equipment

    $128,144

    Finger Lakes

    Ithaca Tompkins International Airport

    Replaces existing snow removal equipment

    $1,091,037

    Finger Lakes

    Penn Yan Airport

    Rehabilitates 3,561 feet of existing paved runway and existing runway lighting

    $271,700

    Finger Lakes

    Penn Yan Airport

    Replaces existing snow removal equipment including one carrier vehicle that has reached the end of its useful life

    $507,300

    Finger Lakes

    Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester International Airport

    Rehabilitates existing aircraft rescue and firefighting building

    $703,440

    Finger Lakes

    Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester International Airport

    Removes airport trees identified as obstructions by the Federal Aviation Administration

    $256,122

    Finger Lakes

    Le Roy Airport

    Removes 8 acres of trees and other facilities, installs lights, identifies obstructions and brings the airport into conformity with current standards

    $469,225

    Long Island

    Republic Airport

    Reconstructs an existing gate and rehabilitates existing runway

    $6,508,930

    North Country

    Lake Placid Airport

    Reconstructs 1,100 square yards of the existing General Aviation Apron pavement and rehabilitates an additional 5,600 square yards of existing General Aviation Apron pavement

    $156,037

    North Country

    Lake Placid Airport

    Replaces existing snow removal equipment

    $270,154

    North Country

    Massena International Airport

    Replaces existing snow removal equipment

    $253,518

    North Country

    Plattsburgh International Airport

    Acquires new snow removal equipment

    $1,110,797

    North Country

    Ogdensburg International Airport

    Terminal expansion

    $476,968

    North Country

    Ogdensburg International Airport

    Conducts an airport wildlife hazard assessment and develops a wildlife hazard management plan

    $181,174

    Southern Tier

    Greater Binghamton Airport

    Reconstructs 51,000 square feet of existing terminal building and replaces the electrical system and associated lighting

    $1,300,000

    Southern Tier

    Corning–Painted Post Airport

    Rehabilitates 3,269 feet of existing paved runway

    $731,951

    Western New York

    Jamestown Airport

    Reconstructs the existing terminal lighting and 13,900 square yards of the existing pavement

    $201,400

    Western New York

    Buffalo Niagara International Airport

    Rehabilitates existing taxiway pavement and lighting

    $5,680,000

    Western New York

    Buffalo-Lancaster Regional Airport

    Updates the existing airport master plan study

    $386,272

    Western New York

    Akron Jesson Field

    Conducts an initial pavement survey and develops a new pavement management plan

    $394,724

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SCHUMER, GILLIBRAND ANNOUNCE OVER $21 MILLION IN FEDERAL FUNDING FOR 16 AIRPORTS ACROSS NEW YORK STATE

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New York Charles E Schumer

    Major Projects Include Over $6 Million For Long Island’s Republic Airport And Over $5 Million For Buffalo Niagara International Airport

    Today, U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, the top-ranking Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Transportation Subcommittee, announced $21,155,843 in federal funding to upgrade airport facilities and equipment at 16 airports across New York State. This federal funding was awarded through the Federal Aviation Administration’s Airport Improvement Program and will help fund projects that strengthen safety measures, modernize terminals, and enhance passenger experience at New York’s airports.

    “Keeping our airports in top-notch state is crucial for traveler safety and attracting business and tourism across New York State. Our regional airports are a gateway for commerce, tourism and are vital connectors for residents and visitors. This $21+ million in federal funding will help airports from Long Island to Buffalo reach new heights,” said Senator Schumer. “As Americans across the country have grown more concerned about aviation safety, I’ve fought hard to boost the Airport Improvement Program so our local airports in NY have the resources they need to maintain the highest safety standards. This significant federal investment will help make much-needed improvements so our local economies take off.”

    “From big cities to rural communities, New York’s airports are gateways for commerce, tourism, and travel. It’s vital that every airport has the resources it needs to provide a safe and comfortable experience for anyone who travels through our state,” said Senator Gillibrand. “That’s why I’m proud to announce more than $21 million for airport projects that will deliver critical safety and infrastructure upgrades while enhancing reliability and comfort. I look forward to seeing the impact these improvements will have and will continue fighting for more federal funding to support the upgrades that airports across the country desperately need.”

    A full list of funding recipients can be found below:

    Region

    Recipient

    Project Description

    Award

    Central New York

    Oswego County Airport

    Reconstructs existing runway signage and rehabilitates existing runway lighting. Additionally, reconstructs the precision approach path indicator system

    $76,950

    Finger Lakes

    Ithaca Tompkins International Airport

    Acquires new aircraft rescue and firefighting equipment

    $128,144

    Finger Lakes

    Ithaca Tompkins International Airport

    Replaces existing snow removal equipment

    $1,091,037

    Finger Lakes

    Penn Yan Airport

    Rehabilitates 3,561 feet of existing paved runway and existing runway lighting

    $271,700

    Finger Lakes

    Penn Yan Airport

    Replaces existing snow removal equipment including one carrier vehicle that has reached the end of its useful life

    $507,300

    Finger Lakes

    Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester International Airport

    Rehabilitates existing aircraft rescue and firefighting building

    $703,440

    Finger Lakes

    Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester International Airport

    Removes airport trees identified as obstructions by the Federal Aviation Administration

    $256,122

    Finger Lakes

    Le Roy Airport

    Removes 8 acres of trees and other facilities, installs lights, identifies obstructions and brings the airport into conformity with current standards

    $469,225

    Long Island

    Republic Airport

    Reconstructs an existing gate and rehabilitates existing runway

    $6,508,930

    North Country

    Lake Placid Airport

    Reconstructs 1,100 square yards of the existing General Aviation Apron pavement and rehabilitates an additional 5,600 square yards of existing General Aviation Apron pavement

    $156,037

    North Country

    Lake Placid Airport

    Replaces existing snow removal equipment

    $270,154

    North Country

    Massena International Airport

    Replaces existing snow removal equipment

    $253,518

    North Country

    Plattsburgh International Airport

    Acquires new snow removal equipment

    $1,110,797

    North Country

    Ogdensburg International Airport

    Terminal expansion

    $476,968

    North Country

    Ogdensburg International Airport

    Conducts an airport wildlife hazard assessment and develops a wildlife hazard management plan

    $181,174

    Southern Tier

    Greater Binghamton Airport

    Reconstructs 51,000 square feet of existing terminal building and replaces the electrical system and associated lighting

    $1,300,000

    Southern Tier

    Corning–Painted Post Airport

    Rehabilitates 3,269 feet of existing paved runway

    $731,951

    Western New York

    Jamestown Airport

    Reconstructs the existing terminal lighting and 13,900 square yards of the existing pavement

    $201,400

    Western New York

    Buffalo Niagara International Airport

    Rehabilitates existing taxiway pavement and lighting

    $5,680,000

    Western New York

    Buffalo-Lancaster Regional Airport

    Updates the existing airport master plan study

    $386,272

    Western New York

    Akron Jesson Field

    Conducts an initial pavement survey and develops a new pavement management plan

    $394,724

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Pakistan, WFP and the Green Climate Fund launch project to protect flood-prone communities

    Source: World Food Programme

    ISLAMABAD, Pakistan – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), together with the Government of Pakistan and the Green Climate Fund, launched the Integrated Climate Risk Management for Strengthened Resilience to Climate project today through an inception workshop in Islamabad.

    ISLAMABAD, Pakistan – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), together with the Government of Pakistan and the Green Climate Fund, launched the Integrated Climate Risk Management for Strengthened Resilience to Climate project today through an inception workshop in Islamabad.

    The initiative, funded by the Green Climate Fund (GCF) with US$ 9.8 million, will directly benefit 1.6 million people in Buner and Shangla districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, two areas highly vulnerable to climate shocks.

    The project aims to protect flood-prone communities from extreme weather by installing early warning systems—such as weather stations and river level monitors—and improving coordination among government departments so alerts reach people faster. Communities will be trained to interpret these warnings, evacuate safely and protect their farms and homes before disasters strike.

    At the same time, the project will strengthen the capacity of local institutions—including disaster management authorities, district governments, and emergency response teams—by equipping them with the tools, training and infrastructure needed to respond swiftly to climate-related emergencies.

    The workshop was attended by key stakeholders from federal and provincial governments, including the Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination (MoCC & EC), the national and provincial disaster management authorities, and relevant planning and development departments.

    Just two weeks into the 2025 monsoon season, Pakistan has already experienced deadly impacts, with over 100 lives lost due to heavy rain, flash floods and landslides according to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). In 2022, unprecedented monsoon floods submerged one-third of the country, with KP province alone suffering over US$ 1.5 billion in loss and damage. Within KP, Buner and Shangla face acute risk due to recurring flash floods, landslides, high poverty rates and limited investment in climate adaptation.

    Sameera Sheikh, Joint Secretary of the MoCC & EC, welcomed the initiative, noting its alignment with national priorities. “Pakistan is among the most climate-vulnerable countries in the world, and the impacts are becoming more intense each year,” Sheikh said. “Initiatives like this are vital to help vulnerable communities in districts such as Buner and Shangla better prepare for and respond to climate shocks like floods and landslides”.

    “The Government of KP deeply values the strong collaboration and joint governance established through this initiative,” said Dr. Ehtisham Ulhaq, Chief of the International Development Section of the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. “This project not only addresses immediate climate risks but also lays the groundwork for long-term resilience and opens doors to future climate finance for our most vulnerable communities.”

    “Recurring climate shocks are a driver of hunger and malnutrition, threatening lives, livelihoods and entire food systems,” said Coco Ushiyama, WFP Pakistan Representative and Country Director. “This project represents a multi-layered investment – not only in early warning systems and anticipatory action, but also in local adaptation planning and institutional capacity.”

    The initiative aligns with Pakistan’s national policies and KP’s disaster risk management frameworks. It supports GCF Strategic Plan 2024–2027 by addressing urgent adaptation needs in underserved areas, bridging critical capacity gaps in flood preparedness and reinforcing community resilience.

    #                #            #

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

    Follow us on Facebook and Twitter: @WFPPakistan

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: What Canada could learn from the tragic consequences of the Texas flash flood

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Gordon McBean, Professor Emeritus, Department of Geography and Environment, Western University

    On July 4, a horrific flash flood occurred in central Texas, mainly impacting Kerr County. The heavy rain started at about 3 a.m., resulting in rainwater surging down mountain slopes, causing the waters in the Guadalupe River to rise by eight metres very quickly.

    At least 132 people have been confirmed dead as of July 14; most of them were in Kerr County. The area is under renewed flood warnings as heavy rains threaten to continue.

    In recognition of the scope of this tragedy, it’s important to determine why it happened. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott stated that a special session of the state legislature will be held in late July to investigate the emergency response.

    Acting to reduce impacts

    Local Texas officials are facing questions over their actions in the hours — and years — before the flood. In recent years, multiple efforts in Kerr County to build a more substantial flood warning system have faltered or been abandoned due to budget concerns.

    In 2015, a deadly Memorial Day flood in Kerr County rekindled debate over whether to install a flood monitoring system and sirens that would alert the public to evacuate when the river rose to dangerous levels. Some officials, cognizant of a 1987 flood that killed eight people on a church camp bus, thought it should be done, but the idea ran into opposition.

    Some residents and elected officials opposed the installation of sirens, citing the cost and noise that they feared would result from repeated alarms. As a result, Kerr Country did not have emergency sirens that could have warned residents about the rising waters.

    Critical warnings

    The critical challenge for communicating flash floods is ensuring that early warnings reach vulnerable populations. Unlike slow-onset river floods, flash floods leave very limited time for reaction. This makes accurate short-term forecasting and community preparedness essential.

    The U.S. National Weather Service issued its first public warning about the flooding in Kerr County at 1:14 a.m. on July 4, warning of life-threatening flash flooding, with subsequent warnings triggering alerts.

    Floodwaters surged dramatically as the Guadalupe River rose nearly eight metres in about 45 minutes. The 4:03 a.m. warning instructed residents to “Move to higher ground now! This is an extremely dangerous and life-threatening situation.”

    The warnings were disseminated at night through emergency management systems and television and radio stations, but many people, including hundreds of children at summer camps, did not receive them.

    Government agencies at all levels need to work together to ensure that residents of impacted areas move effectively to outside of the flood area or at least to higher elevation areas or safe buildings.

    CBC News covers the flood warnings issued during the Texas floods.

    Societal impacts

    The World Economic Forum’s Global Risk Assessment for 10-year periods ranked extreme weather events as the highest global risk in both the 2024 and 2025 assessments. Floods are a very important extreme weather event.

    The U.S. National Centers for Environmental Information published its review of events for the period 1980-2024. Tropical cyclones were the costliest weather and climate disasters, followed by: droughts, wildfires and flooding, which had an average cost of US$4.5 billion per event. The number of billion-dollar inland flood events has increased in the U.S.

    Note that the dollar costs of these events in these assessments do not include the many societal impacts, including mental trauma and other health impacts.

    Terminations at U.S. agencies

    There have been major reductions in the staffing and budgetary support of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Weather Services, which is part of NOAA.



    Read more:
    Terminations at U.S. government agencies that monitor extreme weather events will have negative effects

    The impacts of these reductions on the weather and flood forecasts that would have alerted Texans on July 4 are not yet clear. At the time of writing, the website for the National Weather Services office for Austin/San Antonio, which covers the region that includes hard-hit Kerr County, shows six of 27 positions are listed as vacant. One important vacancy is that of the key manager responsible for issuing warnings and co-ordinating with local emergency management officials.

    The U.S. government has also reduced the funding for research on weather systems, including floods. There have also been reductions in the funding support for scientific analyses of how climate change will affect the severity of storms.

    Deep funding cuts to NOAA may result in the termination of both the National Severe Storms Lab and the Cooperative Institute for Severe and High-Impact Weather Research and Operations at the University of Oklahoma, which will have a highly negative impact on the understanding of storms.



    Read more:
    Trump’s budget cuts are adding to risk in life-threatening floods and emergencies

    Canadian floods

    The Canadian Severe Storms Laboratory was established in 2024 at Western University to conduct leading research on severe weather in Canada.

    Flooding is the most common and costly disaster in Canada. In the past decade, floods have averaged nearly $800 million in insured losses annually.

    Over time, the potential for extreme rainfall events is increasing. Heavy rainfall events and their ensuing flood risks are increasing because of warmer temperatures.

    Canadian data shows that climate change is driving increasingly severe and frequent floods.

    Is Canada prepared?

    Flooding will only get worse in the future, and government action is needed to manage this growing risk. One of the ways in which Canada isn’t prepared is that most flood-risk maps are out of date, with some being decades old.

    While Environment and Climate Change Canada issues weather watches and warnings for things like tornadoes, severe thunderstorms and rainfall, it doesn’t provide flood forecasts.

    Most provinces argue that water resources are natural resources and are therefore under provincial jurisdiction. This means that weather forecasts across the country are provided by the Meteorological Service of Canada, while flood forecasts are produced by each of the provinces.

    It is important to take actions to address adaptation and climate resilience that consider future floods and their impacts. Federal, provincial and territorial governments will need to work together to avoid tragedies.

    Gordon McBean has received funding from the Canadian funding agencies (SSHRC, NSERC) for academic research in the past. He has received funding for research from Western University including one grant that has not yet been completed and from the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction to participate in scientific meetings and conferences.

    – ref. What Canada could learn from the tragic consequences of the Texas flash flood – https://theconversation.com/what-canada-could-learn-from-the-tragic-consequences-of-the-texas-flash-flood-260755

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: CBSA investigation leads to multiple firearm and drug possession charges in Southern Ontario

    Source: Government of Canada News

    July 15, 2025        London, Ontario Canada Border Services Agency

    An investigation by the Canada Border Services Agency’s (CBSA) Ontario Firearms Smuggling Enforcement Team (OFSET) has led to two arrests and the seizure of privately manufactured handguns, firearms parts, a 3D printer and narcotics, including carfentanil, a synthetic opioid one hundred times more potent than fentanyl. OFSET is comprised of criminal investigators, intelligence analysts and intelligence officers, dedicated solely to investigating firearms smuggling throughout Ontario. 

    In October 2024, border services officers at the international mail and cargo processing facility in Mississauga, Ontario, intercepted a silencer being imported from China. Another parcel containing a 50-round drum magazine coming from the United States was also seized. Both packages were destined for the same address. As a result, CBSA’s OFSET initiated an investigation into the importation of firearms parts into Canada. 

    On May 29, 2025, following an extensive investigation, members of OFSET, with the assistance of the London Police Service’s Emergency Response Unit, executed a search warrant at an address in London, Ontario. 

    Several items were seized, including:

    • privately manufactured firearms;
    • firearm parts;
    • a 3D printer;
    • 35 g cocaine;
    • 24.5 g carfentanil; and
    • oxycodone and boric acid.

    Benito Schiavone, 33, and Modesto Dino Schiavone, 57, both residents of London, Ontario, have been charged with multiple firearm and drug possession charges under the Customs Act, the Criminal Code and the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. Together they face:

    • 4 counts of smuggling a Prohibited Device contrary to Section 159(1) of the Customs Act;
    • 4 counts of unauthorized Importation of a Prohibited Device contrary to Section 104(1)(a) of the Criminal Code;
    • 2 counts of manufacturing a Prohibited Firearm contrary to Section 99(1) of the Criminal Code; 
    • 8 counts of unauthorized Possession of a Prohibited Firearm Knowing it is Unauthorized contrary to Section 92(1) of the Criminal Code; 
    • 2 counts careless Storage of Firearms contrary to Section 86(1) of the Criminal Code; and, 
    • 2 counts of possession of a Schedule I Controlled Substance contrary to Section 4(1) of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.

    Modesto Dino Schiavone and Benito Schiavone are scheduled to appear in court later this month. The charges are subject to validation by the court.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Africans survived 10,000 years of climate changes by adapting food systems – study offers lessons for modern times

    Source: The Conversation – Africa (2) – By Leanne N. Phelps, Associate research scientist, Columbia University

    Imagine living in a place where a single drought, hurricane, or mudslide can wipe out your food supply. Across Africa, many communities do exactly that – navigate climate shocks like floods, heatwaves, and failed harvests.

    What’s often overlooked in the development policies to tackle these threats is a powerful sources of insight: Africa’s own history.

    Around 14,700 to 5,500 years ago, much of Africa experienced wetter conditions – a time referred to as the African Humid Period. As wet conditions declined around 5,500 years ago, major social, cultural, and environmental changes ensued across the continent.

    We’re part of a multidisciplinary team of scientists who recently published a study about how diverse African communities adapted to climate variability over the past 10,000 years. This is the first study to explore thousands of years of change in people’s livelihoods across the continent using isotopic data.

    This continent-wide approach offers novel insights into how livelihoods formed and evolved across space and time.

    Prior theories often assumed that societies and their food systems evolved in a linear way. In other words they developed from simple hunting and gathering communities to politically and socially complex societies practising agriculture.

    Instead, what we see is a complex mosaic of adaptable strategies that helped people survive. For 10,000 years, African communities adapted by mixing herding, farming, fishing and foraging. They blended different practices based on what worked at different times in their specific environment. That diversity across communities and regions was key to human survival.

    That has real lessons for food systems today.

    Our research suggests that rigid, top-down development plans, including ones that privilege intensifying agriculture over diversified economies, are unlikely to succeed. Many modern policies promote narrow approaches, like focusing only on cash crops. But history tells a different story. Resilience isn’t about choosing the “best” or most “intensive” method and sticking with it. Rather it’s about staying flexible and blending different strategies to align with local conditions.

    The clues left behind

    We were able to develop our insights by looking at the clues left behind by the food people ate and the environments they lived in. We did this by analysing the chemical traces (isotopes) in ancient human and domestic animal bones from 187 archaeological sites across the African continent.

    We sorted the results into groups with similar features, or “isotopic niches”. Then we described the livelihood and ecological characteristics of these niches using archaeological and environmental information.



    Read more:
    Tooth enamel provides clues on tsetse flies and the spread of herding in ancient Africa

    Our methods illustrated a wide range of livelihood systems. For example, in what are now Botswana and Zimbabwe, some groups combined small-scale farming with wild food gathering and livestock herding after the African Humid Period. In Egypt and Sudan, communities mixed crop farming – focused on wheat, barley, and legumes – with fishing, dairy, and beer brewing.

    Herders, in particular, developed highly flexible strategies. They adapted to hot plains, dry highlands, and everything in between. Pastoral systems (farming with grazing animals) show up at more archaeological sites than any other food system. They also have the widest range of chemical signatures – evidence of their adaptability to shifting environments.

    Our study also used isotopic data to build up a picture of how people were using livestock. Most animal management systems were reliant on grasses (plants such as millet and tropical pasture), and adapted to diverse ecological conditions. Some systems were highly specialised to semi-arid and mountainous environments. Others included mixed herds adapted to wetter or lower elevation regions. In other cases, animals were kept as stock in small numbers to supplement other livelihoods – providing milk, dung, and insurance against crop failure.



    Read more:
    Pastoralists are an asset to the world – and we have a lot to learn from them

    This adaptability helps clarify why, over the past millennium, pastoral systems have remained so important, especially in areas with increasing aridity.

    Mixed livelihood strategies

    The study also provides strong evidence for interactions between food production and foraging, whether at community or regional level.

    Dynamic, mixed livelihood strategies, including interactions like trade within and between communities near and far, were especially apparent during periods of climatic stress. One of these periods was the end of the African Humid Period (from about 5,500 years ago), when a drier climate created new challenges.

    In south-eastern Africa, from 2,000 years ago, there was a rise of diverse livelihood systems blending herding, farming and foraging in complex ways. These systems likely emerged in response to complex environmental and social change. Complex changes in social networks – especially around sharing land, resources, and knowledge – likely underpinned the development of this resilience.



    Read more:
    Hunter-gatherer diets weren’t always heavy on meat: Morocco study reveals a plant-based diet

    How the past can inform the future

    Ancient livelihood strategies offer a playbook for surviving climate change today.

    Our analysis suggests that over thousands of years, communities that combined herding, farming, fishing and gathering were making context-specific choices that helped them weather unpredictable conditions. They built food systems that worked with the land and sea, not against them. And they leaned on strong social networks, sharing resources, knowledge and labour.

    Past responses to climate shifts can inform current and future strategies for building resilience in regions facing socio-environmental pressures.

    Leanne N. Phelps is affiliated with Columbia Climate School at Columbia University; Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, UK; and NGO Vaevae based in Andavadoake, Toliara, Madagascar

    Kristina Guild Douglass receives funding from The US National Science Foundation. She is affiliated with the NGO Vae Vae.

    – ref. Africans survived 10,000 years of climate changes by adapting food systems – study offers lessons for modern times – https://theconversation.com/africans-survived-10-000-years-of-climate-changes-by-adapting-food-systems-study-offers-lessons-for-modern-times-260240

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Africans survived 10,000 years of climate changes by adapting food systems – study offers lessons for modern times

    Source: The Conversation – Africa (2) – By Leanne N. Phelps, Associate research scientist, Columbia University

    Imagine living in a place where a single drought, hurricane, or mudslide can wipe out your food supply. Across Africa, many communities do exactly that – navigate climate shocks like floods, heatwaves, and failed harvests.

    What’s often overlooked in the development policies to tackle these threats is a powerful sources of insight: Africa’s own history.

    Around 14,700 to 5,500 years ago, much of Africa experienced wetter conditions – a time referred to as the African Humid Period. As wet conditions declined around 5,500 years ago, major social, cultural, and environmental changes ensued across the continent.

    We’re part of a multidisciplinary team of scientists who recently published a study about how diverse African communities adapted to climate variability over the past 10,000 years. This is the first study to explore thousands of years of change in people’s livelihoods across the continent using isotopic data.

    This continent-wide approach offers novel insights into how livelihoods formed and evolved across space and time.

    Prior theories often assumed that societies and their food systems evolved in a linear way. In other words they developed from simple hunting and gathering communities to politically and socially complex societies practising agriculture.

    Instead, what we see is a complex mosaic of adaptable strategies that helped people survive. For 10,000 years, African communities adapted by mixing herding, farming, fishing and foraging. They blended different practices based on what worked at different times in their specific environment. That diversity across communities and regions was key to human survival.

    That has real lessons for food systems today.

    Our research suggests that rigid, top-down development plans, including ones that privilege intensifying agriculture over diversified economies, are unlikely to succeed. Many modern policies promote narrow approaches, like focusing only on cash crops. But history tells a different story. Resilience isn’t about choosing the “best” or most “intensive” method and sticking with it. Rather it’s about staying flexible and blending different strategies to align with local conditions.

    The clues left behind

    We were able to develop our insights by looking at the clues left behind by the food people ate and the environments they lived in. We did this by analysing the chemical traces (isotopes) in ancient human and domestic animal bones from 187 archaeological sites across the African continent.

    We sorted the results into groups with similar features, or “isotopic niches”. Then we described the livelihood and ecological characteristics of these niches using archaeological and environmental information.



    Read more:
    Tooth enamel provides clues on tsetse flies and the spread of herding in ancient Africa

    Our methods illustrated a wide range of livelihood systems. For example, in what are now Botswana and Zimbabwe, some groups combined small-scale farming with wild food gathering and livestock herding after the African Humid Period. In Egypt and Sudan, communities mixed crop farming – focused on wheat, barley, and legumes – with fishing, dairy, and beer brewing.

    Herders, in particular, developed highly flexible strategies. They adapted to hot plains, dry highlands, and everything in between. Pastoral systems (farming with grazing animals) show up at more archaeological sites than any other food system. They also have the widest range of chemical signatures – evidence of their adaptability to shifting environments.

    Our study also used isotopic data to build up a picture of how people were using livestock. Most animal management systems were reliant on grasses (plants such as millet and tropical pasture), and adapted to diverse ecological conditions. Some systems were highly specialised to semi-arid and mountainous environments. Others included mixed herds adapted to wetter or lower elevation regions. In other cases, animals were kept as stock in small numbers to supplement other livelihoods – providing milk, dung, and insurance against crop failure.



    Read more:
    Pastoralists are an asset to the world – and we have a lot to learn from them

    This adaptability helps clarify why, over the past millennium, pastoral systems have remained so important, especially in areas with increasing aridity.

    Mixed livelihood strategies

    The study also provides strong evidence for interactions between food production and foraging, whether at community or regional level.

    Dynamic, mixed livelihood strategies, including interactions like trade within and between communities near and far, were especially apparent during periods of climatic stress. One of these periods was the end of the African Humid Period (from about 5,500 years ago), when a drier climate created new challenges.

    In south-eastern Africa, from 2,000 years ago, there was a rise of diverse livelihood systems blending herding, farming and foraging in complex ways. These systems likely emerged in response to complex environmental and social change. Complex changes in social networks – especially around sharing land, resources, and knowledge – likely underpinned the development of this resilience.



    Read more:
    Hunter-gatherer diets weren’t always heavy on meat: Morocco study reveals a plant-based diet

    How the past can inform the future

    Ancient livelihood strategies offer a playbook for surviving climate change today.

    Our analysis suggests that over thousands of years, communities that combined herding, farming, fishing and gathering were making context-specific choices that helped them weather unpredictable conditions. They built food systems that worked with the land and sea, not against them. And they leaned on strong social networks, sharing resources, knowledge and labour.

    Past responses to climate shifts can inform current and future strategies for building resilience in regions facing socio-environmental pressures.

    Leanne N. Phelps is affiliated with Columbia Climate School at Columbia University; Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, UK; and NGO Vaevae based in Andavadoake, Toliara, Madagascar

    Kristina Guild Douglass receives funding from The US National Science Foundation. She is affiliated with the NGO Vae Vae.

    – ref. Africans survived 10,000 years of climate changes by adapting food systems – study offers lessons for modern times – https://theconversation.com/africans-survived-10-000-years-of-climate-changes-by-adapting-food-systems-study-offers-lessons-for-modern-times-260240

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Berks County Man Pleads Guilty to Armed Robberies of Reading Gas Stations, Credit Union

    Source: US FBI

    PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Mikal Portalatin, 34, of Reading, Pennsylvania, entered a plea of guilty before United States District Judge John M. Gallagher yesterday to one count of Hobbs Act robbery, one count of attempted Hobbs Act robbery, one count of using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and one count of armed bank robbery.

    The defendant was indicted on those charges in January 2024, in connection with three armed robberies in Berks County in the second half of 2022:

    • July 27, 2022; Citgo gas station convenience store, 200 block of Buttonwood Street
    • August 3, 2022; Sunoco gas station convenience store, 1500 block of Lancaster Avenue
    • November 21, 2022; Members First Credit Union, 500 block of E. Lancaster Avenue

    During the July robbery, Portalatin discharged his firearm at an employee who chased him as he fled; no one was hit.

    The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced on October 30 and faces a maximum possible sentence of life imprisonment.

    The case was investigated by FBI Philadelphia’s Allentown Resident Agency, the Cumru Township Police Department, and the Reading Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Rosalynda M. Michetti and Kelly Lewis Fallenstein.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Ovidio Guzman Lopez—Son of ‘El Chapo’ and a Head of Sinaloa Cartel—Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug Charges in Chicago

    Source: US FBI

    CHICAGO – OVIDIO GUZMAN LOPEZ, who succeeded his father—Joaquin Guzman Loera, also known as “El Chapo”—as one of the heads of the Sinaloa Cartel in Mexico, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Chicago to federal drug charges.

    Guzman Lopez, 35, pleaded guilty to two counts of drug conspiracy and two counts of knowingly engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise.  The guilty plea was entered as part of a multi-district plea agreement with the government that resolves charges against Guzman Lopez brought by grand juries in the Northern District of Illinois and the Southern District of New York.

    U.S. District Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman did not set a sentencing date.  Guzman Lopez has been detained without bond following his extradition from Mexico to the United States in 2023.

    The guilty plea is the result of a collaboration between the Justice Department’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section and prosecutors from the Northern District of Illinois, Southern District of New York, and Southern District of California, as well as law enforcement partners from the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.

    The guilty plea was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Jay Clayton, United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Adam Gordon, United States Attorney for the Southern District of California, Jose A. Perez, Assistant Director of the FBI Criminal Investigative Division, Steven Jensen, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, Ray Rede, Acting Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations in Arizona, and Robert Murphy, Acting Administrator of the DEA.  Substantial assistance in the investigation was provided by IRS Criminal Investigation, the Justice Department’s Offices of International Affairs and Enforcement Operations, and the U.S. Marshals Service.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew Erskine, Erika Csicsila, and Michelle Parthum of the Northern District of Illinois; Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas S. Bradley, Jane Y. Chong, Sarah L. Kushner, and David J. Robles of the Southern District of New York; Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Sutton of the Southern District of California; and Trial Attorney Kirk Handrich of NDDS.

    The guilty plea was announced as part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to achieve various law enforcement goals, including the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), as well as 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).

    “Today’s historic guilty plea sends yet another crystal-clear message that this Administration is going to shut down and hold accountable transnational criminal organizations and their highest-ranking members and associates,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros.  “Under my leadership, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago will continue to prioritize the investigation and prosecution of drug cartels, several of which, including the Sinaloa Cartel, have been designated as foreign terrorist organizations.  Our enforcement work will also extend to drug trafficking organizations, narcotics traffickers, and other dangerous criminal enterprises that seek to poison the American public with illegal and harmful drugs.  Our successes stem from our close partnership with federal prosecutors across the country as well as our tight collaboration with our many law enforcement partners.”

    As heirs to the Sinaloa Cartel, Guzman Lopez stated in his plea agreement that he and his three brothers, collectively known as “the Chapitos,” assumed their father’s leadership role following El Chapo’s arrest in 2016 and subsequent conviction in the Eastern District of New York.  Guzman Lopez admitted in the plea agreement that he coordinated the transportation of cocaine, heroin, fentanyl, and other drugs and precursor chemicals from Mexico to the United States border, at times in shipments of hundreds or thousands of kilograms.  Guzman Lopez used a network of couriers affiliated with the cartel to smuggle the drugs into the United States using vehicles, rail cars, tunnels, aircraft, and other means, the plea agreement states.

    After the drugs were distributed throughout the United States, individuals working for Guzman Lopez used bulk cash transport, wire transfers, trade of goods, and cryptocurrency to launder the illicit proceeds and ensure that the money was transmitted to Guzman Lopez and other members of the cartel in Mexico, the plea agreement states.  Guzman Lopez admitted that he and his cartel associates perpetrated violence against law enforcement officials, civilians, and rival drug traffickers in order to protect the cartel’s drug trafficking activities.

    As part of his plea agreement, Guzman Lopez agreed to the entry of an $80 million forfeiture money judgment.

    “Today’s guilty plea is another major step toward holding the Sinaloa Cartel and its leaders accountable for their role in fueling the fentanyl epidemic that has plagued so many Americans,” said U.S. Attorney Clayton.  “We remain committed to dismantling the Cartel’s entire fentanyl infrastructure and ensuring that the Chapitos and their violent organization can no longer flood our communities with this poison.”

    “With each passing day, you are seeing the sunset of the Sinaloa cartel,” said U.S. Attorney Gordon.  “The Chapitos’ latest violence reflects their fading future.  Their leaders who remain free are now paranoid, distrusted and desperate.”

    “The guilty plea by Ovidio Guzman Lopez, son of ‘El Chapo,’ is a real victory for both the United States and Mexico but also a clear win for the rule of law,” said HSI Acting SAC Rede.  “So much blood and violence lay with the Guzman family as well as spreading terror and plaguing both sides of the border with deadly drugs and weapons–no more.  It’s impossible to measure the amount of work HSI and partner agencies have spent in securing this guilty verdict, but what is clear and evident is that no one is beyond the reach of law enforcement and our nation’s laws.  Deliberate and coordinated teamwork resulted in today’s victory.”

    Guzman Lopez’s three brothers—IVAN ARCHIVALDO GUZMAN SALAZAR, JESUS ALFREDO GUZMAN SALAZAR, and JOAQUIN GUZMAN LOPEZ—were also charged with drug trafficking in U.S. indictments. Joaquin Guzman Lopez was arrested last year and remains detained in U.S. custody without bond.  He pleaded not guilty to charges filed in the Northern District of Illinois and is awaiting trial.  Ivan Archivaldo Guzman Salazar and Jesus Alfredo Guzman Salazar are charged in both the Northern District of Illinois and Southern District of New York. They are not in custody and warrants have been issued for their arrests.  The U.S. State Department has issued rewards of up to $10 million for information leading to their arrests and convictions.  [See the reward information here and here.]

    The public is reminded that the charges against Ivan Archivaldo Guzman Salazar, Jesus Alfredo Guzman Salazar, and Joaquin Guzman Lopez are merely allegations.  All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    MIL Security OSI –