NewzIntel.com

Category: Politics

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Africa-China Linkages: Building Deeper and Broader Connections

    Source: International Monetary Fund

    Summary

    Africa has made remarkable strides across many development metrics, significantly improving life expectancy, literacy, health, and education. With its population set to double to around 2 billion by 2050, Africa’s economic trajectory will increasingly shape global dynamics. Central to this growth story are Africa’s economic and financial linkages with China, reflected in robust trade, foreign direct investment, and financing flows. These connections are bolstered by institutional frameworks like the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, which aim to strengthen and expand this partnership.  This book delves into the evolving Africa-China economic relationship, examining its many facets and the potential impact of China’s current trends on Africa’s future. It offers a multidimensional analysis, including the role of policy frameworks, capacity building, and fintech in promoting sustainable development. One chapter provides a comprehensive overview of official financing, detailing the Chinese government agencies driving the China-Africa economic partnership. Another explores the rapid evolution of fintech in both regions, highlighting its role in enhancing financial inclusion, spurring growth, and reducing income inequality. This offers valuable insights for other emerging markets and developing countries. The book also dedicates a chapter to China’s economic ties with the Maghreb countries, while discussions on global experiences in strengthening policy frameworks and capacity building offer crucial lessons for bolstering Africa’s institutional structures.   With China poised to contribute a quarter of global economic growth over the next five years, it will remain a key player in shaping Africa’s economic future. However, the slowing of China’s economy, and its ongoing structural changes, will present both challenges and opportunities for African nations. By focusing on this important and evolving driver of growth in Africa, this book complements the IMF’s ongoing policy dialogue and financial support to African countries. The IMF’s deep experience in analysing spillovers is particularly relevant for the book’s assessment of the channels through which developments in China affect Africa.

    Subject: Balance of payments, Central Banks, Exports, Financial crises, Financial institutions, Fintech, Foreign direct investment, International trade, Loans, Public debt, Technology

    Keywords: Africa, Capacity Development, China, Debt, Debt stock, Economic Development, Exports, Financing, Fintech, Fintech firm, Fintech industry, Foreign direct investment, Frameworks, Global, Growth, Growth slowdown, Institutions, Investment, Loans, Maghreb, Maghreb country, North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Skip company to pay over £48,000 for operating illegal waste site

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Skip company to pay over £48,000 for operating illegal waste site

    A Birmingham skip hire company must pay financial penalties of more than £48,000 after the Environment Agency brought a prosecution for operating illegally.

    • Investigation by Environment Agency finds company without necessary environmental permit
    • Court issues remediation order for site to be cleared of waste within 3 months
    • Case heard at Birmingham magistrates on Monday 7 July 2025.

    At Birmingham magistrates’ court on 7 July 2025, Action Skip Hire Limited of Trent Street, Digbeth, were found guilty of 2 offences and admitted another.

    The court imposed a fine of £12,000 for operating a regulated facility in Oxford Street, Birmingham, without the necessary environmental permit. They were also ordered to pay a surcharge of £190 and costs of £26,376.58.

    The company was fined a further £6,000 for failing to comply with a Notice to provide waste transfer notes. They were ordered to pay a £2,000 surcharge and costs of £1,522.38.

    The court was told that the company held an environmental permit for a waste site at Trent Street, Digbeth. However, not for land off Oxford Street where the company illegally stored and processed wastes.

    Officers from the Environment Agency visited the Oxford Street site on 10 August 2023 following reports of waste activity taking place.

    Investigations found the site were storing mixed general and construction and demolition wastes including trommel fines, tyres, mattresses and wood.

    Further investigations revealed that the land was leased to Action Skip Hire Limited. Inspections by Environment Agency Officers during September and October of 2023 showed that the Oxford Street site was still being used for waste activities.

    This resulted in the Environment Agency serving a Section 59 (1) (a) Enforcement Notice on 20 November 2023 requiring the company to remove waste from the land. The notice was not complied with.

    Further visits were carried out throughout 2024 which found wastes remaining on the site.

    A spokesperson for the Environment Agency said:

    We welcome this outcome and will continue to work tirelessly to pursue and prosecute those involved in illegal waste activities.

     Failure to comply with these legal requirements is a serious offence that can damage the environment and undermine legitimate businesses.

     Anyone with suspicions of waste crime can call our incident hotline, 0800 807060, or Crimestoppers, on 0800 555111.

    Background

    • Between 1 February 2021 and the 16 July 2024, at a site off Oxford Street, Birmingham, B5 5NY, did operate a regulated facility, namely a waste operation for the deposit, treatment, and storage of waste, except under and to the extent authorised by an environmental permit. Contrary to Regulations 12 (1) (a) and 38 (1) (a) Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016

    • On and after 29 February 2024 Action Skip Hire Limited failed, without reasonable excuse, to comply with a notice dated the 20 November 2023 and served on the company pursuant to Section 59 (1) (a) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 in that the company failed to remove controlled waste from land off Oxford Street, Birmingham, B5 5NY.

    • On 28 November 2024 Action Skip Hire Limited failed to comply with the requirements of a Notice dated 20 November 2024, which required that written descriptions of waste removed from 39 Trent Street, Birmingham, B5 5NL, covering the period 5 August 2024 to 19 November 2024, be provided to the Environment Agency within 7 days, contrary to Section 34(5) and (6) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and Regulation 35 of the Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2011.

    Remediation Order:

    A Regulation 44 Remediation Order was issued to the Company requiring them to remove all waste from the site within 3 months.

    Updates to this page

    Published 9 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Deputy Secretary-General’s remarks at the Opening Ceremony of the International Conference on the Blue Economy in the Gulf of Guinea [as delivered]

    Source: United Nations secretary general

    H.E. Mr. Joseph Dion Ngute, Prime Minister of the Republic of Cameroon; Personal Representative of the President of Cameroon, H.E. Mr. Paul Biya; H.E. Mr. Philemon Yang, President of the UN General Assembly; H.E. Mr. José Mba Abeso, Executive Secretary of the Gulf of Guinea Commission; Mr. Peter Thomson, UN Special Envoy for the Ocean; Honourable Ministers; Excellencies; Ladies and Gentlemen;

    I wish to express my deep appreciation to the President, Government, and people of Cameroon for hosting this landmark conference on the Blue Economy in the Gulf of Guinea – a region whose waters and people I hold close to heart, as a Nigerian and UN partner over the decades.

    Allow me also to thank the President of the UN General Assembly for his leadership and shining the spotlight on the Blue Economy – in the Gulf of Guinea and globally.

    Excellencies,

    We gather at a moment of both urgency and opportunity. The ocean – our planet’s blue heart – is under threat. But it is also a source of solutions and the attainment of our Global Goals.

    As the Secretary-General reminded us last month in Nice, the destinies of Africa and the ocean are deeply intertwined. For millions across this continent, the ocean is not only a source of life and identity but it is also a source of hope.

    Nowhere is this truer than in the Gulf of Guinea. Our coastal waters, rich in biodiversity and cultural heritage, hold immense potential for economic transformation. Yet, this potential remains largely untapped. Today, the ocean economy accounts for less than 10% of GDP in the region and we must change that with a sense of urgency and scale.

    Therefore, I propose three areas of action that will ensure the Blue Economy delivers for the people in the region which provides a home and livelihood to the over 100 million people in coastal areas, 60 % of which are young people.

    First, we must protect the ocean that sustains us.

    Climate change is warming and acidifying our seas, eroding coastlines, and threatening the livelihoods of coastal communities. Coral reefs are bleaching. Fisheries are collapsing. Sea levels are rising – swallowing homes, ports, deltas, and futures.

    This is not just an environmental crisis. It is a human crisis. Hundreds of millions of people face a future shaped by flooding, food insecurity, transnational crime and displacement. We must act now to safeguard biodiversity, cut emissions, reduce maritime pollution, and build coastal resilience.

    That is why I urge all countries in the Gulf of Guinea to integrate ocean-based climate action into their Nationally Determined Contributions ahead of COP30.

    As we advance on the roadmap from Baku to Belém, these NDCs must reflect the full potential of the Blue Economy – not only as a strategy for mitigation and adaptation, but as a transformative engine for inclusive growth, scaling climate finance, and long-term prosperity.

    This journey offers a critical opportunity to align regional ambition with global momentum and deliver tangible progress for people and planet.

    In this context, the near-finalization of the Treaty on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction – known as the BBNJ Treaty – is a historic milestone. This agreement is vital to protecting marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction, which make up nearly two-thirds of the ocean.

    I urge countries who have not yet ratified the BBNJ Treaty to do so without delay and to accelerate implementation.

    There has also been significant progress towards the Global Biodiversity Framework’s target of protecting 30% of the ocean by 2030 and the launch of the 30×30 Ocean Action Plan. The United Nations stands ready to support all countries national efforts to translate this global commitment into local action.

    As marine ecosystems are choking with plastic pollution, we must accelerate progress toward a legally binding global treaty on plastic pollution. The mounting crisis of microplastics and toxic chemicals infiltrating our oceans demands urgent and coordinated action to sustain fisheries, protect biodiversity, and reduce negative impact on tourism and people’s sources of income.

    This requires not only industry reform but also changes in our daily consumption and waste management systems. Let us apply existing tools based on the polluter pays principle and work with the private sector to keep our oceans clean.

    The launch of the Ocean Rise and Coastal Resilience Coalition in Nice is a call to action. I encourage cities and communities across the Gulf of Guinea to join this global movement for adaptation and innovation to find sustainable solutions to rising sea levels, for the cities of our future. 

    Second, we must unlock the economic power of the ocean.

    Africa’s share of global ocean exports remains modest. But the potential is vast – from sustainable aquaculture and offshore wind to marine biotechnology and eco-tourism.

    Two-thirds of marine species remain undiscovered. They hold the keys to new medicines, low-carbon foods, and bio-based materials. This is a nearly $11 billion market opportunity waiting to be seized for our young people.

    It also holds the key to nourishing our communities, improving nutrition, and building resilient livelihoods across the region. As we head to the 2nd UN Food System Stocktake in Addis Ababa its role in transforming the food systems will be central.

    But to do so, we need investment. At last week’s Financing for Development Conference in Sevilla, we were reminded of the $4 trillion annual gap in sustainable development financing. Reforming the global financial architecture is essential – but so is aligning capital with climate resilience and nature-positive growth.

    This is not just as a sectoral opportunity, but an integrated part of our global financing agenda. We need to work hand in hand with the private sector to unlock new forms of financing and to create an enabling environment for entrepreneurship to drive innovation, create jobs, and unlock new opportunities across the Blue Economy, especially for young people and women.

    Third, and critically, we must ensure security at sea.

    Piracy, trafficking, and transnational crime continue to threaten the Gulf of Guinea. These are not isolated threats – they are linked to broader patterns of instability and terrorism, particularly in the Sahel.

    ECOWAS, ECCAS, and the Gulf of Guinea Commission have demonstrated commendable leadership in advancing regional cooperation to enhance maritime security across the Gulf of Guinea.

    Their efforts have led to the establishment of Regional Maritime Security Centers in West and Central Africa, as well as Multinational Maritime Coordination Centres in countries such as Cabo Verde, Congo, and Ghana. These institutions form a vital architecture for regional stability and ocean governance.

    I therefore call on regional governments, international partners, and the private sector to build on this foundation – recognizing that maritime security is not only a matter of safety, but a cornerstone for sustainable development.

    Excellencies,

    The Secretary-General has called for a political and financial surge to protect our ocean and unleash its potential. That surge must begin here, in the Gulf of Guinea.

    Let us translate the momentum from Nice to Yaoundé into action.

    Let us scale local innovations and forge partnerships that cross borders and sectors.

    And let us remember: the Blue Economy is not only central to SDG 14 – Life Below Water – it is also a powerful enabler of the entire 2030 Agenda and Agenda 2063.

    From ending poverty and hunger, to advancing health, education, gender equality, and climate action, the ocean connects and sustains every dimension of sustainable development.

    The tide is with us. Now we must sail it forward – together in solidarity.

    Thank you.

    ***
     

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Antidepressant withdrawal: new review downplays symptoms but misses the mark for long-term use

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Mark Horowitz, Visiting Clinical Research Fellow in Psychiatry, UCL

    marevgenna/Shutterstock.com

    A new review of antidepressant withdrawal effects – written by academics, many of whom have close ties to drug manufacturers – risks underestimating the potential harms to long-term antidepressant users by focusing on short-term, industry-funded studies.

    There is growing recognition that stopping antidepressants – especially after long-term use – can cause severe and sometimes debilitating withdrawal symptoms, and it is now acknowledged by the UK government as a public health issue.

    One of the main reasons this issue took decades to recognise after the release of modern antidepressants onto the market is because medical guidelines, such as those produced by Nice (England’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence), had for many years declared withdrawal effects to be “brief and mild”.

    This description was based on studies run by drug companies, where people had only taken the medication for eight to 12 weeks. As a result, when patients later showed up with severe, long-lasting symptoms, many doctors didn’t take them seriously because these experiences contradicted what the guidelines led them to expect.

    Our recent research helps explain this mismatch. We found a clear link between how long someone takes antidepressants and how likely they are to experience withdrawal symptoms – and how severe these symptoms are.

    We surveyed NHS patients and found that people who had used antidepressants for more than two years were ten times more likely to have withdrawal effects, five times more likely for those effects to be severe, and 18 times more likely for them to be long lasting compared with those who had taken the drugs for six months or less.

    For patients who used antidepressants for less than six months, withdrawal symptoms were mostly mild and brief. Three-quarters reported no or mild symptoms, most of which lasted less than four weeks.

    Only one in four of these patients was unable to stop when they wanted to. However, for long-term users (more than two years), two-thirds reported moderate or severe withdrawal effects, with one-quarter reporting severe withdrawal effects. Almost one-third of long-term users reported symptoms that lasted for more than three months. Four-fifths of these patients were unable to stop their antidepressants despite trying.

    About 2 million people on antidepressants in England have been taking them for over five years, according to a BBC investigation. And in the US at least 25 million people have taken antidepressants for more than five years. What happens to people in eight-to-12-week studies is a far cry from what happens to millions of people when they stop.

    Studying what happens to people after just eight to 12 weeks on antidepressants is like testing car safety by crashing a vehicle into a wall at 5km/h – ignoring the fact that real drivers are out on the roads doing 60km/h.

    History repeating itself?

    Against this backdrop, a review has just been published in Jama Psychiatry. Several of the senior authors declare payments from drug companies. In what looks like history repeating itself, the review draws on short-term trials – many funded by the pharmaceutical industry – that were similar to those used to shape early treatment guidelines. The authors conclude that antidepressants do not cause significant withdrawal effects.

    Their main analysis is based on eleven trials that compared withdrawal symptoms in people who had stopped antidepressants with those who had continued them or stopped taking a placebo. Six of these trials had people on antidepressants for eight weeks, four for 12 weeks and just one for 26 weeks.

    They reported a slightly higher number of withdrawal symptoms in people who had stopped antidepressants, which they say does not constitute a “clinically significant” withdrawal syndrome. They also suggest the symptoms could be explained by the “nocebo effect” – where negative expectations cause people to feel worse.

    In our view, the results are likely to greatly underestimate the risk of withdrawal for the millions of people on these drugs for years. The review found no relationship between the duration of use of antidepressants and withdrawal symptoms, but there were too few long-term studies to test this association properly.

    The review probably underestimates, in our view, short-term withdrawal effects too by assuming that the fact that people experience withdrawal-like symptoms when stopping a placebo or continuing an antidepressant cancels out withdrawal effects from antidepressants. But this is not a valid assumption.

    We know that antidepressant withdrawal effects overlap with side-effects and with everyday symptoms, but this does not mean they are the same thing. People stopping a placebo report symptoms such as dizziness and headache, because these are common occurrences. However, as was shown in another recent review, symptoms following discontinuation of a placebo tend to be milder than those experienced when stopping antidepressants, which can be intense enough to require emergency care.

    So deducting the rate of symptoms after stopping a placebo or continuing an antidepressant from antidepressant withdrawal symptoms is likely to underestimate the true extent of withdrawal.

    The review also doesn’t include several well-designed drug company studies that found high rates of withdrawal symptoms. For example, an American study found that more than 60% of people who stopped antidepressants (after eleven months) experienced withdrawal symptoms.

    The authors suggest that depression after stopping antidepressants is probably a return of the original condition, not withdrawal symptoms, because similar rates of depression were seen in people who stopped taking a placebo. But this conclusion is based on limited and unreliable data (that is, relying on participants in studies to report such events without prompting, rather than assessing them systematically) from just five studies.

    We hope uncritical reporting of a review based on the sort of short-term studies that led to under-recognition of withdrawal effects in the first place, does not disrupt the growing acceptance of the problem and slow efforts by the health system to help potentially millions of people who may be severely affected.

    The authors and publisher of the new review have been approached for comment.

    Mark Horowitz is the author of the Maudsley Deprescribing Guidelines which outlines how to safely stop antidepressants, benzodiazepines, gabapentinoids and z-drugs, for which he receives royalties. He is co-applicant on the RELEASE and RELEASE+ trials in Australia funded by the NHMRC and MRFF examining hyperbolic tapering of antidepressants. He is co-founder and consultant to Outro Health, a digital clinic which helps people to safely stop no longer needed antidepressants in the US. He is a member of the Critical Psychiatry Network, an informal group of psychiatrists.

    Joanna Moncrieff was a co-applicant on a study of antidepressant discontinuation funded by the UK’s National Institute for Health Research. She is co-applicant on the RELEASE and RELEASE+ trials in Australia funded by the NHMRC and MRFF examining hyperbolic tapering of antidepressants. She receives modest royalties for books about psychiatric drugs. She is co-chair person of the Critical Psychiatry Network, an informal group of psychiatrists.

    – ref. Antidepressant withdrawal: new review downplays symptoms but misses the mark for long-term use – https://theconversation.com/antidepressant-withdrawal-new-review-downplays-symptoms-but-misses-the-mark-for-long-term-use-260708

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Russia and China’s interaction within BRICS is constructive in nature — Russian Foreign Ministry

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

    Moscow, July 9 /Xinhua/ — Russia and China’s interaction within the BRICS framework is constructive in nature and is aimed at resolving issues of developing countries, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said at a briefing on Wednesday, answering a question from a Xinhua correspondent about US President Donald Trump’s threats against countries supporting BRICS.

    “The cooperation between Russia and China, both in BRICS and in general, is not directed against anyone. I would like to emphasize that our cooperation – between Russia and China – is of a constructive nature, it is aimed at strengthening the socio-economic, innovative and human potential of its participants, as well as at supporting the solution of real pressing problems and issues of developing countries,” she said, commenting on the results of the 17th meeting of the BRICS leaders that recently ended in Rio de Janeiro.

    As M. Zakharova noted, the activities of the association are of keen interest, including among Western countries, for whom BRICS has become a “red rag”. “Not because we want to anger anyone, but because they themselves were initially aggressively inclined and, apparently, realized that their aggressive attitude was not justified. We have something to respond to. We are strong, and we have demonstrated this strength, but not in aggression, but in a constructive, creative approach,” the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry emphasized.

    She recalled that Russia and China stood at the origins of BRICS and made an important contribution to its development and the creation of favorable conditions for the progressive sustainable economic growth of all states of the association, as well as the formation of a more just and balanced multipolar world order that would meet the needs of all countries and peoples without exception.

    The Russian diplomat added that in matters of further expansion of bilateral cooperation within the BRICS framework, Russia and China are looking in the same direction and are ready to overcome all challenges shoulder to shoulder.

    “We are focused on joint consistent work with Beijing to strengthen the authority of the association as one of the core mechanisms of global governance. Among the main tasks, of course, we see an increase in the role of developing countries and emerging market countries in multilateral institutions,” M. Zakharova specified, noting that in the context of a radical transformation of the global geopolitical landscape, Russian-Chinese relations of comprehensive partnership and strategic interaction continue to develop dynamically and demonstrate high adaptability and stress resistance. -0-

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

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Former Xinjiang Uyghur CPPCC Vice Chairman Sentenced to Death with Suspension for Bribery

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

    NANNING, July 9 (Xinhua) — Dou Wangui, a former Party member and vice chairman of the CPPCC (Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference) Committee of northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, was sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve on Wednesday for accepting bribery.

    Dou Wangui was also stripped of his political rights for life and all his personal property was to be confiscated.

    Dou Wangui was sentenced by the Second People’s Court of Liuzhou City, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, south China. The investigation against him began in March 2024 and he was arrested in October of the same year.

    The court found that between 2003 and 2022, Dou Wangui, while holding various leadership positions in Xinjiang, used his authority to benefit relevant entities and individuals by providing them with “favors” in matters related to contracting, mining, corporate business operations and career advancement, and received in return money and material goods totaling 229 million yuan (about $32 million).

    By his actions, Dou Wangui caused serious damage to the interests of the state and the people, but the court recognized his admission of guilt and repentance, as well as the return of illegally obtained income, as mitigating circumstances, follows from the court ruling. -0-

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

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Security Council Discusses Situation in Yemen

    Source: United Nations General Assembly and Security Council

    9954th Meeting (AM)

    The Security Council will hold its monthly open briefing on Yemen today.  Hans Grundberg, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen; Tom Fletcher, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator; and Summer Nasser, Chief Executive Officer, Yemen Aid, will brief. The meeting is expected to cover multiple challenges Yemen faces on the political, humanitarian, and economic fronts.

    …

    For information media. Not an official record.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Paul Chan promotes HK in Seoul

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    Financial Secretary Paul Chan attended a seminar on the development of capital markets in Hong Kong and Korea as well as a business luncheon on the second day of his visit in Seoul, Korea.

     

    At the Hong Kong-Korea Capital Markets Conference, Mr Chan highlighted that Hong Kong’s financial market has shown strong resilience over the past two years, with continued capital inflows, a robust stock market and a significant increase in bank deposits.

     

    He added that amid profound changes in the global political and economic environment, Hong Kong is regarded as a safe harbour for global capital, characterised by transparent, stable and predictable policies, and its efficient connectivity with China and other Asian markets.

     

    He also shared information with the conference participants about Hong Kong’s strategies and initiatives in developing digital assets, including licensing regimes for digital asset platforms and stablecoins.

     

    At the Korea–Hong Kong Business Luncheon, with the Hong Kong Economic & Trade Office (Tokyo) as the cohost, Mr Chan noted that in the first half of this year alone, Hong Kong welcomed over half a million Korean visitors, a year-on-year growth of 25%.

     

    Additionally, he stated that the number of foreign and Mainland companies reached a record high in 2024, with the number of Korean companies growing by 9% in particular.

     

    “For Korean enterprises, Hong Kong’s unique advantage of connecting with both the Mainland and the world can create new opportunities in finance, innovation and technology, digital economy, film and entertainment, and more.”

     

    After meeting Financial Services Commission Chairman Kim Byung-hwan, the Financial Secretary held discussions with representatives from the Korea Venture Capital Association and the private equity sector.

     

    During such discussions, Mr Chan learnt about Korea’s industry ecosystem and asset allocation strategies, while introducing them to the investment opportunities in Hong Kong across the stock market and the innovation and technology landscape.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI: MEXC Launchpad Debuts PUMP Token with Exclusive 40% Discount for New Users

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    VICTORIA, Seychelles, July 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Leading global cryptocurrency exchange MEXC is scheduled to officially launch a new round of Launchpad subscriptions on July 12, 2025, at 14:00 UTC, in collaboration with pump.fun, the world’s leading crypto launchpad. This event marks the debut of pump.fun’s utility token, PUMP, with a total of 1.3125 billion PUMP tokens available. To promote fair and easy access to early-stage Solana projects, MEXC is offering a limited-time 40% discount exclusively for new users.

    Dual-Pool Subscription Model with Incentive Programs

    MEXC Launchpad, known for its innovation, transparency, security, and efficiency, continues to spotlight high-potential projects for its global user base. The PUMP token launch introduces a dual-pool subscription model to accommodate users with varying needs:

    Exclusive Pool for New Users:

    • Subscription Price: 0.0024 USDT (40% off market rate)
    • Individual Limit: 5–75 USDT
    • Total Allocation: 312.5 million PUMP tokens

    Open Pool for All Users:

    • Subscription Price: 0.004 USDT
    • Individual Limit: 5–100,000 USDT
    • Total Allocation: 1 billion PUMP tokens

    To further incentivize participation, MEXC has launched a referral rewards program featuring a 10,000 USDT Futures bonus pool. Users can earn 20 USDT in Futures bonuses for each successful referral, with a cap of 20 referrals and a maximum bonus of 400 USDT per user.

    pump.fun Ecosystem Surges as Memecoin Trend Gains Global Momentum

    As the leading memecoin launch platform within the Solana ecosystem, pump.fun has demonstrated remarkable growth and user engagement since its inception. As of July 4, 2025, the platform has generated over $778 million in cumulative revenue, launched 11,801,786 tokens, and recorded a peak of 424,548 daily active wallet addresses, highlighting its robust ecosystem activity and strong user retention. With an accessible, no-barrier token creation and launch model, pump.fun is at the forefront of the global meme token movement. The launch of its governance token, PUMP, has further captured the attention of the broader crypto community.

    Strategic Partnership Unlocks Solana Ecosystem Opportunities

    Through a deep strategic collaboration, MEXC and pump.fun are bringing global investors a unique opportunity to participate in the Solana ecosystem’s ongoing innovation. As one of the exclusive launch platforms for the PUMP token, MEXC ensures fair and transparent access to high-potential projects through a rigorous selection process and deep market insight, enabling users to engage early in emerging trends.

    Event Details and Timeline

    • Full subscription model
    • Timeline:
      • Pre-Hype Period: July 9, 2025, 14:00 UTC – July 12, 2025, 14:00 UTC
      • Subscription Period: July 12, 2025, 14:00 UTC – July 15, 2025, 14:00 UTC (or until fully subscribed)
    • Token Distribution: PUMP tokens and any remaining funds will be distributed directly to participants’ Spot accounts within 48 hours of the subscription period’s conclusion.

    Cryptocurrency investments involve a high degree of risk and price volatility. Investors may experience significant losses, including the potential loss of principal. Participants are advised to carefully review the project details, assess associated risks, and make informed investment decisions. For full PUMP event details and participation guidelines, please visit MEXC.

    About MEXC

    Founded in 2018, MEXC is committed to being “Your Easiest Way to Crypto.” Serving over 40 million users across 170+ countries, MEXC is known for its broad selection of trending tokens, everyday airdrop opportunities, and low trading fees. Our user-friendly platform is designed to support both new traders and experienced investors, offering secure and efficient access to digital assets. MEXC prioritizes simplicity and innovation, making crypto trading more accessible and rewarding.

    MEXC Official Website | X  | Telegram | How to Sign Up on MEXC

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/68d8f983-df96-4254-bccb-33d31803c5d0

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: IMCA Member Survey 2025 – the results are in!

    Source: International Marine Contractors Association – IMCA

    Headline: IMCA Member Survey 2025 – the results are in!

    IMCA is committed to continuously improving the value we provide to our Members.

    This is why we launched our IMCA Member Survey in March to hear your views about IMCA, and the value you get from IMCA membership.

    This feedback is essential to help us shape our future initiatives, to refine the benefits of IMCA membership, and ensure IMCA continues to deliver the value that you need.

    So, thank-you to everyone who filled in the survey. Your input has given us a wealth of data and insights covering every aspect of our work.

    While we continue to analyse the results, we want to share a few of the headline findings, and to let you know about some new initiatives we are introducing in response to your feedback.

    •  Some Members told us that they found it hard to make the most of their IMCA Membership, either because they weren’t sure how, or because they didn’t have the time. Members also told us that they struggled to attend IMCA’s in-person events. We have launched a new series of online IMCA Member briefings to help Members understand and access the benefits of IMCA Membership, and we will explore other ways of making our events more accessible in 2026.
    • Just one-third of IMCA Members are aware of IMCA’s advocacy work on behalf of the marine contracting sector – with the International Maritime Organization, with the European Union, and with national governments and regulators. We will step up our communication of this work, and will launch a new Advocacy Hub on the IMCA website to share news and resources from our campaigns.
    • Members gave us excellent feedback on new services that IMCA could introduce to serve its Members, and key industry issues that IMCA should focus on over the next two to three years. These areas included training and continuing professional development, attracting the next generation of talent to join our industry, guidance on meeting new environmental regulations, and supporting Members as they implement AI and new technology in their operations. We will feed these insights into the development of IMCA’s new strategy, which will be launched at the end of this year.

    We will publish a more detailed report on the results of the Member Survey, and the actions we are taking in response, as part of our Annual Impact Report, which will be published this Autumn. 

    IMCA Member survey headline results

    Who did we hear from?

    We received survey responses from 525 people working for 272 Member businesses and organisations. The responses from different regions, different types of Member (contractor, supplier, etc), and from different divisions (marine, diving, etc) was in proportion with IMCA’s global membership, making this a strong, representative sample.

    • This is good, but we want to do even better in 2026. We aim to engage with every one of our 800+ Member companies next year – through our annual IMCA Member Survey, through more frequent and targeted ‘pulse’ surveys, by making our events more accessible, and by expanding our network of regional experts and Member engagement directors.

    More than 85% of respondents said they were ‘satisfied’ or ‘very satisfied’ with their company’s IMCA Membership.

    We asked Members to say, on a scale of one to 10, how likely they would be to recommend IMCA membership to a colleague. The results gave us an average score of 8.5 out of 10, and a ‘net promoter score’ of 46.1

    • These are very strong results, and demonstrate the value of IMCA Membership across our different divisions and areas of work. However, we are not complacent, and using the insights contained in this Member survey we aim to improve on these numbers in 2026.

    Diving Equipment Manufacturer, Middle East & India

    IMCA is influential because it plays a central role in shaping industry standards, promoting safety, and guiding best practices across the global marine contracting and diving community. Its guidelines are widely respected and adopted, giving contractors and operators a common framework to work within. IMCA’s influence extends beyond documentation – it creates a platform for collaboration, drives regulatory conversations, and brings stakeholders together to elevate operational quality and safety. For many of us in the industry, IMCA is a benchmark for compliance, credibility, and continuous improvement.

    Which Member benefits do IMCA Members value the most?

    Benefit of IMCA Membership

    Average score (/10)

    Access to IMCA’s technical guidance, information notes, and codes of practice

    9.0

    Safety flashes and statistics

    9.0

    Briefings on legal, policy, and regulatory topics

    8.3

    The opportunity to attend IMCA events and technical seminars

    8.0

    IMCA’s advocacy with energy companies, governments, regulators, and the International Maritime Organization

    8.0

    The opportunity to support IMCA’s work, including through IMCA Committees and Working Groups

    8.0

    Networking and business development

    7.8

    Dynamic Positioning practitioner assessment and diving supervisor CPD (continuous professional development)

    7.5

    Running the eCMID vessel auditing system

    7.0

    The publication and sale of logbooks for key offshore personnel

    6.8

    The certification of diving-related supervisory roles

    6.5

    We asked Members to rate the importance of IMCA Member benefits by giving each benefit a score of between one and 10. We were pleased to see that Members valued our core services – our industry-leading technical library, our focus on driving improvements in safety at work, our program of technical seminars and regional events, and our advocacy work on legal, policy, and regulatory issues – most highly. None of this work would be possible without the support, time, and expertise of our Members, whether through volunteering on IMCA Committees or Working Groups, or submitting data and incidents to us to support the safety of the offshore sector as a whole.

    “IMCA has a proven pedigree in representing all areas of the offshore Energy contractor base to establish harmonised working practices and the sharing of information.” – Contractor, Europe

    Where can we do better?

    While 71% of Members said they felt involved with IMCA, 19% did not. Barriers to greater engagement were lack of time, the location of IMCA events, and because Members did not know how to get involved.

    To help address these challenges, we have launched a new series of online IMCA Member briefings to help Members understand and access the benefits of IMCA Membership, and we will explore other ways of making our events more accessible in 2026.

    “A vital association which helps to maintain specific safe working standards with a considerable variety of documentation support” – Diving Company, South America

    While one-third of Members were aware of IMCA’s advocacy work on behalf of the marine contracting sector – with the International Maritime Organization, with the European Union, and with national governments and regulators – 41% were either mostly or completely unaware.

    • We will step up our communication of this work, and will launch a new Advocacy Hub on the IMCA website to share news and resources from our campaigns.

    “IMCA sets Industry best practices for its members and the marine industry as a whole, which is also seen as best practice by global regulators.” – ROV supplier, Europe 

    For further information on the IMCA Member Survey please contact IMCA’s Membership Services Group at membership@imca-int.com.

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Recovered appeal: Woodlands Park landfill site, land south of Slough Road, Iver, Buckinghamshire (ref: 3347353 – 9 July 2025)

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Correspondence

    Recovered appeal: Woodlands Park landfill site, land south of Slough Road, Iver, Buckinghamshire (ref: 3347353 – 9 July 2025)

    Decision letter and Inspector’s Report for a recovered appeal.

    Applies to England

    Documents

    Recovered appeal: Woodlands Park landfill site, land south of Slough Road, Iver, Buckinghamshire (ref: 3347353 – 9 July 2025)

    PDF, 1.06 MB, 123 pages

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    Details

    Decision letter and Inspector’s Report for a recovered appeal for the redevelopment of the former landfill site to comprise a Data Centre development (B8 (Data Centre)) of up to 72,000 sqm (GEA) delivered across 2 buildings. The scheme includes site wide landscaping. The Data Centre buildings include ancillary offices, internal plant and equipment and emergency back-up generators and associated fuel storage.

    The development will also include cycle and car parking, internal circulation routes, soft and hard landscaping, security perimeter fence, lighting, earthworks, sustainable drainage systems, ancillary infrastructure and a substation.

    Updates to this page

    Published 9 July 2025

    Sign up for emails or print this page

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Government of Canada moves forward to modernize outdated regulations and reduce red tape

    Source: Government of Canada News (2)

    July 9, 2025 – Ottawa, Ontario – Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat

    Canada’s government was elected on a mandate to spend less and invest more. A crucial part of delivering those savings is eliminating inefficient red tape – outdated and overly complicated regulations that raise costs, reduce productivity, and stifle economic growth.

    Today, the Honourable Shafqat Ali, President of the Treasury Board, launched a Red Tape review of regulations across federal departments and agencies with regulatory responsibilities.

    As part of this review, Ministers will review regulations in their portfolios and propose actions and measures to eliminate red tape –– including removing outdated regulation, reducing duplication with provincial rules, and making it easier to access and deliver services. The review will be overseen by the recently created Red Tape Reduction Office, and within 60 days, Ministers will report to the President of the Treasury Board on their organizations’ progress and next steps.

    A leaner, more focused government will make regulations more efficient, services more effective, and unlock more private capital for Canadian workers and businesses – to build the strongest economy in the G7.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Chinese vice premier stresses ensuring policy implementation to consolidate economic recovery

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

    Chinese vice premier stresses ensuring policy implementation to consolidate economic recovery

    CHANGCHUN, July 9 — Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang has stressed the importance of ensuring policy implementation and achieving industrial revitalization through technological innovation to consolidate economic recovery trend.

    Ding, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks during an inspection trip from Monday to Wednesday to the country’s northeastern provinces of Heilongjiang and Jilin.

    Ding visited a water source relocation project, a farm, a central grain reserve warehouse and a local finance bureau to learn about the implementation of major government policies and the operation of local finances.

    It is necessary to fully and effectively utilize the more proactive fiscal policy to enhance the efficiency of fund use and the effectiveness of policy implementation, the vice premier said.

    Ding also visited several local enterprises and educational institutions. He emphasized the need to concentrate innovative resources on enterprises, strengthen both basic and applied research, and deepen collaboration among universities, research institutes and enterprises.

    The vice premier expressed hopes that Heilongjiang and Jilin would accelerate the cultivation of new drivers of growth and new advantages to make greater contributions to the overall development of the country.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: State Grand Jurors issue rare report on continued problem of organized crime run from within state prisons using contraband cellphonesRead More

    Source: US State of South Carolina

    strong>(COLUMBIA, SC) – South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced today that the 34th and the 35th State Grand Jurors released a Grand Jury Report highlighting the problem of organized crime continuing to be run from within South Carolina prisons, typically by use of contraband cellphones. A recent State Grand Jury trial in Pickens County resulting in life without parole sentences against two inmates for narcotics trafficking highlights the severity of the issue and the efforts of the State Grand Jury to fight the problem.

    “Locking someone up doesn’t make us safer if they’re still running criminal empires from behind bars,” said Attorney General Wilson. “Inmates with contraband cellphones aren’t just continuing their crimes, they’re escalating them. We know how to stop this; the technology already exists and is being used in federal prisons. This is why I am calling on Congress and the FCC to give states the authority to jam these illegal communications and shut these criminal networks down, for good.”

    But it’s not just the public that’s still in danger.

    “Illegal contraband cellphones allow career criminals to prey on innocent victims and continue committing crimes from behind bars,” said Joel E. Anderson, Interim Director of the S.C. Department of Corrections. “The situation is highly dangerous for our staff, other inmates, and our communities. I thank the State Grand Jury for its work to bring this issue to light and Gov. McMaster and the S.C. General Assembly for funding measures to help us identify illegal cellphone signals and hold the criminals accountable.”

    “Las Señoritas” Multi-Defendant Jury Trial

    On Friday, June 27, 2025, following a weeklong joint trial, a Pickens County jury found Darrell (DJ) Foster McCoy, Matthew (Matt) David McCoy, and Randall (RJ) Gene Posey guilty in the “Las Señoritas” State Grand Jury investigation. All three defendants were convicted of Trafficking Methamphetamine, 400 Grams or More (Conspiracy). The trial was prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Savanna Goude and Assistant Attorney General Walt Whitmire before the Honorable R. Scott Sprouse.

    Both McCoys were inmates in SCDC when they trafficked the methamphetamine in the Las Senoritas investigation, because they had previously been convicted of trafficking methamphetamine in the Family Tradition State Grand Jury case. Because of their extensive prior criminal records and their continued trafficking of methamphetamine while in prison for that very crime, the Attorney General’s Office had served both McCoys with Notice of Intent to Seek Life Without Parole. Following the jury verdicts of guilty, Judge Sprouse sentenced DJ McCoy and Matthew McCoy to life in prison without parole. Randall Posey, who was not an SCDC inmate, was sentenced to 25 years in prison.

    “The McCoys were so proud of the fact that they were convicted of drug trafficking in the Family Tradition case that they got tattoos that say, ‘Family Tradition.’ Well, they have a new family tradition: being in prison for life without parole,” said Attorney General Wilson.

    During the trial, the witnesses and evidence established that brothers DJ McCoy and Matt McCoy were leaders of an Upstate narcotics trafficking organization, using contraband cell phones within the South Carolina Department of Corrections to coordinate trafficking kilograms of methamphetamine in Pickens, Greenville, Laurens, Anderson, Oconee, and Abbeville Counties. The jury heard testimony that the McCoys directed their various dealers and co-defendants to travel to Atlanta to obtain as much as 30 kilograms a week of cartel methamphetamine for sale and use throughout South Carolina. The jury heard further testimony that Randall Posey was a distributor for the McCoy brothers. The Attorney General’s Office entered 2,849.57 grams of methamphetamine into evidence during the trial and conservatively estimates that over 630 kilograms of methamphetamine was brought into this state at the direction of the McCoys from 2021-2022.

    Three other co-defendants, who were additional narcotics distributors for the McCoy brothers, were also scheduled to stand trial but chose to enter guilty pleas. Joseph Edward Moore pleaded guilty to Trafficking Methamphetamine, 400 Grams or More (Conspiracy), Trafficking Methamphetamine, 400 Grams or More, Possession of a Weapon During a Violent Crime, and Distribution of Methamphetamine. He was sentenced to 27 years.

    Tony Eugene McCoy pleaded guilty to Trafficking Methamphetamine, 400 Grams or More (Conspiracy), Financial Transaction Involving Property Derived From Unlawful Drug Activity (Money Laundering), and Trafficking Methamphetamine, 28 Grams or More, But Less Than 100 Grams. He was sentenced to 20 years.

    Travis Mitchell Hendricks pleaded guilty to Trafficking Methamphetamine, 28 Grams or More, But Less Than 100 Grams (Conspiracy) and Financial Transaction Involving Property Derived From Unlawful Drug Activity (Money Laundering). He was sentenced to 20 years.

    “Clean Sweep” Guilty Plea

    On July 1, 2025, Abbygale El-Dier pleaded guilty to child abuse charges against her minor daughter in the Clean Sweep State Grand Jury case. El-Dier pleaded guilty to Criminal Sexual Conduct with a Minor, First Degree, two counts of Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, First Degree, and one count of criminal conspiracy. Sentencing was deferred until a later date to be determined, when she will face a sentence of 31 years to imprisonment for life. El-Dier remains in custody.

    Jacob Lance, the alleged co-conspirator, is a Lee prison inmate who is alleged to have used contraband cell phones smuggled into the prison to perpetrate the abuse of the minor victim. He is currently charged with Criminal Sexual Conduct with a Minor, First Degree (7 counts), Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, First Degree (11 Counts), Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, Second Degree (12 Counts), and one count of criminal conspiracy. Given the severity of his prior record for which he is in SCDC, Lance has been notified by the Attorney General’s Office of intent to seek a sentence of life without the possibility of parole for qualifying offenses should a conviction be secured. The trial of Lance is expected to be scheduled in Greenville in the Fall of 2025, date to be determined.

    “Paper Route” Indictments

    In the State Grand Jury investigation Paper Route, SCDC Inmate Wayne A. Hollinshead has been indicted for various offenses, including trafficking marijuana 100 pounds or more, Money Laundering more than $100,000, Criminal Conspiracy, Intimidation of Witnesses, and Obstruction of Justice. Seized in the investigation were approximately $1,000,000 in assets allegedly derived from inmate Hollinshead’s illegal activities directed while in prison using contraband cellphones. These alleged illegally gained assets included balances in checking accounts, savings accounts, cash management accounts, CDs, cryptocurrency, and hundreds of thousands of dollars of cash.      

    Grand Jury Reports of the 34th and 35th South Carolina State Grand Juries

    The State Grand Juries that have been investigating these and other cases with a connection to organized crime and corruption in the prisons called on the FCC and the federal government to allow state prisons to jam contraband cellphones at their facilities. The State Grand Jury Reports stated: “Gang leaders continue to run their criminal organizations once sentenced to prison, and inmate leaders develop new ways to commit crime with organizations they run within the prison walls. These inmate organizations extend their reach into the community, committing complex crimes throughout South Carolina, the United States, and the world.” The Reports stated the inmates were able to do this with “[c]ontraband cell phones illegally smuggled inside the prisons.”

    While applauding the efforts of public officials and prison officers to stem the tide, the State Grand Jury Reports noted that inmate criminal organizations traffic in as much “fentanyl and methamphetamine and cocaine as they ever did,” commit fraud on government benefits “meant to help law-abiding citizens through tough times,” and engage in extortion of and scams on people on the outside. The reports also pointed to the inmates’ control of an extensive contraband trade within the prisons, concluding that “[m]illions of dollars are being made both inside and outside the wire — by the inmates and their associates on the outside,” including corrupt correctional officers and staff, “fellow gang members, friends, wives, girlfriends, and even people groomed by inmates.”  “Whether officer, staff, or just someone on the outside, they all work for the inmates, not the other way around.”

    The Reports noted that SCDC had invested heavily in trying to prevent contraband cell phones from entering the facilities, and while “SCDC is fighting the good fight, but it is not that simple to defeat the criminal mind when that criminal mind can make millions of dollars”.  In response to the outcry for a solution from prisons across the nation, the FCC did allow a managed access program that SCDC has adopted. “Managed access allows a facility to hire certified vendors who can identify unauthorized cell phones within the facility and request that they be ‘bricked’ by providers within two days.”  However, the Reports stated that while managed access has been “worthy of continued effort,” it is “not immediate,” and it is “complicated and requires new capabilities that would be more easily and effectively solved by targeted jamming.”  The report concludes, “[j]amming the cell phone communication of State inmates would immediately eliminate so much of the criminal activities within our state prisons.” 

    Law Enforcement and Prosecutorial Partners in these State Grand Jury Investigations

    The Las Señoritas case was investigated by the South Carolina State Grand Jury and prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Savanna Goude. The State Grand Jury was assisted in this case by a partnership of the Attorney General’s State Grand Jury Division, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, the Thirteenth Circuit Solicitor’s Office, the South Carolina Department of Corrections Office of the Inspector General, the Greenville County Multi-Jurisdictional Drug Enforcement Unit, Abbeville County Sheriff’s Office, Anderson County Sheriff’s Office, Greenville County Sheriff’s Office, Laurens County Sheriff’s Department, Oconee County Sheriff’s Office, Pickens County Sheriff’s Office, Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office, Clemson Police Department, Easley Police Department, and Travelers Rest Police Department. 

    The Clean Sweep case was investigated by the South Carolina State Grand Jury, which was assisted in this case by a partnership of the Attorney General’s State Grand Jury Division, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), the South Carolina Department of Corrections Office of the Inspector General, the Thirteenth Circuit Solicitor’s Office, and the Simpsonville Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Deputy Attorney General David Fernandez, Special Assistant Attorney General Margaret Scott, Assistant Solicitor Courtney Rea, and State Grand Jury Division Chief Attorney Creighton Waters. 

    The Paper Route case was investigated by the South Carolina State Grand Jury, which was assisted in this case by a partnership of the Attorney General’s State Grand Jury Division, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), and the South Carolina Department of Corrections Office of the Inspector General. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Deputy Attorney General David Fernandez, Special Assistant Attorney General Margaret Scott, Assistant Solicitor Courtney Rea, and State Grand Jury Division Chief Attorney Creighton Waters. 

    State Grand Jury Chief Attorney S. Creighton Waters thanked all the agencies for their hard work in the case.

    Attorney General Wilson stressed that all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until they are proven guilty in a court of law.

    You can read the State Grand Jury Reports here and here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Youth Charter Responds to International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) $200M Community Investment Pledge with Global Community Campus Initiative

    Source: APO

    In the wake of the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) historic USD 200 million commitment to invest in communities following the Olympism365 Summit in Lausanne, the Youth Charter (www.YouthCharter.org) has issued a bold Call to Action and unveiled a global expansion plan for its proven Community Campus model. 

    The initiative aims to establish 10 Community Campuses by 2030 across high-need urban and rural communities worldwide, leveraging sport, arts, culture, and digital engagement to address youth disaffection, violence, inequality, and lack of opportunity. 

    “The IOC has recognised the power of sport as a global force for hope, humanity, and sustainable development,” said Professor Geoff Thompson MBE FRSA DL, Founder and Chair of the Youth Charter. “Our Community Campuses provide the infrastructure, programming, and purpose to turn that vision into real-world impact where it’s needed most.” 

    A Model of Measurable Impact 

    Over the past three decades, the Youth Charter has demonstrated that community-based sport development can improve educational attainment, reduce youth crime, and promote mental well-being. The Campus model provides: 

    • Safe, inclusive spaces for play, learning and support 
    • Youth-led programmes focused on leadership, volunteering, and enterprise 
    • Local delivery of Olympic values through “Mini-Olympics” and community festivals 
    • Alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and Olympism365 agenda 

    A Call for Global Partnership 

    The Youth Charter is now calling on: 

    • The IOC and Olympic Movement stakeholders 
    • UN agencies and global sport-for-development networks 
    • National governments and philanthropic partners to co-invest in the implementation and scaling of these campuses as part of a global legacy framework that brings the Olympism365 Summit commitments to life. 

    From Pledge to Practice 

    The Youth Charter’s proposal includes a Global Knowledge Exchange Platform and the publication of a new Legacy Report, highlighting 30+ years of data, case studies, and testimonials. This initiative builds toward the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games as a milestone of shared accountability and impact. 

    “Together, we can empower a new generation of young people to thrive through the Olympic spirit,” added Professor Thompson. “Now is the time to act with purpose, partnership, and passion.” 

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Youth Charter.

    Youth Charter @ Social Media: 
    LinkedIn: @ YouthCharter
    Facebook: @ YouthCharter
    Instagram: @ youthchartersdp
    YouTube: @ YouthCharter
    X: @ YOUTHCHARTER

    Youth Charter #Hashtags: 
    #InternationalOlympicCommittee 
    #Olympism 
    #Fight4theStreets 
    #YoungLivesLost 
    #Call2Action 
    #LegacyOpportunity4All 
    #SportDevelopmentPeace 
    #Empowerthenextgeneration 
    #CommonwealthSecretariat 
    #UNSustainableDevelopmentGoals 

    About Youth Charter:
    ​The Youth Charter is a UK registered charity and UN accredited non-governmental organisation. Launched in 1993 as part of the Manchester 2000 Olympic Bid and the 2002 Commonwealth Games, the Youth Charter has Campaigned and Promoted the role and value of sport, art, culture and digital technology in the lives of disaffected young people from disadvantaged communities nationally and internationally. The Youth Charter has a proven track record in the creation and delivery of social and human development programmes with the overall aim of providing young people with an opportunity to develop in life. 

    Specifically, The Youth Charter Tackles educational non-attainment, health inequality, anti-social behaviour and the negative effects of crime, drugs, gang related activity and racism by applying the ethics of sporting and artistic excellence. These can then be translated to provide social and economic benefits of citizenship, rights responsibilities, with improved education, health, social order, environment and college, university, employment and enterprise. 

    Media files

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    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: South Africa: Minister Dion George on 47th World Heritage Committee session

    Source: APO


    .

    The Minister, Dr Dion George, has wished the South African delegation negotiating for the proposed extension of iSimangaliso Wetland Park into Maputo National Park in Mozambique well, as they participate at the 47th Session of the World Heritage Committee in Paris, France.

    South Africa is among 195 other countries participating in the 47th Session currently taking place at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Headquarters until 16 July 2025. The delegation is led by the Director-General of the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Ms Nomfundo Tshabalala, who is supported by South Africa’s Permanent Representative to UNESCO, Dr Phil Mjwara, and the Chief Executive Officer of iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority, Mr Sibusiso Bukhosini.

    “In line with our strategy to elevate our iconic natural sites into world class destinations, the expansion of iSimangaliso into Maputo National Park would translate into ecological protection, job creation, and inclusive tourism, benefitting both South Africans and Mozambicans,” said Minister George.

    The proposed extension of iSimangaliso has been recommended for listing on the UNESCO World Heritage List by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Through the negotiations, team South Africa will propose strong recommendations for sustainable development and reporting, guided by environmental legislations, joint governance structures, as well as matters of a joint management framework for the proposed Transboundary World Heritage Site, should it be successfully listed.

    The World Heritage Committee is an intergovernmental structure that oversees the implementation of the 1972 World Heritage Convention. South Africa has been a member of this Convention since 1997.

    The two week-long Session will discuss, amongst others, statutory matters such as a report of the World Heritage Centre and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Advisory bodies; State of Conservation (SoC) reports of sites on the World Heritage List and World Heritage List in Danger; Nominations to the UNESCO World Heritage List; and World Heritage Fund requests.

    It is important to also note that ahead of the tabling of the proposed extension of iSimangaliso into Maputo National Park, the South African government undertook a stakeholder consultation process in the month of June 2025. This process was made possible through financial support received from Peace Parks Foundation.

    “The consultation process is an integral part of the process and subsequent tabling of the possible extension at the 47th session of the World Heritage Committee,” said Minister George.

    As per the timetable, the proposed extension of iSimangaliso Wetland Park into Mozambique will be discussed by the World Heritage Committee between the 11 – 13 July 2025.

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic Of South Africa: Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Africa: Countries unite to scale up South-South cooperation for agrifood systems transformation

    Source: APO


    .

    A regional event on strengthening South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC) in Africa opened today with a call for greater collaboration to unlock shared benefits. Organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and hosted by the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania, the two-day event has brought together government ministers, technical experts, private sector leaders and development partners to promote more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems in Africa through South-South and Triangular Cooperation.

    South-South Cooperation is the exchange of resources, technology, and knowledge between developing countries in the Global South, while Triangular Cooperation involves a third party, often a resource partner or multilateral organization, that facilitates or supports these exchanges. Together, SSTC provides an innovative model to accelerate progress on agrifood systems transformation. 

    A strategic moment for collaboration

    As FAO marks its 80th anniversary, the Regional Policy Dialogue on Strengthening South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC) for Agrifood System Transformation in Sub-Saharan Africa offers a timely opportunity to advance partnerships that deliver concrete results at scale.

    Speaking at the opening session, Stephen Justice Nindi, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture of the United Republic of Tanzania, highlighted the value of African-led solutions and inter-regional collaboration. “It is my great pleasure and honour to welcome all of you,” he said. “Accelerating sustainable food systems and agricultural transformation is a top priority for the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania.”

    FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Africa Abebe Haile-Gabriel highlighted FAO’s long role in South-South Cooperation. “This dialogue is especially meaningful as FAO marks its 80th anniversary this year. SSTC is an expression of the solidarity and shared responsibility that FAO was founded upon.” He then shared three priorities to guide SSTC work: “One, SSTC needs to be embedded directly into national plans, budgets, and policies to ensure it is a core strategy, not a side project. Two, we must look beyond traditional donors to the private sector, academia, and farmer organizations to bring new energy and resources. And three, we should rigorously measure our results to prove their value and secure future investment.”

    Director of FAO’s SSTC Division Anping Ye highlighted that FAO Member Nations hold the solutions to many of the challenges the world faces, and FAO’s role is to support countries to work together. “It is the goal and the responsibility of the FAO South-South and Triangular Cooperation team to provide qualified or high-quality services to our member countries,” he said.

    A powerful solution in uncertain times

    The dialogue focuses on six key priorities: strengthening institutional coordination to consolidate SSTC policy frameworks and mobilise resources; promoting scalable innovations in agriculture through cross-country collaboration; enhancing climate resilience and food systems through SSTC mechanisms; facilitating multi-regional partnerships across Africa, Asia and Latin America; aligning SSTC with national strategies and FAO’s Country Programming Frameworks; and formulating practical roadmaps to support the institutionalisation of SSTC and improved inter-ministerial collaboration.

    Day one features country case studies and panel discussions on institutionalising SSTC in national and regional frameworks, including models from Uganda, Sierra Leone and The Gambia. Financing strategies and partnership models are also under discussion, including the FAO-China South-South Cooperation Programme, which has directly benefited over 100,000 people so far.

    Day two will focus on aligning SSTC with national plans, technology transfer and action planning. Breakout groups will work on monitoring, evaluation, and roadmaps for scaling up SSTC efforts within country frameworks.

    Expected outcomes include concrete policy recommendations, strengthened country partnerships, and commitments to follow-up actions such as the creation of inter-ministerial platforms or joint initiatives.

    FAO’s strong track record in Africa

    Sub-Saharan Africa is the region where nearly 80 percent of FAO’s SSTC efforts have taken place. Through partnerships with countries including Brazil, China, Morocco, Venezuela and Viet Nam, FAO has helped transfer knowledge, tools and technologies tailored to African priorities.

    Examples include the deployment of over 290 Chinese experts and 200 scalable technologies in Africa through the FAO-China Trust Fund; technology and knowledge sharing from Viet Nam, supported by Spain, to boost Namibia’s aquaculture sector; Brazil’s successful school meals model adapted in countries such as Senegal and Ethiopia; Moroccan technical support that helped Guinea and Eswatini improve agricultural monitoring and investment planning; and Venezuela-funded rice systems development projects that improved rice production in 10 African countries including Guinea and Nigeria.

    These projects demonstrate how SSTC can drive productivity, support smallholder farmers, and strengthen national institutions. As the Dialogue continues, FAO and its partners remain committed to expanding SSTC as a key mechanism for achieving sustainable development and resilient agrifood systems in Africa.

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO): Regional Office for Africa.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: How Philadelphia’s sanitation strike differed from past labor disputes in the city

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Francis Ryan, Associate Professor of Labor Studies and Employment Relations, Rutgers University

    Trash piled up in Philadelphia during the 8-day strike that ended July 9, 2025. AP Photo/Matt Slocum

    The Philadelphia municipal workers strike ended after eight days in the early hours of July 9, 2025.

    The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees District Council 33 union’s 9,000 blue-collar workers, including sanitation workers, 911 dispatchers, city mechanics and water department staff, were called back to work immediately. The deal involves a three-year contract with 3% annual raises and an additional step in the union pay scale for veteran workers.

    The Conversation U.S. asked Francis Ryan, a professor of labor studies at Rutgers University and author of “AFSCME’s Philadelphia Story: Municipal Workers and Urban Power in Philadelphia in the Twentieth Century,” about the history of sanitation strikes in Philly and what made this one unique.

    Has anything surprised you about this strike?

    This strike marked the first time in the history of labor relations between the city of Philadelphia and AFSCME District Council 33 union where social media played a significant role in how the struggle unfolded.

    The union got their side of the story out on Instagram and other social media platforms, and citizens took up or expressed sympathy with their cause.

    Some city residents referred to the garbage buildup sites as ‘Parker piles.’
    AP Photo/Tassanee Vejpongsa

    How successful are trash strikes in Philly or other US cities?

    As I describe in my book, Philadelphia has a long history of sanitation strikes that goes back to March 1937. At that time, a brief work stoppage brought about discussions between the city administration and an early version of the current union.

    When over 200 city workers were laid off in September 1938, city workers called a week-long sanitation strike. Street battles raged in West Philadelphia when strikers blocked police-escorted trash wagons that were aiming to collect trash with workers hired to replace the strikers.

    Philadelphia residents, many of whom were union members who worked in textile, steel, food and other industries, rallied behind the strikers. The strikers’ demands were met, and a new union, AFSCME, was formally recognized by the city.

    This strike was a major event because it showed how damaging a garbage strike could be. The fact that strikers were willing to fight in the streets to stop trash services showed that such events had the potential for violence, not to mention the health concerns from having tons of trash on the streets.

    There was another two-week trash strike in Philadelphia in 1944, but there wouldn’t be another for more than 20 years.

    However, a growing number of sanitation strikes popped up around the country in the 1960s, the most famous being the 1968 Memphis sanitation strike.

    Black sanitation workers peacefully march wearing placards reading ‘I Am A Man’ during the 1968 sanitation strike in Memphis, Tenn.
    Bettmann via Getty Images

    In Memphis, Tennessee, a majority African American sanitation workforce demanded higher wages, basic safety procedures and recognition of their union. Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. rallied to support the Memphis workers and their families as part of his Poor Peoples’ Campaign, which sought to organize working people from across the nation into a new coalition to demand full economic and political rights.

    On April 4, 1968, King was assassinated. His death put pressure on Memphis officials to settle the strike, and on April 16 the strikers secured their demands.

    Following the Memphis strike, AFSCME began organizing public workers around the country, and through the coming years into the 1970s, there were sanitation strikes and slowdowns across the nation including in New York, Atlanta, Cleveland and Washington. Often, these workers, who were predominantly African American, gained the support of significant sections of the communities they served and secured modest wage boosts.

    By the 1980s, such labor actions were becoming fewer. In 1986, Philadelphia witnessed a three-week sanitation strike that ended with the union gaining some of its wage demands, but losing on key areas related to health care benefits.

    Workers begin removing mounds of trash after returning to work after an 18-day strike in Philadelphia in July 1986.
    Bettmann via Getty Images

    How do wages and benefits for DC33 workers compare to other US cities?

    District Council 33 President Greg Boulware has said that the union’s members make an average salary of US$46,000 per year. According to MIT’s Living Wage Calculator, that is $2,000 less than what a single adult with no kids needs to reasonably support themselves living in Philadelphia.

    Prior to this deal, sanitation workers who collect curbside trash earned a salary of $42,500 to $46,200, or $18-$20 an hour. NBC Philadelphia reported that those wages are the lowest of any of the major cities they looked at. Hourly wages in the other cities they looked at ranged from $21 an hour in Dallas to $25-$30 an hour in Chicago.

    Unlike other eras, the fact that social media makes public these personal narratives and perspectives – like from former sanitation worker Terrill Haigler, aka “Ya Fav Trashman” – is shaping the way many citizens respond to these disruptions. I saw a level of support for the strikers that I believe is unprecedented going back as far as 1938.

    What do you think was behind this support?

    The COVID-19 pandemic made people more aware of the role of essential workers in society. If the men and women who do these jobs can’t afford their basic needs, something isn’t right. This may explain why so many people saw things from the perspective of striking workers.

    At the same time, money is being cut from important services at the federal, state and local levels. The proposed gutting of Philadelphia’s mass transit system by state lawmakers is a case in point. Social media allows people to make these broader connections and start conversations.

    This article was originally published on July 8, 2025, and has been updated to include details of the strike’s resolution.

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

    – ref. How Philadelphia’s sanitation strike differed from past labor disputes in the city – https://theconversation.com/how-philadelphias-sanitation-strike-differed-from-past-labor-disputes-in-the-city-260676

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI: Fortinet Report: OT Cybersecurity Risk Elevates within Executive Leadership Ranks

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SUNNYVALE, Calif., July 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Fortinet® (NASDAQ: FTNT), the global cybersecurity leader driving the convergence of networking and security, today announced the findings from its global 2025 State of Operational Technology and Cybersecurity Report. The results represent the current state of operational technology (OT) cybersecurity and highlight opportunities for continued improvement for organizations to secure an ever-expanding IT/OT threat landscape. In addition to trends and insights impacting OT organizations, the report offers best practices to help IT and OT security teams better secure their cyber-physical systems. 

    “The seventh installment of the Fortinet State of Operational Technology and Cybersecurity Report shows that organizations are taking OT security more seriously. We see this trend reflected in a notable increase in the assignment of responsibility for OT risk to the C-suite, alongside an uptick in organizations self-reporting increased rates of OT security maturity,” said Nirav Shah, Senior Vice President, Products and Solutions, at Fortinet. “Alongside these trends, we’re seeing a decrease in the impact of intrusions in organizations that prioritize OT security. Everyone from the C-suite on down needs to commit to protecting sensitive OT systems and allocating the necessary resources to secure their critical operations.”

    Key findings from the global survey include:

    • Responsibility for OT security continues to elevate within executive ranks: There has been a significant increase in the global trend of corporations planning to integrate cybersecurity under the CISO or other executives. As accountability continues to shift into executive leadership, OT security is elevated to a high-profile issue at the board level. The top internal leaders who influence OT cybersecurity decisions are now most likely to be the CISO or CSO by an increasingly wide margin. Now more than half (52%) of organizations report that the CISO/CSO is responsible for OT, up from 16% in 2022. For all C-suite roles, this has spiked to 95%. Additionally, the number of organizations intending to move OT cybersecurity under CISO in the next 12 months has increased from 60% to 80% in 2025.
    • OT cybersecurity maturity is affecting the impact of intrusions: Self-reported OT security maturity has made notable progress this year. At the basic Level 1, 26% of organizations report establishing visibility and implementing segmentation, up from 20% in the previous year. The largest number of organizations state their security maturity is at the Level 2 access and profiling phase. The report also found a correlation between maturity and attacks. Those organizations that report being more mature (higher of Levels 0–4) are seeing fewer attacks or indicate that they are better able to handle lower-sophistication tactics, such as phishing. It’s worth noting that some tactics, such as advanced persistent threats (APT) and OT malware, are difficult to detect, and less mature organizations may not have the security solutions in place to determine they exist. Overall, although nearly half of organizations experienced impacts, the impact of intrusions on organizations is declining, with a noteworthy reduction in operational outages that impacted revenue, which dropped from 52% to 42%.
    • Adopting cybersecurity best practices is having a positive impact: In addition to the Levels of maturity affecting the impact of intrusions, it appears that adopting best practices such as implementing basic cyber hygiene and better training and awareness are having a real impact, including a significant drop in business email compromise. Other best practices include incorporating threat intelligence, which spiked (49%) since 2024. Additionally, the report saw a significant decrease in the number of OT device vendors, which is a sign of maturity and operational efficiency. More organizations (78%) are now using only one to four OT vendors, which indicates that many of these organizations are consolidating vendors as part of their best practices. Cybersecurity vendor consolidation is also a sign of maturity and corresponds to Fortinet customer experiences with the Fortinet OT Security Platform. Unified networking and security at remote OT sites enhanced visibility and reduced cyber risks, leading to a 93% reduction in cyber incidents vs. a flat network. The simplified Fortinet solutions also led to a 7x improvement in performance through reductions in triage and setup.1

    Best Practices
    Fortinet’s global 2025 State of Operational Technology and Cybersecurity Report provides actionable insights for organizations to strengthen their security posture. Organizations can address OT security challenges by adopting the following best practices:

    • Establish visibility and compensating controls for OT assets: Organizations need the ability to see and understand everything that’s on their OT networks. Once visibility is established, organizations then need to protect critical devices and ones that may be vulnerable, which requires protective compensating controls that are designed for sensitive OT devices. Capabilities such as protocol-aware network policies, system-to-system interaction analysis, and endpoint monitoring can detect and prevent compromise of vulnerable assets.
    • Deploy segmentation: Reducing intrusions requires a hardened OT environment with strong network policy controls at all access points. This kind of defensible OT architecture starts with creating network zones or segments. Standards such as ISA/IEC 62443 specifically call for segmentation to enforce controls between OT and IT networks and between OT systems. Teams should also evaluate the overall complexity of managing a solution and consider the benefits of an integrated or platform-based approach with centralized management capabilities.
    • Integrate OT into security operations (SecOps) and incident response planning: Organizations should be maturing toward IT/OT SecOps. To get there, OT needs to be a specific consideration for SecOps and incident response plans, largely because of some of the distinctions between OT and IT environments, from unique device types to the broader consequences of an OT breach impacting critical operations. One key step in this direction is to have playbooks that include your organization’s OT environment. This kind of advanced preparation will foster better collaboration across IT, OT, and production teams to adequately assess cyber and production risks. It can also ensure that the CISO has proper awareness, prioritization, budget, and personnel allocations.
    • Consider a platform approach to your overall security architecture: To address rapidly evolving OT threats and an expanding attack surface, many organizations have assembled a broad array of security solutions from different vendors. This has yielded an overly complex security architecture that inhibits visibility while placing an increased burden on limited security team resources. A platform-based approach to security can help organizations consolidate vendors and simplify their architecture. A robust security platform with specific capabilities for both IT networks and OT environments can provide solution integration for improved security efficacy while enabling centralized management for enhanced efficiency. Integration can also provide a foundation for automated responses to threats.
    • Embrace OT-specific threat intelligence and security services: OT security depends on timely awareness and precise analytical insights about imminent risks. A platform-based security architecture should also apply AI-powered threat intelligence for near-real-time protection against the latest threats, attack variants, and exposures. Organizations should ensure their threat intelligence and content sources include robust, OT-specific information in their feeds and services.

    Report Overview

    • The Fortinet 2025 State of Operational Technology and Cybersecurity Report is based on data from a global survey of more than 550 OT professionals, conducted by a third-party research company.
    • Survey respondents were from different locations around the world, including Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Mainland China, Colombia, Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Norway, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand, United Kingdom, and the United States, among others.
    • Respondents represent a range of industries that are heavy users of OT, including: manufacturing, transportation/logistics, healthcare/pharma, oil, gas, and refining, energy/utilities, chemical/petrochemical, and water/wastewater.
    • Most of those surveyed, regardless of title, are deeply involved in cybersecurity purchasing decisions. Many respondents are responsible for operations technology at their organization and/or have reporting responsibility for manufacturing or plant operations.

    Additional Resources

    1 Fortinet, Fortinet OT Security Platform Customer Success Stories, November 5, 2024.

    About Fortinet
    Fortinet (Nasdaq: FTNT) is a driving force in the evolution of cybersecurity and the convergence of networking and security. Our mission is to secure people, devices, and data everywhere, and today we deliver cybersecurity everywhere our customers need it with the largest integrated portfolio of over 50 enterprise-grade products. Well over half a million customers trust Fortinet’s solutions, which are among the most deployed, most patented, and most validated in the industry. The Fortinet Training Institute, one of the largest and broadest training programs in the industry, is dedicated to making cybersecurity training and new career opportunities available to everyone. Collaboration with esteemed organizations from both the public and private sectors, including Computer Emergency Response Teams (“CERTS”), government entities, and academia, is a fundamental aspect of Fortinet’s commitment to enhance cyber resilience globally. FortiGuard Labs, Fortinet’s elite threat intelligence and research organization, develops and utilizes leading-edge machine learning and AI technologies to provide customers with timely and consistently top-rated protection and actionable threat intelligence. Learn more at https://www.fortinet.com, the Fortinet Blog, and FortiGuard Labs.

    Copyright © 2025 Fortinet, Inc. All rights reserved. The symbols ® and ™ denote respectively federally registered trademarks and common law trademarks of Fortinet, Inc., its subsidiaries and affiliates. Fortinet’s trademarks include, but are not limited to, the following: Fortinet, the Fortinet logo, FortiGate, FortiOS, FortiGuard, FortiCare, FortiAnalyzer, FortiManager, FortiASIC, FortiClient, FortiCloud, FortiMail, FortiSandbox, FortiADC, FortiAgent, FortiAI, FortiAIOps, FortiAgent, FortiAntenna, FortiAP, FortiAPCam, FortiAuthenticator, FortiCache, FortiCall, FortiCam, FortiCamera, FortiCarrier, FortiCASB, FortiCentral, FortiCNP, FortiConnect, FortiController, FortiConverter, FortiCSPM, FortiCWP, FortiDAST, FortiDB, FortiDDoS, FortiDeceptor, FortiDeploy, FortiDevSec, FortiDLP, FortiEdge, FortiEDR, FortiEndpoint FortiExplorer, FortiExtender, FortiFirewall, FortiFlex FortiFone, FortiGSLB, FortiGuest, FortiHypervisor, FortiInsight, FortiIsolator, FortiLAN, FortiLink, FortiMonitor, FortiNAC, FortiNDR, FortiPAM, FortiPenTest, FortiPhish, FortiPoint, FortiPolicy, FortiPortal, FortiPresence, FortiProxy, FortiRecon, FortiRecorder, FortiSASE, FortiScanner, FortiSDNConnector, FortiSEC, FortiSIEM, FortiSMS, FortiSOAR, FortiSRA, FortiStack, FortiSwitch, FortiTester, FortiToken, FortiTrust, FortiVoice, FortiWAN, FortiWeb, FortiWiFi, FortiWLC, FortiWLM, FortiXDR and Lacework FortiCNAPP. Other trademarks belong to their respective owners. Fortinet has not independently verified statements or certifications herein attributed to third parties and Fortinet does not independently endorse such statements. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, nothing herein constitutes a warranty, guarantee, contract, binding specification or other binding commitment by Fortinet or any indication of intent related to a binding commitment, and performance and other specification information herein may be unique to certain environments.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: The dangers of romanticising Britain’s 1976 heatwave

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Stephanie Brown, Lecturer in Criminology, University of Hull

    As I scrolled through social media on a hot afternoon in late June, a meme caught my attention. A black and white photo. A smiling young woman with water up to her knees. She appeared to be in a fountain, with many others dipping their legs in the water.

    The caption read “On this day in 1976, the British heatwave started. It would last until the 27th August, during which time Britain would experience extreme temperatures and widespread droughts. And we all had a wonderful summer and survived.”

    This immediately struck me: it was a boiling hot day. As I sat at my office desk keeping hydrated with a fan pointed directly at my face, I felt the rage burning inside me. How could people be so irresponsible? Heat can be dangerous. But the implication of the meme was clear: if people managed back then, surely today’s warnings about heatwaves, climate change, and public health are exaggerated. These rose-tinted memories obscure a darker truth.

    I am a historical criminologist. This meme had the rare effect of deeply troubling both of my areas of expertise.

    As a historian, this meme concerns me because it perpetuates the myth of the “good old days”. A selective, nostalgic vision of the past that smooths over complexity and hardship in favour of a comforting, idealised narrative. Flattening history into feelgood folklore, erasing the social inequalities and governmental failures.

    It echoes a broader cultural tendency: from “Make America great again” to the “Blitz spirit”, representing Britain’s nostalgia for wartime resilience, a romanticised past is often used by politicians to legitimise political ideas in the present. But history is not a comfort blanket. It is a critical tool.

    My work explores how institutions respond to crisis and how narratives of success or failure are constructed. In 1976, advice for dealing with the water shortage was to share a bath with the wife and drive a dirty car. Areas without domestic tap water had to use communal street pipes.

    The government did not appoint a minister for drought until the end of August, despite mounting evidence from meteorologists and public health officials. Emergency measures were piecemeal and unevenly applied.

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

    The suggestion that “we all had a wonderful summer and survived” is misleading. It was reported that “200 people a day were apparently dying who would not have died if the weather had been normal”. During the peak of the heatwave, deaths increased by 28% in the southeast England and 33% in Greater London.

    As a criminologist, I know that it is not only natural deaths that can increase during a hot weather. The number of violent deaths also increased in 1976 as well as in other heatwaves. Thermic law is the concept that violent crime is higher in hotter seasons. These patterns might be explained by temperature-aggression theory: that hot weather can cause an increase in aggressive behaviours.

    For other criminologists, it is not the temperature itself that causes increased violence, but how people’s behaviour changes due to the heat. For example, people are taking time off work or school, socialising, and drinking. Unstructured time and spaces, combined with alcohol and a holiday feel all lead to increases in violence.

    Misrepresenting risk

    By sentimentalising the summer of 1976, we strip away its lessons. Worse, we risk repeating its mistakes. One Conservative MP described people concerned about the 2022 heatwave as “snowflakes” and “cowards”. Quite an odd response after the British public was asked to “protect the NHS” during the COVID-19 pandemic.

    This protection apparently did not extend to looking after each other in a heatwave. In fact, heatwaves are largely an invisible risk. We are told not to fuss, but there is often little communication on how to keep safe.

    A lack of policy and examples of political scepticism connect with a key theme in the comments under that meme: climate change denial. If we had a heatwave in 1976 then what we are experiencing now is nothing new, right? Wrong.

    The heatwave in 1976 was bad: thousands died, fires raged, and water ran dry. But it was also an anomaly; a hot summer in a relatively cool decade. Heatwaves are now more frequent, more intense and longer lasting. Temperatures reached over 40°C in 2022, while the maximum in 1976 was 4°C-5°C cooler.

    Still, each time a weather warning is issued, it is met with a wave of derision. There is the same online discourse as is expressed in this meme. This attitude is not just flippant, it is dangerous. It undermines vital public messaging, discourages precautionary action, and fuels complacency among those least at risk, while leaving the most vulnerable even more exposed.

    History can offer crucial perspective. But only if we treat it honestly. That means moving beyond memeified memories of the past and reckoning with the complexity of what really happened. It means challenging the stories we tell ourselves. Many did live through the 1976 heatwave. But many also died: quietly, invisibly and avoidably. Their stories are not part of the nostalgia. They should be.

    Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?

    Get a weekly roundup in your inbox instead. Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. Join the 45,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.

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

    – ref. The dangers of romanticising Britain’s 1976 heatwave – https://theconversation.com/the-dangers-of-romanticising-britains-1976-heatwave-260046

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Could England and Wales introduce jury-free trials? Here’s how they work in other countries

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Natalie Hodgson, Assistant Professor in Law, University of Nottingham

    The right to trial by jury is a fundamental part of the criminal justice system in England and Wales. But under new proposals to address a record backlog of almost 77,000 Crown Court cases, some cases could now be heard by judge alone.

    Sir Brian Leveson has delivered part one of his independent review of the criminal courts, making 45 recommendations to address delays in the criminal justice process. One of his recommendations is that serious offences could be tried by a judge alone without a jury. Our evidence to the review explored how judge-alone trials have been used in other countries.

    Currently, a person can only be tried without a jury at Crown Court if there is a risk of jury tampering. Under Leveson’s proposal, judge-alone trials will be expanded to cases where a defendant requests to be tried without a jury, serious and complex fraud offences and where the case is likely to be lengthy or particularly complex.

    To understand how this might work, we can to look to other countries where judge-alone trials are used. Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the US all permit judge-alone trials in circumstances similar to what Leveson is recommending. A defendant can choose to be tried by a judge instead of a jury in certain circumstances.

    Defendants tend to express a preference for trial by judge alone if they are concerned that prejudicial media coverage or the nature of the offences might bias jurors against them. Leveson recommends that judges should decide whether a defendant’s request for a judge-alone trial should be granted, but stops short of identifying the factors that a judge should consider.

    Leveson leaves open the question of whether judge-alone trials should be available for all offences, or whether certain offences should be exempt. Some countries limit which offences can be heard without a jury. For example, in the Australian Capital Territory, a defendant cannot request a trial without a jury for murder or certain sexual offences.

    In New South Wales, judges are advised against permitting a judge-alone trial when the offence involves consideration of “community standards”. This recognises that members of the community have an important role to play in deciding whether a defendant has acted “reasonably”, “negligently” or “dishonestly”. For example, if a person is charged with manslaughter the jury may need to consider whether the defendant’s actions were “unreasonable”, which is best determined by members of the community.

    Are judge-alone trials unfair to defendants?

    Lawyers often raise concerns about judge-alone trials being unfair to defendants. Based on what we know from other countries, there is no strong evidence that this is the case. However, that is not to say that concerns about unfairness are unwarranted.

    If judges convict at higher rates than juries, that might suggest that judge-alone trials are unfair. However, the best available study, conducted in New South Wales, found that judges were actually slightly less likely than juries to find a defendant guilty.

    Juries do not explain their verdicts. In all countries which use judge-alone trials, judges must give reasons for their decisions. Knowing why a defendant was found guilty might make trials even more fair, providing a basis for an appeal against conviction if an error was made.

    One key issue with judge-alone trials is inadmissible evidence. Ordinarily, jurors are sent out of the courtroom while the judge and lawyers make decisions about what evidence the jury is allowed to hear. Evidence might be excluded because it is irrelevant, prejudicial or was collected in breach of the defendant’s rights. In these scenarios, the jury is never made aware of the evidence.

    However, in a judge-alone trial, the judge sees all the evidence, even if they decide that some of it should not be used. There is a risk that judges might be subconsciously impacted by inadmissible evidence in reaching their verdict.

    Judge-alone trials also raise issues about diversity of decision-makers. In England and Wales, only 11% of judges are from an ethnic minority background compared to 18% of the population. Ideally, juries contain people from a range of backgrounds. Some defendants might feel more confident that they will be tried fairly by a jury than a judge.

    Ultimately, one way to safeguard against concerns about unfairness is to give defendants the ability to choose whether or not they would like to be tried by a judge alone. Leveson’s recommendations suggest that most judge-alone trials would occur at the request of the defendant. However, judge-alone trials could be ordered against the defendant’s wishes in cases involving fraud or that are long and complex.

    Juries play an important role in the legal system in England and Wales. Through jury service, members of the community contribute to the administration of justice. The inclusion of a range of viewpoints and experiences in determining criminal verdicts enhances the legitimacy of the justice system.

    It is important that we continue to have juries in criminal trials. However, that is not to say that judge-alone trials cannot or should not play a role. The current backlog means that victims and defendants are having to wait years for their day in court. We desperately need to address this, and allowing defendants to elect a judge-alone trial may help to reduce delays to justice.

    While judge-alone trials are not inherently unfair, any rollout in England and Wales should be closely monitored and evaluated. It is important that we do not sacrifice fairness for efficiency as we work to address the issues affecting our justice system.

    The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Could England and Wales introduce jury-free trials? Here’s how they work in other countries – https://theconversation.com/could-england-and-wales-introduce-jury-free-trials-heres-how-they-work-in-other-countries-259489

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: How tea, chocolate and apples could help lower your blood pressure

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Christian Heiss, Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine, Head of Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Surrey

    Pixel-Shot/Shutterstock

    We’re constantly told to “eat healthy” – but what does that actually mean? Even doctors sometimes struggle to offer clear, practical advice on which specific foods support health, why they work and what real benefits people can expect.

    A growing body of research is starting to offer some answers. Along with colleagues, I have researched whether a group of plant compounds called flavan-3-ols could help lower blood pressure and improve blood vessel function. The results suggest these everyday compounds may have real potential for protecting heart health.

    Flavan-3-ols – sometimes called flavanols or catechins – are natural plant compounds that belong to the flavonoid family. They’re part of what gives plants their colour and helps protect them from sunlight and pests.

    For us, they show up in some of our most familiar foods: cocoa, green and black tea, grapes, apples and even some berries. That slightly tart or bitter note you taste in dark chocolate or strong tea? That’s flavan-3-ols at work.

    Scientists have long been interested in their health effects. In 2022, the Cosmos trial (Cocoa Supplement and Multivitamin Outcomes Study), which followed over 21,000 people, found that cocoa flavanols, but not multivitamin supplements, reduced deaths from cardiovascular disease by 27%. Our study set out to dig even deeper, focusing specifically on their effects on blood pressure and endothelial function (how well blood vessels dilate and respond to blood flow).

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

    We analysed data from 145 randomised controlled trials involving more than 5,200 participants. These studies tested a range of flavan-3-ol-rich foods and supplements, including cocoa, tea, grapes, apples and isolated compounds like epicatechin, and measured their effects on two key cardiovascular markers: blood pressure and flow-mediated dilation (FMD): a measure of how well the inner lining of blood vessels functions.

    The studies ranged from short-term (a single dose) to longer-term interventions lasting weeks or months. On average, participants consumed about 586 mg of flavan-3-ols daily; roughly the amount found in two to three cups of tea, one to two servings of dark chocolate, two tablespoons of cocoa powder, or a couple of apples.

    Regular consumption of flavan-3-ols led to an average drop in office blood pressure of 2.8 mmHg systolic (the top number) and 2.0 mmHg diastolic (the bottom number).

    But for people who started with elevated blood pressure or diagnosed hypertension, the benefits were even greater with reductions of up to 6–7 mmHg systolic and 4 mmHg diastolic. That’s comparable to the effects of some prescription blood pressure medications and could significantly lower the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

    We also found that flavan-3-ols improved endothelial function, with an average 1.7% increase in FMD after sustained intake. This benefit appeared even in participants whose blood pressure was already normal, suggesting these compounds may help protect blood vessels through multiple pathways.

    Side effects were uncommon and typically mild, usually limited to minor digestive issues, suggesting that adding flavan-3-ol-rich foods to your diet is generally safe.

    Supporting cardiovascular health

    While the benefits were most pronounced in those with high blood pressure, even people with normal readings saw improvements in vascular function. This suggests flavan-3-ols may help prevent cardiovascular problems before they begin.

    High blood pressure is one of the major drivers of heart disease worldwide, even at levels that don’t qualify as full-blown hypertension (140/90 mmHg or higher). Recent guidelines from the European Society of Cardiology now recognise that even “elevated” blood pressure (120–139 systolic and 70–89 diastolic) carries increased risk.

    Lifestyle changes, particularly diet and exercise, are recommended by doctors as first-line strategies. But patients and even healthcare providers often lack clear, specific guidance on which foods truly make a difference. Our findings help fill this gap by showing that boosting flavan-3-ol intake through everyday foods may offer a simple, evidence-based way to support cardiovascular health.

    What about supplements?

    Some studies tested supplements or isolated flavan-3-ol compounds, but these generally showed smaller effects than whole foods like tea or cocoa. This may be because other beneficial compounds in whole foods work together, enhancing absorption and effectiveness.

    At present, it appears both safer and more effective to focus on getting flavan-3-ols from foods rather than high-dose supplements, especially for people taking medications, since interactions are not fully understood.

    The studies we reviewed suggest that 500–600 mg of flavan-3-ols daily may be enough to see benefits. You could reach this by combining two to three cups of green or black tea, one to two servings (about 56g) of dark chocolate or two to three tablespoons of cocoa powder, two to three apples, plus other flavan-3-ol-rich fruits like grapes, pears and berries

    Eating apples, pears, grapes and berries could help support your heart health.
    Oksana Klymenko/Shutterstock

    Small daily swaps, then, like trading a sugary snack for an apple and a piece of dark chocolate or adding an extra cup of tea, could gradually improve your heart health over time. Because flavan-3-ol content can vary between foods, monitoring your blood pressure at home may help you see if it’s making a difference for you.

    More research is needed, particularly in people with diabetes, where the results were less consistent. We also need to better understand how flavan-3-ols interact with medications and whether even greater benefits can be achieved when combined with other healthy habits.

    But the evidence is now strong enough to recommend flavan-3-ol-rich foods as part of a heart-healthy diet. As clinicians seek practical, affordable lifestyle strategies for patients, these findings bring us closer to the idea of using food as medicine.

    Of course, flavan-3-ols aren’t a magic fix. They won’t replace medication for everyone. But combined with other healthy habits, they may offer a meaningful – and delicious – boost to cardiovascular health. And unlike many health fads, this isn’t about exotic superfoods or expensive powders. It’s about foods many of us already enjoy, used a little more intentionally.

    Christian Heiss has received funding from Lipton Teas & Infusions, Ageless Science, iThera, the Medical Research Council, the EPSRC, European Partnership on Metrology, co-financed from European Union’s Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Programme and UK Research and Innovation. He is member of the board of the European Society of Vascular Medicine, president of the Vascular, Lipid and Metabolic Medicine Council of the Royal Society of Medicine, and chairperson-elect of the ESC WG Aorta and Peripheral Vascular Diseases.

    – ref. How tea, chocolate and apples could help lower your blood pressure – https://theconversation.com/how-tea-chocolate-and-apples-could-help-lower-your-blood-pressure-256631

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Action is the antidote to ecological grief and climate anxiety – an ecotherapist explains

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Louise Taylor, Early Career Researcher and Ecotherapist, Queen’s University Belfast

    Brussels, Belgium. 21st February 2019. High school and university students stage a protest against the climate policies of the Belgian government. Alexandros Michailidis / Shutterstock.com

    There’s a popular quote by the 13th-century poet and spiritual teacher Rumi: “The cure for the pain is in the pain.” This line often echoes through my mind when I’m working with clients, especially those experiencing ecological grief and climate anxiety.

    As an ecotherapist – a therapist guided by nature and nature-based therapeutic approaches – and environmental researcher, I work with people who are navigating the emotional weight of ecological breakdown.

    Ecotherapy helps people reconnect with the natural world as a way to support mental and emotional wellbeing. It might involve walking in green spaces, mindfulness practices in nature, working with natural materials, or nature-based rituals.

    Whether it’s planting a garden, sitting under a tree, or engaging in conservation efforts, ecotherapy helps people feel more grounded, more connected and more resilient both emotionally and spiritually.

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

    In my practice, I’ve noticed that younger people are more likely to experience climate anxiety, while older generations tend to experience ecological grief. The difference is subtle but important. Anxiety often relates to what lies ahead and a sense of powerlessness. Grief is about what has already been lost.

    This emotional divide makes sense when we consider what has happened to the natural world over recent decades. Older adults have witnessed the loss of species, habitats and biodiversity in real time. Many have rich memories and relationships with landscapes that no longer exist as they once did. Meanwhile, younger generations face the terrifying uncertainty of a rapidly changing climate and an increasingly unstable future.

    Both grief and anxiety are valid, but they are not the same.

    I have explored these experiences in depth while researching nature connection, mental health and how the climate and ecological crisis is reshaping this relationship.

    At the outset, I assumed that greater connection with nature would always lead to improved mental wellbeing. But that wasn’t the full picture.

    What I found instead was that deepening our connection with the natural world can indeed foster healing, but it can also sharpen our awareness of the damage being done. This heightened sensitivity can trigger emotional pain, despair and even a decline in mental wellbeing.

    Swiss psychiatrist and psychotherapist Carl Jung once said, “There is no coming to consciousness without pain.” That’s exactly what climate-anxious and ecologically grieving people are expressing: the deep psychological toll of recognising the scale of the crisis we’re facing. For some, it affects their ability to function, to enjoy their lives and to maintain relationships.

    How to stay well

    The question I kept returning to in my work was this: how do we stay well in a time of collapse? My research pointed to one consistent answer: action.

    Engaging in pro-environmental actions emerged as the most effective way people coped with emotional strain. These weren’t merely acts of activism — they became spiritual practices, grounded in care, connection and meaning. Through these actions, people began to reclaim a sense of power and purpose in the face of overwhelming ecological loss.

    For many, this was also a path back to what eco-philosophers call the ecological self: the part of us that extends beyond the individual and identifies with the living world.

    This self isn’t driven by ego or personal gain, but by the impulse to build relationships, nurture communities and support the flourishing of all life. It represents an expanded way of being; one that understands health and healing as collective, not just personal.

    Importantly, these actions don’t have to be large-scale. They might involve growing your own herbs or vegetables, for instance, or joining a local conservation effort, forming a community group to protect waterways or green spaces, or participating in climate strikes and land defence work. What matters is that the action is relational: rooted in reciprocity and care.

    The conclusion of my research was clear: in the face of ecological distress, mental wellbeing is sustained not by thoughts, but by meaningful action.

    Healing through action

    In Northern Ireland, where I live and work, I’ve seen a growing grassroots environmental movement. Communities are stepping up to protect landscapes under threat, from campaigns to defend the Sperrin Mountains from gold mining, to local resistance against the pollution that’s devastating Lough Neagh, the largest freshwater lake in Ireland and the UK.

    This is unpaid, often invisible labour, but it’s powerful. It gives people a way to process their emotions, to feel less helpless and to turn grief into agency.

    Many environmentalists talk about “saving the planet”. But the truth is, the Earth will go on. What’s under threat is us: our ways of life, our communities, our ability to thrive. The dread we feel is rooted in the enormity of this realisation.

    To stay well while caring deeply about the Earth means learning to live with this pain, and still choosing to act. It requires us to show up, to be present and to tend to both the human and non-human world with care and reciprocity. As we do, we become more empowered and less overwhelmed.

    If you are struggling with climate anxiety or ecological grief, know this: the goal isn’t to suppress your feelings. The goal is to acknowledge them, and then use them as fuel for meaningful action.

    Don’t underestimate small acts. The way forward isn’t to wait for hope: it’s to create it through connection, courage and commitment.

    In a time of ecological uncertainty, wellness doesn’t come from thinking differently. It comes from doing differently.

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

    – ref. Action is the antidote to ecological grief and climate anxiety – an ecotherapist explains – https://theconversation.com/action-is-the-antidote-to-ecological-grief-and-climate-anxiety-an-ecotherapist-explains-260428

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Obesity care: why “eat less, move more” advice is failing

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Lucie Nield, Senior Lecturer in Nutrition and Dietetics, University of Sheffield

    New Africa/Shutterstock

    For years, people living with obesity have been given the same basic advice: eat less, move more. But while this mantra may sound simple, it’s not only ineffective for many, it can be deeply misleading and damaging.

    Obesity is not just about willpower. It’s a complex, chronic, relapsing condition and affects around 26.5% of adults in England, and 22.1% of children aged ten–11 in England.

    A new report estimates the rapidly growing number of people that are overweight or obese costs the UK £126 billion a year. This includes £71.4 billion in reduced quality of life and early mortality, £12.6 billion in NHS treatment costs, £12.1 billion from unemployment and £10.5 billion in informal care.

    Food campaigners and health experts have called for urgent government action, including expanding the sugar tax to more products, restricting junk food advertising and mandating reformulation of ultra processed foods. As Henry Dimbleby, author of a government-commissioned independent report called the National Food Strategy, warned: “We’ve created a food system that’s poisoning our population and bankrupting the state.”

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

    Without significant policy change, these costs are projected to rise to £150 billion a year by 2035. Despite this, much of the UK’s approach continues to frame obesity as a lifestyle issue that can be tackled by emphasising personal responsibility. But this framing ignores the bigger picture.

    We now understand that obesity is multifactorial. Genetics, childhood experiences, cultural norms, economic disadvantage, psychological health, mental illness and even the kind of job you have all play a role. These aren’t things you can simply change with a Fitbit and salad.

    This broader perspective isn’t new. In 2007, the UK government’s Foresight report mapped out the complex web of factors behind rising obesity rates, describing how modern environments actively promote weight gain.

    This “obesogenic environment” refers to the world we live in. Its one where high-calorie, low-nutrient foods are cheap and everywhere, and where physical activity has been engineered out of everyday life, from car-centric cities to screen-dominated leisure time.

    Outdated obesity advice isn’t working.

    These environments don’t affect everyone equally. People in more deprived areas are significantly more exposed to conditions that drive obesity, such as food deserts (areas with limited access to affordable, nutritious food), poor public transport and limited green space. In this context, weight gain becomes a normal biological response to an abnormal environment.

    Why “eat less, move more” falls short

    Despite growing awareness of these systemic issues, most UK obesity strategies still centre on individual behaviour change, often through weight management programmes that encourage people to cut calories and exercise more. While behaviour change has a place, focusing on it exclusively creates a dangerous narrative: that people who struggle with their weight are simply lazy or lack willpower.

    This narrative fuels weight stigma, which can be incredibly harmful. Yet data shows a clear link between higher rates of obesity and deprivation, especially among children.

    It’s clear many people still don’t understand the role of structural and socioeconomic factors in shaping obesity risk. And this misunderstanding leads to judgement, shame and stigma, especially for children and families who are already vulnerable.

    What should good obesity care look like?

    Instead of outdated advice and blame, we need a holistic, stigma-free and science-informed approach to obesity care, one that reflects current Nice guidelines and the Obesity Health Alliance’s recommendations. There are several things that need to be done.

    First, we should recognise obesity as a chronic disease. Obesity is not a failure of willpower. It’s a relapsing, long-term medical condition. Like diabetes or depression, it requires structured, ongoing support, not short-term fixes or crash diets.

    Second, we need to tackle weight stigma head-on. Weight-based discrimination is widespread in schools, workplaces and even healthcare settings. We need training for professionals to reduce bias, promote inclusive care and adopt person-centred, non-stigmatising language. Discriminatory practices must be challenged and eliminated.

    Third, deliver personalised, multidimensional support. Treatment plans should be tailored to each person’s life, including their cultural background, psychological history and social context. This includes shared decision-making, regular follow-up and integrated mental health support.

    And fourth, focus on changing the environment, not just people. We must shift the focus to the systems and structures that make healthy choices so hard. That means investing in affordable, nutritious food; improving access to physical activity; and tackling inequality at its roots.

    Time for a systemic shift

    Obesity isn’t just about what people eat or how often they exercise. It’s shaped by biology, experience and the environment we build around people. Framing it as a personal failure not only ignores decades of evidence – it actively harms the very people who need support.

    If we want to reduce stigma, improve health outcomes – and avoid a £150bn crisis – then the “eat less, move more” era must come to an end. What we need instead is a bold, compassionate, evidence-based systems approach – one that sees the whole person and the world they live in.

    Lucie Nield receives funding from NIHR.

    Catherine Homer receives funding from NIHR. She is affiliated with Royal Society of Public Health.

    – ref. Obesity care: why “eat less, move more” advice is failing – https://theconversation.com/obesity-care-why-eat-less-move-more-advice-is-failing-254628

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: The “Dialogue of World Mayors – SCO Summit Cities” was held in the Chinese city of Tianjin

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

    TIANJIN, July 9 (Xinhua) — The “World Mayors – SCO Summit Cities Dialogue” was held in Tianjin, north China, from July 6 to 9, attended by mayors, diplomats accredited in China and experts from think tanks from SCO countries.

    At the event, participants discussed expanding consensus, deepening practical cooperation in the areas of connectivity, trade and economic investment, green development and cultural exchanges.

    At the opening ceremony, Vice Chairperson of the SCO Chinese Committee on Good-Neighbourliness, Friendship and Cooperation Cui Li noted that the unique cultural images of cities, the spirit of inclusiveness and viable cultures of the SCO countries serve as an inexhaustible incentive for strengthening intercity friendly cooperation within the SCO.

    During the event, participants also visited one of the intelligent container terminals of Tianjin Port and Tianjin Light Industry Vocational and Technical College. -0-

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

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress called on deputies to ensure high-quality performance of their duties

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

    XINING, July 9 (Xinhua) — Zhao Leji, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC), has called on lawmakers to ensure good performance of their legislative, oversight and parliamentary duties, thereby contributing to the successful completion of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025).

    Zhao Leji, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, made the remarks during an inspection tour of northwest China’s Qinghai Province from Sunday to Tuesday.

    During his visit to Xining and Haidong, Zhao Leji visited legislators’ workplaces, enterprises and rural areas, talking with legislators and local residents to solicit their opinions and advice on promoting high-quality development of legislative work.

    Stressing the importance of maintaining the Party’s comprehensive leadership, Zhao Leji called on the legislative organs to comprehensively implement the major principles and policies as well as the important decisions and plans of the Party in their legislative work.

    He called on legislatures at various levels in Qinghai to focus on more effectively protecting the ecological environment in the province in the spirit of the rule of law, especially when it comes to protecting the ecology in the Sanjiangyuan area, which is known as the “water tower of China” and is home to the headwaters of the Yangtze, Yellow River and Lancang, China’s three largest rivers.

    Stressing the need to uphold a people-centered stance and consciously put the people’s democracy of the whole process into practice, Zhao Leji called on legislators to conduct in-depth research and actively solicit opinions and suggestions from all sectors.

    He stressed that deputies must strictly fulfill their duties in accordance with the Constitution and other laws, stressing the need to strengthen the NPC’s oversight work by fully implementing the revised Oversight Law.

    Zhao Leji also called for strengthening the work of improving the people’s congresses and strictly implementing the eight guidelines issued by the CPC Central Committee to improve the behavior style of party cadres and civil servants. This, he said, will create an atmosphere of purity, honesty and enterprise, thereby continuously strengthening their ability to perform their duties in accordance with the law. -0-

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

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Honoring West Colesville Fire Chief James Sitek

    Source: US State of New York

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    A lock icon or https:// means you’ve safely connected to a ny.gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

    July 9, 2025

    Albany, NY

    Flags To Be Flown at Half-Staff Across New York State on Thursday, July 10

    Governor Kathy Hochul today directed flags on all State government buildings to be flown at half-staff in honor of West Colesville Fire Chief James Sitek, who passed away on July 6 in the line of duty, while responding to a fire in Conklin. Flags will be at half-staff from sunrise to sunset on Thursday, July 10.

    “Our first responders are admirable — stepping up for our communities in times of need, ensuring all are safe and protected from harm,” Governor Hochul said. “First responders go above and beyond, and I join the West Colesville community, family and loved ones in mourning the loss of their fearless Fire Chief, James Sitek.”

    You are leaving the official State of New York website.

    The State of New York does not imply approval of the listed destinations, warrant the accuracy of any information set out in those destinations, or endorse any opinions expressed therein. External web sites operate at the direction of their respective owners who should be contacted directly with questions regarding the content of these sites.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: How the Catholic Church helped change the conversation about capital punishment in the United States

    Source: The Conversation – USA (3) – By Austin Sarat, William Nelson Cromwell Professor of Jurisprudence and Political Science, Amherst College

    Helen Prejean has been one of the most high-profile opponents of the death penalty for decades. Brooks Kraft LLC/Sygma via Getty Images

    Thirty years ago, the film “Dead Man Walking” had its debut in movie theaters around the United States. It was a box office hit, and critics lavished it with praise. Lead actress Susan Sarandon won an Academy Award for her portrayal of Sister Helen Prejean, the spiritual adviser to a death row inmate played by Sean Penn.

    But the film’s impact went far beyond the artistic realm. It exposed a mass audience to a perspective on the death penalty informed by the Catholic faith of a devout, if somewhat unconventional, nun.

    The actual Sister Helen had published her memoir, “Dead Man Walking,” two years before, raising her profile as an activist against the death penalty. Recalling her experience outside the execution chamber of Elmo Patrick Sonnier, one of the people she counseled, Prejean later wrote, “I touched him in the only way I could. I told him: ‘Look at my face. I will be the face of Christ, the face of love for you.’”

    She made it her mission to show that “everybody’s worth more than the worst thing they’ve ever done in their life.” As she once told an interviewer, “Jesus said, ‘Love your enemy.’ Jesus didn’t say, ‘Execute the hell out of the enemy.’”

    That belief was featured prominently in the film and offered a counterpoint to the popular tough-on-crime rhetoric of the 1990s. Back then, 80% of the American public supported capital punishment.

    Today, that is no longer true. Support for the death penalty has declined to around 50%.

    As a death penalty scholar, I have studied those changes. The church’s anti-death penalty teaching has helped provide both a moral foundation and political respectability for those working to end the death penalty.

    The 1995 film was inspired by Prejean’s memoir.

    Church teachings

    But that teaching is relatively new in the church, dating back to the past half-century. For most of its history, the Catholic Church did not oppose the death penalty.

    During the Middle Ages, the church endorsed the execution of heretics and held firm that secular authorities could and should put people to death for serious crimes. And in the early 20th century, Vatican City’s penal code permitted the death penalty for anyone who attempted to kill a pope. Pope Paul VI changed that in 1969.

    When John Paul II became pope a decade later, he pushed the church further away from its historic embrace of the death penalty, calling it “cruel and unnecessary.” And in 2018, under Pope Francis, the Vatican revised the section on capital punishment in the Catechism, the summary of Catholic doctrine.

    The death penalty “is inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person,” and deprives “the guilty of the possibility of redemption,” the new version says. This teaching committed the church to work for its abolition.

    In his 2020 encyclical Fratelli Tutti, Francis stated that the death penalty is “inadequate from a moral standpoint and no longer necessary from that of penal justice.” In 2024, he again called for “the abolition of the death penalty, a provision at odds with Christian faith and one that eliminates all hope of forgiveness and rehabilitation.”

    Impact in the US

    The changed situation of capital punishment in this country is largely attributable to a change in the strategy and tactics of the abolitionist movement. Instead of talking about the death penalty in abstract terms, activists began to focus on the day-to-day realities of its administration.

    Today, advocates in what I have called the “new abolitionism” focus on the prospect of executing the innocent, racial discrimination in capital sentencing, and the financial costs associated with the death penalty. Among Catholics working to end the death penalty, however, the moral questions about state killing have long been a central focus.

    The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops focused on morality in its own campaign to end capital punishment, which was launched in 2005. And from time to time, popes have made special appeals to government officials in the U.S., asking them to spare the life of someone awaiting execution.

    A seminarian attends a public hearing in Connecticut in 2011 on legislation to replace capital punishment with life in prison for certain murders.
    AP Photo/Jessica Hill

    Legal historian Sara Mayeux argues that Catholic anti-death penalty activism in the U.S. has been less intense than anti-abortion work. Nevertheless, the impact of the church is reflected in the fact that in the past 50 years, Catholic support for capital punishment fell more than it did among evangelicals, mainline Protestants, Black Protestants and other religious groups.

    In December 2024, as the term of President Joe Biden, a devout Catholic, was coming to a close, the Catholics Mobilizing Network, which advocates against capital punishment, called on the president to commute the sentences of the 40 people then on federal death row. Francis, too, publicly prayed for their sentences to be commuted.

    Biden did so for 37 federal death row inmates, changing their sentences to life in prison without parole.

    Anti-death penalty superstar

    As the church’s official position against capital punishment has evolved, Prejean has been a consistent voice asking Americans to recognize and respond to the humanity of all those touched by murder. She is, in words I am sure she would resist, a superstar in the movement, thanks to her countless public appearances, interviews, protests and actions to lobby legislators.

    Sister Helen Prejean talks to detainees during a discussion of ‘Dead Man Walking’ at Department Of Corrections Division 11 in Chicago.
    AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh

    In 2021, she wrote, “I’m on fire to abolish government killing because I’ve seen it far too close-up, and I have a pretty good idea by now how it works – or doesn’t.”

    Thirty years ago, “Dead Man Walking” gave its viewers a chance to see capital punishment “close-up.” It didn’t preach or hit anyone over the head with an overtly abolitionist message. Instead, it asked viewers to see the death penalty from many sides and make up their own minds about whether anyone should be put to death, even for the most horrible crimes.

    Between then and now, America has undertaken precisely the kind of conversation about capital punishment that the film exemplified and inspired.

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

    – ref. How the Catholic Church helped change the conversation about capital punishment in the United States – https://theconversation.com/how-the-catholic-church-helped-change-the-conversation-about-capital-punishment-in-the-united-states-260481

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: How the Catholic Church helped change the conversation about capital punishment in the United States

    Source: The Conversation – USA (3) – By Austin Sarat, William Nelson Cromwell Professor of Jurisprudence and Political Science, Amherst College

    Helen Prejean has been one of the most high-profile opponents of the death penalty for decades. Brooks Kraft LLC/Sygma via Getty Images

    Thirty years ago, the film “Dead Man Walking” had its debut in movie theaters around the United States. It was a box office hit, and critics lavished it with praise. Lead actress Susan Sarandon won an Academy Award for her portrayal of Sister Helen Prejean, the spiritual adviser to a death row inmate played by Sean Penn.

    But the film’s impact went far beyond the artistic realm. It exposed a mass audience to a perspective on the death penalty informed by the Catholic faith of a devout, if somewhat unconventional, nun.

    The actual Sister Helen had published her memoir, “Dead Man Walking,” two years before, raising her profile as an activist against the death penalty. Recalling her experience outside the execution chamber of Elmo Patrick Sonnier, one of the people she counseled, Prejean later wrote, “I touched him in the only way I could. I told him: ‘Look at my face. I will be the face of Christ, the face of love for you.’”

    She made it her mission to show that “everybody’s worth more than the worst thing they’ve ever done in their life.” As she once told an interviewer, “Jesus said, ‘Love your enemy.’ Jesus didn’t say, ‘Execute the hell out of the enemy.’”

    That belief was featured prominently in the film and offered a counterpoint to the popular tough-on-crime rhetoric of the 1990s. Back then, 80% of the American public supported capital punishment.

    Today, that is no longer true. Support for the death penalty has declined to around 50%.

    As a death penalty scholar, I have studied those changes. The church’s anti-death penalty teaching has helped provide both a moral foundation and political respectability for those working to end the death penalty.

    The 1995 film was inspired by Prejean’s memoir.

    Church teachings

    But that teaching is relatively new in the church, dating back to the past half-century. For most of its history, the Catholic Church did not oppose the death penalty.

    During the Middle Ages, the church endorsed the execution of heretics and held firm that secular authorities could and should put people to death for serious crimes. And in the early 20th century, Vatican City’s penal code permitted the death penalty for anyone who attempted to kill a pope. Pope Paul VI changed that in 1969.

    When John Paul II became pope a decade later, he pushed the church further away from its historic embrace of the death penalty, calling it “cruel and unnecessary.” And in 2018, under Pope Francis, the Vatican revised the section on capital punishment in the Catechism, the summary of Catholic doctrine.

    The death penalty “is inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person,” and deprives “the guilty of the possibility of redemption,” the new version says. This teaching committed the church to work for its abolition.

    In his 2020 encyclical Fratelli Tutti, Francis stated that the death penalty is “inadequate from a moral standpoint and no longer necessary from that of penal justice.” In 2024, he again called for “the abolition of the death penalty, a provision at odds with Christian faith and one that eliminates all hope of forgiveness and rehabilitation.”

    Impact in the US

    The changed situation of capital punishment in this country is largely attributable to a change in the strategy and tactics of the abolitionist movement. Instead of talking about the death penalty in abstract terms, activists began to focus on the day-to-day realities of its administration.

    Today, advocates in what I have called the “new abolitionism” focus on the prospect of executing the innocent, racial discrimination in capital sentencing, and the financial costs associated with the death penalty. Among Catholics working to end the death penalty, however, the moral questions about state killing have long been a central focus.

    The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops focused on morality in its own campaign to end capital punishment, which was launched in 2005. And from time to time, popes have made special appeals to government officials in the U.S., asking them to spare the life of someone awaiting execution.

    A seminarian attends a public hearing in Connecticut in 2011 on legislation to replace capital punishment with life in prison for certain murders.
    AP Photo/Jessica Hill

    Legal historian Sara Mayeux argues that Catholic anti-death penalty activism in the U.S. has been less intense than anti-abortion work. Nevertheless, the impact of the church is reflected in the fact that in the past 50 years, Catholic support for capital punishment fell more than it did among evangelicals, mainline Protestants, Black Protestants and other religious groups.

    In December 2024, as the term of President Joe Biden, a devout Catholic, was coming to a close, the Catholics Mobilizing Network, which advocates against capital punishment, called on the president to commute the sentences of the 40 people then on federal death row. Francis, too, publicly prayed for their sentences to be commuted.

    Biden did so for 37 federal death row inmates, changing their sentences to life in prison without parole.

    Anti-death penalty superstar

    As the church’s official position against capital punishment has evolved, Prejean has been a consistent voice asking Americans to recognize and respond to the humanity of all those touched by murder. She is, in words I am sure she would resist, a superstar in the movement, thanks to her countless public appearances, interviews, protests and actions to lobby legislators.

    Sister Helen Prejean talks to detainees during a discussion of ‘Dead Man Walking’ at Department Of Corrections Division 11 in Chicago.
    AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh

    In 2021, she wrote, “I’m on fire to abolish government killing because I’ve seen it far too close-up, and I have a pretty good idea by now how it works – or doesn’t.”

    Thirty years ago, “Dead Man Walking” gave its viewers a chance to see capital punishment “close-up.” It didn’t preach or hit anyone over the head with an overtly abolitionist message. Instead, it asked viewers to see the death penalty from many sides and make up their own minds about whether anyone should be put to death, even for the most horrible crimes.

    Between then and now, America has undertaken precisely the kind of conversation about capital punishment that the film exemplified and inspired.

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

    – ref. How the Catholic Church helped change the conversation about capital punishment in the United States – https://theconversation.com/how-the-catholic-church-helped-change-the-conversation-about-capital-punishment-in-the-united-states-260481

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ will have Americans paying higher prices for dirtier energy

    Source: The Conversation – USA (2) – By Daniel Cohan, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rice University

    Congress passed Donald Trump’s tax and spending bill on July 3, 2025. Kevin Carter/Getty Images

    When congressional Republicans decided to cut some Biden-era energy subsidies to help fund their One Big Beautiful Bill Act, they could have pruned wasteful subsidies while sparing the rest. Instead, they did the reverse. Americans will pay the price with higher costs for dirtier energy.

    The nearly 900-page bill that President Donald Trump signed on July 4, 2025, slashes incentives for wind and solar energy, batteries, electric cars and home efficiency while expanding subsidies for fossil fuels and biofuels. That will leave Americans burning more fossil fuels despite strong public and scientific support for shifting to renewable energy.

    As an environmental engineering professor who studies ways to confront climate change, I think it is important to distinguish which energy technologies could rapidly cut emissions or need a financial boost to become viable from those that are already profitable but harm the environment. Unfortunately, the Republican bill favors the latter while stifling the former.

    The Spring Creek Mine in Decker, Mont., is just one mine in the Powder River Basin, the most productive coal-producing region in the U.S.
    AP Photo/Matthew Brown

    Cuts to renewable electricity

    Wind and solar power, often paired with batteries, provide over 90% of the new electricity added nationally and around the world in recent years. Natural gas turbines are in short supply, and there are long lead times to build nuclear power plants. Wind and solar energy projects – with batteries to store excess power until it’s needed – offer the fastest way to satisfy growing demand for power. Recent technological breakthroughs put geothermal power on the verge of rapid growth.

    However, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act rescinds billions of dollars that the Inflation Reduction Act, enacted in 2022, devoted to boosting domestic manufacturing and deployments of renewable energy and batteries.

    It accelerates the phaseout of tax credits for factories that manufacture equipment needed for renewable energy and electric vehicles. That would disrupt the boom in domestic manufacturing projects that had been stimulated by the Inflation Reduction Act.

    Efforts to build new wind and solar farms will be hit even harder. To receive any tax credits, those projects will need to commence construction by mid-2026 or come online by the end of 2027. The act preserves a slower timeline for phasing out subsidies for nuclear, geothermal and hydrogen projects, which take far longer to build than wind and solar farms.

    However, even projects that could be built soon enough will struggle to comply with the bill’s restrictions on using Chinese-made components. Tax law experts have called those provisions “unworkable,” since some Chinese materials may be necessary even for projects built with as much domestic content as possible. For example, even American-made solar panels may rely on components sourced from China or Chinese-owned companies.

    Princeton University professor Jesse Jenkins estimates that the bill will mean wind and solar power generate 820 fewer terawatt-hours in 2035 than under previous policies. That’s more power than all U.S. coal-fired power plants generated in 2023.

    That’s why BloombergNEF, an energy research firm, called the bill a “nightmare scenario” for clean energy proponents.

    However, one person’s nightmare may be another man’s dream. “We’re constraining the hell out of wind and solar, which is good,” said U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, a Texas Republican who is backed by the oil and gas industry.

    Federal tax credits for homeowners who install solar panels will now expire at the end of 2025.
    AP Photo/Michael Conroy

    Electric cars and efficiency

    Cuts fall even harder on Americans who are trying to reduce their carbon footprints and energy costs. The quickest phaseout comes for tax credits for electric vehicles, which will end on Sept. 30, 2025. And since the bill eliminates fines on car companies that fail to meet fuel economy standards, other new cars are likely to guzzle more gas.

    Tax credits for home efficiency improvements such as heat pumps, efficient windows and energy audits will end at the end of 2025. Homeowners will also lose tax credits for installing solar panels at the end of the year, seven years earlier than under the previous law.

    The bill also rescinds funding that would have helped cut diesel emissions and finance clean energy projects in underserved communities.

    Federal tax credits for buying electric vehicles will end on Sept. 30, 2025.
    AP Photo/Jae C. Hong

    Support for biofuels and fossil fuels

    Biofuels and fossil fuels fared far better under the bill. Tens of billions of dollars will be spent to extend tax credits for biofuels such as ethanol and biodiesel.

    Food-based biofuels do little good for the climate because growing, harvesting and processing crops requires fertilizers, pesticides and fuel. The bill would allow forests to be cut to make room for crops because it directs agencies to ignore the effects of biofuels on land use.

    Meanwhile, the bill opens more federal lands and waters to leasing for oil and gas drilling and coal mining. It also slashes the royalties that companies pay to the federal government for fuels extracted from publicly owned land. And a new tax credit will subsidize metallurgical coal, which is mainly exported to steelmakers overseas.

    The bill also increases subsidies for using captured carbon dioxide to extract more oil and gas from the ground. That makes it less likely that captured emissions will only be sequestered to combat climate change.

    Summing it up

    With fewer efficiency improvements, fewer electric vehicles and less clean power on the grid, Princeton’s Jenkins projects that the law will increase household energy costs by over $280 per year by 2035 above what they would have been without the bill. The extra fossil fuel-burning will negate 470 million tons of anticipated emissions reductions that year, a 7% bump.

    The bill will also leave America’s clean energy transition further behind China, which is deploying more solar and wind power and electric vehicles than the rest of the world combined.

    No one expected President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act to escape unscathed with Republicans in the White House and dominating both houses of Congress, even though many of its projects were in Republican-voting districts. Still, pairing cuts to clean energy with support for fossil fuels makes Trump’s bill uniquely harmful to the world’s climate and to Americans’ wallets.

    This article includes some material previously published on June 10, 2025.

    Daniel Cohan receives research funding from the Carbon Hub at Rice University. He previously received research funding from Project InnerSpace, the Mitchell Foundation, the National Science Foundation, NASA, and the Environmental Protection Agency.

    – ref. ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ will have Americans paying higher prices for dirtier energy – https://theconversation.com/big-beautiful-bill-will-have-americans-paying-higher-prices-for-dirtier-energy-260588

    MIL OSI –