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Category: Politics

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: His Majesty The King takes in Caithness nuclear history

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    News story

    His Majesty The King takes in Caithness nuclear history

    His Majesty The King met with members of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) group in Caithness Scotland, to mark series of significant milestones.

    King Charles and NDA Group CEO David Peattie

    The nuclear industry marked three significant anniversaries this week as His Majesty The King met with members of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) group in Caithness Scotland, during his annual visit to the region.

    The visit recognised the NDA group’s progress in its national mission to safely decommission the UK’s earliest nuclear sites, and its long-standing contribution to sustainability and economic development in the region and across the UK.

    It coincided with the NDA group marking several significant milestones including the 20th anniversary of the NDA and 70 years for NRS Dounreay, which has been an enduring presence at the heart of the Caithness community.

    The site began its life as the UK’s centre of pioneering fast reactor research and is now once again, at the forefront of science and engineering – developing first of a kind solutions for complex nuclear decommissioning challenges.

    This year also marks 50 years for Pacific Nuclear Transport Ltd (PNTL). Founded in 1975, PNTL is the world’s leading maritime nuclear transporter and part of NDA subsidiary, Nuclear Transport Solutions (NTS). The King also viewed the Pacific Heron, part of the PNTL fleet of ships designed to safely transport nuclear materials around the globe.

    His Majesty met members of the crew, the most experienced in the world boasting a flawless safety record, currently in Caithness while undertaking required sea-hours. The King was also introduced to other employees from the NDA group, representatives from UK and Scottish Government, and members of the local Caithness community.  

    King Charles meets Caithness community members

    NDA group CEO David Peattie said:

    I was delighted to welcome His Majesty The King and introduce him to valued staff members and stakeholders. It’s a powerful reminder of the national importance of the mission we’re delivering on behalf on the UK.

    Together with King Charles we share a passion for sustainability and protecting the planet. The NDA group is responsible for one of the biggest environmental remediation programmes in the world, and we are committed to leaving a positive legacy for future generations.

    From decommissioning legacy facilities and driving towards carbon net zero to investing in projects in the local community which help diversify the economy and grow skills, we’re proud to be a responsible neighbour and make a positive difference in our site communities.

    King Charles and NDA Group CEO David Peattie

    The NDA group is one of the largest employers in the region, supporting over 1,500 jobs on site and in the supply chain, and over 50% of Dounreay’s supply chain spend is with Caithness owned or resourced companies.

    It also partners with the community to invest around £1million of socio-economic funding each year in programmes across Caithness and North Sutherland as part of its commitment to supporting prosperous communities arounds its sites.

    Since 2019 it’s invested £5 million in developing Scrabster Harbour to enhance its capacity to accommodate cruise ships and help diversify the economy. Since cruising restarted in 2023, 40 ships have brought business to the local community.

    Last week the NDA group also confirmed a further investment of £1million into the Caithness & North Sutherland Fund for the next three years, taking the total investment to £5million.

    So far, the fund has supported more than 251 projects aimed at attracting more people to live, work and invest in the area.

    Updates to this page

    Published 29 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • EU proposes curbs on Israel research funding over Gaza crisis

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    The European Union’s executive body recommended on Monday curbing Israeli access to its flagship research funding programme after calls from EU countries to increase pressure on Israel to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

    Multiple EU countries said last week that Israel was not living up to its commitments under an agreement with the European Union on increasing aid supplies to Gaza and asked the European Commission to put concrete options on the table.

    The proposal to partially suspend Israel’s participation in the Horizon Europe programme needs approval from a qualified majority of EU countries to take effect – at least 15 of the EU’s 27 members, representing at least 65% of its population.

    The European Commission said in a statement that the proposal comes as a reaction to a review of Israel’s compliance with the human rights clause of an agreement governing its relations with the EU.

    The bloc’s diplomatic service said in June that there were indications that Israel had breached its obligations under the terms of the pact.

    “While Israel has announced a daily humanitarian pause in Gaza fighting and has met some of its commitments under the common understanding on humanitarian aid and access, the situation remains severe,” the Commission said on Monday.

    The U.N.’s World Food Programme has said that almost 470,000 people in Gaza are enduring famine-like conditions, with 90,000 women and children in need of specialist nutrition treatments.

    The Israeli government has rejected international criticism of its policies in the enclave.

    Israel’s foreign ministry said in a post on social media platform X on Monday that the Commission’s move was “mistaken, regrettable, and unjustified” and that it hoped EU member countries would not adopt the proposal.

    Israel has been participating in the EU’s research programs since 1996, taking part in thousands of joint projects over the past decades.

    The Commission said the proposal would impact the participation of Israeli entities in the bloc’s European Innovation Council Accelerator “which targets start-ups and small businesses with disruptive innovations and emerging technologies that have potential dual-use applications, such as in cybersecurity, drones, and artificial intelligence”.

    It did not say how much funding would be affected by the proposed freeze.

    (Reuters)

     

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Global Africa Commission Proposed as the fourth AfriCaribbean Trade and Investment Forum (ACTIF2025) Opens in Grenada

    Source: APO – Report:

    • US $290M in deals signed, advancing infrastructure, tourism and trade across the Caribbean on Day 1
    • CARICOM leaders to recommend region’s highest honour for Oramah’s role in transforming ties
    • US $250M Resilience Fund, CAPSS rollout, and feasibility of Caribbean EXIM Bank among key initiatives championed

    The fourth AfriCaribbean Trade and Investment Forum (ACTIF2025) opened today in St. George’s under the theme “Resilience and Transformation: Enhancing Africa-Caribbean Economic Cooperation in an Era of Global Uncertainty.”

    In a passionate keynote address, Prof. Benedict Oramah, outgoing President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Afreximbank, declared the region’s readiness to shift from slogans to systems, unveiling a slate of tangible milestones that signal the deepening of Africa-Caribbean economic and cultural integration.

    “In under four years, we’ve ratified the Partnership Agreement in 11 CARICOM countries, providing the Bank a solid legal foundation to operate, support, and invest in their economies,” said Oramah. This, he acknowledged, represents a “sovereign declaration, that the CARICOM States see in Africa, not just its past, but also its future.”

    These bold initiatives, shared by President Oramah during his address, demonstrate Afreximbank’s commitment to transforming Afri-Caribbean cooperation from aspiration into action:

    • Caribbean EXIM Bank: Feasibility studies are underway for a regional EXIM Bank co-created with the CARICOM Secretariat to unlock industrial development and trade.
    • $250M Growth, Resilience, and Sustainability Fund (GRSF): A new blended finance mechanism to support climate adaptation and development. Afreximbank’s Fund for Export Development in Africa (FEDA) will manage the fund, while concessional financing will be raised jointly with the CARICOM Development Fund.
    • CAPSS Launch (Caribbean Payment & Settlement System): Modelled after Africa’s Pan African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS), this digital platform will allow real-time payments across the Caribbean in local currencies, eliminating costly conversions and enabling the upcoming CAPSS Card.
    • Creative & Cultural Investment: $24 million has been committed for a film production and training hub in the OECS through CANEX, while other investments have enabled designers and chefs from Guyana, Trinidad, Jamaica, and Barbados to feature globally.
    • Artificial Intelligence Hub: A new AI and generative tech centre is being launched in partnership with the P.J. Patterson Institute at the University of the West Indies to place Afro-Caribbean talent at the centre of global innovation.

    The ACTIF2025 also serves as President Oramah’s final address at the Forum, as he prepares to hand over leadership to Dr. George Elombi, Afreximbank’s long-serving Executive Vice President nominated as incoming President by shareholders at the Bank’s 32nd Annual Meeting in Abuja in June 2025.

    “At this critical moment in our collective history, I have no shred of doubt that he is the right person to lead us in the next phase of the Bank’s journey. I am convinced that he will give the Bank’s work in this region a renewed impetus,” he stated.

    Looking beyond the Forum, President Oramah urged the establishment of a sovereign Global Africa Commission to drive forward the long-term integration of Africa and the Caribbean. He proposed that the Commission be jointly supported by Afreximbank, the CARICOM Secretariat, and the African Union, and tasked with advancing the trade, cultural, education, and creative agenda of the growing pan-African alliance.

    “What we have done so far is prove the concept, we now need to institutionalise it,” Oramah said. “We should consider creating a Commission that becomes fully responsible for delivering on the Africa-Caribbean and broader Global Africa initiative… This move will give more focus to the initiative, reduce the administrative burden on Afreximbank and create an environment for innovation.”

    In closing, President Oramah declared “In America, America is first. In Europe, Europe is first. In China, China is first. We are the only ones who put ourselves last,” noting that it is time that Africa changes this posture.

    Meanwhile, Hon. Dickon Mitchell, Prime Minister of Grenada praised the vision and leadership of President Benedict Oramah, describing his presidency as a turning point in the Africa-Caribbean relations.

    Recognising the strategy, integrity and relentless drive employed, PM Mitchell, stated that President Oramah carved out a space for ‘our regions to trade, collaborate, and thrive’. “In the annals of history, you will go down as a pioneer for African people everywhere,” the Caribbean leader declared.

    Prime Minister Mitchell announced a recommendation by the region’s leaders to confer the region’s highest honour to President Oramah; the Order of the Caribbean Community.

    Building on Oramah’s keynote call to institutionalise the Global Africa Initiative through the creation of a permanent Commission, Prime Minister Mitchell voiced full support.

    His message was punctuated by a deeply personal interaction with a young volunteer who asked why Grenada chose to host ACTIF2025; a question he said cut to the heart of the Forum’s purpose.

    “It’s about money. It’s about trade. It’s about investment…  our very survival, prosperity and dignity depends on the economic decisions we make today,” he stated.  “To that young man, I say: our political will to support Global Africa is unwavering. We are not starting from scratch. We are starting from strength. And we will not leave ACTIF2025 with another communiqué, we will leave here with a commitment to act, to build together, to trade together, to succeed together and rise together.”

    In a sobering, yet empowering close, he added “no one is going to save Global Africa but Global Africa itself.”

    More than a dozen sitting and former Heads of State, and Government representatives from Africa and the Caribbean are attending ACTIF2025. Among them are:

    • Hon. Mia Amor Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados
    • Hon. Roosevelt Skerrit, Prime Minister of Dominica
    • Hon. Dr. Terrance Drew, Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis
    • Hon. Philip J. Pierre, Prime Minister of Saint Lucia
    • H.E. Kassim Majaliwa, Prime Minister of Tanzania (representing President Samia Suluhu)
    • H.E. Prudence Sebahizi, Minister of Trade and Industry, Rwanda (representing President Paul Kagame)
    • The Most Hon. PJ Patterson, Former Prime Minister of Jamaica
    • H.E Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, Former President, Federal Republic of Nigeria
    • H.E Mahamadou Issoufou, Former President, Republic of Niger

    Meanwhile, five transformative deals totaling over US$290 million were signed on Day 1 of ACTIF2025, showcasing Afreximbank’s deepening investment in trade-enabling infrastructure and economic development across the Caribbean. Among the signings was a US$50 million Heads of Terms with the Government of Saint Kitts and Nevis for an Education Construction and Rehabilitation Climate-Linked Facility, and a US$40 million public-private partnership with Gemini Integrated Commodities Trading Company Ltd. to develop a modern commercial port in Saint Kitts. In The Bahamas, two landmark transactions were formalised: a US$100 million Receivables Discounting Facility for the Bahamas Striping Group of Companies to rehabilitate over 200 miles of road infrastructure, and a US$40 million facility with Cat Island Infrastructure Company Ltd. for critical roadworks. Rounding out the signings was a US$61.25 million agreement with Speedbird House Ltd. to finance a 150-room Homewood Suites by Hilton in Bridgetown, Barbados—under Afreximbank’s tourism-linked financing initiative, CONTOUR.

    ACTIF2025 continues through 30 July, with panel discussions, business matchmaking sessions, cultural showcases, and deal signings that reflect the Forum’s commitment to moving from rhetoric to results. More than 1,700 people registered to attend ACTIF2025, reflecting the highest level of interest recorded across all four editions. 

    – on behalf of Afreximbank.

    Media Contact:
    Vincent Musumba
    Communications and Events Manager (Media Relations)
    Email: press@afreximbank.com

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    About Afreximbank:
    African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) is a Pan-African multilateral financial institution mandated to finance and promote intra- and extra-African trade. For over 30 years, the Bank has been deploying innovative structures to deliver financing solutions that support the transformation of the structure of Africa’s trade, accelerating industrialisation and intra-regional trade, thereby boosting economic expansion in Africa. A stalwart supporter of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), Afreximbank has launched a Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) that was adopted by the African Union (AU) as the payment and settlement platform to underpin the implementation of the AfCFTA. Working with the AfCFTA Secretariat and the AU, the Bank has set up a US$10 billion Adjustment Fund to support countries effectively participating in the AfCFTA. At the end of December 2024, Afreximbank’s total assets and contingencies stood at over US$40.1 billion, and its shareholder funds amounted to US$7.2 billion. Afreximbank has investment grade ratings assigned by GCR (international scale) (A), Moody’s (Baa2), China Chengxin International Credit Rating Co., Ltd (CCXI) (AAA), Japan Credit Rating Agency (JCR) (A-) and Fitch (BBB-). Afreximbank has evolved into a group entity comprising the Bank, its equity impact fund subsidiary called the Fund for Export Development Africa (FEDA), and its insurance management subsidiary, AfrexInsure (together, “the Group”). The Bank is headquartered in Cairo, Egypt.

    For more information, visit: www.Afreximbank.com

    Media files

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    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI China: Bridging global intelligence divide: China’s solutions to making AI more inclusive

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

    Bridging global intelligence divide: China’s solutions to making AI more inclusive

    The 2025 World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC), held from July 26 to 28 in Shanghai, brought together representatives from around the world to explore avenues for the inclusive growth of artificial intelligence (AI). China’s approach offered insights into how AI can deliver shared benefits and help bridge the global intelligence divide.

    Under the theme “Global Solidarity in the AI Era,” the 2025 WAIC attracted over 1,500 guests from more than 30 countries and regions for in-depth exchanges and high-level forums. Featuring a record-breaking 70,000-square-meter exhibition, the 2025 WAIC unveiled over 3,000 AI innovations, including over 100 global and China-first debuts, showcasing a dynamic vision for global AI cooperation.

    During the opening ceremony, several key initiatives and outcomes were announced, including an action plan for global AI governance, the International Open Source AI Cooperation Initiative, and the “AI from China·Benefits the World (2025)” case collection.

    This photo taken on July 26, 2025 shows the opening ceremony of the 2025 World AI Conference and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance in east China’s Shanghai. (Xinhua/Fang Zhe)

    MOBILIZING GLOBAL WISDOM

    At the main forum of the high-level meeting on global AI governance, global leaders reflected on the profound challenge of ensuring AI develops as a force for good rather than harm. Geoffrey Hinton, 2024 Nobel Laureate in Physics, underscored that one of humanity’s greatest challenges is ensuring that intelligent AI systems are not only vastly capable but also continue to be aligned with human interests.

    Hinton likened the development of such systems to raising a tiger cub, highlighting the importance of guiding AI behavior before it grows beyond our control. He stressed that no single nation can tackle the risks of advanced AI alone, and that building AI that is both powerful and subservient will require sustained global cooperation.

    Echoing this view, a dialogue between former Google CEO Eric Schmidt and former Microsoft Executive Vice President Harry Shum explored how competition and cooperation must coexist in the AI era. Schmidt underlined the need for transnational cooperation to set rules for global competition and collaboration in AI.

    This exchange embodies WAIC’s broader mission to advance AI development that is inclusive, responsible, and beneficial for all humanity.

    With vast data resources, diverse application scenarios, and surging market demand driven by accelerating digital transformation, China offers fertile ground for AI model training, iteration, and deployment, laying a strong foundation for global cooperation and scalable innovation, according to Gary Gu, technology consulting managing partner of EY Greater China.

    On July 26, an action plan for global AI governance was released. The plan outlines concrete steps to foster open collaboration and inclusive innovation, encouraging bold experimentation, building international platforms for scientific and technological cooperation, and cultivating a pro-innovation policy environment.

    It also calls for strengthened alignment in policy and regulation, and lower technical barriers to promote breakthroughs in AI technology innovation and widespread AI applications. Particular emphasis is placed on supporting countries in the Global South to develop AI technologies and services in line with their local needs, helping them genuinely access and apply AI.

    A staff member of Tencent (L) introduces Tairos, a modular embodied intelligence open platform, to visitors at the 2025 World AI Conference in east China’s Shanghai, July 27, 2025. (Xinhua/Chen Haoming)

    INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION

    At the 2025 WAIC, numerous outstanding cases demonstrated how Chinese enterprises, from leading AI model developers to industrial innovators, are leveraging AI technologies to share the benefits of AI development with more countries. This embodies China’s commitment to ensuring that AI serves not only as a driver for technological advancement but also as a tool for fostering inclusive growth.

    At iFLYTEK’s exhibition area, the Spark X1 large model unveiled on July 25 has drawn significant attention from international visitors, who asked it questions in their native languages. The model now supports over 130 languages and excels in translation, reasoning, and text generation, facilitating deeper cross-border communication and cooperation.

    “Our large model products are going global through intelligent terminals such as automobiles, and we are collaborating with partners in other countries on education and other fields,” said Wu Junhua, vice president of iFLYTEK. “The overseas expansion of large models shows the globalization of technology. Chinese-origin large models have begun their acceleration run, empowering the world.”

    CITIC Dicastal’s plant in Morocco was listed as a “Lighthouse Factory” in January 2025, making it the first facility in Africa to achieve such recognition in the field of intelligent manufacturing. Representing a high level of global smart manufacturing, the plant has implemented over 40 digital use cases. From raw material selection to final packaging of aluminum wheels, every step is monitored and optimized in real time by intelligent systems. This has resulted in a 17 percent increase in overall equipment efficiency, a 27 percent boost in labor productivity, and a 31 percent reduction in defect rates.

    French multinational Schneider Electric has emerged as a model of collaborative AI innovation through deep integration with China’s digital ecosystem. At the 2025 WAIC, Schneider Electric joined hands with several local partners to showcase cutting-edge industrial AI applications.

    These included Digital Nail Technology, which specializes in AI-powered digital planning in manufacturing and Chance Digital Science & Technology, which showcased breakthrough solutions in AI-driven digital reconstruction and twin modeling for process industries. These collaborations reflect a model of inclusive innovation, leveraging global expertise and China’s vibrant AI ecosystem to accelerate real-world adoption and foster shared progress.

    “China’s commitment to driving high-quality development through AI and technological innovation aligns perfectly with our vision of sustainable, green productivity. By partnering with leading Chinese enterprises, we are not only bringing global best practices to China but also exporting China’s vibrant AI ecosystem and innovations to the world,” said Philippe Rambach, Schneider Electric’s Senior Vice President and Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer. “We aim to harness AI’s full potential to build a smarter, greener future — ‘in China for China, in China for the world.’”

    Visitors try the WPS Office AI system at the 2025 World AI Conference in east China’s Shanghai, July 27, 2025. (Xinhua/Fang Zhe)

    PROMISING INITIATIVES, PARTNERSHIPS

    Building on its vision for inclusive AI development, China is actively promoting initiatives and alliances designed to consolidate, standardize, and promote global artificial intelligence cooperation. These efforts strongly focus on supporting developing countries as they seek to bridge the “intelligence divide,” ensuring that the benefits of AI innovation are shared equitably.

    At the “Win-Win BRICS” forum held as part of the 2025 WAIC, representatives from many countries and international organizations gathered to discuss AI cooperation. The forum launched the BRICS AI Industry Cooperation Network, aimed at promoting standard alignment, policy dialogue, and practical AI collaboration.

    Zhang Jun, product lead of Baidu’s PaddlePaddle framework, emphasized at the forum that open-source AI plays a vital role in driving inclusive technological development by making AI benefits more accessible. He noted that many of Baidu’s products and services are actively embracing large model technologies, and through open-source strategies, the company is working to extend AI capabilities to a broader user base.

    Another key milestone was the launch of the Global Call for AIM Global Centers of Excellence by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), aimed at accelerating AI application in manufacturing and promoting digital transformation across developing countries. This initiative fosters international collaboration and resource sharing to catalyze industrial AI innovation worldwide.

    Jason Slater, chief of division of digital transformation and artificial intelligence of UNIDO, praised China’s support in Africa, especially in Ethiopia, highlighting its efforts to establish centers of excellence, expand technology access, enhance individual skills, and strengthen local innovation ecosystems — bringing AI benefits to those who need them most.

    China’s commitment to sharing AI governance experience and fostering international partnerships was also highlighted by the launch of “MAZU-Urban,” an AI-powered early warning system for multi-hazard disaster prevention.

    Donated to Djibouti and Mongolia, this system exemplifies China’s approach to embedding AI solutions in global public goods, enhancing resilience in vulnerable regions.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: RSH announces statutory appointments to the Board of Ash-Shahada Housing Association Limited

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    RSH announces statutory appointments to the Board of Ash-Shahada Housing Association Limited

    The Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) has made three statutory appointments to the Board of Ash-Shahada Housing Association Limited (Ash-Shahada). 

    Ash-Shahada is a London-based landlord providing social housing in London and supported exempt accommodation in Birmingham. RSH published a regulatory notice in July 2021 which found a number of failures relating to the Governance and Financial Viability Standard.  

    The new appointments are: 

    • Martin Tiplady OBE 

    • Sarah Cameron 

    • Waqar Ahmed 

    Jonathan Walters, Deputy Chief Executive of RSH, said: 

    Following the publication of the regulatory notice, we have been working with Ash-Shahada to ensure it addresses the weaknesses identified.  

    We have made these three appointments to ensure that the Board has the capacity and capability it needs to resolve the governance failures.

    Notes to Editors

    1. A registered provider is responsible for ensuring that it manages itself effectively, achieves the standards set by the regulator, and engages positively with the regulator’s regulatory framework. Where a failure against a standard or other problem has been identified, the regulator expects providers to respond in a prompt and effective manner. It may be necessary for the regulator to step in and exercise its powers under the Housing and Regeneration Act 2008 as amended (the Act) when a provider fails to do so.  The regulator has published guidance on how the regulator uses and intends to use its statutory regulatory and enforcement powers. 

    2. Section 269 of the Act enables the regulator to appoint one or more persons as an officer of a private registered provider.   

    3. The regulatory standards page provides information about the economic and consumer standards that registered providers must meet.

    For general enquiries email enquiries@rsh.gov.uk. For media enquiries please see our Media Enquiries page.

    Updates to this page

    Published 29 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: UKAEA’s RACE2Mars team wins UKSEDS Olympus Rover Trials

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    UKAEA’s RACE2Mars team wins UKSEDS Olympus Rover Trials

    A team of engineering apprentices and graduates from UKAEA won first prize in the UK Students for the Exploration and Development of Space Olympus Rover Trials

    RACE2Mars team with their rover design – Image credit: United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority

    A team of engineering apprentices and graduates from the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) has claimed first place in the prestigious Olympus Rover Trials.

    The Trials, organised by UK Students for the Exploration and Development of Space (UKSEDS), were held recently at Airbus Defence and Space’s Mars Yard.

    The winning team, RACE2Mars, work in UKAEA’s Remote Applications in Challenging Environments (RACE). The skills developed through UKAEA’s work for fusion energy – remote handling and control systems in extreme environments – are directly applicable to the challenges of space exploration.

    RACE2Mars was tasked with designing, building, and then operating the rover within a simulated Mars exploration mission at the Mars Yard, a specially designed environment mimicking Martian terrain.

    The Olympus Rover Trials involved navigating the rover through rough terrain and scanning QR codes.

    RACE2Mars was one of only twelve teams across the UK to qualify for the final competition day, following a rigorous selection process that included a preliminary design review and critical design review by a panel of engineers.

    Dean Gooding, Graduate Control Systems and Software Engineer, UKAEA, said:

    The Olympus Rover Trials has been a fantastic opportunity to lead an ambitious project and strengthen my leadership, organisational, and technical skills. As a team, we tackled challenging mechanical and electrical engineering constraints, refined our programming skills, learned to write effective design documents, and developed solid testing strategies – gaining a huge amount of experience along the way.

    Rhiannon Jones, Electrical Engineering Apprentice, UKAEA, added:

    The project has been a great opportunity to learn and develop. It’s rare to see all aspects of a project due to how long-term they can be. It’s also been excellent to be part of a team of developing engineers—I’ve really enjoyed working on this.

    Nick Sykes, Director of RACE, UKAEA, commented:

    This achievement is a testament to the talent, creativity, and dedication of our early-career engineers. The RACE2Mars team not only demonstrated technical excellence but also embodied the spirit of collaboration and innovation that UKAEA is proud to foster.

    This win highlights the exciting crossover between fusion energy and the space sector.

    Oliver Lee, Olympic Rover Trials Co-lead at UKSEDS, said:

    The RACE2Mars from UKAEA should be very proud of what they have achieved. Their hard work and enthusiasm was reflected by their performance across the board, from their outstanding Mars Yard demonstration to their impressive outreach efforts. We very much look forward to seeing what’s next for the upcoming competition year.

    RACE2Mars team’s rover design in The Mars Yard – Image credit: United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority

    Updates to this page

    Published 29 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: From January to June, Muscovites applied for government services in the property sector more than 60 thousand times

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    In the first half of 2025, Muscovites applied for government services in the property sector more than 60 thousand times. Over 70 percent of applications came through the mos.ru portal. This was reported by the Deputy Mayor of Moscow for Urban Development Policy and Construction Vladimir Efimov.

    “Several years ago, the capital transferred state services in the property sector to digital form, making interaction with the city as convenient as possible. As a result, it became possible to request the necessary documents, conclude contracts and additional agreements to them, as well as perform other transactions with real estate and land plots online through the mos.ru portal. From January to June 2025, individuals and legal entities applied for state services 61.9 thousand times. More than 45 thousand applications were submitted electronically,” the deputy mayor said.

    Metropolitan Department of City Property provides 21 public services in the property and land sphere. Since 2021, they have been provided exclusively in electronic form, mainly to legal entities. In the housing sphere, Muscovites can apply for seven public services that are most often used by individuals. Two of them can only be obtained on the mos.ru portal, and five more – in paper and electronic form.

    “The most popular government service in the land and property sector for the first six months of 2025 was the assignment of an address to real estate, as well as its change and cancellation. In the first half of 2025, the number of requests for it exceeded 9.4 thousand. Next come “Provision of a land plot for rent to owners of buildings, structures located on a land plot” – over 4.2 thousand requests – and “Issue of copies of title, title documents”, for which citizens applied more than 2.7 thousand times,” she noted.

    Ekaterina Solovieva, Minister of the Moscow Government, Head of the Department of City Property.

    In the housing sphere, Muscovites applied for government services more than 32 thousand times. Among the most popular are government services that allow obtaining certificates and copies of archival documents on housing rights registered before January 31, 1998 — they were applied for more than 12 thousand times. Almost 11 thousand more applications were received for the conclusion of a social tenancy agreement and about 6.5 thousand — for the privatization of residential premises.

    The development and modernization of electronic services is carried out by the Department of City Property together withDepartment of Information Technology and the State Budgetary Institution “New Management Technologies” on behalf of Sergei Sobyanin.

    The creation, development and operation of the e-government infrastructure, including the provision of mass socially significant services, as well as other services in electronic form, corresponds to the objectives of the national project “Data Economy and Digital Transformation of the State” and the regional project of the city of Moscow “Digital Public Administration”.

    Get the latest news quicklyofficial telegram channel the city of Moscow.

    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.

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    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: How Moscow Longevity Affects the Lives of the Older Generation

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    “Moscow Longevity” and the analytical center of the All-Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VTsIOM) conducted a study, analyzing the impact of the project on various areas of life, including the health and social activity of people of “silver” age, their relationships with children, and others. The results were reported by Anastasia Rakova, Deputy Mayor of Moscow for Social Development.

    “The proportion of elderly people is growing all over the world, and Moscow is no exception — the capital is among the leaders in terms of demographic indicators. The average life expectancy in the city has reached almost 80 years. We see that Muscovites want to invest in a long, healthy and active life. The benchmark for many was “Moscow Longevity” — the largest project for the older generation in Russia, which has united more than 660 thousand participants over the course of its work. A joint study with the VTsIOM analytical center showed that the emergence of such a project in the city and its rapid development affected not only Muscovites of “silver” age, but also the younger generation. They began to think about how to maintain health and quality of life in the long term. Based on the example of active participants in “Moscow Longevity”, we see that over the years, opportunities for self-realization only increase. 83 percent of respondents are confident in the positive changes associated with the project, with every second one noting positive changes in several areas of life at once,” noted Anastasia Rakova.

    Gadgets and health

    Experts in the fields of sociology, philosophy, economics, psychology and health care were involved in the methodological and consulting work on the study. The study is based on the results of interviews, focus group responses and a mass survey, in which 1.6 thousand Muscovites over 35 years old took part. The experts identified five key effects of the project.

    Contribution to digital, legal and financial education, including helping the older generation master gadgets and online services, as well as protection from fraudsters, was noted by 93 percent of respondents.

    92 percent believe that participants are more involved in social life, continue to acquire new skills, and even change career tracks by retraining or turning a hobby into a source of income. The project also makes the educational process more accessible and thoughtful for an audience over 55 years old.

    Improved health indicators were identified as the main benefit for participants by 86 percent of respondents. Of these, more than half noted increased physical activity and attention to the prevention of age-related diseases.

    Previously, specialists from the Russian Association of Gerontologists and Geriatricians proved that project participants have higher rates of physical and cognitive health, lower levels of depression and risk of loss of independence compared to their peers who do not participate in it.

    The project has created all the conditions for city residents to not only spend their time in an interesting and active way, but also to take care of their health. For example, this spring, a unique program for preserving cognitive skills and psycho-emotional health was launched in the network of Moscow longevity centers in cooperation with the Federal Medical and Biological Agency of Russia.

    Intra-family connections and the change of the city

    81 percent of respondents noted the strengthening of ties between different generations, a more respectful attitude towards elders and the return of the value of a multi-generational family.

    This thesis is confirmed by another study on the impact of the project on the relationships of participants within their families, conducted by Moscow Longevity in June 2024. According to 76 percent of respondents, their relationships with relatives improved after participating in the project, new topics for conversation and common hobbies appeared in the family. Thus, more than 40 percent of participants began to set an example of a healthy lifestyle for their children and grandchildren.

    On average, 78 percent of respondents noted that thanks to Moscow Longevity, the capital’s infrastructure has become much more oriented toward older people. The project has created a system of accessible sites for creativity, sports, and education, which are in demand by the “silver” generation. According to experts, the city has become a single platform for active longevity, and care for the elderly has become a recognizable element of the city’s identity and a symbol of social responsibility.

    More than 1,300 Moscow organizations cooperate with the project. In 2018, the first to join Moscow Longevity were government institutions, including schools, colleges, libraries, as well as community centers, parks, and clinics. Over time, commercial and non-profit organizations joined them. At the initial stage, there were about 140 of them, and now there are more than 420, as the number of participating organizations has increased by almost 300 percent in seven years.

    Moscow Longevity Centers have opened in almost every district of the capital. The modern spaces have everything you need for communication, leisure, sports and creativity – from gyms to culinary studios and libraries.

    You can become a participant in the project, as well as register your relative online on the portal Mos.ru, in the offices of the public services “My Documents”, as well as in any Moscow longevity center.

    “Moscow Longevity” is implemented within the framework of the regional project “Older Generation” of the national project “Family” to increase the period of active longevity and healthy life expectancy in the capital.

    Get the latest news quicklyofficial telegram channel the city of Moscow.

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

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: SA granted €500 million loan for Energy Transition

    Source: Government of South Africa

    South Africa has been granted a €500 million loan for the implementation of the country’s Just Energy Transition (JET) plan by the German Cooperation via KFW Development Bank (KFW).

    This loan is part of South Africa’s third Development Policy Operation and participants included the World Bank, African Development Bank, Japan International Cooperation Agency, and the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries Fund.  

    “It supports structural reforms to enhance the efficiency, resilience and sustainability of the country’s infrastructure services, with a specific focus on the energy sector and climate mitigation.

    “KFW’s financing forms part of government’s broader efforts to implement structural reforms that strengthen public institutions, crowd in private investment, and improve service delivery across priority sectors of the economy,” National Treasury said on Monday.

    This loan agreement builds on the two policy loans concluded in 2022 and 2023, and forms part of Germany’s pledge at COP26 to support South Africa’s Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP). 

    Germany’s three policy loans, implemented by KFW, total €1.3 billion and form part of a larger package of JETP projects supported by the German Government via loans, technical assistance and grants.

    “The Minister of Finance, Enoch Godongwana, [has] highlighted the significance of South Africa’s partnership with Germany and KFW that remains critical to South Africa’s development agenda and marks a significant step towards strengthening South Africa’s short- and medium-term energy security measures, promoting decarbonisation and enhancing the socio-economic benefits of the energy transition for disadvantaged communities, thereby enabling inclusive economic growth and fostering job creation. 

    “The Minister also emphasised the need for further policy and institutional reforms in the energy sector to create an enabling environment for the investment required for a just energy transition,” National Treasury said.

    KFW’s Country Director for South Africa, Cornelia Tittmann, said the loan seeks to support the government of South Africa’s continued commitment to reforms in the energy sector, which give effect to South Africa’s climate commitments and enable the private sector to participate, opening new avenues to strengthen economic cooperation between Germany and South Africa. –SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Former Umzimkhulu municipal manager arrested in Magaqa murder case

    Source: Government of South Africa

    Tuesday, July 29, 2025

    The South African Police Service (SAPS) Political Killings Task Team has made another breakthrough in the Sindiso Magaqa murder case, with the arrest of the former municipal manager of the Umzimkhulu Local Municipality. 

    The former municipal manager is expected to appear before the Umzimkhulu Magistrate’s Court on a charge of murder today.

    The 55-year-old suspect was rearrested today in Malvern, Durban. 

    READ | Police Commissioner commends sentencing in Magaqa case 

    He was previously arrested in 2018 alongside the late mayor of the Umzimkhulu Local Municipality, a businessman, two former police officers and a hitman. 

    The hitman, Sbusiso Ncengwa, was convicted to 25 years imprisonment on 7 July 2025. 

    Magaqa was an African National Congress Youth League Secretary General and municipal councilor. He was killed in September 2017 in KwaZulu-Natal. – SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Hlabisa to launch the newly reconstituted Fire Brigade Board

    Source: Government of South Africa

    Tuesday, July 29, 2025

    The Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA), Velenkosini Hlabisa, will officially launch the newly reconstituted Fire Brigade Board (FBB) on Friday, 1 August 2025.

    The launch will take place in the City of uMhlathuze, KwaZulu-Natal.

    The FBB is a statutory body established under the Fire Brigade Services Act, 1987 (Act No. 99 of 1987). 

    Its role is to advise the Minister on matters related to fire brigade services in the Republic of South Africa.

    “Following an extensive institutional and policy review process, led by the National Disaster Management Centre, the FBB has been reconstituted to reflect modern governance principles, inclusivity, and alignment with the Fire Services 2030 Roadmap and the national disaster risk reduction agenda,” the advisory read. 

    The primary objective of the launch is to officially introduce the newly reconstituted FBB to the public and key stakeholders, affirming the board’s role as a national coordinating and advisory structure for fire services.

    The event will also highlight government’s vision for a responsive, integrated and capable fire services sector that aligns with the Fire Services 2030 Roadmap. In addition, it aims to foster intergovernmental collaboration and support for fire service transformation, while positioning the City of uMhlathuze as a centre of local excellence in fire service delivery. – SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New UK esports collaboration to boost digital and cyber skills

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    New UK esports collaboration to boost digital and cyber skills

    The new partnership with International Defence Esports Games will improve Armed Forces digital talent, while an annual summit will focus on education, recruitment and skills, including AI.

    UK military personnel will improve their digital and cyber skills through a new esports collaboration, which will include a focus on AI and drone operation.  

    The Ministry of Defence has appointed the British Esports Federation to deliver a new first-of-its-kind defence and industry esports tournament through UK Strategic Command, soon to be Cyber and Specialist Operations Command.   

    Improving the digital skills of military personnel will help boost the country’s warfighting readiness, with the UK at the cutting edge of defence AI and technology, supporting the government’s Plan for Change. Lessons from Ukraine, including Ukrainian’s producing their own drone simulator games to improve hand-eye coordination, have shown how esports can be used to successfully train drone operators and cyber security specialists.  

    Through the Strategic Defence Review, defence is enhancing its warfighting capability by developing critical cyber skills, and Esports can provide an accessible environment to improve digital literacy and cyber understanding.    

    The International Defence Esports Games (IDEG) will help members of the Armed Forces develop cyber, digital and wider military skills. Initially open to service personnel, including reservists, IDEG will expand to eventually include cadets, veterans, civil servants and anyone working in the defence industry.   

    Minister for Veterans and People, Al Carns DSO OBE MC MP, said: [CLEARED]  

    Esports will help attract, develop, and retain top cyber and digital talent, while fostering this government’s Plan for Change. Our people must now be as adept with code, cybersecurity and a games controller as they are with traditional combat skills.   

    From drone operations to data analysis, modern defence and deterrence needs agile minds that can navigate both physical and digital battlegrounds.   

    The International Defence Esports Games is an exciting initiative that will help foster exactly these skills in a fun, collaborative way, and overcome many traditional boundaries between our international partners.

    The inaugural IDEG finals – where competitions would be held – will be organised in partnership with British Esports and a leading esports production company, and be held in the UK in late 2026.   

    The event is being supported by Defence suppliers, including BAE Systems, as well as several smaller military technology companies.  

    Chester King, President, British Esports said:  

    Military esports has been steadily growing in recent years, and today we’re delighted to announce a first-of-its-kind tournament for military personnel around the world.  

    The UK’s armed forces have recognised video games as a positive activity that can improve personnel welfare and morale, foster digital and cyber skills, and strengthen relations across the armed forces and beyond.    

    We’re happy to announce the International Defence Esports Games and support the future of the military.

    Recently the Royal Navy partnered with British Esports to launch an esports facility aboard UK aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales, featuring gaming gear from the likes of Alienware, NVIDIA and Intel. Those in attendance included members of the Singapore Armed Forces, Singapore Esports Association (SGEA), the national body British Esports, and Deputy Commander UK Strategic Command, Lt Gen Sir Tom Copinger-Symes, who has been championing esports across UK Defence.  

    Lieutenant General Sir Tom Copinger-Symes KCB CBE, Deputy Commander UK Strategic Command said:  

    Esports and serious games can contribute to our warfighting readiness. As competition and conflict increasingly play out in cyberspace and the digital arena, these games equip our people to think, operate and innovate across both the physical and virtual worlds, developing team coordination and rapid decision-making under pressure.   

    We’ve learned from our Ukrainian partners about how esports can train drone operators and cyber security specialists. People are quickly grasping how esports can change perspectives and enhance skills, as well as reaching across borders with our international allies and partners.     

    For centuries we’ve used ball games like rugby and football to develop teamwork, hone mental and physical fitness and build resilience. Esports perfectly complement these games in preparing us for 21st Century security challenges.  

    To address additional needs for cyber security specialists in Defence, the Ministry of Defence announced the Cyber Direct Entry Scheme, a bespoke entry route for aspiring cyber professionals and those with existing digital skills, which will see new recruit basic training reduced from 10 weeks to around one month, after which recruits will undergo 3 months’ specialist training in the field.

    The news comes just over a year after the MOD recognised esports as an official military sport, ensuring funding and opportunities for personnel to compete. Today’s announcement also represents a deepening relationship between British Esports and the MOD.   

    ENDS

    Updates to this page

    Published 29 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Appointment of Bishop of Worcester: 29 July 2025

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Appointment of Bishop of Worcester: 29 July 2025

    The King has approved the nomination of The Right Reverend Hugh Edmund Nelson, for election as Bishop of Worcester

    The King has approved the nomination of The Right Reverend Hugh Nelson, Suffragan Bishop of St Germans in the Diocese of Truro, for election as Bishop of Worcester, in succession to The Right Reverend John Geoffrey Inge, following his retirement.

    Background

    After a theology degree at Worcester College, Oxford, Hugh spent 13 years living and working with adults with learning disabilities in one of the L’Arche communities. He trained for ministry at Ripon College, Cuddesdon, was ordained Deacon in 2009 and Priest in 2010, serving his title at The Six group of Churches in the rural area around Sittingbourne in the Diocese of Canterbury. He was appointed Vicar of Goudhurst and Kilndown, also in the diocese of Canterbury, in 2012.

    In 2020 Hugh took up his current role as Suffragan Bishop of St Germans in the Diocese of Truro and was in addition appointed Bishop to the Armed Forces in 2021. Since 2023 he also served as Acting Bishop of Truro until the installation of the Right Reverend David Williams on 17th May.

    Updates to this page

    Published 29 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: 29 July 2025 Note for Media IPC Gaza Strip Food Insecurity and Malnutrition Alert

    Source: World Health Organisation

    The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), of which WHO is a member, today issued a Food Insecurity and Malnutrition Alert for the Gaza Strip. The details are as noted below. 

    Key highlights 

    The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) has issued a stark warning today that the worst-case scenario of Famine is now unfolding in the Gaza Strip. Amid relentless conflict, mass displacement, severely restricted humanitarian access, and the collapse of essential services, including healthcare, the crisis has reached an alarming and deadly turning point. 

    Mounting evidence shows that widespread starvation, malnutrition, and disease are driving a rise in hunger-related deaths. Latest data indicates that Famine thresholds have been reached for food consumption in most of the Gaza Strip and for acute malnutrition in Gaza City.

    Recommended actions 

    • End hostilities
    • Ensure humanitarian access
    • Protect civilians, aid workers, and civilian infrastructure
    • Restore life-saving and multi-sectoral humanitarian assistance safely and with dignity
    • Restore the flow of commercial goods and local production capacities.

    About the IPC

    The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) is an innovative multi-partner initiative for improving food security and nutrition analysis and decision-making. By using the IPC classification and analytical approach, governments, UN agencies, nongovernmental organizations, civil society and other relevant actors work together to determine the severity and magnitude of acute and chronic food insecurity, and acute malnutrition situations in a country, according to internationally recognized scientific standards.

    The main goal of the IPC is to provide decision-makers with a rigorous, evidence- and consensus-based analysis of food insecurity and acute malnutrition situations, to inform emergency responses as well as medium- and long-term policy and programming.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: “City of Ideas” presented an updated thematic page in the form of an interactive map

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    “City of Ideas” presented an updated topic page in the form of an interactive map called “City of Ideas – City of Dreams”. It shows how Muscovites’ proposals are transforming the capital. Here, users get acquainted with key areas of city life and learn how to interact with the platform in a game format.

    The theme page became available in October 2024 to celebrate the platform’s 10th anniversary.

    New areas and games

    Now new areas have appeared on the map – “Children’s Leisure” and “Sports”, which were opened this year to collect suggestions from city residents in the “Suggest an Idea” section. In the places where these areas are located on the landing page, users will find games. Thus, everyone has a chance to influence the development of the areas and contribute to the creation of a more comfortable urban environment.

    New educational games have appeared on the page, each of which will help to understand how exactly Muscovites can influence the development of the capital and how their ideas are implemented. For example, in the game “Ideal Couple” the user will have to select for each idea a suitable city sphere within which the initiative can be implemented.

    In the game “My Park” you need to collect combinations of various objects to get objects for the improvement of the virtual public space. For example, by choosing a metal pole and a light bulb, players can make a lantern.

    The main task in the game “City Matches” is to connect identical cells with the image of spheres in rows. The variety of cells-spheres will show the wide range of topics that the platform covers “City of Ideas”.

    The game “Feel like an expert”, in which participants evaluate the feasibility of implementing ideas, has a second level. Thus, players need to study the map and decide whether it is possible to install a parking lot for scooters next to the park, if across the road there is already one parking lot for such transport and another one for bicycles.

    Interaction with new spheres and participation in new games is available to those users who successfully complete the first level games already on the page and reach the second.

    Suggest ideas and earn points

    Thanks to the thematic page “City of Ideas – City of Dreams”, everyone can feel involved in the capital’s changes and offer new ideas that can make Moscow more comfortable, beautiful and modern.

    This can be done either by playing the game “Feel like an expert”, from where it is convenient to go to the form for submitting an idea on the relevant topic, or by clicking on the “City of ideas – city of dreams” logo in the upper left corner of the screen, selecting the area of interest in the “Suggest an idea” section.

    For each successfully completed game on the second level, users will be awarded 100 points of the city loyalty program “A Million Prizes”. They can be used to obtain goods and services presented on the program website or donated to charity.

    To participate in the games, the user must log in to the platform using Mos ID – an account on the mos.ru portal.

    The City of Ideas platform has been operating since 2014. During this time, more than 623 thousand users have joined it. They share suggestions on how to make life in the capital more comfortable. More than 8.8 thousand suggestions have already been implemented. City residents participated in projects dedicated to electronic services, culture, entrepreneurship, healthcare, education, transport and other topics. The platform is being developed by the State Institution New Management Technologies andDepartment of Information Technology of the City of Moscow.

    The creation, development and operation of the e-government infrastructure, including the provision of mass socially significant services, as well as other services in electronic form, correspond to the objectives of the national project “Data Economy and Digital Transformation of the State” and the regional project of the city of Moscow “Digital Public Administration”.

    Get the latest news quicklyofficial telegram channel the city of Moscow.

    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: What traditions does the Moscow Estates festival revive?

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    Five forgotten city traditions are re-entering the life of the modern capital thanks to the festival “Moscow Estates” project “Summer in Moscow”This season, city residents and tourists are offered to attend performances at the open-air summer theatre, learn to play croquet, try writing with a goose quill, create a flower arrangement in the style of the 18th century and attend a costume ball.

    Open-air performances

    The everyday life of the nobility was strictly regulated by the rules of etiquette – the display of violent emotions was considered indecent. But on the stage – be it a home performance or a production in an estate theater – one could give free rein to feelings: play passion, despair and even cruelty. For high society, bored in their own estates, it was the theater that became a real outlet.

    Preparations for such home productions took weeks: plays were selected, roles were assigned, rehearsals took place, sets were made, and costumes were sewn. Although many amateur noblemen had extraordinary talent, the professional stage remained closed to them, because acting was considered an unworthy occupation in high society. However, home performances among family, neighbors, and friends were the order of the day. In wealthy estates, serfs were often involved in productions: gifted peasants played on par with their masters, and sometimes surpassed them in skill.

    The Moscow Estates Festival continues the tradition of summer theaters and estate performances, turning them into unique walks that take viewers back to the 19th century. On August 16, the Bauman Garden of the Basmanny estate cluster will host a summer theatrical performance, Walk with the Heroes of the Great Russian Writers’ Novels. Participants will meet actors dressed as Alexander Pushkin, the heroes of the novel Eugene Onegin, and the merchant Stakheev. The latter will tell about the history of the Basmanny District estates. One of the shows will take place at night. Accompanied by professional actors, guests will walk through Moscow at night, and the light of an old lantern will show the way, reminding us of past eras.

    History buffs will also be interested in the performance “Cultural and Social Life of the Arbat in the 19th Century.” The show will take place on August 30 on Arbat. The artist in the image of the legendary hussar Denis Davydov will tell about the meaning of the street’s name and its life two centuries ago. This excursion will also take place at night.

    Vorontsovo Estate. From Boyar Estates to the Summer in Moscow ProjectGuests of the Moscow Estates festival will be able to unravel the mysteries of the old Arbat in a new quest

    Forgotten Amusements of Russian Estates

    A colorful folk game that will captivate even modern youth is burners. The rules are simple: an odd number of players (more than 11) gather on the lawn, choose a driver (who will “burn”), and pair up. The players join hands and line up in pairs behind the burner. The participants sing “Burn, burn brightly, so that it doesn’t go out,” and as soon as they finish singing, the last pair unclasps their hands and runs along the column. When they reach the driver, the pair shouts to him: “One, two, don’t be a crow, run like fire!” and runs on. The main thing is to dodge the burner, stand in front of him and join hands again. If the burner tags a player, he and he form a new pair and stand in front of the column, and the participant who is left alone becomes the driver.

    Another popular summer pastime is cerso, or flying ring game. This entertainment was invented in the early 19th century in France, and it was also popular in Russia in the century before last. Two players must throw a light hoop to each other and catch it on wooden swords. It is hard to imagine summer leisure in any noble estate without this game.

    At the festival “Moscow Estates” visitors are told about the rules of various ancient games and offered to master them. From August 2 to September 14, guests are offered to play trinkets, croquet, badminton, gorodki in the N.E. Bauman Garden and Lianozovsky Park. Masters will not only tell about these amusements, but also help to immerse themselves in the atmosphere of noble leisure.

    For guests from all over Moscow. How the count’s name day was celebrated in Kuskovo in the 18th centuryCity residents will choose the best sites for the festival “Moscow Estates”

    Fine handicrafts

    Noblewomen were masters of embroidery and miniature painting, often learning these arts from the best masters of their time. Beadwork was especially popular, becoming a kind of encyclopedia of aristocratic life. Russian embroidery reached an incredible level and could become a worthy gift even for a monarch. From an early age, children were taught needlework: they were presented with special boxes with needles, threads and other tools. By the way, men did not disdain handicrafts either.

    Everyone is invited to try making something with their own hands at the festival venues. For example, in Lianozovsky Park on August 9, 17, 30 and September 7 there will be a master class “Noble accessories. Fans”. There will also be a master class “Noble accessories. Brooches” on August 2, 10, 23, 31 and September 13.

    Visitors to the Moscow Estates festival can take quizzes in the Russpass gameImprovement of the Vinogradovo estate in north-east Moscow has begun

    Transformations at the masquerade

    “Let them talk, but what business is it of ours? Under the mask all ranks are equal…” – perhaps these lines from Lermontov’s famous “Masquerade” best reflect the essence of the costume balls that the Russian nobility loved so much. For the upper class, a masquerade was not just entertainment, but a special game where the impossible became possible. For example, a countess could become a peasant, and an important dignitary could temporarily turn into a jester. The tradition of such balls was established by Peter I, and under Catherine II, masquerades became an integral part of the festivities both in the capital and in family estates.

    The main rule of the masquerade was simple: a costume and a mask gave a person the right to enter the world of reincarnation. By trying on a different image, a guest of the ball seemed to be freed from conventions: a young lady could allow herself daring jokes, and an official – confessions unthinkable in ordinary life. Women especially valued this freedom, for whom the masquerade became a space for risky adventures.

    For those who can no longer attend the old ball today, there are opportunities to feel the spirit of a bygone era and become a participant in the game of transformations. For example, from August 2 to September 14, a retro studio is open in Lianozovsky Park and the N.E. Bauman Garden: here, anyone can put on a historical costume of a 19th-century nobleman and take a photo in this image as a keepsake.

    Theater and film actors voiced audio guides for the “Moscow Estates” projectSergei Sobyanin: 90% of Muscovites live within walking distance of green areas

    The art of correspondence

    In the 19th century, post stations were important points of estate life: mailmen stopped here to exchange letters, travelers changed horses, and most importantly, correspondence was sent and received from here. The nobility treated the epistolary genre with reverence: letters were written on special paper with a coat of arms, sealed with sealing wax, and often dried flowers were specially left between the pages, covered in impeccable handwriting. They waited for a reply with trepidation, and took care of each envelope.

    The atmosphere of the old post office was recreated at the Moscow Estates festival. Guests can learn to write with a quill pen, master the art of wax seals and even send a postcard in a vintage style. Until September 14, the post office is open at the Vasilchikov Estate (Military Uniform Museum) and the Khrushchev-Seleznev Estate (A.S. Pushkin State Museum). On August 2 and 3, you can send a letter at the Valuevo and Sviblovo estates, and on August 9 and 10, the postman is waiting for everyone at the Lopukhins-Stanitskaya Estate.

    The festival “Moscow Estates” corresponds to the initiative “Tourist attractiveness of the country” of the national project “Tourism and Hospitality” and helps residents and visitors to learn about the city’s cultural and historical heritage in a modern format.

    Tourism Committee of Moscow forms a sustainable brand of the capital as one of the main tourist destinations in Russia. All year round, Mosturism creates events that unite residents and guests of the city, and replenishes the city’s program with new events. In winter and summer, Muscovites and tourists can immerse themselves in another era at the historical sites of the “Moscow Estates” festival, join the capital’s tea traditions at the “Moscow Tea Party,” or try the “Moscow Breakfast” dishes at one of the hundreds of restaurants participating in the project.

    Project “Summer in Moscow”— the main event of the season. It brings together the most vibrant events of the capital. Every day, charity, cultural and sports events are held in all districts of the city, most of which are free. The Summer in Moscow project is being held for the second time, and the new season will be more eventful: new, original and colorful festivals and events will be added to the traditional ones.

    Rediscover Moscow: Russpass Invites You to Family WalksFree stretching training sessions are held at the venues of the Summer in Moscow project

    Get the latest news quicklyofficial telegram channel the city of Moscow.

    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 Asia-Pac: TCU’s first quarterly report of 2025 released

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

    The following is issued on behalf of the Transport Advisory Committee:

    The Transport Complaints Unit (TCU) of the Transport Advisory Committee received 10 536 complaints and suggestions in the first quarter of 2025, with 188 being pure suggestions.

    The complaints and suggestions received during the quarter were mostly related to public transport services (89 per cent), enforcement matters (6 per cent) and traffic conditions (5 per cent).

    The number of cases on public transport services decreased from 11 316 in the previous quarter to 9 346 this quarter, while that on illegal parking and other enforcement matters increased from 605 to 632. The number of complaints and suggestions on traffic conditions decreased from 900 to 489 and those on road maintenance decreased from 30 to 25.

    All the complaints and suggestions received by the TCU in the quarter were referred to the relevant government departments and public transport operators for follow-up action.

    During the period under review, investigations into 11 061 cases were completed. Of these, 9 612 cases (87 per cent) were found to be substantiated, five cases (less than 1 per cent) were unsubstantiated, and the remaining 1 444 cases (13 per cent) could not be pursued due to a lack of evidence. 

    For the substantiated cases, the relevant government departments and public transport operators have taken steps to rectify the situation or are considering possible solutions to the problems identified. Among these cases, 16 drivers were summonsed by the Police.

    During the quarter, the relevant government departments and public transport operators took on board 11 suggestions made by the public to enhance public transport services and improve traffic conditions. A summary of the cases is in the Appendix.

    Members of the public may make their suggestions or complaints to the TCU by dialling the hotline 2889 9999 (voice mail service is available outside office hours), by fax to 2577 1858, by email to info@tcu.gov.hk or by filling in a form on the TCU website (www.tcu.gov.hk).

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Results of applications for 14th-round funding exercise of Arts Capacity Development Funding Scheme announced

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

    The Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau today (July 29) announced the application results of the 14th-round funding exercise of the Arts Capacity Development Funding Scheme (ACDFS). A total of 14 successful applications (two for Springboard Grant and 12 for Project Grant) will be funded, involving a total amount of around $38.93 million.

    The successful applications of the 14th round are of a high standard, with a diverse representation covering arts education/appreciation/promotion, community arts, dance, media arts, multi-disciplinary arts, music and theatre. The successful applicants (categories and names of organisations in alphabetical order) are as follows:

    Name of organisation Title of proposal Category
    Springboard Grant
    Hong Kong Open Printshop Limited Beyond Ordinary – The Contemporary Book Art Arts Education/Appreciation/ Promotion
    The Hong Kong Virtuoso Chorus Limited Hong Kong Inter-School Choral Festival 2026 Arts Education/Appreciation/ Promotion
    Project Grant
    The Conservancy Association x Fragrant Village Creative Limited
    (joint applicant)    		 Polishing the Pearl: Shen Zhen Hong Kong Rural Arts Renewal Project at Kat O Community Arts
    H.D. X International Festival Limited Hong Kong Dance Exchange Dance
    HongkongDance-FLSH Limited Dynamic Dance Dialogue 2026 Dance
    Passoverdance Limited Fleeting Moments – Stories of Cities and Bodies Dance
    Dimension Plus Limited Unravelling A.I. Bias with Generative A.I. in Arts Media Arts
    No Discipline Limited Whatever Wherever Expanded Multi-disciplinary Arts
    King’s Harmonica Quintet Limited 2nd Hong Kong International Chromatic Harmonica Competition Music
    Music Lab Company Limited Music Lab Projects 2026-2027 Music
    Opera Box Limited Monteverdi: L’incoronazione di Poppea Music
    Alice Theatre Laboratory Limited An Experimental Project on Symbolist Theatre Theatre
    Hong Kong 3 Arts Musical Institute Limited GOTTA DANCE – Musical Theatre Project (tentative title) Theatre
    Tang Shu-wing Theatre Studio Limited The 2nd edition of the Hong Kong International Shakespeare Festival Theatre

    The 14th-round funding exercise continues to implement the Incentive Matching Sum, an initiative introduced in the 13th round to encourage successful Project Grant applicants to seek non-government sponsorship and/or donations during project implementation, offering each successful applicant an extra matching sum up to a ceiling of $800,000.

    Introduced by the Government in 2011, the ACDFS aims to provide funding support for innovative and impactful proposals that contribute to the objectives of capacity development of arts practitioners, arts groups, art forms and/or the arts sector; programme/content development; audience building and arts education. The funding scheme is administered on the advice of the Advisory Committee on Arts Development. Members of the Committee take part in the assessment of applications together with Expert Advisers. A total of 89 applications were assessed in the 14th-round funding exercise.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: View from The Hill: Albanese wants international cover before Australia recognises Palestine as a state

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra

    Anthony Albanese will recall well when another Labor prime minister was feeling the heat over Palestinian status.

    It was 2012 and then-Prime Minister Julia Gillard was forced into a corner over the stand Australia should take on a motion to give Palestine observer status at the United Nations.

    Gillard and her foreign minister, Bob Carr, clashed over the matter. Gillard wanted to oppose the motion, siding with the United States and Israel. Carr and others pushed back hard, and eventually Australia abstained.

    In his book, Diary of a Foreign Minister, Carr records that in the cabinet debate earlier, “Albanese gave a no-holds-barred robust presentation of the case for voting ‘yes’ or abstaining”.

    Now Albanese, in the wake of France having just declared it will recognise Palestine as a state, faces another, albeit different, iteration of the Palestinian status issue. The circumstances are much more direct and acute. On this occasion, he is arguing for time.

    Carr is still out there advocating. But a more central voice is former minister Ed Husic (who was around in 2012, too, but still on the backbench). The Labor rank and file are strongly pro-Palestine. They are backed by the ALP platform, which calls for Palestine to be recognised as a state.

    Even as a minister in the last parliamentary term, bound by cabinet solidarity, Husic pushed the boundaries when speaking out about the Middle East conflict. Having been dumped from the frontbench in factional manoeuvring after the election, he is free to say bluntly what he thinks. Now he is putting his shoulder to the wheel to advocate recognition.

    In a Guardian article on Monday he reminded his Labor peers and betters “that our party has twice agreed at its highest decision-making forum – the National Conference of the Australian Labor party – to recognise the state of Palestine.

    “The time to do so is absolutely right now.”

    Albanese is caught between his party and his caution.

    It is a fair assumption the prime minister, with his long history of being pro-Palestinian, would like to follow the lead of French President Emmanuel Macron.

    Equally, however, he would want Australia to move in concert with like-minded countries, including the United Kingdom, Canada and New Zealand. Australia has previously banded with these countries in joint statements about the Middle East conflict.

    Albanese said at the weekend Australian recognition of a Palestinian state wasn’t imminent – although last year Foreign Minister Penny Wong opened the way for possible recognition as part of a peace process (rather than only accorded at the end of it).

    The prime minister put a context around recognition. “How do you exclude Hamas from any involvement there? How do you ensure that a Palestinian state operates in an appropriate way which does not threaten the existence of Israel? And so we don’t do any decision as a gesture. We will do it as a way forward if the circumstances are met.”

    In caucus on Tuesday, Husic pressed his point, asking how long the preconditions for statehood could be expected to take. Albanese essentially went through what he’d said before.

    Labor’s Friends of Palestine group is pressing for sanctions, as well as recognition.

    The group’s spokesperson Peter Moss says: “Over the past 21 months, Labor members in branches and conferences have repeatedly urged the government to join 147 UN member states and now France in recognising Palestine.

    “By making recognition contingent on a non-existent peace process, the government has effectively ruled out delivering on policy that has broad public support.

    “We call on the Australian government to implement official platform policy and immediately and unconditionally recognise a Palestinian state on the pre-4 June 1967 borders.”

    In recent weeks more than 80 Labor branches and other party units have passed a strong motion calling for sanctions and an arms embargo on Israel.

    In the last few days, the group wrote to Wong, seeking a meeting to discuss its calls for sanctions and for the Albanese government “to work with international partners to develop a practical plan for the establishment of a free and independent Palestinian State”. No meeting has yet been arranged.

    Michelle Grattan 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. View from The Hill: Albanese wants international cover before Australia recognises Palestine as a state – https://theconversation.com/view-from-the-hill-albanese-wants-international-cover-before-australia-recognises-palestine-as-a-state-262028

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Talks, music and more in store from Mayor’s Charity event programme

    Source: City of Winchester


    A host of varied events are taking place in support of the Mayor of Winchester’s 2025/6 selected charities. 

    Tickets are now on sale for the next two events, a talk in Abbey House and a lunchtime Ukrainian classic music concert. Proceeds will benefit the three current Mayoral Charities: Trinity Winchester; Home-Start Winchester; and WinACC (Winchester Action on Climate Crisis). 

    The talk, which will take place in the Mayor’s official residence Abbey House on Friday 8 August at 7pm, is entitled The French Prisoners of Alresford and the Hampshire Parole Towns.

    It will be given by former mayor Russell Gordon-Smith, who will delve into the history of the Alresford tombs of five French officer prisoners of war – four officers and one military wife – who lived for a period of time in the small district town.

    Former mayor Cllr Russell Gordon-Smith beside one of the graves   

    It will also provide some background on the Napoleonic wars and the workings of the ‘parole’ system, including life in the prison hulks and in prison camps.

    The classical music concert, which has been organised with the Winchester Ukrainian Cultural Association (WUCA), will take place in The United Church, Jewry Street, on Friday 29 August at 12pm.

    The programme includes works by Ukrainian and international composers, performed by Volodymyr Vasylenko (accordion), Liliya Solomonova (piano), Marharyta Dorosh (cello), and Ava Solomonova-Satchwell (vocal).

    Events later in the season include: Life in Quizzing – a talk by local champion quizzer – and former Egghead – Kevin Ashman; a Murder Mystery evening; an Agatha Christie evening; a jazz piano concert; Burns Night; the popular annual Quiz Night; a Pie & Mash night; and much more.  

    The Mayor of Winchester Cllr Sudhakar Achwal: “We have already enjoyed fun events in aid of my selected Mayoral Charities, including a family scavenger hunt, and I am so looking forward to the rest of the programme – it really does have something to offer to everyone.  

    “The Mayoral Charities each do such excellent work in our local communities and these events are a fantastic way to enjoy yourself whilst also offering valuable support to three wonderful and worthy district charities.”

    Tickets for all official Mayoral Charity events will be available, as they are released, from the official Mayor of Winchester Ticketsource site. 

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI: Gate and World Liberty Financial Reach Strategic Milestone: Gate Becomes Second-Largest Holder of USD1 Among Centralized Exchanges

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    PANAMA CITY, July 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Gate, a leading global cryptocurrency exchange, and World Liberty Financial (WLFI), the developer of a pioneering DeFi protocol and governance platform inspired by President Donald J. Trump, jointly announced a major milestone in the growing adoption of USD1, a USD-backed stablecoin issued by WLFI. According to on-chain data as of today, Gate has officially become the second-largest holder of USD1 among all centralized exchanges, trailing only Binance.

    The surge in USD1 holdings on Gate was driven by the launch of Ika (IKA) on Gate Launchpad on July 26. The Launchpad campaign supports subscriptions in USD1 and Gate Token (GT), attracting substantial user participation and stablecoin inflow.

    According to on-chain data, most USD1 liquidity is currently concentrated on the BNB Smart Chain (BSC), with smaller but notable reserves on Ethereum (ETH). Gate currently holds approximately $170 million USD1 on BSC, ranking second among CEXs with an additional $20 million USD1 on Ethereum, ranking first among CEXs on that chain. This correlates closely with the total USD1 allocation of 196 million tokens contributed to the IKA Launchpad event to date.

    In total, Gate Launchpad with $IKA has seen user contributions surpass 200 million USD1 and 5.33 million GT, worth approximately $97.5 million, marking one of the largest Launchpad commitments in Gate’s recent history.

    USD1 is a USD-backed stablecoin issued by World Liberty Financial, designed to provide transparent, regulated, and scalable digital dollar access across multiple blockchains. It is backed 1:1 by short-term US government treasuries, US dollar deposits, and other cash equivalents, with real-time audits and multi-chain deployment on BSC, Ethereum, and beyond.

    This collaboration signals both parties’ commitment to building an open and compliant PayFi ecosystem—bridging traditional financial assets with next-generation decentralized infrastructure.

    Learn more on Gate Launchpad: https://gate.com/zh/launchpad

    About Gate

    Gate, founded in 2013 by Dr. Han, is one of the world’s earliest cryptocurrency exchanges. The platform serves over 33 million users with 3,600+ digital assets and pioneered the industry’s first 100% proof-of-reserves. Beyond core trading services, Gate’s ecosystem includes Gate Wallet, Gate Ventures, and other innovative solutions.

    For more information, please visit: Website | X | Telegram | LinkedIn | Instagram | YouTube

    Disclaimer:

    This content does not constitute an offer, solicitation, or recommendation. You should always seek independent professional advice before making investment decisions. Gate may restrict or prohibit certain services in specific jurisdictions. For more information, please read the User Agreement via https://www.gate.com/user-agreement.

    About World Liberty Financial

    World Liberty Financial (WLFI) is a pioneering decentralized finance (DeFi) protocol and governance platform inspired by the vision of President Donald J. Trump. WLFI develops transparent, secure, and accessible financial tools, including institutional-grade products designed to broaden participation in decentralized finance. WFLI’s USD1 is a stablecoin redeemable 1:1 for the U.S. dollar, 100% backed by short-term U.S. treasuries, cash, and cash equivalents.

    Learn more and follow updates at x.com/worldlibertyfi.   

    Media Contact
    Frederica Ko
    Senior PR Manager, Gate Exchange
    ✉️ Frederica@gate.com

    Disclaimer: This content is provided by Gate. The statements, views, and opinions expressed in this content are solely those of the content provider and do not necessarily reflect the views of this media platform or its publisher. We do not endorse, verify, or guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information presented. We do not guarantee any claims, statements, or promises made in this article. This content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial, investment, or trading advice.Investing in crypto and mining-related opportunities involves significant risks, including the potential loss of capital. It is possible to lose all your capital. These products may not be suitable for everyone, and you should ensure that you understand the risks involved. Seek independent advice if necessary. Speculate only with funds that you can afford to lose. Readers are strongly encouraged to conduct their own research and consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions.Neither the media platform nor the publisher shall be held responsible for any fraudulent activities, misrepresentations, or financial losses arising from the content of this press release. In the event of any legal claims or charges against this article, we accept no liability or responsibility. Globenewswire does not endorse any content on this page.

    Legal Disclaimer: This media platform provides the content of this article on an “as-is” basis, without any warranties or representations of any kind, express or implied. We assume no responsibility for any inaccuracies, errors, or omissions. We do not assume any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information presented herein. Any concerns, complaints, or copyright issues related to this article should be directed to the content provider mentioned above.

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a10497cf-f3e6-46aa-920d-770904d77ece

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Air-dropping food into Gaza is a ‘smokescreen’ – this is what must be done to prevent mass starvation

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Amra Lee, PhD candidate in Protection of Civilians, Australian National University

    Israel partially lifted its aid blockade of Gaza this week in response to intensifying international pressure over the man-made famine in the devastated coastal strip.

    The United Arab Emirates and Jordan airdropped 25 tonnes of food and humanitarian supplies on Sunday. Israel has further announced daily pauses in its military strikes on Gaza and the opening of humanitarian corridors to facilitate UN aid deliveries.

    Israel reports it has permitted 70 trucks per day into the strip since May 19. This is well below the 500–600 trucks required per day, according to the United Nations.

    The UN emergency relief chief, Tom Fletcher, has characterised the next few days as “make or break” for humanitarian agencies trying to reach more than two million Gazans facing “famine-like conditions”.

    A third of Gazans have gone without food for several days and 90,000 women and children now require urgent care for acute malnutrition. Local health authorities have reported 147 deaths from starvation so far, 80% of whom are children.

    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has claimed – without any evidence – “there is no starvation in Gaza”. This claim has been rejected by world leaders, including Netanyahu ally US President Donald Trump.

    Famine expert Alex de Waal has called the famine in Gaza without precedent:

    […] there’s no case of such minutely engineered, closely monitored, precisely designed mass starvation of a population as is happening in Gaza today.

    While the UN has welcomed the partial lifting of the blockade, the current aid being allowed into Gaza will not be enough to avert a wider catastrophe, due to the severity and depth of hunger in Gaza and the health needs of the people.

    According to the UN World Food Programme, which has enough food stockpiled to feed all of Gaza for three months, only one thing will work:

    An agreed ceasefire is the only way to reach everyone.

    Airdrops a ‘distraction and a smokescreen’

    Air-dropping food supplies is considered a last resort due to the undignified and unsafe manner in which the aid is delivered.

    The UN has already reported civilians being injured when packages have fallen on tents.

    The Global Protection Cluster, a network of non-governmental organisations and UN agencies, shared a story from a mother in Al Karama, east of Gaza City, whose home was hit by an airdropped pallet, causing the roof to collapse:

    Immediately following the impact, a group of people armed with knives rushed towards the house, while the mother locked herself and her children in the remaining room to protect her family. They did not receive any assistance and are fearful for their safety.

    Air-dropped pallets of food are also inefficient compared with what can be delivered by road.

    One truck can carry up to 20 tonnes of supplies. Trucks can also reach Gaza quickly if they are allowed to cross at the scale required. Aid agencies have repeatedly said they have the necessary aid and personnel sitting just one hour away at the border.

    Given how ineffective the air drops have been – and will continue to be – the head of the UN Relief Works Agency (UNRWA) for Palestine has called them a “distraction” and a “smokescreen”.

    Malnourished women and children need specialised care

    De Waal has also made clear how starvation differs from other war crimes – it takes weeks of denying aid for starvation to take hold.

    For the 90,000 acutely malnourished women and children who require specialised and supplementary feeding, in addition to medical care, the type of food being air-dropped into Gaza will not help them. Malnourished children require nutritional screening and access to fortified pastes and baby food.

    Gaza’s decimated health system is also not able to treat severely malnourished women and children, who are at risk of “refeeding syndrome” when they are provided with nutrients again. This can trigger a fatal metabolic response.

    Gaza will take generations to heal from the long-term impacts of mass starvation. Malnourished children suffer lifelong cognitive and physical effects that can then be passed on to future generations.

    What needs to happen now

    The UN has characterised the limited reopening of aid deliveries to Gaza as a potential “lifeline”, if it’s upheld and expanded.

    According to Ciaran Donnelly from the International Rescue Committee, what’s needed is “tragically simple”: Israel must fully open the Gaza borders to allow aid and humanitarian personnel to flood in.

    Israel must also guarantee safe conditions for the dignified distribution of aid that reaches everyone, including women, children, the elderly and people with disabilities. The level of hunger and insecurity mean these groups are at high risk of exclusion.

    The people of Gaza have the world’s attention – for now. They have endured increasingly dehumanising conditions – including the risk of being shot trying to access aid – under the cover of war for more than 21 months.

    Two leading Israeli human rights organisations have just publicly called Israel’s war on Gaza “a genocide”. This builds on mounting evidence compiled by the UN and other experts that supports the same conclusion, triggering the duty under international law for all states to act to prevent genocide.

    These obligations require more than words – states must exercise their full diplomatic leverage to pressure Israel to let aid in at the scale required to avert famine. States must also pressure Israel to extend its military pauses into the only durable solution – a permanent ceasefire.

    Amra Lee 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. Air-dropping food into Gaza is a ‘smokescreen’ – this is what must be done to prevent mass starvation – https://theconversation.com/air-dropping-food-into-gaza-is-a-smokescreen-this-is-what-must-be-done-to-prevent-mass-starvation-262053

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: A rare, direct warning from Japan signals a shift in the fight against child sex tourism in Asia

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Ming Gao, Research Fellow of East Asia Studies, Lund University

    Jonas Gratzer/LightRocket via Getty Images

    Japan’s embassy in Laos and its Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued a rare and unusually direct advisory, warning Japanese men against “buying sex from children” in Laos.

    The move was sparked by Ayako Iwatake, a restaurant owner in Vientiane, who allegedly saw social media posts of Japanese men bragging about child prostitution. In response, she launched a petition calling for government action.

    The Japanese-language bulletin makes clear such conduct is prosecutable under both Laotian law and Japan’s child prostitution and pornography law, which applies extraterritorially.

    This diplomatic statement was not only a legal warning. It was a rare public acknowledgement of Japanese men’s alleged entanglement in transnational child sex tourism, particularly in Southeast Asia.

    It’s also a moment that demands we look beyond individual criminal acts or any one nation and consider the historical, racial and structural inequalities that make such mobility and exploitation possible.

    A changing map of exploitation

    Selling and buying sex in Asia is nothing new. The contours have shifted over time but the underlying sentiment has remained constant: some lives are cheap and commodified, and some wallets are deep and entitled.

    Japan’s involvement in overseas prostitution stretches back to the Meiji period (1868-1912). Young women from impoverished rural regions (known as karayuki-san) migrated abroad, often to Southeast Asia, to work in the sex industry, from port towns in Malaya to brothels in China and the Pacific Islands.

    If poverty once pushed Japanese women abroad to sell their bodies, by the second half of the 20th century – fuelled by Japan’s postwar economic boom – it was wealthy Japanese men who began travelling overseas to buy sex.

    Around the 2000s, the dynamic flipped again. In South Korea, now a developed economy, men travelled to Southeast Asia – and later to countries such as Russia and Uzbekistan – following routes once taken by Japanese men.

    Later in the same period, the flow took an even darker turn.

    Japanese and South Korean men began to emerge as major buyers of child sex abroad, particularly across Southeast Asia, the Pacific Islands and even Mongolia.

    According to the United States Department of State, Japanese men continued to be “a significant source of demand for sex tourism”, while South Korean men remained “a source of demand for child sex tourism”.

    The UN Office on Drugs and Crime and other organisations have also flagged both countries as key contributors to child sexual exploitation in the region.

    From exporter to destination: Japan’s new role in the sex trade

    A more recent and troubling shift appears to be unfolding within Japan.

    Amid ongoing economic stagnation and the depreciation of the yen, Tokyo has reportedly become a destination for inbound sex tourism. Youth protection organisations have observed a notable rise in foreign male clients, particularly Chinese, frequenting areas where teenage girls and young women engage in survival sex.

    What ties these movements together is not just culturally specific beliefs, such as the fetishisation of virginity or the superstition that sex with young girls brings good luck in business, but power.

    The battle to protect children

    The global campaign to end child sex tourism began in earnest with the founding of ECPAT (a global network of organisations that seeks to end the sexual exploitation of children) in 1990 to confront the rising exploitation of children in Southeast Asia.

    Despite legal frameworks and international scrutiny, the abuse of children remains disturbingly common.

    Several factors converge here: endemic poverty, weak law enforcement and a constant influx of wealthier foreign men. Add to that the digital age of information and communication technologies, where child sex can be advertised, arranged and commodified through encrypted platforms and invitation-only forums, and the crisis deepens.

    While local governments often pledge reform, implementation is inconsistent.

    Buyers, especially foreign buyers, often manage to evade consequences. However, in early 2025, Japan’s National Police Agency arrested 111 people – including high school teachers and tutors – in a nationwide crackdown on online child sexual exploitation, conducted in coordination with international partners.

    Why this moment matters

    The shock surrounding the Laos revelations and the unusually direct response from Japanese authorities offers a rare opportunity to confront the deeper systems at work.

    Sex tourism doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It’s enabled by uneven development, transnational mobility, weak regulation and social silence. But this moment also shows grassroots activism can force institutional action.

    Japan’s official warning wasn’t triggered by a government audit or diplomatic scandal. It came because Ayako Iwatake saw social media posts of Japanese men boasting about buying sex from children and refused to look away.

    When she delivered the petition to the embassy, it responded quickly. Less than ten days later, the Foreign Ministry issued a public warning, clearly outlining the legal consequences of child sex crimes committed abroad.

    Iwatake’s action is a reminder: it doesn’t take a government to expose a system. It takes someone willing to speak out – even when it’s uncomfortable. As she told Japanese newspaper Mainichi Shimbun:

    It was just too blatant. I couldn’t look the other way.

    It’s commendable that Japan acted swiftly. But a warning alone isn’t enough. Japan should strengthen and expand its international cooperation to combat these heinous crimes.

    A more decisive model can be seen in a recent case in Vietnam, where US authorities infiltrated a livestream child sex abuse network for the first time in that country. Working undercover for months, they coordinated with Vietnamese officials to arrest a mother who had been sexually abusing her daughter on demand for paying viewers abroad.

    The rescue of the nine-year-old victim showed what serious cross-border intervention looks like.

    But for every headline-grabbing scandal, there are hundreds of untold stories.

    The Laos case should be the beginning of a broader reckoning with how sex, money and power move across borders – and who pays the price.

    Ming Gao receives funding from the Swedish Research Council. This research was produced with support from the Swedish Research Council grant “Moved Apart” (nr. 2022-01864). Ming Gao is a member of Lund University Profile Area: Human Rights.

    – ref. A rare, direct warning from Japan signals a shift in the fight against child sex tourism in Asia – https://theconversation.com/a-rare-direct-warning-from-japan-signals-a-shift-in-the-fight-against-child-sex-tourism-in-asia-261554

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: France is set to recognise the state of Palestine and the UK may follow – but what does it really mean?

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Malak Benslama-Dabdoub, Lecturer in law, Royal Holloway University of London

    Emmanuel Macron’s pledge to formally recognise the state of Palestine will make France the first G7 country and member of the UN security council to do so. The question is whether others will follow suit. The UK prime minister, Keir Starmer, is coming under mounting pressure from many of his MPs, and has recalled his cabinet from their summer recess to discuss the situation in Gaza.

    Starmer is expected to announce a peace plan for the Middle East this week that will include British recognition of Palestinian statehood. Downing Street sources said recognition was a matter of “when, not if”.

    Recognition of statehood is not merely symbolic. The Montevideo convention of 1933 established several criteria which must apply before an entity can be recognised as a sovereign state. These are a permanent population, a defined territory, an effective government and the ability to conduct international relations.

    The process involves the establishment of formal diplomatic relations, including the opening of embassies, the exchange of ambassadors, and the signing of bilateral treaties. Recognition also grants the recognised state access to certain rights in international organisations. For Palestinians, such recognition will strengthen their claim to sovereignty and facilitate greater international support.

    Macron’s announcement was met with enthusiasm in many Arab capitals, as well as among Palestinian officials and supporters of the two-state solution. It was also praised by a number of European leaders as well as several journalists and other analysts as a long-overdue step toward a more balanced approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

    However, the reaction from other major powers was swift and critical. The US called it “a reckless decision” while the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said he “strongly condemned” it. Italy’s prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, called it “counterproductive”.

    Within hours, it was clear that Macron’s announcement had both shifted diplomatic discourse and reignited longstanding divisions.

    France’s decision is significant. It signals a departure from the western consensus, long shaped by the US and the EU, that any recognition of Palestinian statehood must be deferred until after final-status negotiations. The move also highlights growing frustration in parts of Europe with the ongoing violence in Gaza and the failure of peace talks over the past two decades.

    Yet questions remain: what does this recognition actually entail? Will it change conditions on the ground for Palestinians? Or is it largely symbolic?

    So far, the French government has offered no details on whether this recognition will be accompanied by concrete measures. There has been no mention of sanctions on Israel, no indication of halting arms exports, no pledges of increased humanitarian aid or support for Palestinian governance institutions. France remains a key military and economic partner of Israel, and Macron’s announcement does not appear to alter that relationship.

    Nor is this the first time a western country has taken a symbolic stance in support of Palestinian statehood. Sweden recognised the state of Palestine in 2014, becoming the first western European country to do so. It was followed by Spain in 2024.

    However, both moves were largely symbolic and did not significantly alter the political or humanitarian situation on the ground. The risk is that recognition, without action, becomes a gesture that changes little.

    Macron’s statement also raised eyebrows for another reason: his emphasis on a “demilitarised Palestinian state” living side-by-side with Israel in peace and security. While such language is common in diplomatic discourse, it also reflects a deeper tension.

    Palestinians have long argued that their right to self-determination includes the right to defend themselves against occupation. Calls for demilitarisation are often seen by critics as reinforcing the status quo, where security concerns are framed almost exclusively in terms of Israeli needs.

    In the absence of a genuine political process, some analysts have warned that recognition of this kind risks formalising a state in name only – a fragmented, non-sovereign entity without control over its borders, resources or defence. Without guarantees of territorial continuity, an end to the expansion of Israeli settlements and freedom of movement, statehood may remain an abstract concept.

    What would meaningful support look like?

    If France wishes to go beyond symbolism, it has options. It could suspend arms exports to Israel or call for an independent international investigation into alleged war crimes. It could use its influence within the EU to push for greater accountability regarding illegal settlements and the blockade of Gaza. It could also support Palestinian institutions directly and engage with Palestinian civil society.

    Without such steps, recognition risks being viewed as a political message more than a policy shift. For Palestinians, the daily realities of occupation, displacement and blockade will not change with diplomatic announcements alone. What is needed, many argue, is not just recognition but support for justice, rights and meaningful sovereignty.

    France’s recognition of Palestine marks a shift in diplomatic tone and reflects broader unease with the status quo in the Middle East. It has stirred debate at home and abroad, and raised expectations among those hoping for more robust international engagement with the conflict.

    Whether this recognition leads to meaningful changes in policy or conditions on the ground remains to be seen. Much will depend on the steps France takes next – both at the United Nations and through its actions on trade, security and aid.

    Malak Benslama-Dabdoub 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. France is set to recognise the state of Palestine and the UK may follow – but what does it really mean? – https://theconversation.com/france-is-set-to-recognise-the-state-of-palestine-and-the-uk-may-follow-but-what-does-it-really-mean-262095

    MIL OSI –

  • India’s tiger reserves rise from 46 to 58 since 2014: Bhupender Yadav

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Bhupender Yadav, on Tuesday announced that the number of tiger reserves in India has grown from 46 in 2014 to 58 as of 2025. The statement was made during the Global Tiger Day 2025 celebrations held at the National Zoological Park in New Delhi.

    Presiding over the event, the Minister emphasized the importance of maintaining ecological balance, fostering conservation awareness among children, and cultivating gratitude towards nature. He praised the role of schools and teachers in educating the younger generation about wildlife conservation and biodiversity preservation.

    Yadav highlighted that this expansion in tiger reserves is a reflection of the unwavering commitment of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to protecting India’s national animal. He noted that the government continues to prioritize environmental sustainability as part of its broader development agenda.

    Marking one of the most ambitious conservation efforts in the world, the Minister announced the launch of a massive nationwide tree plantation drive. Under this initiative, more than one lakh saplings will be planted across all 58 tiger reserves, with each reserve planting approximately 2,000 indigenous trees in degraded forest areas to support habitat restoration and ecological health.

    In a move to inspire public participation, the Minister encouraged citizens, especially children, to plant a tree in their mother’s name under the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ campaign. Describing the symbolic connection between motherhood and nature, Yadav said that just as a mother nurtures her child, Mother Earth offers shelter, food, and oxygen selflessly. He urged everyone to plant a tree in honor of their mothers and for the sake of the planet.

    Yadav also spotlighted India’s leadership in global big cat conservation through the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA), an initiative launched by India to protect all seven big cat species worldwide. He informed that 24 countries have already joined the alliance, and its headquarters will be established in India, further positioning the country at the forefront of international wildlife conservation.

    Addressing the youth, the Minister urged them to lead lives marked by humility, patience, and determination. He called on them to actively contribute to sustainable living and conservation efforts under the government’s Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment), which promotes environmentally conscious behavior.

    The Global Tiger Day celebrations also included the virtual inauguration of plantation drives across all tiger reserves, as well as the opening of forest nurseries in three locations across the Aravalli landscape. These nurseries will serve as a sustainable source of native plant species for afforestation and ecological restoration. Another key initiative launched during the event was the ‘Plastic-Free Tiger Reserves’ campaign, aimed at phasing out single-use plastics within all tiger reserves across India.

    The event featured the release of four important publications under the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA). These included a report on the “Status of Small Cats in the Tiger Landscape of India”, the Global Tiger Day special edition of STRIPES Magazine, and two books titled Waterfalls of Tiger Reserves in India and Water Bodies Inside Tiger Reserves of India, authored by Bharat Lal and Dr. S.P. Yadav.

    As part of recognizing contributions to wildlife protection, Yadav presented NTCA awards across seven categories. These included awards for individuals and groups who demonstrated excellence in wildlife crime investigation, habitat management, anti-poaching efforts, public engagement, voluntary relocation, and posthumous recognition for those who lost their lives in the line of duty.

    (with ANI inputs)

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Spanish PM urges EU to diversify trade relations after US deal

    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

    MADRID, July 29 (Xinhua) — Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Monday called on the European Union (EU) to “diversify” the country’s trade relations following the announcement of a new EU-U.S. trade deal late on Sunday.

    Speaking at his residence in Madrid ahead of the summer parliamentary recess, P. Sanchez told the press that he “appreciated” “the efforts made by the European Commission.”

    He said the trade deal showed that “one of the lessons Europe must learn in the face of the US administration is that we must act together in all aspects: in strategic autonomy and in commercial agreements with other countries.”

    “We must diversify our commercial relations with blocs that want to reach an agreement with Europe, such as Mercosur,” said P. Sanchez, stressing that Spain’s foreign policy is based on “commitment to peace, reality and cooperation between nations.”

    US President Donald Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the new deal on Sunday after trade talks at Trump’s golf club in Turnberry, South Ayrshire, Scotland.

    While both leaders described the agreement as a step toward restoring “trade balance” and promoting more equitable bilateral trade, the deal allows the United States to impose broad 15 percent tariffs on EU goods while providing zero-tariff access to a range of strategic U.S. exports. In return, the EU has committed to purchasing $750 billion in U.S. energy and investing an additional $600 billion in the United States. –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.

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    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: NPC Standing Committee Chairman Zhao Leji Advocates Mutual Trust, Win-Win Cooperation with Hungary

    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

    BUDAPEST, July 29 (Xinhua) — Zhao Leji, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC), spoke highly of the mutual trust and win-win cooperation between China and Hungary during his official and friendly visit to the European country from July 24 to 28.

    Zhao Leji held separate meetings with Hungarian President Tamás Szujok and Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, as well as talks with National Assembly Speaker László Kövér.

    Chinese President Xi Jinping’s successful state visit to Hungary in May 2024, which elevated China-Hungary relations to an all-weather comprehensive strategic partnership in a new era, opened up broader prospects for friendly cooperation between the two countries, Zhao Leji noted at the meeting with T. Shuyok.

    He said China is willing to cooperate with Hungary to be good friends who respect and trust each other, good partners who bring mutual benefits and achieve win-win results, and good brothers who understand and care for each other.

    China will join hands with Hungary to promote the comprehensive synergy between the Belt and Road Initiative and Hungary’s “Opening to the East” strategy, complete high-quality construction of landmark projects such as the Hungary-Serbia railway, and encourage and support more active exchanges between the two countries and at the local level in culture, media and youth so as to strengthen people-to-people ties, Zhao Leji said.

    T. Šuyok noted in turn that Hungary and China are developing bilateral relations based on mutual respect, mutual trust and mutually beneficial results, which is of great importance and modern value.

    The Hungarian President said that participation in the Belt and Road Initiative is of vital importance for Hungary, and the Hungary-Serbia railway project is an example of major project cooperation.

    He also expressed hope that the two sides will continuously deepen cooperation in areas such as green energy, artificial intelligence, digital economy, youth and education.

    During the meeting with V. Orban, Zhao Leji said that in recent years, China-Hungary relations have made rapid progress and are at the highest level in history. According to him, China values Hungary’s commitment to the one-China principle and is willing to continue to strengthen support for each other.

    China welcomes increased imports of high-quality agricultural and food products from Hungary and expects Hungary to provide political support and security guarantees to Chinese enterprises in Hungary, Zhao Leji said.

    As this year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the EU, Zhao Leji said China hopes and believes that Hungary will continue to play an active role in promoting the healthy and stable development of China-EU relations.

    China will also work with Hungary to promote cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European countries, Zhao Leji said.

    V. Orban noted that the state visit of the President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping to Hungary last year was an important milestone in the history of Hungarian-Chinese relations. According to him, the development of friendly cooperation with China is a strategic choice of Hungary, which will help Hungary modernize technologies and develop markets.

    During the talks with L. Kever, Zhao Leji said that the National People’s Congress is willing to cooperate with the Hungarian National Assembly to advance the implementation of the agreements reached during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit last year and promote the development of high-level Chinese-Hungarian relations.

    The two sides should strengthen exchanges between legislative organs at all levels and formulate, revise and approve legal documents conducive to bilateral cooperation in a timely manner, Zhao Leji said, calling on both sides to strengthen coordination and cooperation in multilateral arenas such as the Inter-Parliamentary Union.

    L. Kövér said that a growing China is conducive to peace and development of the entire world and contributes to the building of a multipolar world, which is in full accordance with Hungary’s interests. The Hungarian National Assembly is ready to cooperate with the NPC to provide firm support for mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries. –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 Special Assistant to Pakistan PM: Community of Shared Destiny for Mankind is one of the key topics on SCO agenda

    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 25 (Xinhua) — A community with a shared future for mankind is one of the key topics on the agenda of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), former special assistant to Pakistan’s Prime Minister Zafar Uddin Mahmood said at an event titled “Dialogue of Civilizations among SCO Countries 2025” on Thursday.

    According to him, in a world where conflicts often occur, people must first understand each other, deeply understand each other’s values and develop a spirit of inclusiveness to achieve peaceful coexistence.

    He added that as the level of connectivity increases, especially through the promotion of the Belt and Road Initiative, the level of mutual understanding between the peoples of the SCO countries continues to grow.

    The SCO Dialogue of Civilizations 2025 was held in Tianjin, northern China. The event, jointly organized by the State Council Information Office, the Foreign Language Publication and Dissemination Office and the SCO Secretariat, aims to deepen mutual understanding and strategic trust, and promote the building of a closer SCO community with a shared future.

    More than 300 guests from government departments, think tanks, culture, art, education and other fields from SCO member countries attended the event and had an in-depth exchange of views on the theme “Promoting the Global Initiative of Civilizations – Building a Beautiful Common Home of the SCO.” -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: Russian President Conducts Telephone Conversation with Israeli Prime Minister

    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 29 /Xinhua/ — Russian President Vladimir Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a telephone conversation on Monday, during which they agreed to continue dialogue on current issues on the international and bilateral agenda, the Kremlin press service reported.

    It is noted that the parties discussed various aspects of the tense situation in the Middle East. The Russian side confirmed its unwavering position in favor of an exclusively peaceful settlement of the problems and conflicts existing in the region.

    V. Putin stressed the importance of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Syria. He, “in particular, emphasized the importance of supporting the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Syrian Arab Republic, strengthening its internal political stability through the observance of the legitimate rights and interests of all ethnic and religious groups of the population.”

    The Kremlin reported that, given the recent escalation of the Iranian-Israeli confrontation, Moscow has indicated its readiness to do everything in its power to facilitate the finding of a negotiated solution to the Iranian nuclear program. –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: Radware Expands U.S. Presence with New Managed Security Service Provider Partnerships

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    MAHWAH, N.J., July 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Radware® (NASDAQ: RDWR), a global leader in application security and delivery solutions for multi-cloud environments, today announced it signed managed security service provider (MSSP) agreements with Epcom World Industries, Inc., GLESEC, North Atlantic Networks and Tech Pro. The four U.S. based companies are adding Radware’s Cloud Application Protection Services to their managed services portfolios to scale their businesses and expand their security offerings for customers. North Atlantic Networks is also offering Radware’s Cloud DDoS Protection Services.

    “MSSPs are constantly looking for more innovative ways to defend customers as they deal with growing budget constraints, limited in-house security staff, and bigger more complex cyber threats,” said John Eisenbarger, vice president of carriers and service providers for Radware. “Applications are facing increasing exposure from bots, API abuse, web-layer DDoS attacks and credential misuse. To enable MSSPs to respond where customer risk is expanding fastest, Radware offers a fully managed AppSec-as-a-Service platform that is ready to quickly deploy, scale, and monetize, without having to build a backend.”

    Epcom World Industries, GLESEC, North Atlantic Networks, and Tech Pro add to the growing list of MSSPs that have chosen Radware’s cloud network and application security solutions to speed time to market, scale their businesses, and deliver high-value services.

    “We selected Radware as our partner because of its comprehensive offering, overall excellent product design, support, and customer first approach. The partnership process with Radware has been seamless. They listened, understood, and supported our needs. Together we are equipping clients—whether they be in healthcare, finance, pharmaceutical, non-profit, or government—with mission-critical security tools that not only defend networks, web assets, and environments, but also comply with strict regulatory requirements.”
    – Rudy V. Pancaro, CEO, Epcom World Industries

    “Becoming an MSSP partner is a natural extension of our long-standing collaboration with Radware and a key milestone in delivering our SKYWATCH™ Cybersecurity Operating System. By fully integrating Radware’s industry-leading application protection into our Device-Centric Model and real-time risk management workflows, we deliver a unified, fully managed solution that reduces exposure, accelerates remediation, and ensures compliance. This partnership enables us to protect mission-critical environments—especially in healthcare, finance, and government—with the agility, intelligence, and depth of defense they require.”
    – Sergio Heker, CEO and founder, GLESEC

    “Our mission is to deliver best-in-class managed security services that are both proactive and adaptive. By integrating Radware’s solutions into our MSSP stack, we’re able to offer our clients deeper protection against increasingly complex cyber threats—especially in the areas of DDoS attacks, application-layer security, and zero-day threats. This partnership enhances our ability to deliver scalable, intelligent protection without compromising performance, helping our clients stay ahead of the threat landscape while supporting their digital transformation and cloud migration goals.”
    – Carolyn Smith, senior vice president, strategic accounts, North Atlantic Networks

    “Radware’s technology aligns with our commitment to deliver secure, resilient, and high-performing digital experiences to our clients, especially in today’s increasingly complex threat landscape. By integrating Radware’s solutions into our offering, we increase the value proposition to our customers: stronger protection, smarter automation, and peace of mind. Together, we bring a synergistic approach that helps organizations not only defend against threats but also accelerate their growth safely and confidently.”
    – Lidia Israyelyan, CEO, Tech Pro

    Radware offers a variety of cloud network and application security solutions and services that cater to the needs of pure play MSSPs and ISPs. This includes a fully branded and managed AppSec-as-a-Service platform that can be deployed without added infrastructure investment, operational lift, or headcount requirements. The platform offers:

    • Rapid market entry without a technical buildout.
    • Managed services that align MSSPs to areas where cyber threats and client risk are expanding fastest (i.e. bots, APIs, SaaS-layer abuse).
    • The monetization of application layer threats as an alternative to flat service bundles.
    • An expanded security portfolio that fills gaps in protection in competitive solutions that clients often assume are already covered.

    Radware has been recognized by numerous industry analysts for its application and network security solutions. This includes Aite-Novarica Group, Forrester, Gartner, KuppingerCole, and QKS Group.

    About Radware
    Radware® (NASDAQ: RDWR) is a global leader in application security and delivery solutions for multi-cloud environments. The company’s cloud application, infrastructure, and API security solutions use AI-driven algorithms for precise, hands-free, real-time protection from the most sophisticated web, application, and DDoS attacks, API abuse, and bad bots. Enterprises and carriers worldwide rely on Radware’s solutions to address evolving cybersecurity challenges and protect their brands and business operations while reducing costs. For more information, please visit the Radware website.

    Radware encourages you to join our community and follow us on: Facebook, LinkedIn, Radware Blog, X, and YouTube.

    ©2025 Radware Ltd. All rights reserved. Any Radware products and solutions mentioned in this press release are protected by trademarks, patents, and pending patent applications of Radware in the U.S. and other countries. For more details, please see: https://www.radware.com/LegalNotice/. All other trademarks and names are property of their respective owners.

    Radware believes the information in this document is accurate in all material respects as of its publication date. However, the information is provided without any express, statutory, or implied warranties and is subject to change without notice.

    The contents of any website or hyperlinks mentioned in this press release are for informational purposes and the contents thereof are not part of this press release.

    Safe Harbor Statement
    This press release includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any statements made herein that are not statements of historical fact, including statements about Radware’s plans, outlook, beliefs, or opinions, are forward-looking statements. Generally, forward-looking statements may be identified by words such as “believes,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “intends,” “estimates,” “plans,” and similar expressions or future or conditional verbs such as “will,” “should,” “would,” “may,” and “could.” For example, when we say in this press release that applications are facing increasing exposure from bots, API abuse, web-layer DDoS attacks and credential misuse, we are using forward-looking statements. Because such statements deal with future events, they are subject to various risks and uncertainties, and actual results, expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, could differ materially from Radware’s current forecasts and estimates. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to: the impact of global economic conditions, including as a result of the state of war declared in Israel in October 2023 and instability in the Middle East, the war in Ukraine, tensions between China and Taiwan, financial and credit market fluctuations (including elevated interest rates), impacts from tariffs or other trade restrictions, inflation, and the potential for regional or global recessions; our dependence on independent distributors to sell our products; our ability to manage our anticipated growth effectively; our business may be affected by sanctions, export controls, and similar measures, targeting Russia and other countries and territories, as well as other responses to Russia’s military conflict in Ukraine, including indefinite suspension of operations in Russia and dealings with Russian entities by many multi-national businesses across a variety of industries; the ability of vendors to provide our hardware platforms and components for the manufacture of our products; our ability to attract, train, and retain highly qualified personnel; intense competition in the market for cybersecurity and application delivery solutions and in our industry in general, and changes in the competitive landscape; our ability to develop new solutions and enhance existing solutions; the impact to our reputation and business in the event of real or perceived shortcomings, defects, or vulnerabilities in our solutions, if our end-users experience security breaches, or if our information technology systems and data, or those of our service providers and other contractors, are compromised by cyber-attackers or other malicious actors or by a critical system failure; our use of AI technologies that present regulatory, litigation, and reputational risks; risks related to the fact that our products must interoperate with operating systems, software applications and hardware that are developed by others; outages, interruptions, or delays in hosting services; the risks associated with our global operations, such as difficulties and costs of staffing and managing foreign operations, compliance costs arising from host country laws or regulations, partial or total expropriation, export duties and quotas, local tax exposure, economic or political instability, including as a result of insurrection, war, natural disasters, and major environmental, climate, or public health concerns; our net losses in the past and the possibility that we may incur losses in the future; a slowdown in the growth of the cybersecurity and application delivery solutions market or in the development of the market for our cloud-based solutions; long sales cycles for our solutions; risks and uncertainties relating to acquisitions or other investments; risks associated with doing business in countries with a history of corruption or with foreign governments; changes in foreign currency exchange rates; risks associated with undetected defects or errors in our products; our ability to protect our proprietary technology; intellectual property infringement claims made by third parties; laws, regulations, and industry standards affecting our business; compliance with open source and third-party licenses; complications with the design or implementation of our new enterprise resource planning (“ERP”) system; our reliance on information technology systems; our ESG disclosures and initiatives; and other factors and risks over which we may have little or no control. This list is intended to identify only certain of the principal factors that could cause actual results to differ. For a more detailed description of the risks and uncertainties affecting Radware, refer to Radware’s Annual Report on Form 20-F, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and the other risk factors discussed from time to time by Radware in reports filed with, or furnished to, the SEC. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made and, except as required by applicable law, Radware undertakes no commitment to revise or update any forward-looking statement in order to reflect events or circumstances after the date any such statement is made. Radware’s public filings are available from the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov or may be obtained on Radware’s website at www.radware.com.

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    The MIL Network –