NewzIntel.com

Category: Politics

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Celebrating International Safewards Day

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    As part of ACT Government’s ‘One Government, One Voice’ program, we are transitioning this website across to our . You can access everything you need through this website while it’s happening.

    Released 10/07/2025

    The ACT Government is celebrating International Safewards Day by recognising the success of the ACT’s Towards a Safer Culture – Safewards program, making public hospitals safer for healthcare workers, patients, carers and families.

    Safewards is an evidence-based model that helps staff and patients communicate more effectively to reduce conflict and instances of occupational violence.

    It promotes collaboration between healthcare teams, consumers, carers and families to create safer, more supportive hospital environments.

    The model includes 12 practical strategies staff can use to reduce the likelihood of conflict and support a positive environment. These include:

    • sharing more information between team members and patients to build stronger relationships and find common areas of interest
    • senior team members visiting each patient, enabling them to escalate any concerns and ensuring they feel seen and heard
    • staff and patients agreeing on mutual expectations of each other in the hospital environment.

    Minister for Health Rachel Stephen-Smith said the ACT Government was proud to support the continued rollout of Safewards across Canberra’s public hospitals.

    “Safewards is transforming the way care is delivered in our hospitals. It’s about creating and supporting environments where patients feel heard, staff feel supported, and everyone feels safe,” Minister Stephen-Smith said.

    “Today, on International Safewards Day, we celebrate the dedication of our nurses and healthcare workers who are championing this change. We are proud of our progress so far and grateful to our staff and consumers who are leading the way.”

    An initial pilot of the Safewards Model carried out in the ACT in 2021 found:

    • more than half of Safewards nurses thought that the model of care had had an impact on conflict and containment in their workplace
    • two out of three Safewards nurses thought their colleagues viewed Safewards favourably
    • nearly half of all Safewards nurses had heard positive consumer/patient feedback.

    Following the successful trial in four wards across Canberra Health Services, the ACT Government committed $4.67 million to expand the program under the Nurses and Midwives Towards a Safer Culture ‘The Next Steps’ Strategy aiming to implement Safewards in 12 wards by June 2026.

    To date, Safewards has been introduced in 10 wards, with the Towards a Safer Culture team delivering more than 400 in-service education sessions and training over 450 Safewards Champions across Canberra Health Services.

    Phase 4 of the rollout began on 30 June 2025 in Wards 7B and 7C of Building 5 at Canberra Hospital, which will complete the Government’s commitment once fully implemented.

    “The ACT Government made a commitment to implement Safewards in 12 wards by the middle of next year and that’s exactly what we’re doing. Congratulations to the team for their excellent work implementing this important model of care in our hospitals,” Minister Stephen-Smith said.

    Quotes attributable to Judy Ryall, Executive Director of Nursing and Midwifery at Canberra Health Services:

    “Safewards has empowered our nurses and midwives to build stronger and more respectful relationships with patients. It’s not just about reducing conflict; it’s about fostering trust and safety.

    “Our nurses and midwives are at the heart of Safewards. Their commitment to compassionate and collaborative care is what makes this model so effective.

    “We’re proud of the leadership they have shown in creating safer spaces for everyone.”

    – Statement ends –

    Rachel Stephen-Smith, MLA | Media Releases

    «ACT Government Media Releases | «Minister Media Releases

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cortez Masto, Rosen Introduce Bill to Support Veterans Exposed to Radiation and Toxins While Serving in Nevada

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto
    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), introduced legislation to ensure service members and veterans who served at classified locations within the Nevada Test and Training Range (NTTR) since 1951 are able to prove that they served there, and can finally get the PACT Act benefits they deserve following exposure to radiation and toxins. 
    From the 1950s through the 1990s, the NTTR – and the Nevada Test Site contained within it – conducted over 900 explosive nuclear weapons tests and other dangerous, toxic activities. Currently, due to issues with the classified nature of their location while serving, veterans who served at the NTTR are unable to prove their service there to the VA and, therefore, are unable to receive care and benefits connected with exposure to radiation and toxins from burn pits. The Fighting for the Overlooked Recognition of Groups Operating in Toxic Test Environments in Nevada (FORGOTTEN) Veterans Act would help to correct a historic wrong and inequity by officially recognizing the risk that veterans assumed during their service at the NTTR, and other Department of Energy (DOE) Covered Facilities, where DOE employees are already automatically presumed to have been exposed, while the service members who served alongside them are not. Senator Rosen also worked to secure commitments from multiple high-ranking military officials to address this care gap.
    “As a nation, it is our obligation to take care of all veterans once their service has ended,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “This is especially true for veterans of the Nevada Test and Training Range, who faced toxic exposure daily as part of their duties and should have parity with their civilian counterparts. I will continue to push for these brave men and women to receive the care and benefits they’re due.”
    “Veterans have been exposed to radiation and toxic chemicals as a result of their selfless service to our nation, and the least we can do is ensure they get the treatment they need,” said Senator Rosen. “I’m introducing this bill to recognize the radiation and toxic exposure experienced at the Nevada Test and Training Range so our veterans can access the care and benefits they deserve. It is unconscionable that one U.S. government agency deems portions of the range as contaminated and their personnel exposed, while another U.S. government agency does not. I’ll continue working to make sure we take care of our veterans and their loved ones.”
    “Today, after decades of denial by our own government, the veterans who were exposed to toxic radiation and materials on the Nevada Test and Training Range are closer than ever to getting the recognition and benefits they’ve earned,” said Dave Crete, Chairman of The Invisible Enemy, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting veterans who have experienced toxic exposure at the Nevada Test and Training Range. “We thank Senators Rosen and Cortez Masto for making the FORGOTTEN Veterans Act a legislative priority in the U.S. Senate, and all of our allies in Congress who are dedicated to righting this wrong, and securing justice for the brave men and women who risked their lives and lost their lives fighting this invisible enemy.”
    Specifically, the FORGOTTEN Veterans Act would: 
    Classify the Nevada Test and Training Range as contaminated.
    Require the Department of Defense (DOD) to document all exposures, including those that occur domestically, into the service member’s Individual Longitudinal Exposure Record, so it can be seen by the VA when service members transition to civilian life, while still protecting the classified nature of the location of their service. 
    Require the Secretary of the Air Force to identify all those who served within the NTTR since January 27, 1951, establish a process for service members and veterans to provide proof of their assignment within the NTTR, and make all efforts to identify individuals, without requiring them to submit evidence of their stationing.
    Establish a presumption of toxic exposure for DOD personnel who served at any Department of Energy (DOE) Covered Facilities – such as those within the NTTR – where DOE employees have a presumption of exposure and are covered under the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act. One such DOE-covered facility within the NTTR is the Tonopah Test Range, which is both a DOE and DOD installation. 
    Add service at military installations within the NTTR to the list of recognized “radiation-risk activities” under VA law, dating back to January 27, 1951, including veterans who participated in the development, construction, operation, or maintenance of military installations at NTTR—beyond just nuclear test observers.
    Establish a presumption of toxic exposure for veterans who served on or above NTTR, easing the burden of proof in VA claims.
    Expand presumptive conditions for service connection by adding lipomas and tumor-related conditions to the list of automatically presumed service-connected illnesses.
    Senator Cortez Masto is a champion for our service members and veterans. She worked across the aisle to get legislation helping veterans exposed to Agent Orange and expanding benefits for women veterans signed into law. The senator sent a letter to U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Collins demanding he provide answers on the mass terminations of personnel across the VA, specifically those in Nevada, and how those terminations would impact services to Nevada veterans.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Swedish Government Offices Yearbook 2023

    Source: Government of Sweden

    How many people work at the Government Offices? What was the central government budget like last year? How many acts and ordinances were issued last year? The answer to these and other questions can be found in the Swedish Government Offices Yearbook 2023.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Technology – Moldova’s Virtual IT Park Attracts Global Attention with Record Growth and €1 Billion Revenue Target – MITP

    Source: Moldova Innovation Technology Park (MITP)

    Chisinau, Moldova, July 9th,2025 – Moldova Innovation Technology Park (MITP), the first fully virtual IT park in Europe and a key pillar of Moldova’s innovation ecosystem, continues to break records and transform the country’s economic landscape.

    In 2025, MITP expects its resident companies to generate over €1 billion in revenue, representing a 30% increase compared to 2024 and reaffirming the IT sector as a major engine of Moldova’s economic growth.

    Launched in 2018 by the Government of Moldova, MITP has rapidly evolved into a gateway to Eastern Europe’s emerging tech scene. Today, it unites over 2,370 resident companies from 43 countries, including new entrants from the United States, Germany, the UK, Italy, Ukraine, France, and many others. In 2024 alone, 533 new companies joined — the highest annual growth since the park’s creation.

    “The regional geopolitical context has played a decisive role. In 2021, MITP hosted only three Ukrainian companies. By 2024, this number had surged more than fourteen-fold due to strategic relocations caused by the war. Meanwhile, the number of Romanian-owned companies nearly doubled over the past three years, influenced in part by recent tax changes affecting Romania’s IT sector,”

    — said Marina Bzovîi, Administrator of MITP.

    Beyond the IT sector, Moldova is undergoing a structural economic transformation, marked by a decisive shift from goods-based production to a service-driven growth model. In 2025, the country recorded three historic milestones in services exports:

    $626 million USD in Q1 alone — a record high for the first quarter
    $2.8 billion USD annually — an all-time maximum
    Services now represent 44.5% of total exports, the highest share in Moldova’s history

    IT services lead this growth, totaling $686 million USD, followed by transportation services ($561 million), and business support services ($279 million). Education and health services are also on a strong upward trajectory. As a result, Moldova now enjoys a $900 million USD trade surplus in services, helping offset deficits in goods and positioning the country as a dynamic, services-driven economy.

    “Moldova’s economic model is undergoing a profound transformation — from a traditional, goods-based economy to one driven by high-value services and digital innovation. The extraordinary growth of MITP is a testament to our unwavering commitment to building a future-ready, service-oriented economy that creates skilled jobs and attracts global investors. As we accelerate our digital transformation and promote smart regulation, Moldova is emerging as a competitive, innovation-led destination in the heart of Europe.”
     

    — Doina Nistor, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Digitalization and Economic Development of the Republic of Moldova

    MITP is home to pioneering companies that have chosen Moldova as the ideal place to innovate and grow. For example, Parkopedia, founded by Eugene Tsyrklevich, began as a small operation and now provides smart parking solutions for global automotive giants such as BMW, Audi, and Toyota — all developed from Moldova, thanks to MITP’s supportive environment. Meanwhile, Argus AI, co-founded by neurosurgeon Alexandru Andrusca and AI expert Vladimir Verbulski, has created an advanced virtual reality system for neurosurgical planning, making such technology more accessible worldwide. These success stories showcase Moldova’s emergence as an unexpected but highly attractive home for cutting-edge tech and ambitious entrepreneurs.

    The economic impact of MITP is substantial: in 2024, resident companies contributed over €78 million to Moldova’s public budget, four times more than in 2017. About half of this amount comes from businesses established after the park’s launch, highlighting MITP’s role as a catalyst for job creation, investment attraction, and Moldova’s growing digital competitiveness.

    About Moldova Innovation Technology Park (MITP)

    Launched in early 2018 by the Government of Moldova, MITP is an innovative, fully virtual IT park designed to strengthen Moldova’s technology ecosystem and enhance its regional competitiveness. The park offers a unique 7% single tax system, simplified immigration procedures (including an IT Visa program), reduced bureaucratic barriers, and the possibility of a fully virtual presence.

    MITP serves as a central access point to the most attractive incentives and services in the IT sector. Its multi-stakeholder governance model and fully virtual structure make it a one-of-a-kind success story in Europe. The park’s mission is to act as a catalyst for IT investments by promoting flexible government policies, fostering an environment for ICT innovation, and driving Moldova’s economic digital transformation.

    Created for a 20-year period, MITP now unites over 2,370 resident companies from 43 countries, positioning Moldova as a rising tech destination on the global map.

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Gaza: A survey among MSF workers and their families showed that almost half of the people killed are children

    Source: Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)

    Gaza, 9 July 2025 – A recent retrospective mortality survey of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) staff and their families reveals the appalling death rate of Israel’s all-out war on Gaza, especially among children, which is consistent with conflict-related figures provided by the Gazan Ministry of Health.

    Compared to pre-7 October Ministry of Health estimates, the mortality rate was five times higher among the population surveyed. For children under five, mortality increased tenfold. For babies less than one month, the mortality rate was six times higher.

    The survey, run by MSF’s epidemiological Epicentre, covered 2,523 people (MSF workers and their family members) over the period between October 2023 and March 2025, and showed that more than two per cent of the people surveyed died since 7 October 2023, and seven per cent were injured. Furthermore, three-quarters of the deaths were due to war injuries, the vast majority of those from blasts.

    Forty-eight per cent of the people who died from blast injuries among our colleagues’ households were children and 40 per cent were under 10 years old.

    “This disregard for children’s lives clearly indicates that this war run by Israel in Gaza is against all Palestinians. The children of Gaza are being decimated,” says Amande Bazerolle, deputy manager of MSF’s emergency department. “Israel’s allies must put all their efforts to end the genocide taking place before our very eyes,” she says.

    The MSF survey has found a mortality rate in Gaza of 0.41 deaths per 10,000 people per day. It rises to 0.70 deaths for children under five years old. Twenty per cent of MSF households had at least one member injured by a blast or gunshot.

    The results of the survey, conducted among MSF staff and their families only, cannot be extrapolated or assumed as representative of the whole population of Gaza. In fact, medical staff and their families, including MSF, could be considered as having better access to healthcare than the rest of Gaza’s population.

    Despite this, the number of deaths not directly attributable to war wounds is increasing over the war, according to study observations. Findings showed that two-thirds of those with a chronic disease experienced one or more treatment interruption.

    This is the result of the Israeli campaign to systematically destroy the health system and the means of survival of the whole population. In addition, Israel has reduced medical evacuations to a minimum. According to WHO, more than 10,000 people are in urgent need of medical and surgical treatment that cannot be provided inside Gaza.

    Since 7 October 2023 and as of 25 June 2025, the Ministry of Health in Gaza reported the killing of at least 56,156 Palestinians and the injury of 132,239 others.

    The quantitative data from the MSF study helps illustrate part of the reality in Gaza and supports other available data, a point emphasized by the study coordinator Dr Wendelin Moser, from MSF Epicentre.

    “When we compared the names of deceased individuals due to violence from our survey with the list of war-related deaths from the Ministry of Health in Gaza, we matched nearly 90 per cent. This indicates the validity of the Ministry of Health statistics on the number of deaths in Gaza since 7 October,” he says.

    The survey also provides unequivocal data on the level of destruction of MSF family members’ households. Only two per cent had a house that remained untouched. At the time of the survey, 59 per cent had a completely damaged house, 39 per cent had a partially damaged house, and 41 per cent of them live in tents.

    MSF calls on the Israeli authorities to stop the genocidal campaign against the Palestinians in Gaza; to lift the siege on food, fuel, medical, and humanitarian supplies immediately; and calls for Israel’s allies to help facilitate the urgent medical evacuations of people whose lives are in danger, and in particular of children.

     

    MSF is an international, medical, humanitarian organisation that delivers medical care to people in need, regardless of their origin, religion, or political affiliation. MSF has been working in Haiti for over 30 years, offering general healthcare, trauma care, burn wound care, maternity care, and care for survivors of sexual violence. 

    MSF Australia was established in 1995 and is one of 24 international MSF sections committed to delivering medical humanitarian assistance to people in crisis. In 2022, more than 120 project staff from Australia and New Zealand worked with MSF on assignment overseas. MSF delivers medical care based on need alone and operates independently of government, religion or economic influence and irrespective of race, religion or gender. For more information visit msf.org.au  

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Spain and Brazil push global action to tax the super-rich and curb inequality

    Source: United Nations 4

    Presented during the UN’s 4th International Conference on Financing for Development – taking place this week in Sevilla, Spain – the proposal highlights a growing problem: the richest individuals often contribute less to public finances than ordinary taxpayers, thanks to lower effective tax rates and legal loopholes.

    “Our countries need more and more public revenues to meet their needs. Inequality is a problem everywhere and the richest pay less than the middle class – even less than lower-income taxpayers,” said Spain’s Secretary of State for Finance Jesús Gascón, during a press conference at the conference venue, where temperatures have soared to record highs in recent days.

    The two governments are calling on others to join a drive for a fairer, more progressive global tax system. They point to a stark reality: the wealthiest one per cent of the global population owns more than 95 per cent of humanity combined.

    UN News/Matt Wells

    The Spanish Secretary of State for Finance Jesús Gascón (on screen) addresses a meeting at the Financing for Development conference in Sevilla, Spain.

    Sharing knowledge, closing gaps

    In today’s interconnected world access to reliable data is essential. The initiative prioritises information sharing – between governments and tax authorities – to help expose gaps in tax systems, close loopholes and combat evasion and avoidance.

    Improving data quality and building national capacities for data analysis will help tax administrations identify where and how wealth is concentrated, how much is currently being paid and what needs to change.

    Though some progress has already been made, the countries say much more must be done and many more countries should come on board.

    “There’s a real need to know who the beneficial owners are behind companies and legal structures used to conceal wealth,” said Mr. Gascón. The initiative also proposes technical cooperation, training in data analytics and peer review mechanisms to strengthen national tax systems.

    A global wealth registry?

    Spain and Brazil are even considering steps toward a global wealth registry – acknowledging that this would take time, political will and major national efforts.

    But the aim is clear: more transparency, more accountability and fairer contributions from the richest.

    “We cannot tolerate the intensity of inequality, which has been increasing in recent years,” said Brazil’s Minister-Counsellor to the UN, José Gilberto Scandiucci denying that this was some kind of far-leftist agenda.

    “This is a moderate initiative to confront a very radical reality.”

    The proposal forms part of the Seville Platform for Action, which is turbocharging voluntary actions to help reach the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – currently way off track for the 2030 deadline.

    G20 highlights ‘high worth’ factor

    It also follows the 2024 agreement by the G20 industrialised nations who met in Rio (Brazil) last year – the first international accord to commit to a joint tax agenda for high-net-worth individuals.

    A three-month work plan is now being drawn up with regular meetings planned to track progress. The goal – bring more countries, international organisations and civil society on board to push forward tax reforms targeting the ultra-rich.

    “If we want to effectively tax the super-rich, fight inequality and make our tax systems fairer and more progressive, we need political will – and we need to act within our means,” Mr. Gascón added.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: ‘The margins of the budget’: Gender equality in developing countries underfunded by $420 billion annually

    Source: United Nations 4

    “The money simply is not reaching the women and girls who need it most,” UN Women said in a news release issued on Monday.  

    This estimate comes in the midst of the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development underway in Sevilla, Spain.

    There, world leaders are working to revitalize the international financing structure to better support the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), one of which is gender equality.  

    “We cannot close gender gaps with budgets that are lacking a gender lens … Gender equality must move from the margins of the budget lines to the heart of public policy,” said Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda, Deputy Executive Director of UN Women.

    Move from promise to action

    In order to remedy this shortfall, UN Women said that the world needs a decade of targeted and consistent investment to end gender gaps and ensure that no one is left behind.

    This includes expanding gender-responsive budgeting which carefully tracks where funding is most needed and supporting programs which target those areas.

    Currently, three-fourths of countries do not have systems to track the allocation of public funds in relation to gender equality.  

    Specifically, investment in public care systems – such as child and elder care programmes – is essential to ensuring that women can enter the workforce.

    Overwhelmed by debt

    Additionally, UN Women called for urgent debt relief, citing that many countries are so burdened by debt financing that they cannot dedicate money to advancing gender equality.  

    In this vein, UN Women welcomed the Compromiso de Sevilla, the outcome of the Conference adopted by Member States, which lays out new commitments to development financing, including on promoting gender equality.

    Ms. Gumbonzvanda emphasised the need for governments to back the commitments they made in this document with real action.  

    “[Gender equality] takes money. It takes reform. And it takes leadership that sees women not as a cost, but as a future.”

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China voices support for Arab nations’ unity, development — premier

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

    Chinese Premier Li Qiang meets with Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul-Gheit in Cairo, Egypt, July 9, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    CAIRO, July 9 — Chinese Premier Li Qiang said here on Wednesday that China supports Arab countries in strengthening strategic autonomy, enhancing unity and self-reliance, and pursuing development paths suited to their own national conditions.

    During his meeting with Arab League (AL) Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul-Gheit, Li said that China has always viewed and developed its relations with Arab nations from a strategic perspective and firmly supports their just cause.

    Noting that China and Arab countries are trustworthy friends and good partners, Li said that at present, under the strategic guidance of Chinese President Xi Jinping and the leaders of Arab countries, China-Arab relations have entered their best period in history.

    China is willing to strengthen friendly ties with the AL, enhance strategic mutual trust with Arab countries, deepen cooperation across various fields, work together to advance modernization, and build a higher-level China-Arab community with a shared future, he said.

    Li said that China is ready to further align its development strategies with Arab countries and proceed with their high-quality Belt and Road cooperation.

    He called on the two sides to expand cooperation in energy, economy and trade, investment and financing, as well as aerospace and other fields, and explore cooperation potential in emerging fields such as new energy, artificial intelligence, digital economy and blue economy.

    The Chinese side is also ready to work with Arab countries to promote the coordinated development of landmark flagship projects and “small but beautiful” projects to better benefit the people of both sides.

    Both sides, Li said, should enhance dialogue among civilizations and people-to-people exchanges, deepen cooperation among youth, think tanks, universities, as well as in culture and tourism, and explore the implementation of more measures to facilitate personnel exchanges, so as to boost people-to-people bonds.

    The Chinese side is ready to enhance communication and coordination with Arab countries on platforms such as the United Nations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the World Trade Organization and the Group of 20, demonstrate the common will and speak in a common voice, so as to promote a more just and equitable global governance system, Li said.

    Li also expressed his hope that the AL will continue to play an important role in advancing the development of China-Arab relations and jointly ensure the second China-Arab States Summit next year a success.

    For his part, Aboul-Gheit said China is a good friend and good partner of Arab countries, adding that Arab-China relations enjoy a good momentum of development and practical cooperation has achieved fruitful results.

    He said the Arab side firmly supports the one-China principle, as well as the Belt and Road Initiative and the three global initiatives proposed by President Xi.

    Congratulating China on its remarkable development achievements, Aboul-Gheit said the Arab side is grateful for China’s support for the economic and social development of Arab states, and stands ready to work with China to deepen political mutual trust, firmly support each other, and deepen exchanges and cooperation in areas such as trade, investment and people-to-people ties under the framework of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum.

    The Arab side stands ready to work with China to continue to implement the outcomes of the first China-Arab States Summit and to jointly make the second summit a success, he said.

    Aboul-Gheit said the Arab side highly appreciates China’s consistent support for Arab states on multilateral platforms such as the United Nations and is willing to strengthen multilateral coordination with China to jointly safeguard multilateralism and promote world peace and development.

    Chinese Premier Li Qiang meets with Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul-Gheit in Cairo, Egypt, July 9, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China, Egypt should consistently facilitate two-way trade, investment, Chinese premier says

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

    China, Egypt should consistently facilitate two-way trade, investment, Chinese premier says

    Chinese Premier Li Qiang meets with Speaker of the Egyptian House of Representatives Hanafy Ali Gebaly in Cairo, Egypt, July 9, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    CAIRO, July 9 — China and Egypt should consistently facilitate two-way trade and investment, strengthen industrial alignment and market connectivity, and push for a higher level of win-win cooperation, Chinese Premier Li Qiang said here on Wednesday.

    Li made the remarks when meeting with Speaker of the Egyptian House of Representatives Hanafy Ali Gebaly. Li is on an official visit to the Middle East country at the invitation of Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Kamal Madbouly.

    Although China and Egypt are geographically distant, the friendship between the two countries has a long-standing history, Li said.

    Since the establishment of bilateral diplomatic relations, no matter how the international situation changes, China-Egypt traditional friendship remains unchanged, and the momentum of bilateral relations and cooperation continues to grow, demonstrating strong internal dynamism, he said.

    China is willing to further promote traditional friendship with Egypt, enhance political mutual trust, firmly support each other’s core interests and major concerns, and continuously elevate bilateral relations to new heights and achieve more new results in bilateral cooperation, so as to better benefit the people of both countries, Li said.

    He also called on both sides to maintain friendly exchanges between legislative bodies, strengthen policy communication and share experiences on state governance, and continuously improve mutual understanding.

    Noting that China is willing to enhance development alignment with Egypt, Li said both sides should undertake high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, and make use of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum and the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation to improve bilateral economic and trade cooperation.

    The two sides should cooperate in the sustainable operation of bilateral landmark projects, continuously improve the level of two-way trade and investment facilitation, strengthen industrial docking and market connectivity, expand cooperation in emerging fields such as digital economy and green development, and promote a higher level of mutual benefit and win-win results, he said.

    China is willing to maintain close communication and coordination with Egypt within mechanisms including the United Nations, BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, promote all parties to jointly safeguard the basic norms governing international relations and the multilateral trading system, and inject more positive energy into the cause of global peace and development, Li said.

    For his part, Gebaly said that Egypt and China, as two great ancient civilizations, share a long history of exchanges and profound friendship between their peoples.

    Egypt admires the remarkable achievements China has made in its economic and social development, and firmly believes that under the leadership of Chinese President Xi Jinping, China will successfully realize Chinese modernization, bringing new opportunities for cooperation between China and other developing countries, Gebaly said.

    The Egyptian side adheres to the one-China principle, respects China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and opposes interference in China’s internal affairs, he said.

    Gebaly said that Egypt stands ready to expand practical cooperation with China under the Belt and Road Initiative framework in areas such as trade, investment and new energy, enhance multilateral coordination, uphold the WTO-centered multilateral trading system, and jointly address global challenges.

    The Egyptian House of Representatives is committed to strengthening exchanges and cooperation between the legislative bodies of both countries, he added.

    Chinese Premier Li Qiang meets with Speaker of the Egyptian House of Representatives Hanafy Ali Gebaly in Cairo, Egypt, July 9, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Universities – Economists moot bold income tax plan – UoA

    Source: University of Auckland (UoA)

    What if your income tax didn’t go to the government but into your own savings account? A bold proposal makes the case.

    New Zealand’s ageing population and ballooning welfare and health costs are piling pressure on the public purse.

    In response, former Minister of Finance Sir Roger Douglas and University of Auckland economics professor Robert MacCulloch are reimagining their ambitious 2016 proposal to overhaul the country’s tax, health and welfare systems by shifting income taxation to mandatory savings.

    In their research article, the pair argue that income tax on earnings up to $60,000 should be redirected into individual savings accounts. These accounts would fund each person’s healthcare, pension and risk cover, replacing much of the current public system with private provision.

    By 2060, 26 percent of New Zealanders will be over 65, up from 16 percent in 2021, which will intensify the strain on superannuation and healthcare.

    “We need to change the way we’re doing things so government costs can be reduced, quality of outcomes increased, and the plight of low earners, who are most vulnerable to public cuts, improved,” say Douglas and MacCulloch in their paper How to change the welfare state from a taxation to a savings-based model.

    The economists attempt a politically feasible plan that maintains total welfare funding from both public and private sources, while opening up more choice and competition in the supply of healthcare services.

    “We need to adjust the tax system so the vast majority of New Zealanders of working age can provide for themselves,” says MacCulloch. “The first step is to build mandatory savings accounts for health, pensions and risk cover via the transfer into them of current taxes paid on income up to $60,000.”

    According to their model, an individual could save around $21,000 annually: $9,450 into a health account, $7,350 for superannuation, and $4,200 for risk cover.

    A drop in corporate taxes would help fund employer contributions, and the government would retain sufficient tax revenues so it could act as ‘insurer of last resort’, paying for people who can’t meet their welfare costs out of their savings accounts.

    “Our savings-not-taxation reform offers scope for efficiency gains in healthcare. It does so by opening up choice for individuals,” says MacCulloch.

    “Rather than the government dictating where to go, people can choose their preferred public or private supplier.”

    The researchers point to Singapore, which employs mandatory savings accounts and has one of the highest-quality healthcare systems in the world, yet spent 5.6 percent of its GDP on healthcare in 2021 (including both public and private sectors), compared to New Zealand’s 10.1 percent.

    “Our reform keeps the pension but would raise the retirement age gradually from 65 to 70 years old over a 20-year period,” says MacCulloch.

    The authors would do away with fee subsidies and interest-free loans for tertiary students from well-off families. Instead, a means test would see only students from low-income, low-capital families receive aid.

    They would scrap grants to the movie industry, winter energy subsidies to wealthy households, favourable tax treatment for owners of rental housing, and allowances to sectors such as forestry, fishing, and bloodstock.

    The money saved from these changes would be directed towards helping low earners build savings and cover the welfare needs of those who are chronically unwell.

    “Perhaps more than any other feature of our reform, it’s the ‘miracle of compound interest’ that governments like New Zealand’s are not taking proper advantage of,” says MacCulloch. “If we can do this, it’ll help our financial situation.”

    MacCulloch notes that the proposal isn’t without flaws, but says bold change and ideas are needed, and fast, if Aotearoa New Zealand is to create a resilient economy in the face of an ageing population.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Donalds Leads Bicameral Coalition To Prevent Federal Overreach Into Self-Directed 401K Investments

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Byron Donalds (R-FL)

    WASHINGTON – Congressman Byron Donalds (R-FL) has introduced bicameral legislation to prevent the federal government from imposing burdensome restrictions on how Americans can invest into their self-directed 401Ks.

    H.R. 2544 – “The Financial Freedom Act of 2025” is the 13th piece of legislation introduced by Congressman Donalds during the 119th Congress and is co-led by Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) in the United States Senate.

    Specifically, the “Financial Freedom Act of 2025” would prevent overreaching and burdensome restrictions on investments made in a self-directed 401(k) account and prohibits the Department of Labor from limiting the types of investments that self-directed 401(k) account investors can choose to invest through a brokerage window. American investors who have chosen to personally oversee their retirement account should control their financial destiny—not government bureaucrats.

    “Over the past four years, we have seen the Left repeatedly wield the heavy hand of the federal government and attempt to cut-off industries such as digital assets and fossil fuels from the financial system,” said Congressman Byron Donalds (R-FL).“Hardworking Americans from all walks of life deserve the economic liberty to control their own fiscal future. That is why I’m proud to join Senator Tuberville in introducing the Financial Freedom Act. This legislation will protect retirement accounts from unelected Washington bureaucrats and ensure Americans can invest as they see fit.”

    “Folks work for decades, live within their means, and invest wisely so they can retire comfortably,” said Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL). “Now, the Biden administration has taken it upon itself to dictate what assets are viewed worthy of retirement investment, taking the decision away from individual investors by issuing regulatory guidance targeting cryptocurrency. This is government overreach at its finest. The government has no business standing in the way of retirement savers who want to make their own investment choices. When you’ve earned your paycheck, how you invest your money should be your decision. My legislation makes sure that is the case.” 

    Background:

    • In 2022, the Biden administration’s Department of Labor sought to impose new regulatory and investigatory burdens on employers and financial firms that allow investors to self-direct their retirement investments through a brokerage window.

    • 401(k) retirement savers have a legal right, where permitted by their employer-sponsored retirement plan, to invest the money they have worked tirelessly to earn as they choose.

    • The DOL, nor any other government agency, should not be able to prohibit Americans with self-direct retirement accounts from investing in a major asset class.

    • With Republicans in control the immediate threat of this overregulation is zero, however the Financial Freedom Act would protect industries—such as fossil fuels or gun company stocks, from being targeted by the Left in the future.

    More:

    • Read Text of the Donalds “Financial Freedom Act” HERE.
    • See Congress.gov Bill Profile of the Donalds “Financial Freedom Act” HERE.
    • See Congress.gov Bill Profile of the Tuberville Senate Companion Bill ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New action to tackle illegal and exploitative children’s homes

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    New action to tackle illegal and exploitative children’s homes

    Up to 200 places will be created for vulnerable children in council-run high-quality children’s homes with £53 million

    The most vulnerable children in society will be better protected from unsafe, illegal children’s homes thanks to over £53 million investment from the government to create 200 new placements in high-quality council-run homes through its Plan for Change. 

    For the first time, the government has specifically targeted funding at children who have such complex needs that they are at risk of, or have been, deprived of their liberty. 

    Children in these situations need extra support from social workers and care teams to stop them running away from home and from harming themselves and others.

    The new homes will break down barriers to opportunity by providing support for these young people’s complex behaviour and mental health needs in safe and stable environments. A substantial shortage of placements to meet these young people’s needs over recent years has seen them being placed into accommodation that is operating illegally by not registering with Ofsted.

    Data from the Children’s Commissioner shows this also comes at an eye-watering cost to councils, who spend an estimated £440 million a year on unregistered placements. Over 30 placements were costing over £1 million each – and this in a world where private providers sometimes siphon off over 20% of placement costs for private profit.

    One teenager with both SEND and mental health needs told the commissioner they had been living in a caravan for two months, at a cost of £75,000, out of her council area.

    Today’s announcement builds on measures already announced in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill to give Ofsted stronger powers to impose fines on illegal homes and new powers for the Secretary of State to cap provider profits if excessive profiteering is not brought under control.

    Minister for Children and Families Janet Daby said: 

    The children’s social care system has faced years of drift and neglect, leading to a vicious cycle of late intervention and children falling through the cracks.

    One of the worst symptoms of this is when some of the most vulnerable young people in society are shunted from pillar to post – traumatised by shameful illegal homes, while some private companies rack up ludicrous profits. 

    Through our Plan for Change and our Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, this government is enabling every child to achieve and thrive by investing in the places children need, cracking down on profiteering with new laws, and rebuilding family support services so parents and carers get the help they need to keep their children happy and safe in loving homes. 

    It comes as part of ambitious reform to rebalance the children’s social care system away from crisis intervention and towards earlier help to keep children safe, with over £2 billion investment over the course of this parliament.

    Green shoots are already being seen as an evaluation published today of areas that tested the government’s early intervention reforms show evidence of improved collaboration between agencies leading to more consistent support for families.  

    Funding for preventative services has already been doubled this year compared to last year from £250 million to £500 million, so that every family who needs support receives it to stop issues getting worse, with the guidance of a dedicated family help worker.

    The government committed to continuing the £500m funding each year until 2028-29 at the Spending Review alongside a further increase of at least £300 million over the coming two years.

    Children’s Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza said:

    My work as Children’s Commissioner has shown there are too many children who need brilliant care who have instead ended up in illegal – and terrible – accommodation. Instead of receiving care and support, they are side-lined, ignored and left waiting while services fail to take responsibility for these children.

    This funding, and the social care provisions of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, is an opportunity to bring that to an end. It will increase the number of loving, safe homes for this group of children – whose needs are often urgent and complex – and must provide loving, therapeutic, joined-up care to help these children flourish.

    Chief Executive at Action for Children Paul Carberry said:

    It’s vital that children and young people with complex needs receive specialist, therapeutic care in a stable environment. Over recent years, too many children have been placed in unregulated, unsuitable accommodation due to the critical shortage of placements in the system, with sometimes devastating consequences on their health, safety, and wellbeing. 

    Without the right support, their needs can escalate, and placements can break down.

    We wholeheartedly welcome this investment, which will ensure more children with complex needs get the care and support they deserve.

    Through the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, new laws are being brought in to increase the transparency of private providers over their finances, with a backstop provision to introduce a profit cap if providers don’t voluntarily bring an end to exploitative practices.

    The department has also brought together an expert ‘market intervention advisory group’, which is working on the details of how the financial oversight and transparency schemes will work in practice to make as quick as possible progress to tackle profiteering, as well as how to bring in more voluntary providers.

    Schemes are being considered to encourage charities and ethical investors to open children’s homes, including through innovative funding mechanisms like social financing.

    DfE media enquiries

    Central newsdesk – for journalists 020 7783 8300

    Updates to this page

    Published 10 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Barrier to social housing now lifted for vulnerable people

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Barrier to social housing now lifted for vulnerable people

    New changes to remove a local connection requirement for young care leavers and domestic abuse survivors comes into effect today.

    • Local connection tests officially removed for care leavers under 25 and victims of domestic abuse  
    • Forms part of the five-step plan to deliver a decade of renewal for social and affordable housing  
    • Delivering the government’s Plan for Change to provide more vulnerable people with a safe and secure roof over their head

    More young people leaving care and domestic abuse survivors can now have greater access to social housing, thanks to new changes removing a local connection requirement coming into effect today.    

    Last month the Deputy Prime Minister confirmed the government is rewriting the rules for vulnerable groups who have faced barriers to social housing when they do not have a connection to the local area, meaning they can no longer be unfairly penalised. The move has been largely welcomed by charities across the sector including Become and Centrepoint.

    Many domestic abuse survivors and care leavers under the age of 25 face unique challenges, such as fleeing an unsafe home to seek safety or adjusting to life outside of the care system, so may be forced to move from area to area without having a local connection. 

    Government guidance for councils across England, nearly 90% of which currently use local connection tests, sets out their obligations to prioritise vulnerable people applying for social housing. This has now been updated to confirm young care leavers and domestic abuse survivors must be exempt from any local connection tests.

    It comes as the government recently published its five-point plan to deliver a decade of renewal for social and affordable housing and pave the way for the biggest boost in a generation. This includes the new £39 billion Social and Affordable Homes Programme to build around 300,000 new homes over the next decade, with at least 60% for social rent.

    Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary, Angela Rayner said:

    “I’m immensely proud this government is delivering real change for some of our most vulnerable in society, making sure more young people and families can have a safe and secure roof over their head.  

    “It’s only right we remove local connection tests for these groups and from today they will no longer face such barriers – it’s a promise we made and a promise we’ve kept.  

    “This builds on our Plan for Change to deliver the biggest boost to social and affordable housing in a generation, turning the tide on the crisis we’ve inherited and building hundreds of thousands of new homes to bring down housing waiting lists for good.”

    Today’s changes follow the rules overhauled last year to remove local connection tests for all former UK Regular Armed Forces Veterans, regardless of when they last served, as pledged by the Prime Minister.  

    The government remains fully committed to supporting more vulnerable groups and veterans into social housing but also recognises the challenges faced by councils dealing with unprecedented pressures on housing supply as well as depleted housing stocks.  

    That’s why the government has now set out ambitions to ramp up housing delivery for this Parliament and beyond, equipping councils and providers with greater tools to invest in existing and new social homes. This includes:

    • Bringing forward long-overdue reforms to Right to Buy, including a 35-year exemption for newly built social homes, to protect and reverse the decline in much-needed council housing.  
    • Extending the flexibilities on spending Right to Buy receipts introduced last year, as well as allowing councils to retain 100% of Right to Buy receipts and from next year combine receipts with grant funding for affordable housing, which will further accelerate the delivery of new homes to replace those sold.  
    • Introducing a new long-term 10-year settlement for social housing rents to provide the sector with the certainty they need to reinvest in new housing stock.

    New funding for a £12 million Council Housebuilding Skills & Capacity Programme has also been announced, which will upskill and expand council workforces to get more spades in the ground for a new era of council housebuilding.

    Centrepoint’s Director of Policy and Prevention, Balbir Kaur Chatrik said:

    “It wasn’t right that young care leavers were subjected to local connection tests – particularly at a point in their lives where they should be able to move on and thrive. 

    “Removing this barrier is a huge step in protecting some of the country’s most vulnerable young people and should help in reducing youth homelessness more broadly.”

    A care-experienced young person, Tia Shillito-Radicic said:

    “The passing of this new legislation is nothing short of life-changing for many care-experienced young people and especially for me.

    “This legislation gives me the opportunity to live somewhere safer, closer to my support network, and within reach of my career in the Civil Service. It’s not just about having a roof over my head – it’s about having a foundation to build a future. It’s about independence, security, and dignity.

    “Too often, young people in care are uprooted from their communities and placed far from home due to foster care shortages or safeguarding concerns. When we age out of care, we’re then expected to return to the original council that placed us – sometimes hundreds of miles from where we’ve built our lives. That system leaves many of us isolated, detached from the people and places we trust most.

    “This legislation changes that. And with it, comes hope. Hope that young people won’t have to start over, again and again. Hope that we can remain close to the support systems we’ve fought to create. And hope that we’ll finally be seen not just as care leavers, but as individuals with dreams, careers, and futures.

    “To everyone who worked tirelessly to make this happen: thank you. You haven’t just changed a policy – you’ve helped us hold onto something many of us lose far too often: a sense of home, of belonging, and of hope.”

    Further information

    Last month the government published a written ministerial statement confirming new changes for young care leavers and domestic abuse survivors. The regulations were laid on 19 June and come into force today.  

    While the changes remove a specific barrier for these vulnerable groups, the allocation of social housing is still at the discretion of the local housing authority.  

    On 24 September, the Prime Minister set out his ambition to improve access to social housing for former UK Armed Forces Veterans, young care leavers and domestic abuse survivors.  

    The government recently set out its long-term plan – Delivering a decade of renewal for social and affordable housing – which includes a commitment to support more vulnerable groups and veterans having access to social housing.

    Updates to this page

    Published 10 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New data points to growing social and economic impact of charity sector amidst challenging financial environment.

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    New data points to growing social and economic impact of charity sector amidst challenging financial environment.

    New insights from sector data suggest that charities have been able to direct additional resources to delivering their aims, amidst a tightening financial squeeze.

    The Charity Commission, the regulator of charities in England and Wales, has analysed data drawn from annual returns for the financial year ending 2023 – the most comprehensive dataset available to the charity sector.  

    Collectively charities that submitted annual returns spent £95.73 billion delivering their charitable aims in 2023, 9.6% more than in 2022, reflecting a further broadening and deepening of the vital societal impact of charities. This was during a period when cost of living pressures were being felt acutely within society. 

    This impact is underpinned by the generosity of the public, with donations and legacies reaching £31.4bn – almost a third (32.6%) of all charity income. Small charities, which are by far the greatest in number, largely rely on this income.  

    Businesses also made a considerable contribution to charity with almost half (49.7%) of charities with an income of £100k or more reporting donations from a corporate donor. 

    The data underlines that volunteers are essential to delivering public good, outnumbering paid workers by a factor of more than 3:1. Around 7 in 10 charities reported they were supported by volunteers in 2023, while 5 in 10 had paid workers (permanent or fixed-term employees and self-employed). The majority of paid workers (98%) were deployed in the UK.  

    However, for a second year in a row, the analysis drew out some indicators underlining concerns about financial resilience in parts of the sector.  

    Overall growth in expenditure (9.6%) outpaced growth in income (6.8%) leaving the gap between the two at its narrowest in five years at £0.7bn, down from £2.9bn in 2022.  

    While more than half of charities (55.1%) have more income than expenditure, around 2 in 5 charities (42.6%) had expenditure that exceeded income. This situation leaves many charities with little or no headroom for investing in longer term or more innovative projects, and depending on reserve levels, a continuation of this trend may mean some charities cease to operate altogether. 

    The data follows the Commission’s release of separate data earlier this week pointing to increased demand for charities’ services, with 9% of people indicating they had received food, medical or financial support from charities, compared to just 3% five years ago. 

    Charity Commission Chief Executive, David Holdsworth, said: 

    Our analysis of charities’ annual returns for 2023 shows the sector is not just delivering life-changing impact across communities but that it is an economic powerhouse for the economy, spending almost £96 billion a year on delivering charitable purposes. 

    Charities’ work with those from some of our most marginalised and disadvantaged communities unlocks potential, enabling more people to play an active role in society, helping people up, not handing out. This vital work is happening right across England and Wales, often in places and with people the state cannot easily reach. 

    While our data shows the cost of living crisis has applied significant pressure on charity finances – with the narrowest gap between income and expenditure in recent years – it also shows charities rising to the challenge, spending almost ten per cent more in 2023 than in 2022 to meet increased need.

    Each question asked of charities in the annual return is designed to enable the Commission to identify risks and trends in the sector; to help the public make informed and confident choices about charities; and to allow policy-makers, researchers, sector groups and the public to gain a richer understanding of the charity sector in England and Wales. 

    ENDS 

    Notes to editors  

    1. The annual return 2023 represents the most comprehensive data set available on the charity sector, as it is a statutory requirement for charities to provide this to the Commission. The Commission’s analysis of the annual return 2023 is a factual presentation of the data charities have reported to the Commission for 12-month financial periods ending at any point in 2023. Annual Return data is a ‘lagging indicator’ as the information it captures has passed as each charity has up to 10 months to report it after the end of its financial year. AR23 saw an improved number of charities filing returns than in AR22. 

    2. All registered charities must provide information annually to the Charity Commission (‘the Commission’). The rules vary according to the charity’s size and structure. Registered charities with: 

    • income up to £10,000 should complete the relevant sections (income and expenditure) of the annual return 

    • income above £10,000, and all Charitable Incorporated Organisations (‘CIOs’), must prepare and file an annual return 

    • income above £25,000, and all CIOs, must also file copies of their trustees’ annual report and accounts 

    For further information see the Commission’s guidance on how to prepare a charity annual return.

    Updates to this page

    Published 10 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Newsom announces additional deployment of California resources to support New Mexico following Texas and Oregon disaster response efforts

    Source: US State of California Governor

    Jul 9, 2025

    What you need to know: California is sending more resources to assist New Mexico, Oregon, and Texas in disaster response, including incident support personnel and Urban Search and Rescue teams. 

    SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced that California is continuing to answer calls for assistance from other states facing severe disasters by deploying additional emergency resources to New Mexico, Oregon, and Texas.

    California is sending Urban Search and Rescue teams, firefighter strike teams, and specialized incident support personnel to assist in response efforts ranging from deadly flooding in Texas to severe wildfires in Oregon and flooding in New Mexico.

    “California stands ready to help all Americans in times of crisis. Whether it’s battling wildfires or conducting life-saving search and rescue operations, our state’s highly trained first responders are answering the call to serve communities in need.” 

    Governor Gavin Newsom

    Deployments include:

    • Texas flooding: California deployed 9 FEMA Incident Support Team personnel to Texas alongside a cache of equipment and supplies. These staff members bring advanced planning and coordination expertise to help local and federal agencies manage the impacts of ongoing severe flooding.
    • Additional Texas support: 18 personnel from California local agencies have been mobilized as part of a second wave of canine search and recovery teams.
    • Oregon wildfires: A CAL FIRE strike team of five engines including 19 personnel, as well as 28 additional overhead personnel have been sent to Oregon to assist with containment efforts on dangerous wildfires threatening communities and infrastructure.
    • New Mexico flooding: Three additional FEMA Incident Support personnel from California have been deployed to Ruidoso, New Mexico, to support flood response and recovery operations.

    “California’s emergency management system is built on mutual aid and the spirit of helping our neighbors,” said Nancy Ward, Director of Cal OES. “Our highly trained teams stand ready to deploy wherever they’re needed, bringing critical expertise and resources to save lives and support communities in crisis. We’re proud to assist Texas, Oregon, and New Mexico during these challenging times.”

    “We stand with Oregon during this critical time, just as they’ve stood with us during some of California’s toughest fire seasons,” said Anale Burlew, Chief Deputy Director of CAL FIRE. “These mutual aid partnerships are built on trust, coordination, and a shared commitment to public safety.”

    Governor Newsom emphasized that even as California deploys aid to other states, Cal OES is ensuring that resources remain available to respond to emergencies at home, including the state’s own heightened wildfire risk during the summer season.

    This deployment builds on California’s far-reaching efforts to aid other states during emergencies. In 2023, California deployed Urban Search and Rescue members to Hawaii to support wildfire response. In 2022, California deployed firefighters, disaster recovery experts, and other personnel to Montana, New Mexico, and Oregon. In 2021, California sent fire engines to assist Oregon’s response to the Bootleg Fire and Specialized Urban Search and Rescue Resources teams to Florida following the Surfside condo collapse.

    Press releases, Recent news

    Recent news

    Jul 9, 2025

    News Sacramento, California – Acting Governor Eleni Kounalakis today issued a proclamation declaring July 2025 as Disability Pride Month.The text of the proclamation and a copy can be found below: PROCLAMATION California joins communities around the nation in…

    Jul 9, 2025

    News What you need to know: Governor Newsom announced $35 million for law enforcement partners, local governments and community groups tackling impaired driving. Sacramento, California – Helping to address the dangers of driving under the influence of alcohol or…

    Jul 8, 2025

    News SACRAMENTO — As wildfire conditions intensify across the Pacific Northwest, Governor Newsom has directed the deployment of a CAL FIRE Type 3 engine strike team to assist firefighting efforts in southern Oregon. The deployment includes five fire engines and a…

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Shaheen, New Hampshire Delegation Blast Trump’s “Big Beautiful Betrayal”

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Jeanne Shaheen

    (Manchester, NH) – This week, U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH), alongside Representatives Chris Pappas (NH-01) and Maggie Goodlander (NH-02), held a press conference at Waypoint to highlight the harmful impacts of Republicans’ disastrous budget megabill on New Hampshire. You can view front page coverage of the press conference here or in full below.

    The bill will take health care and food assistance away from millions while also ending tax credits that help folks save on their utility bills, all to give tax breaks to billionaires and corporations. More than 46,000 Granite Staters will lose their health care coverage through Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act and thousands risk losing food assistance. It will also raise household energy and health care bills for everyone while adding trillions to the debt, in order to give the top .1% of people an extra $300,000 a year on average.

    More Below:

    Union Leader: N.H. Dem delegation calls Trump bu­­dget the ‘big betrayal’

    • Speaking at a news conference at Waypoint in Manchester, the quartet charged what Trump has called the “big, beautiful bill” will cut off health care to 45,000 Granite Staters and reduce or eliminate SNAP food benefits for low-income families while raising energy and property taxes for the entire state.
    • “There is nothing beautiful about taking health care and food from struggling families and giving tax cuts to billionaires,” said U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen. “What the president calls the big, beautiful bill, I call the big betrayal of the American people.”

    WMUR: NH congressional delegation unites to blast local effects of spending, tax cut bill

    • The full New Hampshire congressional delegation continues to sound the alarm over the impacts of the budget reconciliation legislation that is now the law of the land, saying cuts to Medicaid will be felt far beyond the social safety net.
    • Shaheen and Hassan, along with U.S. Reps. Chris Pappas and Maggie Goodlander, said the bill is going to downshift costs from the federal government to the states and from states to taxpayers.

    NHPR: New Hampshire’s congressional delegation condemns U.S. budget bill

    • Shaheen said working parents, children and seniors could also lose access to SNAP (Supplemental Food Assistance Program) benefits, and families that use low income heating assistance could be affected as tax energy credits for efficiency have been eliminated from the federal budget.
    • “I don’t think this is what the people in New Hampshire want to see, and it’s certainly not what Americans deserve,” Shaheen said. “At a moment when tariffs are already squeezing Americans’ cost of living, Congress should be doing better. We should be expanding affordable health care, not cutting it to fund tax breaks for the wealthiest and the biggest corporations.”

    Fox News: Dems say their increasingly ‘frustrated’ base is mobilized in the fight against Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’

    • “The big beautiful betrayal of the American people” is how longtime Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, the dean of the delegation, described the sweeping Republican-crafted domestic policy package.
    • The delegation teamed up on Tuesday in New Hampshire’s largest city at Waypoint, which notes that it’s the state’s longest-running home and community-based care charitable organization. Waypoint officials noted that roughly three-quarters of the people they service are on Medicaid.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: U.S. Sens. Warner & Kaine Applaud Senate Reapproval of VA Medical Facility Leases

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Commonwealth of Virginia Mark R Warner

    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) issued the following statement after the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works voted to approve updated authorizations for 18 Veterans Affairs (VA) major medical facility leases, including a proposed lease for an outpatient clinic in Hampton Roads:

    “We are very encouraged to see the Senate EPW Committee heed our request to quickly reauthorize 18 VA medical facility leases, including one for a new outpatient clinic in Hampton Roads. This facility would fill a critical gap, providing broader access and more convenient services for veterans on the south side of the region, who currently represent over 60 percent of the Hampton VA Medical Center’s patient base. We will continue to press our colleagues in the House of Representatives to finalize the reauthorization process and ensure that our nation’s veterans are not forced to endure unacceptable wait times or travel burdensome distances to access the high-quality care they have earned through their sacrifice and dedication.”

    While these leases were originally authorized under the PACT Act, which both senators strongly supported, updated cost estimates and rent bids prompted the VA and the General Services Administration (GSA) to seek reauthorization from four congressional committees. To date, the leases have been reapproved by the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, and the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. One final approval, from the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, remains.

    Sens. Warner and Kaine have long fought to expand health care and benefits for Virginia’s nearly 700,000 veterans. Sens. Warner and Kaine began raising the alarm about the significant backlog of unapproved VA leases in 2016. After putting significant pressure on officials across the federal government, Congress unanimously passed the Providing Veterans Overdue Care Act, legislation written by Sen. Warner and supported by Sen. Kaine, to cut the backlog and get over two dozen delayed VA medical facilities’ leases approved.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: U.S. Sens. Warner & Kaine Applaud Senate Reapproval of VA Medical Facility Leases

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Commonwealth of Virginia Mark R Warner

    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) issued the following statement after the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works voted to approve updated authorizations for 18 Veterans Affairs (VA) major medical facility leases, including a proposed lease for an outpatient clinic in Hampton Roads:

    “We are very encouraged to see the Senate EPW Committee heed our request to quickly reauthorize 18 VA medical facility leases, including one for a new outpatient clinic in Hampton Roads. This facility would fill a critical gap, providing broader access and more convenient services for veterans on the south side of the region, who currently represent over 60 percent of the Hampton VA Medical Center’s patient base. We will continue to press our colleagues in the House of Representatives to finalize the reauthorization process and ensure that our nation’s veterans are not forced to endure unacceptable wait times or travel burdensome distances to access the high-quality care they have earned through their sacrifice and dedication.”

    While these leases were originally authorized under the PACT Act, which both senators strongly supported, updated cost estimates and rent bids prompted the VA and the General Services Administration (GSA) to seek reauthorization from four congressional committees. To date, the leases have been reapproved by the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, and the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. One final approval, from the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, remains.

    Sens. Warner and Kaine have long fought to expand health care and benefits for Virginia’s nearly 700,000 veterans. Sens. Warner and Kaine began raising the alarm about the significant backlog of unapproved VA leases in 2016. After putting significant pressure on officials across the federal government, Congress unanimously passed the Providing Veterans Overdue Care Act, legislation written by Sen. Warner and supported by Sen. Kaine, to cut the backlog and get over two dozen delayed VA medical facilities’ leases approved.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cassidy Meets with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to Discuss Peace in the Middle East

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Louisiana Bill Cassidy

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) released the following statement after meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss U.S. support for Israel. The meeting comes after President Trump’s successful efforts to secure a ceasefire between Israel and Iran.
    “Prime Minister Netanyahu forcibly put forward his case of how peace in the Middle East can result from a successful raid upon Iran, and how the Iranian government is oppressing its own people and destabilizing the region. He was very convincing,” said Dr. Cassidy.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cantwell Pushes Energy Nominee to Uphold Hanford Tri-Party Agreement & Consent Decree

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell

    07.09.25

    Cantwell Pushes Energy Nominee to Uphold Hanford Tri-Party Agreement & Consent Decree

    Questions Timothy Walsh, nominee to be Assistant Secretary of Energy for Environmental Management, on support for Hanford cleanup plan

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), a senior member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, pushed Timothy Walsh, nominee to be Assistant Secretary of Energy for Environmental Management, to prioritize Hanford cleanup and uphold the Tri-Party Agreement and the Consent Decree milestones.

    Sen. Cantwell questioned Mr. Walsh today during a hearing of the committee.

    Sen. Cantwell: Do you commit to upholding the Tri-Party Agreement and the Consent Decree milestones that are part of this process?

    Walsh: Yeah. Thank you for that question. Senator Cantwell, and you know, before I really look forward to getting out to Hanford, meeting you out there, and digging into this. It’s a critically important mission. The people of Washington state and indeed, all Americans deserve to live in a safe, clean environment. I know this has been an ongoing process.

    Cantwell: This is a federal responsibility, right?

    Walsh: It is.

    Cantwell: So, it’s the federal government’s responsibility. We just are a little more of a watchdog just because we’re there. Yes, and we have to be.

    Walsh: And I’m a man of action. I understand the consent agreement. I understand the Tri-Party Agreement. It has outlined the framework of the cleanup and responsibilities, and has, it’s a living document that’s been modified a few times over the last 20 years, and you have my commitment that we’re going to work together and that it’s going to be a priority in the Office of Environmental Management.

    Cantwell: What nuclear waste understanding and technical expertise would you bring to the situation?

    Walsh: Well, I can tell you that I’m a quick learner [and have] an engineering background. I’m a sort of an engineering geek, and like anything I’ve accomplished in my life, whether it was building a complex semiconductor plant, you rely on the experts. And I think what Washington, you know, Hanford site needs is really leadership and a good, solid plan that’s well executed, and that’s what I intend to bring.

    The negotiated agreement, which includes the Tri-Party Agreement, spells out how the State of Washington, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), and the U.S.. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) must cooperate to ensure that cleanup of the radioactive nuclear waste at Hanford remains in compliance with federal law.

    Sen. Cantwell has long championed Hanford clean-up and played a leading role in overseeing the DOE’s cleanup efforts, fighting numerous Administration proposals to cut Hanford budgets. 

    Throughout the first Trump administration, Sen. Cantwell repeatedly led the charge in opposing drastic cuts to the Hanford budget, and in 2020 she led a successful effort to defeat a provision in the annual National Defense Authorization Act that could have diverted billions in funding from ongoing clean-up projects.

    In January 2021, at the nomination hearing for former Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm, Sen. Cantwell secured a pledge to fully fund Hanford cleanup from the nominee. Secretary Granholm visited the DOE’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland and the Hanford site with Sen. Cantwell in August 2022 and they discussed the need for increased and sustained funding.

    Sen. Cantwell also questioned Audrey Robertson, nominee to be Assistant Secretary of Energy for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, about cuts to that department that could affect battery technology research at Pacific Northwest National Labs (PNNL). The administration’s proposed budget for DOE would require PNNL to conduct significant layoffs.

    Video of today’s committee hearing is available HERE, and a transcript HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Greenpeace holds dawn commemoration of 40 years since Rainbow Warrior bombing, death of photographer Fernando Pereira

    Source: Greenpeace

    Greenpeace Aotearoa held a dawn ceremony on board the Rainbow Warrior this morning to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the bombing of the original Rainbow Warrior and the death of photographer Fernando Pereira. The ceremony was hosted by Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei and attended by over a 150 people.
    Greenpeace Aotearoa Executive Director Dr Russel Norman, speaking from the deck of the Rainbow Warrior says, “French government agents came from the other side of the planet not only to kill our friend and colleague, and to kill our ship, but most of all they came here to try to kill our dream of a nuclear free Pacific.
    “And it is true that they killed Fernando, and it is true that they sank the first Rainbow Warrior, now resting in the north of Aotearoa under the watchful eye of Ngāti Kura at Matauri Bay.
    “But it is not true that they killed our dream of a nuclear-free Pacific. In fact, their act of violence was a catalyst for the further growth of the nuclear-free movement here and around the world.”
    At the time of the bombing in 1985, the Rainbow Warrior was preparing to lead a flotilla to Mororoa to protest French nuclear testing.
    Greenpeace International Programme Director Carmen Gravitt, also speaking from the Rainbow Warrior, said, “The French government tried to silence these voices with violence, fear, and intimidation. But they miscalculated. Instead of breaking our movement, they amplified it. They blew wind into our sails.”
    “We built a new Rainbow Warrior and sailed to Moruroa. The peoples of the Pacific rose. And the world joined them. Together, we did not stop – not until we won and France halted its nuclear testing.
    “Every right we have today was won by people who dared to fight for it. People who demanded the vote even when it was dangerous, workers who demanded dignity even when it cost them everything, indigenous peoples and frontline communities who demanded justice even when no one thought they could win. Today, we also honour them. And humbly seek to carry their legacy forward.”
    In the wake of the bombing of the first Rainbow Warrior, protests and international pressure against nuclear weapons testing continued to build. Greenpeace mounted three further protest expeditions to Mururoa in 1990, 1992 and 1995 on board the second Rainbow Warrior.
    In 1995, the Rainbow Warrior sailed into the test zone, defying exclusion orders and attempting to disrupt the tests, drawing global media attention and support. French forces seized the ship and arrested the crew, sparking widespread international condemnation. Although six tests went ahead, the intense backlash contributed to France announcing a permanent end to nuclear testing in 1996.
    Greenpeace Aotearoa says today is a moment to reflect on the past, and remember the life of Fernando Pereira, the photographer who was killed in the bombing. But the organisation also says it is a moment to look to the future and to challenge current attacks on environmental protest.
    “There’s no doubt that we’re facing challenging times. Nature is under attack. Peace and democracy are under attack too. The world feels more unstable than ever,” says Norman.
    “But when the environment and democracy are threatened, we all have to step up and get braver. The bravery of the nuclear-free activists – who sailed into a test zone and put themselves at enormous risk – is an inspiration for the courage we need to find now in the face of the climate and biodiversity crisis.”
    The Rainbow Warrior will be open for tours of the ship for the next two week

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Marshall: Farm Security is National Security

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kansas Roger Marshall
    Senator Marshall Joins Vince Coglianese to Talk About the Trump Administration’s Action Plan to Ban U.S. Farmland Purchases by China
    Washington – On Wednesday, U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas), joined Vince Coglianese on The VINCE Show to discuss the importance of protecting American farmland from hostile foreign nations, Joe Biden’s doctor being subpoenaed before the House Oversight Committee, and how the Senate will go after leftist institutional programs via the recissions package.
    Click HERE or on the image above to watch Senator Marshall’s full remarks.
    On China buying American farmland and the threat it poses:
    “… Farm security, food security, is national security – we take it for granted. China, their nationals, their people, have purchased only about 300,000 acres of land. It’s not the land, but it’s the location that matters. They have land right next to Whiteman Air Force Base. That’s where our B-2 bombers took off from for their mission to Iran. Back home, Fort Riley, Kansas, is near and dear to my heart – they have land close to that. So, it looks like they strategically purchased land next to military bases. So that in and of itself, they can keep track of what’s coming and going, what new drones do we have, all sorts of things, as you can imagine. So, it’s a national security issue.
    “But beyond that, let’s talk about the other pieces of national security when it comes to agriculture. It’s the food supply chain, so foreign nationals hold about 1/4 of the protein processing in America, pork processing, and beef processing, to be particular. They’re constantly stealing our intellectual property. We have Chinese nationals in our laboratories, at our universities, so they are a constant threat. The one that really scares me is bioterrorism. You know, the next COVID virus, the next thing that they make in a lab in China, you couldn’t imagine that you’d ever have a hot air balloon floating across America… that could be dropping some type of viral particles that would kill all the cattle in America. So that’s the big concern.”
    On the Biden Administration’s failure to act:
    “Let’s talk about why the Biden administration just ignored this. I begged them to make the Secretary of Agriculture part of CFIUS. That’s the committee that assesses foreign investments in the United States from a national security standpoint. Yesterday, President Trump made Secretary Rollins part of CFIUS so she can evaluate each one of these purchases on a case-by-case basis. You know who’s really purchasing the land, right? Is it some proxy, or are they really connected to a country of concern as well?
    “It is absolutely common sense. We brought this to the Biden Administration as we saw this acceleration of these land purchases. The President has the ability to appoint her, Congress can codify it, and we do have legislation that would codify that appointment, make it permanently legal, so that if, heaven forbid, we have another Joe Biden in office, that he wouldn’t take the Secretary of Agriculture off that off that post.”
    On how China has used the land they have purchased:
    “I don’t have any insider information, except to say obviously they’re spying on us. It’s an easy spy spot. But I think what’s more important is what the Trump Administration is going to do here. Basically, they’re going to have an executive order that says China, country of origin, cannot buy any further agricultural land in the United States, period. And they’re going to start a program to start taking land back from them. And you know, Governor Huckabee Sanders, down in Arkansas, has already done that. So, states can do things as well. The state laws, the state governors, can move a little bit more quickly on this. So, I would encourage them to get behind this situation as well. So, I think that the Trump administration is moving again, moving agriculture up to a level of national security.”
    On Secretary Rollins’ statements around ‘No Amnesty’:
    “No amnesty. Period, full stop, end of paragraph, end of sentence, no amnesty. The President made that very clear, and Secretary Rollins reiterated that five times yesterday. Republicans in the Senate are not in favor of amnesty.
    “But two points I’d like to make, though. Number one, we could not have ever even had this discussion until the border was secure. It’s amazing, the border is secure again, The One Big, Beautiful Bill is going to build 2000 miles of barrier, and it’s going to fund that border security for the next four years. Usually, we have to fight every year with the Democratic senators on funding that. But we’re going to double the number of ICE removal agents. I think what we heard Secretary Rollins say yesterday is that they’re going to continue to prioritize the 400,000 violent illegal criminals in this country. And that’s why, I think that’s why you saw DHS Secretary Noem there, and you know, all the different secretaries, the Attorney General, were there saying, look, this is all the above problem that we’re trying to solve. We want to make our farmland secure, and we want to make your family safer as well.
    On Joe Biden’s physician testifying about the former President’s mental decline:
    “You know, I’m a physician as well. I practiced obstetrics and gynecology for 25 years, and maybe I can share a couple analogies from there. Look, this doctor has a legal obligation to come and testify, just like if I had a legal obligation. Let’s say again, I’m an obstetrician. I see a patient in the morning, and she goes out and kills somebody that night. And I’m subpoenaed to the court to come and testify – they would ask me questions. What was her mental status? I’d be obligated to talk about that. Did she say anything that she was interested in killing somebody or herself? I would testify to that.
    “Now, if they ask me if she ever had herpes, has she ever had an STD, has she ever had a miscarriage, I would say, look, that’s patient doctor privilege. It has nothing to do with this case, right? But in this situation, this doctor has every obligation to come talk about the, you know, national security issues regarding the neurogenerative decline of one Joe Biden and how there was an abuse of power with the auto-pen. So, I think that’s fair game, that the law trumps his ethical obligation.
    On the obligation to know who was really in charge during the Biden-Harris Administration:
    “I want my good friend Jamie Comer to go through with this trial. I’m just telling us not to overplay our hand. We cannot stop talking about all the great victories under President Trump, that we’re doing as well. We cannot make this the focus of the Republican Party, but absolutely this doctor absolutely has an obligation to talk about the neurodegenerative decline of one Joe Biden… this is an impact on national security. I think that Congressman Comer is well within his constitutional rights to come in and say, did this President put us at some type of national security threat level? Who was really planned this Afghanistan evacuation debacle? Are there any types of notes? I want to see the notes as the auto pin signed all these pardons. Is there a discussion, you know, with the President that records some of those as well? That would be minimal that I would want to see. So, where there’s smoke, there’s fire, full speed ahead. But we got a great story to tell beyond just Joe Biden’s decline.”
    On the legislation to cut funding to PBS and NPR:
    “I think it’ll come to the floor next week, but I’m embarrassed to tell you that there’s people, Senate Republicans, that are having heartburn about it. Look to your point, $37 trillion of national debt, a trillion dollars a year on interest, and the Senate doesn’t have the kahones to cut $9 billion of total waste, fraud, and abuse. When I sat down with Elon Musk the first time, I gave him a list of the top 10 things that Doge should do, USAID was the top of it, and I put beside it, ‘burn it to the ground.’ Based upon my experiences traveling, seeing what USAID was doing, I knew that there was a lot of fraud and abuse going on with it.
    “And this is also going to defund National Public Radio, Television as well. Look, Kansans back home are tired of their taxpayer money being spent on basically one propaganda unit for the left, right. So, but, but it’s we’ve got some heartburn going on here. Hopefully, we can get it through.”
    On why it’s time to cut funding to USAID, NPR, and PBS:“For over 20 years, we have spent billions of dollars treating people for AIDS in Africa. And I’m so glad we got to do it, but do we need to keep spending a billion dollars a year on that? When does Africa take care of their own problems? When are they going to realize what’s causing AIDS, that there’s ways to prevent it, other than taking a medicine that costs tens of thousands of dollars a month as well. So that’s one piece, the humanitarian part of it as well.
    “And look, there are some moderates within the Republican Party that think National Public Radio should be funded by the government. I disagree. And with today’s media opportunities. I don’t see why the federal government needs to be subsidizing anybody out there in the media, let alone someone who’s so biased as NPR is.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Intermap Announces Jack Hild Retires as Director

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    DENVER, July 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Intermap Technologies Corporation (TSX: IMP; OTCQB: ITMSF) today announced that John (Jack) Hild has retired as an independent member of the Company’s Board of Directors and Director of Intermap Federal Services Inc. (IFSI). Since joining Intermap’s board, Jack has been an important contributor to the Company’s growth by supporting the strategic planning, recruiting and training in advanced defense analysis for the execution team in our federal services segment.

    “We are profoundly grateful to Jack for his leadership, vision and unwavering commitment to Intermap’s mission,” said Patrick A. Blott, Intermap Chairman and CEO. “His unparalleled insight into the defense and intelligence community has strengthened our strategic direction and deepened our engagement with key government partners. On a more personal level, I have benefitted greatly from Jack’s wonderful support, judgement, and friendship.”

    Mr. Hild dedicated three decades to the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), serving over ten years in senior executive roles. After his distinguished career at the NGA, he became CIO and Vice President of Defense and Intelligence Strategy at DigitalGlobe before establishing his consulting practice. His significant contributions to the geospatial field are widely recognized. In 2020, Mr. Hild was inducted into the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency’s Geospatial Intelligence Hall of Fame, one of the industry’s highest honors. He also received the NGA Distinguished Civilian Award and the Norwegian Defense Medal.

    “It has been an honor and privilege to serve on Intermap’s Board and support the Company’s work in delivering mission-critical solutions to the U.S. and Allied civil, defense and intelligence communities,” said Mr. Hild. “I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished together. Intermap’s sensors are unrivaled in the cloud belt, and its commercial flood mapping product is one of the most innovative elevation data and data management services I’ve seen. Intermap’s role with Low Latency Foundation Data has also addressed my decades-old quest to focus attention on foundational geospatial data maintenance processes across the user communities. My expectation is that Intermap will continue to grow with innovative customers and partners that leverage its talented and dedicated team on an increasingly broader range of advanced geospatial intelligence activities.”

    The Board of Directors and management team extend their gratitude to Mr. Hild for his extraordinary service and enduring legacy. His leadership and integrity have left an indelible mark on the Company.

    Intermap Reader Advisory 
    Certain information provided in this news release constitutes forward-looking statements. Words such as “will”, “upcoming” and other similar words and expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Although Intermap believes that these statements are based on information and assumptions which are current, reasonable and complete, these statements are necessarily subject to a variety of known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Intermap’s forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties. While the Company makes these forward-looking statements in good faith, should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary significantly from those expected. Accordingly, no assurances can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will transpire or occur, or if any of them do so, what benefits that the Company will derive therefrom. All subsequent forward-looking statements, whether written or oral, attributable to Intermap or persons acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by these cautionary statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as at the date of this news release and the Company does not undertake any obligation to update publicly or to revise any of the forward-looking statements made herein, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable securities law.

    About Intermap Technologies 
    Founded in 1997 and headquartered in Denver, Colorado, Intermap (TSX: IMP) is a global leader in geospatial intelligence solutions, focusing on the creation and analysis of 3D terrain data to produce high-resolution thematic models. Through scientific analysis of geospatial information and patented sensors and processing technology, the Company provisions diverse, complementary, multi-source datasets to enable customers to seamlessly integrate geospatial intelligence into their workflows. Intermap’s 3D elevation data and software analytic capabilities enable global geospatial analysis through artificial intelligence and machine learning, providing customers with critical information to understand their terrain environment. By leveraging its proprietary archive of the world’s largest collection of multi-sensor global elevation data, the Company’s collection and processing capabilities provide multi-source 3D datasets and analytics at mission speed, enabling governments and companies to build and integrate geospatial foundation data with actionable insights. Applications for Intermap’s products and solutions include defense, aviation and UAV flight planning, flood and wildfire insurance, disaster mitigation, base mapping, environmental and renewable energy planning, telecommunications, engineering, critical infrastructure monitoring, hydrology, land management, oil and gas and transportation. 

    For more information, please visit www.intermap.com or contact:
    Jennifer Bakken
    Executive Vice President and CFO
    CFO@intermap.com
    +1 (303) 708-0955

    Sean Peasgood
    Investor Relations
    Sean@SophicCapital.com
    +1 (647) 260-9266

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SBA Relief Available to Texas Private Nonprofits Affected by July Storms and Flooding

    Source: United States Small Business Administration

    SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced the availability of low interest federal disaster loans to private nonprofit (PNP) organizations in Texas affected by severe storms, straight-line winds and flooding beginning July 2.

    The disaster declaration covers the Texas County of Kerr.

    Under this declaration, PNPs providing non-critical services of a governmental nature impacted by physical damages or financial losses directly related to the disaster are eligible to apply for both business physical damage loans and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) from the SBA. Examples of eligible non-critical PNP organizations include, but are not limited to, food kitchens, homeless shelters, museums, libraries, community centers, schools, and colleges.

    PNPs may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory, and other business assets. Applicants may also be eligible for a loan increase of up to 20% of their physical damage, as verified by the SBA, for mitigation purposes.

    EIDLs are for working capital needs caused by the disaster and are available even if the PNP did not suffer any physical damage. The loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable, and other bills not paid due to the disaster.

    “SBA loans help eligible small businesses and private nonprofits cover operating expenses after a disaster, which is crucial for their recovery,” said Chris Stallings, associate administrator of the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at the SBA. “These loans not only help business owners get back on their feet but also play a key role in sustaining local economies in the aftermath of a disaster.”

    Interest rates are as low as 3.625% for PNPs with terms up to 30 years. Interest does not begin to accrue, and payments are not due until 12 months from the date of the first loan disbursement. The SBA will set loan amounts and terms based on each applicant’s financial condition.

    The SBA encourages applicants to submit their loan applications promptly. Applications will be prioritized in the order they are received, and the SBA remains committed to processing them as efficiently as possible.

    To apply online, visit sba.gov/disaster. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.

    The deadline to return applications for physical property damage is Sept. 4, 2025. The deadline to return economic injury applications is April 6, 2026.

    ###

    About the U.S. Small Business Administration

    The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow, expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reps. Goldman, Raskin Lead Judiciary Democrats in Demanding AG Bondi Release Special Counsel Jack Smith’s Report on Trump’s Mishandling of Classified Documents, Epstein Files

    Source: US Congressman Dan Goldman (NY-10)

    AG Bondi’s Politicized DOJ Has Refused to Release Documents Containing Damaging Information on the President 

     

    Read the Letter Here 

    Washington, D.C. — Congressmen Dan Goldman (NY-10) and Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee Jamie Raskin (MD-08) led Committee Democrats in an oversight letter demanding Attorney General Pam Bondi release the entirety of Special Counsel Jack Smith’s report on President Donald Trump’s refusal to return classified documents after he left office, along with any evidence in the Epstein files mentioning Trump, that the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) have withheld from the public. 

    “Five months ago, the Department of Justice (DOJ) dismissed the pending case against Walt Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira, depriving the American public of an opportunity to hear the evidence of how they conspired with Donald Trump to help him stash hundreds of highly classified records at his Mar-a-Lago Club, defy subpoenas, obstruct law enforcement, hide evidence, and lie about his continuing retention of these records. Since then, you have continued to conceal the evidence against Donald Trump and his co-conspirators by refusing to release the report of Special Counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into this matter. You have done so even as House Judiciary Committee Republicans continue to make baseless claims of bias and misconduct on the part of Special Counsel Smith and compel testimony from members of his team—all without a shred of evidence. Your conduct is particularly worrisome as it appears to be part of a pattern of using the DOJ to cover up evidence of criminal wrongdoing by President Trump, including information allegedly contained in the Epstein files. We write today to demand that you release the Smith report immediately, as well as any evidence mentioning or referencing Donald Trump in the Epstein files,” the Members wrote. 

    Volume I of the Special Counsel’s report was released publicly by Attorney General Merrick Garland in January, but DOJ did not release Volume II at that time due to a pending case against Trump co-defendants Waltine Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira. The case was dismissed in February after Trump’s DOJ moved to drop it, but Attorney General Bondi has sought to indefinitely block the disclosure of the remainer of the report. 

    While refusing to release the full report, DOJ is cooperating with House Republicans’ continued probe of Special Counsel Smith’s investigation and prosecution of President Trump in a desperate and failed effort to find evidence of bias or misconduct. DOJ has acquiesced to Chairman Jim Jordan’s requests for testimony of line-level prosecutors in Special Counsel Smith’s office, without objections or restrictions—a position at odds with the Department’s longstanding policy to protect line prosecutors and prosecutorial deliberations. 

    The Trump Administration has consistently hidden from the public materials and information that may be damaging to Trump. Earlier this month, former senior administration official Elon Musk posted on X that President Trump “is in the Epstein files. That is the real reason they have not been made public.” 

    In February, DOJ and the FBI came under intense public criticism for releasing a “first phase” of the Epstein files that consisted largely of information that was already public. Despite reportedly ordering hundreds of agents to work marathon sessions in order to prepare more batches of records for public release, Attorney General Bondi has not released additional records. Just this week, the FBI stated that it has determined “no further disclosure would be appropriate or warranted.”   

    “The American people deserve uncensored answers and authentic transparency from this Administration and a full understanding of Mr. Trump’s actions. We call on you to stop protecting your boss and former client, release the Smith report in full without redactions immediately, and publicly release all documents in the Epstein files that mention or reference Donald Trump,” the Members concluded. 

    Today’s letter follows a months-long push by House Judiciary Democrats for the full public release of Special Counsel Smith’s report. In February, Congressman Goldman and Ranking Member Raskin led Democrats in a letter to Attorney General Bondi urging her to release Volume Two of Special Counsel Smith’s report. In January, Congressman Goldman and Ranking Member Raskin led House Judiciary Democrats in sending a letter to then-Attorney General Garland, urging him to take all necessary steps to ensure the reports’ release. 
    Read the letter here or below. 

    Dear Attorney General Bondi:

    Five months ago, the Department of Justice (DOJ) dismissed the pending case against Waltine Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira, depriving the American public of an opportunity to hear the evidence of how they conspired with Donald Trump to help him stash hundreds of highly classified records at his Mar-a-Lago Club, defy subpoenas, obstruct law enforcement, hide evidence, and lie about his continuing retention of these records. Since then, you have continued to conceal the evidence against Donald Trump and his co-conspirators by refusing to release the report of Special Counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into this matter. You have done so even as House Judiciary Committee Republicans continue to make baseless claims of bias and misconduct on the part of Special Counsel Smith and compel testimony from members of his team—all without a shred of evidence. Your conduct is particularly worrisome as it appears to be part of a pattern of using the DOJ to cover up evidence of criminal wrongdoing by President Trump, including information allegedly contained in the Epstein files. We write today to demand that you release the Smith report immediately, as well as any evidence mentioning or referencing Donald Trump in the Epstein files.

    Attorney General Merrick Garland publicly released Volume I of Mr. Smith’s report in January, consistent with DOJ regulations, longstanding precedent, and the orders of both Judge Aileen Cannon and the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals. At that time, the DOJ did not publicly release Volume II of Special Counsel Smith’s report—regarding his investigation into Mr. Trump’s retention of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago Club after his first term in office—to avoid any prejudice to President Trump’s co-defendants, Waltine Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira, while the criminal case against them was still ongoing. The DOJ has since dropped the case against Mr. Nauta and Mr. De Oliveira, and their case was dismissed on February 11, 2025. Yet, according to DOJ’s court filing in March 2025, you have sought to indefinitely block the disclosure of the remainder of the report.

    This position is plainly impossible to reconcile with the Department’s regulations and longstanding practice of publicly releasing reports by special counsels. Your predecessor Attorney General Garland released, in full and without any redactions, three special counsel reports written during his tenure: Special Counsel Robert Hur’s report on President Joe Biden’s possession of classified documents, Special Counsel David Weiss’ report on Hunter Biden’s tax and gun offenses, and V olume One of Special Counsel Jack Smith’s report on President Trump’s efforts to remain in power after losing the 2020 presidential election. Attorney General Garland also released Special Counsel John Durham’s report on the origins of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) investigation of links between Russian officials and Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign.

    Your approach is also at odds with your decision to cooperate with House Republicans’ continued probe of Special Counsel Smith’s investigation and prosecution of President Trump in their failed effort to find any evidence of bias or misconduct. Thus far, Chairman Jordan has taken the deposition of Jay Bratt, Counselor to Special Counsel Smith, who asserted his Fifth Amendment privilege due to reasonable concerns that he was being targeted by the Trump Administration for doing his duty as a prosecutor. Committee Republicans have also requested and obtained the testimony of two additional former line-level prosecutors in Special Counsel Smith’s office, which Chairman Jordan baselessly accused of having “orchestrated a partisan and politically motivated prosecution of President Donald J. Trump and his co-defendants.” Your DOJ has acquiesced to these requests without objections or restrictions, taking a highly unusual position at odds with decades of longstanding DOJ policy to protect line prosecutors and prosecutorial deliberations.

     It is particularly instructive that you have apparently decided to allow prosecutors to testify about their years long investigation of President Trump, even as you refuse to release the fruit of that investigation, forcing the prosecutors to defend themselves essentially with hands tied behind their backs. DOJ officials have also repeatedly sought to disparage and discredit Special Counsel Smith’s investigation. Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove —in his confirmation hearing for his nomination by President Trump to the Third Circuit Court of Appeals attacked Mr. Smith’s office as weaponized and falsely claimed that members of Mr. Smith’s team “act[ed] based on their political beliefs as opposed to the law.” Just as revealing, Chairman Jordan has refused to join our calls for the release of the full Smith report— presumably a key piece of evidence in his investigation—although he professed in his March 17, 2025, letter to you to “share your commitment to restoring accountability and transparency to the Department.”

     This Administration has repeatedly claimed that President Trump is “the most transparent and accessible president in American history.” So far, your DOJ has not only failed to live up to this promise, but you have also consistently hidden from the American public materials and information that may be damaging to President Trump. Earlier last month, Elon Musk, the former senior advisor to President Trump and head of the Department of Government Efficiency, posted on his social media website, X, that President Trump “is in the Epstein files. That is the real reason they have not been made public.” His tweet, which has since been deleted, was clearly referring to records related to the investigation of Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted sex offender, in the possession of the FBI and DOJ.

    At his confirmation hearing, Director Patel vowed to release the Epstein files, stating that he would “make sure the American public knows the full weight of what happened.”17 In February 2025, you came under intense public criticism after releasing the “first phase” of roughly 200 pages of the Epstein files that consisted largely of information that was already public. Subsequently, you reportedly ordered hundreds of FBI agents, many of whom were usually focusing on national security matters, to review the Epstein files. Agents that were assigned for this review reportedly “clocked more than 100 hours of work over the most recent two-week pay period, including a marathon session last weekend, during which they slept on desks while waiting for new batches of Epstein records to process.” In April, you claimed the FBI was reviewing “tens of thousands of videos” of Mr. Epstein “with children or child porn.” Despite this immense effort, no additional Epstein records have been released, and just this week, the FBI stated that it has determined “no further disclosure would be appropriate or warranted.” This raises the question of whether the White House has moved to prevent the declassification and public release of the full Epstein files because they implicate President Trump, and whether these massive redaction efforts and the withholding of the files were intended to shield your boss from embarrassing revelations within those files.

    It is not a coincidence that President Trump installed his personal legal team to top positions at the DOJ, appointing you, Todd Blanche, Emil Bove who all served as his defense counsel at one time or another—to the three most senior positions at DOJ, and Stanley Woodward, defense counsel for Mr. Trump’s co-defendant Waltine Nauta in the classified documents case, as the Associate Attorney General, another top position at the DOJ. By doing so, DOJ has all but turned into President Trump’s personal law firm, ensuring that damaging information about him would remain hidden from public view. The American people deserve uncensored answers and authentic transparency from this Administration and a full understanding of Mr. Trump’s actions. We call on you to stop protecting your boss and former client, release the Smith report in full without redactions immediately, and publicly release all documents in the Epstein files that mention or reference Donald Trump. 

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cityland: Congressman Goldman Outlines Solutions to Lack of Public Trust in Government

    Source: US Congressman Dan Goldman (NY-10)

    New York, NY – In June, Congressman Dan Goldman delivered the keynote speech at the New York Law School’s 199th CityLaw Breakfast, titled: “Democracy on the Brink: Corruption and the Public Trust.” In his keynote, Goldman outlined the damage being done by rampant public corruption to public confidence in government and the social contract. Goldman then outlined a pathway forward that ranged from changes in broader civic culture to specific legislative items. 

    Read coverage of the keynote from CityLand here and below, read Goldman’s remarks as prepared here, and watch Goldman’s full speech here. 
    CityLand: Congressman Goldman Outlines Solutions to Lack of Public Trust in Government 

    By Ili Pecullan 

    July 8, 2025 

    According to Congressman Dan Goldman, a second-term Democrat representing New York’s 10th Congressional District, the fundamental principles of American democracy are being tested like never before. But even as he identifies abuses of power by President Donald Trump and the self-inflicted fraying of checks and balances thanks to decisions by Republicans who have the majority in both houses of Congress and decisions by the conservative-led Supreme Court, Goldman also sees bipartisan problems that shake public trust in government. And he is calling for action to reverse worsening trends while planning to rewrite the public corruption rulebook. 

    On June 17, Goldman appeared at New York Law School, where he was the featured speaker for the school’s 199th CityLaw Breakfast hosted by its Center for New York City and State Law. Goldman’s speech, which was followed by a brief audience Q&A, was titled, “Democracy on the Brink: Corruption and the Public Trust.” 

    Goldman is a former federal prosecutor as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of New York and served as the lead counsel in the first impeachment of President Donald Trump, which revolved around his efforts to leverage aid to Ukraine for his personal political purposes. His district includes Lower Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn, and was newly drawn in the post-Census redistricting process earlier this decade. 

    In his talk, Goldman outlined many ways in which he sees Trump abusing his power and not being held to account by Republicans in Congress or the Supreme Court, but also several other examples of both Democrats and Republicans betraying the public trust. He provided a series of recommendations for legislative action Congress could take to prevent corruption across the three branches of the federal government and down through other levels as well, and explained how he is working to advance solutions. 

    Goldman cited, for example, Trump accepting a luxury jet from the royal family of Qatar without the consent of Congress and selling VIP White House tours to the top buyers of his cryptocurrency to advance his own financial interests. According to Goldman, Trump’s actions in this term and his prior one are both cause and effect of the public’s growing assumption that all politicians are corrupt, the broader loss of trust in government, Republicans’ failure to hold their own accountable, and both parties’ failure to fix the system. 

    “When those in power use their position to enrich themselves, to favor their allies, or to punish their enemies, that social contract begins to dissolve, and that broken trust is in my view what has paved the way for the resurrection of the current president of the White House,” Goldman said. 

    During his speech, Goldman expressed shock and dismay over ways in which the Legislature and Supreme Court have reduced their own power to allow Trump to have more. He also referenced recent corruption cases involving Democrats, like former New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez, who was convicted on public corruption charges, and New York City Mayor Eric Adams, who was indicted on public corruption charges that were then dismissed at the Trump administration’s behest in a widely criticized deal. 

    Among Goldman’s suggested solutions to the practices that have put U.S. democracy in a precarious state are changes in broader civic culture to specific legislative items. He stressed the need for a “renewed commitment to ethical government from candidates,” including holding themselves and members of their own party to a higher standard. For example, members of Congress should not buy individual stocks and should provide full transparency into their campaign finances, helping voters see that politicians are in office to advance the interests of their constituents, not their own personal gain. These actions, which Congress should work to make required by law, he said, would increase public trust in elected officials and provide new checks on their behavior. He referenced putting his own vast investment portfolio into a blind trust upon taking office in 2023. 

    “We can no longer trust that our elected officials, especially our president, will view the plain language of the Constitution as binding,” Goldman said, pointing to the need for new laws. Congress must pass legislation to clearly codify elements of the Constitution that prevent corruption, such as the Hatch Act and the Emoluments Clause, he said. Additionally, Goldman said, “I believe we must draft legislation to codify the independence of the Department of Justice from personal influence by the President.” 

    Goldman also said he is in the process of rewriting federal public corruption laws, in order to ensure that all politicians have a “clear and uniform understanding of what is and is not official corruption.” Not only is there a lack of clarity in the current public corruption laws, he said, but the Supreme Court has also narrowed the reach of federal corruption laws through several rulings. These changes, which he indicated he will propose in the near future, would not only help restore more balance of power in the federal government, he said, but show voters that they can better trust candidates, elected officials, and government. 

    Goldman closed his speech by also addressing the important role that voters play in preventing government corruption and holding politicians accountable.  “We can, we must, we will do better,” he said. “History is watching us.” 

    ### 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New Storm Shadow and missile cooperation to boost jobs as UK and France reboot defence relationship

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    New Storm Shadow and missile cooperation to boost jobs as UK and France reboot defence relationship

    A new ‘Entente Industrielle’ will support thousands of UK jobs across projects including air-to air missiles

    Britain and France are to order more highly lethal Storm Shadow cruise missiles, while stepping up work on its replacement as part of a new refreshed agreement signed today (Thursday 10 July). 

    The new agreement will see the UK and France commit to launch the next phase of their joint project for both deep strike and anti-ship missiles – a step closer to selecting a final design for Storm Shadow’s replacement. 

    The joint development effort will sustain 1,300 highly skilled jobs across the UK, boosting the economy in line with the Government’s Plan for Change. Upgrading the existing Storm Shadow production lines will support more than 300 jobs at manufacturer MBDA. 

    The Prime Minister and President Emmanuel Macron will also today agree to deepen their nuclear cooperation and work more closely than ever before on nuclear deterrence.

    In an important step forward for the UK-France nuclear partnership – a newly signed declaration will state for the first time that the respective deterrents of both countries are independent but can be co-ordinated, and that there is no extreme threat to Europe that would not prompt a response by both nations.

    As such, any adversary threatening the vital interests of Britain or France could be confronted by the strength of the nuclear forces of both nations. Co-operation between both countries on nuclear research will also deepen, while working together to uphold the international non-proliferation architecture.

    The UK and France are Europe’s only nuclear powers, with deterrents that contribute significantly to the overall security of NATO and the Euro-Atlantic.

    Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, said:

    From war in Europe, to new nuclear risks and daily cyber-attacks – the threats we face are multiplying.

    As close partners and NATO allies, the UK and France have a deep history of defence collaboration and today’s agreements take our partnership to the next level. 

    We stand ready to use our shared might to advance our joint capabilities – equipping us for the decades to come while supporting thousands of UK jobs and keeping our people safe. 

    Defence Secretary, John Healey MP, said:   

    The UK and France are stepping up together to meet today’s threats and tomorrow’s challenges. We are committed to driving defence as an engine for growth, delivering better fighting capabilities faster, and ensuring our armed forces can operate side by side – from the High North to the Black Sea. 

    This partnership strengthens our leadership in Europe, ensures continued support for Ukraine, and sends a clear signal to our adversaries that we stand stronger, together.

    By deepening defence industrial cooperation with France, it will boost the UK’s own national resilience, ability to deter against attacks, and defend against threats, reinforcing the contribution to NATO.

    The new partnerships will be developed under the refreshed Lancaster House agreement through a new ‘Entente Industrielle’ making defence an engine for growth. 

    These partnerships include:   

    • Agreeing to build the next generation of deep strike, anti-ship missiles, replacing the lethally effective Storm Shadow. This new joint effort will sustain 1,300 high skilled jobs in the UK, boosting the UK economy in line with the Government’s Plan for Change
    • Upgrading the existing Storm Shadow cruise missile production lines in Stevenage to bolster national stockpiles, supporting more than 300 jobs within MBDA and the wider supply chain and making defence investment an engine for growth
    • Jointly developing the next generation of beyond visual range air-to-air missiles for the Royal Air Force’s fighter jets 
    • Starting work on new advanced weapons to give an advantage against adversaries. This will include a new partnership to develop high-tech radiofrequency weapons such as microwave weapons and jammers that could be used to shoot down threats like drones and missiles 
    • The UK and France will also look to harness the power of AI to make their missiles and drones more lethal, by developing algorithms for synchronised strikes

    Under an ambitious new package of defence cooperation under the Lancaster House 2.0 declaration, both countries’ militaries will work closer together than ever before. Recognising the increased threat to European security, the UK and France will expand its jointly deployable force, refocusing it on defending Europe, moving to warfighting readiness to deter, and countering any adversaries. 

    The Combined Joint Force will be able to command a Combined UK/French Corps for the first time – the highest scale of deployed ground forces from a command perspective – made up of thousands of troops and working side-by-side with NATO allies.  

    For the first time it will also integrate space and cyber to counter new threats, boosting the abilities of the UK and France’s joint forces to quickly respond to developments on the battlefield through increased awareness and responsiveness supported by data from beyond just the ground, sea, and air.

    The Combined Joint Force is a crucial step forward in the UK and France stepping up their leadership within NATO, setting a clear path to meet the Government’s Strategic Defence Review commitment of NATO’s strategic Reserve Corp and stepping up on European security. 

    The UK and France will reaffirm their joint leadership of the Coalition of the Willing – a group of over 30 nations working together to coordinate military support for Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire. The CJF structures provide the bedrock for the coalition, enabling allies to operate under UK-French leadership.  

    This will include cooperating further on an integrated missile system to defend Europe. The UK-led DIAMOND initiative will improve NATO’s integrated air and missile defence by ensuring that the different air defence systems across the Alliance operate better and more jointly across the alliance. 

    These new agreements will continue to build on the Government’s first priority of keeping the country safe, which is a foundation of the Plan for Change.

    Updates to this page

    Published 9 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Next stage of engagement begins on Heritage Conservation Act improvements

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    The Province, in partnership with First Nations, is moving to the third stage of consultation and engagement on improving the Heritage Conservation Act, which was last substantively updated 30 years ago, in 1996.

    Project background

    For many years, people and organizations that interact with the act – First Nations, industry, landowners, professional archeologists, heritage organizations and more – have raised challenges with the act and its administration.

    These include a lack of awareness of the presence of heritage on properties, lack of clarity regarding First Nations’ role in the management of their cultural heritage, unintended impacts to protected heritage sites, and project delays.

    A number of recent improvements have been made under the current act to address challenges raised, including revisions to existing processes and policies that have reduced the act’s permitting timelines for residential projects by 24% since January 2024 and will see reduction in turnaround times across all sectors; as well as improving resources for landowners navigating rebuilding after disasters. Some administrative amendments were also made to the act in 2019.

    However, it has been broadly recognized that substantive amendments to the act and the regulations it enables are necessary to address key deficiencies in the current state of protection, management and conservation of heritage in B.C., including:

    • lack of awareness of the presence of protected heritage sites that leads to preventable impacts, permitting delays and project uncertainty;
    • the administration of multiple act permits, each averaging 300 days for review and processing with the need for permits often discovered mid-project, that leads to costly work stoppages and unanticipated delays; and
    • significant changes in the recognition and interpretation of First Nations rights, authority and jurisdiction since the act was last substantively updated in 1996 and the passage of the Declaration Act.

    In 2021, the minister of forests was mandated to partner with First Nations through the joint working group on First Nations Heritage Conservation to engage broadly with First Nations and stakeholders to improve the act.

    Mandating process

    The minister was given a mandate for two project phases with broad engagement, prior to returning to cabinet for a mandate to conduct a third phase of engagement to refine potential legislative and regulatory changes and, ultimately, develop updates to the legislation. Phase 1 engagement was undertaken in 2022–23, with feedback from 108 First Nations and 188 stakeholder organizations. Engagement included 12 audience-specific sessions to understand specific needs of archeology and heritage professionals, the land and resource development sector, the construction and real estate industry, and local and federal government agencies, seven First Nations sessions, written submissions and an online survey.

    Phase 2 engagement was undertaken in 2023, with feedback from 43 First Nations and 184 organizations. Engagement included stakeholder and First Nations sessions.

    A mandate has now been given to undertake Phase 3 engagement between July and early October 2025 with First Nations, stakeholder organizations with interest in the act, and the general public.

    Following Phase 3 engagement, legislative amendments will be developed in consultation and co-operation with First Nations and with feedback from stakeholders, with a goal to table updated legislation in spring 2026.

    What we heard

    Feedback received to date can be distilled into four core needs:

    1. Speed up permitting decisions, prevent unanticipated and unnecessary delays, and reduce costs for project work under the act.
    2. Help people and communities rebuild quicker after disasters, such as wildfires and floods.
    3. Protect heritage more effectively, reducing the risk of accidental damage to sacred or historic sites.
    4. Strengthen the role of First Nations in decision-making about their own heritage and ancestors, consistent with the Declaration Act. 

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Maryland Woman Charged with Tax Refund Fraud

    Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

    A federal grand jury in Baltimore, Maryland, returned an indictment, unsealed late last week, charging a Maryland woman with tax fraud, theft of government funds, and money laundering.

    The following is according to the indictment: between December 2019 and March 2020, Kendra Nicole Scarborough, of Oxon Hill, allegedly assisted with the preparation and filing of false tax returns in order to receive large refunds from the IRS to which she was not entitled. On those returns, Scarborough allegedly claimed nonexistent payments or withholdings and requested more than $1.1 million in refunds. As a result of one of the alleged false tax returns, the IRS issued refunds to Scarborough of more than $412,000.

    If convicted, she faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for the money laundering charge, a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for the theft of government funds charge, and a maximum penalty of three years in prison for each of the three charges of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns. Scarborough also faces a period of supervised release, monetary penalties, and restitution.

    Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.

    IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.

    Assistant Chief Sarah Ranney and Trial Attorney Alexandra Fleszar of the Tax Division are prosecuting the case.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Ukrainian baker rises above adversity

    Source: United Nations 2

    Ms. Honcharenko’s story, like her bread, has risen through layers of loss, resilience, and hope. Before 2014, she lived in Horlivka, in Ukraine’s Donetsk region, working as a doctor at a mine and raising four children with her husband, Dmytro. Life was stable, full of routine and love. 

    When the fighting in Donetsk broke out that year, the family had to leave everything behind and move to nearby Toretsk, which remained under the control of the Ukrainian government.

    “The first few months, I felt completely lost,” she recalled.  “Then I came across an ad for an entrepreneurship course. It asked: ‘What do you know best?’ And I immediately thought – crêpes! I used to make them all the time for my family.”

    © IOM/Anastasiia Rudnieva

    Hanna Honcharenko runs a bakery in Dnipro in eastern Ukraine,

    From that memory, a business was born. She bought a crêpe maker and a coffee machine and rented a tiny space. But it was baking bread that truly called to her.

    “Everyone in my family baked: my mother, my grandmother, but I was never very good at it. I failed again and again. Still, I kept trying. I knew that one day it would work.”

    It did. Today, Ms. Honcharenko’s bakery sells more than 20 types of bread.

    Oven dough

    In 2019, she received a grant from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) that allowed her to purchase a large oven – the heart of her business. It has baked bread through two cities, survived shelling, and been repaired and relocated.

    “When the full-scale war started, all I could think of was how to get the oven out,” she said. “Not money, not documents – the oven. Without it, I wouldn’t be able to start over again.”

    In 2022, Ms. Honcharenko’s and her family were forced to move again – this time to Dnipro. They packed their belongings, their dog, oven, and began again.

    A few weeks later, the bakery reopened.

    © Humanitarian Mission Proliska

    The Donetsk region of Ukraine has been heavily bombed during the war.

    “My son, who had never shown any interest in baking before, said: ‘I’ll bake with you.’ My daughter-in-law took over the counter and my husband renovated the premises. We did everything together. For us, a family business isn’t just a structure – it’s the heart of what we do.”

    Today, Ms. Honcharenko runs two bakeries in Dnipro – one managed by her and the other by her son. In 2023, IOM provided additional support to help her purchase new equipment for the second location. The assistance allowed the family to expand the business and create more job opportunities for other displaced people. 

    Rising star

    The menu includes more than 20 types of bread, cookies, croissants, nuts, cinnamon rolls, and her best-seller: the Donbas poppy seed roll, with three times more poppy seed than dough. “We always have queues for it,” she smiled. “Some recipes didn’t catch on in the new city, but others became iconic. I learn along with my customers.”

    Displaced people were her first customers in Dnipro.

    © IOM/Anastasiia Rudnieva

    The best-selling poppy seed roll, a special family recipe.

    “I wrote on social media: ‘You’re welcome to come for tea and a chat. Just stop by.’ And people did. They were scared and lonely, just like us. We supported each other. Later, Dnipro locals started coming too.”

    “I want to keep this feeling, no matter how much we grow,” she said. “I dream of hiring families: mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, siblings working side by side. Because family is a pillar of support. You can’t rely on anyone like you can rely on your family.”

    Her story is just one of many. Since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion in 2022, IOM has supported over 1,800 Ukrainian micro and small businesses with grants and consultancies to help them adapt to the challenges of a wartime economy. 

    IOM says it remains committed to standing with entrepreneurs across Ukraine, helping them rebuild, grow, and carry on despite the uncertainty.  

    Still, uncertainty lingers. she admits that she still gets scared, especially as attacks on Ukrainian cities continue to affect daily life and customer turnout.

    “When it’s loud at night, it’s quiet in the morning,” she said. “But we open anyway. Someone has to keep life going.” 

    MIL OSI United Nations News –