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Category: Politics

  • MIL-OSI Global: 1 in 4 Americans reject evolution, a century after the Scopes monkey trial spotlighted the clash between science and religion

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By William Trollinger, Professor of History, University of Dayton

    The 1925 Scopes trial, in which a Dayton, Tennessee, teacher was charged with violating state law by teaching biological evolution, was one of the earliest and most iconic conflicts in America’s ongoing culture war.

    Charles Darwin’s “Origin of Species,” published in 1859, and subsequent scientific research made the case that humans and other animals evolved from earlier species over millions of years. Many late-19th-century American Protestants had little problem accommodating Darwin’s ideas – which became mainstream biology – with their religious commitments.

    But that was not the case with all Christians, especially conservative evangelicals, who held that the Bible is inerrant – without error – and factually accurate in all that it has to say, including when it speaks on history and science.

    The Scopes trial occurred July 10-21, 1925. Between 150 and 200 reporters swooped into the small town. Broadcast on Chicago’s WGN, it was the first trial to be aired live over radio in the United States.

    One hundred years after the trial, and as we have documented in our scholarly work, the culture war over evolution and creationism remains strong – and yet, when it comes to creationism, much has also changed.

    The trial

    In May 1919, over 6,000 conservative Protestants gathered in Philadelphia to create, under the leadership of Baptist firebrand William Bell Riley, the World’s Christian Fundamentals Association, or WCFA.

    Holding to biblical inerrancy, these “fundamentalists” believed in the creation account detailed in chapter 1 of Genesis, in which God brought all life into being in six days. But most of these fundamentalists also accepted mainstream geology, which held that the Earth was millions of years old. Squaring a literal understanding of Genesis with an old Earth, they embraced either the “day-age theory” – that each Genesis day was actually a long period of time – or the “gap theory,” in which there was a huge gap of time before the six 24-hour days of creation.

    This nascent fundamentalist movement initiated a campaign to pressure state legislatures to prohibit public schools from teaching evolution. One of these states was Tennessee, which in 1925 passed the Butler Act. This law made it illegal for public schoolteachers “to teach any theory that denies the story of divine creation of man as taught in the Bible, and to teach instead that man has descended from a lower order of animals.”

    The American Civil Liberties Union persuaded John Thomas Scopes, a young science teacher in Dayton, Tennessee, to challenge the law in court. The WCFA sprang into action, successfully persuading William Jennings Bryan – populist politician and outspoken fundamentalist – to assist the prosecution. In response, the ACLU hired famous attorney Clarence Darrow to serve on the defense team.

    A huge crowd attending the Scopes trial.
    Bettmann/Contributor via Getty Images

    When the trial started, Dayton civic leaders were thrilled with the opportunity to boost their town. Outside the courtroom there was a carnivalesque atmosphere, with musicians, preachers, concession stands and even monkeys.

    Inside the courtroom, the trial became a verbal duel between Bryan and Darrow regarding science and religion. But as the judge narrowed the proceedings to whether or not Scopes violated the law – a point that the defense readily admitted – it seemed clear that Scopes would be found guilty. Many of the reporters thus went home.

    But the trial’s most memorable episode was yet to come. On July 20, Darrow successfully provoked Bryan to take the witness stand as a Bible expert. Due to the huge crowd and suffocating heat, the judge moved the trial outdoors.

    The 3,000 or so spectators witnessed Darrow’s interrogation of Bryan, which was primarily intended to make Bryan and fundamentalism appear foolish and ignorant. Most significant, Darrow’s questions revealed that, despite Bryan’s’ assertion that he read the Bible literally, Bryan actually understood the six days of Genesis not as 24-hour days, but as six long and indeterminate periods of time.

    American lawyer and politician William Jennings Bryan during the Scopes trial in Dayton, Tenn.
    Hulton Archive/Getty Image

    The very next day, the jury found Scopes guilty and fined him US$100. Riley and the fundamentalists cheered the verdict as a triumph for the Bible and morality.

    The fundamentalists and ‘The Genesis Flood’

    But very soon that sense of triumph faded, partly because of news stories that portrayed fundamentalists as ignorant rural bigots. In one such example, a prominent journalist, H. L. Mencken, wrote in a Baltimore Sun column that the Scopes trial “serves notice on the country that Neanderthal man is organizing in these forlorn backwaters of the land.”

    The media ridicule encouraged many scholars and journalists to conclude that creationism and fundamentalism would soon disappear from American culture. But that prediction did not come to pass.

    Instead, fundamentalists, including WCFA leader Riley, seemed all the more determined to redouble their efforts at the grassroots level.

    But as Darrow’s interrogation of Bryan made obvious, it was not easy to square a literal reading of the Bible – including the six-day creation outlined in Genesis – with a scientific belief in an old Earth. What fundamentalists needed was a science that supported the idea of a young Earth.

    In their 1961 book, “The Genesis Flood: The Biblical Record and its Scientific Implications, fundamentalists John Whitcomb, a theologian, and Henry Morris, a hydraulic engineer, provided just such a scientific explanation. Making use, without attribution, of the writings of Seventh-day Adventist geologist George McCready Price, Whitcomb and Morris made the case that Noah’s global flood lasted one year and created the geological strata and mountain ranges that made the Earth seem ancient.

    “The Genesis Flood” and its version of flood geology remains ubiquitous among fundamentalists and other conservative Protestants.

    Young Earth creationism

    Today, opinion polls reveal that roughly one-quarter of all Americans are adherents of this newer strand of creationism, which rejects both mainstream geology as well as mainstream biology.

    Replica of Noah’s Ark at the Ark Encounter, near Williamstown, Ky.
    Ron Buskirk/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

    This popular embrace of young Earth creationism also explains the success of Answers in Genesis – AiG – which is the world’s largest creationist organization, with a website that attracts millions of visitors every year.

    AiG’s tourist sites – the Creation Museum in Petersburg, Kentucky, and the Ark Encounter in Williamstown, Kentucky – have attracted millions of visitors since their opening in 2007 and 2016. Additional AiG sites are planned for Branson, Missouri, and Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.

    Presented as a replica of Noah’s Ark, the Ark Encounter is a gigantic structure – 510 feet long, 85 feet wide, 51 feet high. It includes representations of animal cages as well as plush living quarters for the eight human beings who, according to Genesis chapters 6-8, survived the global flood. Hundreds of placards in the Ark make the case for a young Earth and a global flood that created the geological strata and formations we see today.

    Ark Encounter has been the beneficiary of millions of dollars from state and local governments.

    Besides AiG tourist sites, there is also an ever-expanding network of fundamentalist schools and homeschools that present young Earth creationism as true science. These schools use textbooks from publishers such as Abeka Books, Accelerated Christian Education and Bob Jones University Press.

    The Scopes trial involved what could and could not be taught in public schools regarding creation and evolution. Today, this discussion also involves private schools, given that there are now at least 15 states that have universal private school choice programs, in which families can use taxpayer-funded education money to pay for private schooling and homeschooling.

    In 1921, William Bell Riley admonished his opponents that they should “cease from shoveling in dirt on living men,” for the fundamentalists “refuse to be buried.” A century later, the funeral for fundamentalism and creationism seems a long way off.

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

    – ref. 1 in 4 Americans reject evolution, a century after the Scopes monkey trial spotlighted the clash between science and religion – https://theconversation.com/1-in-4-americans-reject-evolution-a-century-after-the-scopes-monkey-trial-spotlighted-the-clash-between-science-and-religion-258163

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Bill Moyers’ journalism strengthened democracy by connecting Americans to ideas and each other, in a long and extraordinary career

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Julie Leininger Pycior, Professor of History Emeritus, Manhattan University

    “Bill Moyers? He’s spectacular!” George Clooney said – and no wonder.

    I mentioned this legendary television journalist to the actor and filmmaker after Clooney emerged from the Broadway theater where he just had been portraying another news icon: Edward R. Murrow. Or as the Museum of Broadcast Communications put it in a tribute to Moyers, he was “one of the few broadcast journalists who might be said to approach the stature of Edward R. Murrow. If Murrow founded broadcast journalism, Moyers significantly extended its traditions.”

    Moyers, who died at 91 on June 26, 2025, was among the most acclaimed broadcast journalists of the 20th century. He’s known for TV news shows that exposed the role of big money in politics and episodes that drew attention to unsung defenders of democracy, such as community organizer Ernesto Cortés Jr..

    Earlier in his life, Moyers served in significant roles in the Kennedy and Johnson administrations, but his fame comes from his journalism.

    Making a connection

    Despite his prominence, Moyers was the same down-to-earth guy in person as he seemed to be on the screen. In 1986, he was commanding a television audience of millions, and I was a historian at home with a preschooler, teaching the occasional college course in a dismal job market. Seeing that Moyers would be speaking at the conference on President Lyndon B. Johnson where I would be giving a paper, I wrote to him.

    To my utter amazement, he replied and then showed up to hear my paper, on Johnson’s experiences as a young principal of the “Mexican” school in Cotulla, Texas, where he championed his students but also forged links to segregationists. Cotulla was “seminal” to LBJ’s development, Moyers said. In 1993, he recommended me for a grant that helped me finish a book: “LBJ and Mexican Americans: The Paradox of Power.

    A few years later, he asked me to head up a project researching the documents related to his time in Johnson’s administration. His memoir of the Johnson years never materialized. Instead, I edited the bestselling ”Moyers on America: A Journalist and His Times.“

    Part of what always impressed me about Moyers was his belief that what matters is not how close you are to power, but how close you are to reality.

    ‘Amazing Grace’

    Moyers didn’t just dwell on politics and policy as a journalist. He also delved into the meaning of creativity and the life of the mind. Many of his most moving interviews spotlighted scientists, novelists and other exceptional people.

    He was also arguably among the best reporters on the religion beat. Even if it wasn’t always the main focus of his work or what comes to mind for those familiar with his legacy, still, he was a lifelong spiritual seeker.

    This is hardly surprising: Moyers had degrees in both divinity and journalism. As a young man, he briefly served as a Baptist minister.

    He once told me that his favorite of the many programs that he produced was the PBS documentary ”Amazing Grace.“ It featured inspiring renditions of this popular Christian hymn as performed by country legend Johnny Cash, folk icon Judy Collins, opera diva Jessye Norman and other musical geniuses. As they share with Moyers their personal connections to this song of redemption, he draws viewers into the stirring saga of its creator, John Newton: a slave trader who became an abolitionist through “amazing grace.”

    Bill Moyers interviews Judy Collins about singing ‘Amazing Grace,’ following the production of his PBS special about the hymn.

    Life’s ultimate questions

    This appreciation of the ineffable clearly informed Moyers’ blockbuster TV series exploring life’s ultimate questions, “Joseph Campbell and the Power of Myth.”

    His interviews with Campbell, a comparative mythologist, evoked moments that made time stand still, and this reminded me of Thomas Merton, the American monk and poet, writing, “Everything is emptiness and everything is compassion” on beholding the immense Polonnaruwa Buddhas of Sri Lanka.

    To my surprise, Moyers knew about this Trappist monk, telling me, “I always wished that I could have interviewed Merton,” who died in 1968.

    It turned out that Moyers had been introduced to Merton by Sargent Shriver, founding director of the Peace Corps, where Moyers was a founding organizer and the deputy director.

    Mentored by LBJ

    Moyers characterized his Peace Corps years as the most rewarding of his life. When Johnson, his mentor, became president, he asked Moyers to join the White House staff. Moyers turned down the offer, so Johnson made it a presidential command.

    The wunderkind – Moyers was 29 years old in 1963, when Johnson was sworn in after President John F. Kennedy’s assassination – coordinated the White House task forces that created the largest number of legislative proposals in American history. Among the programs and landmark reforms established and passed during the Johnson administration were Medicare and Medicaid, a landmark immigration law, the Freedom of Information Act, the Public Broadcasting Act and two historic civil rights laws.

    Johnson’s war on poverty, in addition, introduced several path-breaking programs, such as Head Start.

    Moyers served as one of Johnson’s speechwriters and was a top official in Johnson’s 1964 presidential campaign. The following year, the Johnson administration began escalating U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War and Johnson named a new press secretary: Bill Moyers. Again, the young man tried to decline, but the president prevailed.

    As Moyers had feared, he could not serve two masters – journalists and his boss – especially as the administration’s Vietnam War policies became increasingly unpopular.

    President Lyndon B. Johnson confers with Bill Moyers, his press secretary, in 1965.
    Corbis Historical via Getty Images

    Appreciating the world around you

    Moyers left the Johnson administration in 1967, turning to journalism. He became the publisher of Newsday, a Long Island, New York, newspaper, before becoming a producer and commentator at CBS News. His commentaries reached tens of millions of viewers, but the network refused to provide a regular time slot for his documentaries. He had previously worked at PBS. In 1987, he decamped there for good.

    Moyers’ programs won many journalism awards, including over 30 Emmys, along with the Lifetime Emmy for news and documentary productions.

    He helped millions of Americans appreciate the world around them. As he reflected in 2023, in one of the last interviews he gave, to PBS journalist Judy Woodruff at the Library of Congress: “Everything is linked, and if you can find that nerve that connects us to other things and other places and other ideas – and television should be doing it all the time – we’d be a better democracy.”

    Judy Woodruff interviews Bill Moyers about his life’s work in government and the media, including his contributions to the launch of PBS, at the Library of Congress.

    Today, with disinformation metastasizing, professional journalists losing their jobs by the thousands and some newspaper owners muzzling their editorial staff, thoughtful explanations can lose out. That means Americans can lose out.

    “It takes time, commitment” to dig below the surface and discover the deeper meaning of people’s lives, Moyers noted. He sought to understand, for example, why so many folks in his own hometown of Marshall, Texas, have become much more suspicious – resentful, even – of outsiders than when he gave these folks voice in his poignant, prize-winning 1984 program Marshall, Texas; Marshall, Texas.

    In this era of growing threats to democracy, what can a young person do who aspires to follow in Bill Moyers’ footsteps – whether in journalism or public life?

    Woodruff asked Moyers that question, to which he responded: “You can’t quit. You can’t get out of the boat! Find a place that gives you a sense of being, gives you a sense of mission, gives you a sense of participation.”

    Today, with the future of journalism – and of democracy itself – at stake, I think it would help everyone to take to heart the insights of this late, great American journalist.

    Julie Leininger Pycior edited the book “Moyers on America: A Journalist and His Times.” She also was hired by Moyers to direct the 18-month “LBJ Years” research project.

    In addtion, she served as an unpaid, informal historical adviser for some of his public television programs.

    – ref. Bill Moyers’ journalism strengthened democracy by connecting Americans to ideas and each other, in a long and extraordinary career – https://theconversation.com/bill-moyers-journalism-strengthened-democracy-by-connecting-americans-to-ideas-and-each-other-in-a-long-and-extraordinary-career-260047

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Keeping brain-dead pregnant women on life support raises ethical issues that go beyond abortion politics

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Lindsey Breitwieser, Assistant Professor of Gender & Women’s Studies, Hollins University

    Laws such as Georgia’s LIFE Act can complicate ethical and legal decision-making in postmortem pregnancy.
     Darya Komarova/Moment via Getty Images

    Adriana Smith, a 30-year-old woman from Georgia who had been declared brain-dead in February 2025, spent 16 weeks on life support while doctors worked to keep her body functioning well enough to support her developing fetus. On June 13, 2025, her premature baby, named Chance, was born via cesarean section at 25 weeks.

    Smith was nine weeks pregnant when she suffered multiple blood clots in her brain. Her story gained public attention when her mother criticized doctors’ decision to keep her on a ventilator without the family’s consent. Smith’s mother has said that doctors told the family the decision was made to align with Georgia’s LIFE Act, which bans abortion after six weeks of pregnancy and bolsters the legal standing of fetal personhood. A statement released by the hospital also cites Georgia’s abortion law.

    “I’m not saying we would have chosen to terminate her pregnancy,” Smith’s mother told a local television station. “But I’m saying we should have had a choice.”

    The LIFE Act is one of several state laws that have passed across the U.S. since the 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson decision invalidated constitutional protections for abortion. Although Georgia’s attorney general denied that the LIFE Act applied to Smith, there’s little doubt that it invites ethical and legal uncertainty when a woman dies while pregnant.

    Smith’s case has swiftly become the focus of a reproductive rights political firestorm characterized by two opposing viewpoints. For some, it reflects demeaning governmental overreach that quashes women’s bodily autonomy. For others it illustrates the righteous sacrifice of motherhood.

    In my work as a gender and technology studies scholar, I have cataloged and studied postmortem pregnancies like Smith’s since 2016. In my view, Smith’s story doesn’t fit straightforwardly into abortion politics. Instead, it points to the need for a more nuanced ethical approach that does not frame a mother and child as adversaries in a medical, legal or political context.

    Birth after death

    For centuries, Catholic dogma and Western legal precedent have mandated immediate cesarean section when a pregnant woman died after quickening, the point when fetal movement becomes discernible. But technological advances now make it possible sometimes for a fetus to continue gestating in place when the mother is brain-dead, or “dead by neurological criteria”– a widely accepted definition of death that first emerged in the 1950s.

    The first brain death during pregnancy in which the fetus was delivered after time on life support, more accurately called organ support, occurred in 1981. The process is extraordinarily intensive and invasive, because the loss of brain function impedes many physiological processes. Health teams, sometimes numbering in the hundreds, must stabilize the bodies of “functionally decapitated” pregnant women to buy more time for fetal development. This requires vital organ support, ventilation, nutritional supplements, antibiotics and constant monitoring. Outcomes are highly uncertain.

    Adriana Smith’s baby was delivered by cesarian section on June 13, 2025.

    Smith’s 112-day stint on organ support ranks third in length for a postmortem pregnancy, with the longest being 123 days. Hers is also the earliest ever gestational age from which the procedure has been attempted. Because time on organ support can vary widely, and because there is no established minimum fetal age considered too early to intervene, a fetus could theoretically be deemed viable at any point in pregnancy.

    Postmortem pregnancy as gender-based violence

    Over the past 50 years, critics of postmortem pregnancy have argued that it constitutes gender-based violence and violates bodily integrity in ways that organ donation does not. Some have compared it with Nazi pronatalist policies. Others have attributed the practice to systemic sexism and racism in medicine. Postmortem pregnancy can also compound intimate partner violence by giving brain-dead women’s murderers decision-making authority when they are the fetus’s next of kin.

    Fetal personhood laws complicate end-of-life decision-making in ways that many consider violent too. As I have seen in my own research, when the fetus is considered a legal person, women’s wishes may be assumed, debated in court or committee, or set aside entirely, nearly always in favor of the fetus.

    From the perspective of reproductive rights advocates, postmortem pregnancy is the bottom of a slippery slope down which anti-abortion sentiment has led America. It obliterates women’s autonomy, pitting living and dead women against doctors, legislators and sometimes their own families, and weaponizing their own fetuses against them.

    A medical perspective on rights

    Viewed through a medical lens, however, postmortem pregnancy is not violent or violating, but an act of repair. Although care teams have responsibilities to both mother and fetus, a pregnant woman’s brain death means she cannot be physically harmed and her rights cannot be violated to the same degree as a fetus with the potential for life.

    Medical practitioners are conditioned to prioritize life over death, motivating a commitment to salvage something from a tragedy and try to partially restore a family. The high-stakes world of emergency medicine makes protecting life reflexive and medical interventions automatic. Once fetal life is detected, as one hospital spokesperson put it in a 1976 news article in The Boston Globe, “What else could you do?”

    This response does not necessarily stem from conscious sexism or anti-abortion sentiment, but from reverence for vulnerable patients. If physicians declare a pregnant woman brain-dead, patienthood often automatically transfers to the fetus needing rescue. No matter its age and despite its survival being dependent on machines, just like its mother, the fetus is entirely animate. Who or what counts as a legal person with privileges and protections might be a political or philosophical determination, but life is a matter of biological fact and within the doctors’ purview.

    The first baby born from a postmortem pregnancy was delivered in 1981.
    Emmanuel Faure/The Image Bank via Getty Images

    An ethics of anti-opposition

    Both of the above perspectives have validity, but neither accounts for postmortem pregnancy’s ethical and biological complexity.

    First, setting mother against fetus, with the rights of one endangering the rights of the other, does not match pregnancy’s lived reality of “two bodies, sutured,” as the cultural scholar Lauren Berlant put it.

    Even the Supreme Court recognized this entangled duality in their 1973 ruling on Roe v. Wade, which established both constitutional protections for abortion and a governmental obligation to protect fetal life. Whether a fetus is considered a legal person or not, they wrote, pregnant women and fetuses “cannot be isolated in their privacy” – meaning that reproductive rights issues must strike a balance, however tenuous, between maternal and fetal interests. To declare postmortem pregnancy unequivocally violent or a loss of the “right to choose” fails to recognize the complexity of choice in a highly politicized medical landscape.

    Second, maternal-fetal competition muddles the right course of action. In the U.S., competent patients are not compelled to engage in medical care they would rather avoid, even if it kills them, or to stay on life support to preserve organs for donation. But when a fetus is treated as an independent patient, exceptions could be made to those medical standards if the fetus’s interests override the mother’s.

    For example, pregnancy disrupts standard determination of death. To protect the fetus, care teams increasingly skip a necessary diagnostic for brain death called apnea testing, which involves momentarily removing the ventilator to test the respiratory centers of the brain stem. In these cases, maternal brain death cannot be confirmed until after delivery. Multiple instances of vaginal deliveries after brain death also remain unexplained, given that the brain coordinates mechanisms of vaginal labor. All in all, it’s not always clear women in these cases are entirely dead.

    Ultimately, women like Adriana Smith and their fetuses are inseparable and persist in a technologically defined state of in-betweenness. I’d argue that postmortem pregnancies, therefore, need new bioethical standards that center women’s beliefs about their bodies and a dignified death. This might involve recognizing pregnancy’s unique ambiguities in advance directives, questioning default treatment pathways that may require harm be done to one in order to save another, or considering multiple definitions of clinical and legal death.

    In my view, it is possible to adapt our ethical standards in a way that honors all beings in these exceptional circumstances, without privileging either “choice” or “life,” mother or fetus.

    This research was supported by a grant from The Institute for Citizens and Scholars.

    – ref. Keeping brain-dead pregnant women on life support raises ethical issues that go beyond abortion politics – https://theconversation.com/keeping-brain-dead-pregnant-women-on-life-support-raises-ethical-issues-that-go-beyond-abortion-politics-258457

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Mexican flags flown during immigration protests bother white people a lot more than other Americans

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Edward D. Vargas, Associate Professor, School of Transborder Studies, Arizona State University

    Protesters wave the Mexican flag in Los Angeles on June 9, 2025. Luke Johnson/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

    Agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement conducted a series of raids throughout Los Angeles and Southern California in early June 2025, sparking protests in downtown Los Angeles and other cities, including New York, Chicago and Austin, Texas.

    Some demonstrators expressed growing frustration with ICE by showcasing the Mexican flag, which has become the defining symbol of the protests in Los Angeles.

    The use of the flag has also become the subject of intense debate in the media.

    Some outlets have depicted the flag as symbolizing ethnic pride, solidarity with immigrants and opposition to the Trump administration.

    Others have called it the “perfect propaganda” tool for Republicans and conservatives, some of whom have referred to the Mexican flag as the “confederate banner of the L.A. riots.” They point to its use as evidence of anarchy and a city taken over by immigrants.

    But what do Americans think about protesters waving the Mexican flag, and why?

    Much of our knowledge surrounding this question is based on the 2006 immigrant rights protests across the United States, which occurred in a much less politically polarized era. Additionally, a vast majority of protesters then brought U.S. flags compared with other national flags, including the Mexican flag.

    Research published in 2010 found that even though the public was more likely to be bothered by protesters waving the Mexican flag than the U.S. flag, that difference was largely absent once you divided the public into subgroups, including white people, Latinos and immigrants.

    To reexamine public attitudes toward protesters waving the Mexican flag, we conducted an online survey experiment among 10,145 U.S. adults in 2016.

    As political scientists who specialize in Latino politics and immigration-related issues, we tested how exposure to the Mexican flag versus the American flag shaped opinion about protests during Trump’s first presidential campaign in 2016.

    We found that even though much of the public continued to be less bothered by the American flag than the Mexican flag, there were also important and perhaps surprising differences in protest attitudes between white Americans and other racial and ethnic groups.

    A demonstrator holds a Mexican flag in front of law enforcement during a protest on June 13, 2025, in Los Angeles.
    AP Photo/Wally Skalij

    More or less bothered

    In the study, we randomly divided respondents into two groups: a treatment group and a control group. Respondents in the treatment group were shown an image of protesters waving a Mexican flag. Respondents in the control group were shown an image of protesters waving the U.S. flag. After viewing the image, respondents were then asked about the extent to which they supported or were bothered by the protests.

    Overall, 41% of the respondents said they were bothered by protesters waving the Mexican flag, and 28% said protesters waving the U.S. flag bothered them.

    Our results show important differences in opinion between racial and ethnic groups.

    White respondents were more likely than any other racial and ethnic group to say they were bothered by protesters waving Mexican flags. Sixty-nine percent of white respondents said they were bothered, 31 percentage points more than the average of nonwhite respondents.

    However, 51% of white respondents were also bothered by the image of protesters waving U.S. flags. By contrast, just 20% of Latinos, 33% of Black Americans and 34% of Asian Americans said they were bothered by protesters waving U.S. flags.

    Put differently, large majorities of nonwhite respondents were supportive of showing U.S. flags at protests despite their more positive views toward Mexican flags.

    What explains racial differences?

    When taking a deeper look at what causes Americans to feel bothered about protesters waving Mexican flags, some clear patterns emerge.

    On average, older Americans were more likely to be bothered relative to younger Americans. This was particularly true for Americans over 40 years of age compared with millennials, born between 1981 and 1996, and Gen Z respondents, born between 1997 and 2012.

    However, there are some nuances when examining age groups and whether they had attended a protest, march or rally in the previous year.

    Our findings suggest that older Americans who had not engaged in protests were most likely to be bothered when they saw images of protesters waving Mexican flags. Millennials and Gen Z respondents who participated in a protest were least likely to be bothered.

    Given that this issue intersects nationality, race, ethnicity, gender and citizenship status, it’s logical that these factors explained why Americans supported or opposed the use of Mexican flags at immigration protests.

    A woman carrying a flag with details of the United States and Mexican flags walks past members of the United States Marine Corps on June 14, 2025, in Los Angeles.
    Cristopher Rogel Blanquet/Getty Images

    For example, racial minorities who have a stronger sense of ethnic or racial identity were more likely to be supportive of protesters waving Mexican and U.S. flags. In other words, group identity is a strong predictor of support for protests in general, regardless of what flag is being flown.

    However, minorities who lack a sense of ethnic pride and identity were most likely to be upset when they saw others expressing their First Amendment right to peaceably assemble.

    The reality is that recent immigration protests across the country are the first time many of the Latino youth who are citizens have participated in these types of protests. Anyone under age 22 would not have memory of, or been alive during, the last large pro-immigrant protests in 2006.

    The Mexican flag represents more than nationalistic pride. It represents their parents’ heritage, hard work and their binational experience as Americans engaged in politics.

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

    – ref. Mexican flags flown during immigration protests bother white people a lot more than other Americans – https://theconversation.com/mexican-flags-flown-during-immigration-protests-bother-white-people-a-lot-more-than-other-americans-259004

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Adapting to change: Ensuring price stability in a new geopolitical era

    Source: European Central Bank (video statements)

    How does geopolitical uncertainty affect inflation? How do we keep monetary policy fit for purpose in a rapidly changing world? And what are the main topics at this year’s ECB Forum in Sintra, Portugal?

    In the first episode of our special Sintra series for The ECB Podcast, our host Paul Gordon discusses all these questions and more with Chief Economist and Executive Board member, Philip R. Lane.

    The views expressed are those of the speakers and not necessarily those of the European Central Bank.

    Published on 25 June 2025 and recorded on 16 June 2025.

    In this episode:
    01:28 The ECB Governing Council lowered key interest rates to 2%.
    What was the motivation behind the decision?

    04:30 How do we ensure that risks and uncertainties are integrated into the monetary policy decision-making process?
    What is our baseline? What factors need to be taken into account?

    06:44 Alternative scenarios in the latest projections
    Why do we communicate our “what if” scenarios?

    08:11 Meeting-by-meeting, data-dependent approach
    Why do we follow this approach?

    09:50 Strategy review
    How can we make sure our strategy is up to date?

    12:02 High-level uncertainty
    How do we factor heightened uncertainty in our strategy?

    13:50 ECB Forum on Central Banking in Sintra, Portugal
    What is the ECB Forum and what’s behind it? What’s the goal of the Forum? What’s Philip R. Lane looking forward to?

    16:53 Our guest’s hot tip
    Philip R. Lane shares his hot tip.

    Programme of ECB Forum on Central Banking in Sintra, Portugal
    www.ecb.europa.eu/press/conference…_banking.en.html

    Ken Rogoff “Our dollar, your problem”
    yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300275…r-your-problem/

    ECB Instagram
    www.instagram.com/europeancentralbank/

    European Central Bank
    www.ecb.europa.eu

    ECB Banking Supervision
    www.bankingsupervision.europa.eu/home/htm….en.html

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUweOkceegk

    MIL OSI Video –

  • From Ghana to Brazil: PM Modi’s five-nation tour to cement South-South cooperation

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (2)

    rime Minister Narendra Modi is set to embark on a five-nation tour on Tuesday covering Ghana, Trinidad and Tobago, Argentina, Brazil and Namibia, marking an important push to strengthen India’s ties with Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean.

    First Indian PM visit to Ghana in three decades

    Prime Minister Modi will begin his tour with an official visit to Ghana on July 2 and 3- the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to the West African nation in 30 years.

    The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the visit holds special significance as Ghana’s President John Dramani Mahama recently assumed office after a decisive electoral victory. PM Modi and President Mahama, who share a history of engagement since the India-Africa Forum Summit in 2015, will discuss ways to deepen bilateral ties.

    Key areas on the agenda include agriculture, defence cooperation, critical minerals, and a possible vaccine hub to serve West Africa. India’s capacity-building initiatives like the ITEC programme have long contributed to Ghana’s human resource development. Officials expect the two sides to sign MoUs in areas such as traditional medicine, standards and cultural exchange.

    Trinidad and Tobago: marking 180 years of Indian arrival

    From July 3 to 4, PM Modi will visit Trinidad and Tobago, marking the first bilateral visit by an Indian Prime Minister since 1999. The visit coincides with the 180th anniversary of the arrival of Indian immigrants to the island nation, which hosts one of the largest Indian-origin communities in the Caribbean.

    In Port of Spain, PM Modi will hold wide-ranging discussions with President Christine Carla Kangaloo, and Prime Minister Kamala Prasad Bisessar, both of whom are of Indian origin. Talks will cover cooperation in pharmaceuticals, renewable energy, digital public infrastructure, agriculture, disaster resilience, education and culture.

    Highlighting the shared heritage, PM Modi will address a joint session of the Trinidad and Tobago Parliament and interact with the vibrant Indian diaspora.

    Argentina visit: tapping new opportunities

    PM Modi’s next stop will be Argentina on July 4 and 5 – the first standalone bilateral visit by an Indian PM to Argentina in nearly six decades.

    Officials said the visit is timely as Argentina pursues major economic reforms and offers new avenues for partnership. PM Modi will hold talks with President Javier Milei, focusing on boosting cooperation in defence manufacturing, digital technology, telemedicine, mining and renewable energy.

    Argentina’s vast reserves of lithium, copper and rare earths align with India’s push for secure and sustainable critical mineral supplies. India’s KABIL has already secured mining concessions in Argentina this year. Discussions will also cover food security, green energy, infrastructure, science and technology.

    Brazil: BRICS summit and bilateral talks

    PM Modi will then travel to Brazil to attend the 17th BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro on July 6 and 7. The theme for this year’s summit — “Strengthening Global South Cooperation for Inclusive and Sustainable Governance” — aligns with India’s foreign policy priorities.

    Leaders will deliberate on reforming global governance, peace and security, climate change and artificial intelligence. India expects key outcomes including a Leaders’ Declaration and frameworks for climate finance and socially determined diseases.

    On July 8, PM Modi will pay a state visit to Brasilia for bilateral talks with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. India and Brazil will review trade ties, currently valued at $12.2 billion, and aim to push the target to $20 billion. Cooperation in oil and gas, renewable energy, critical minerals, defence, agriculture, traditional medicine, and digital public infrastructure are expected to feature prominently.

    Namibia: energy, minerals, digital pay on radar

    PM Modi will conclude his tour with a landmark visit to Namibia on July 9- the first by an Indian Prime Minister in 27 years.

    India has long supported Namibia’s independence struggle and has maintained strong economic ties. Trade stands at around $600 million, with Indian investments of nearly $800 million, mostly in minerals like zinc and diamonds.

    During the visit, PM Modi will hold bilateral talks with President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah and address Namibia’s Parliament. A key highlight will be a technology agreement enabling unified payment interoperability between the two countries — deepening fintech and digital cooperation.

    Namibia’s reserves of uranium, copper, cobalt and rare earths, and recent oil discoveries make it an attractive partner as India diversifies its energy and mineral supplies. The Cheetah translocation project from Namibia to India’s Kuno National Park remains a symbol of trust and collaboration.

  • India, Pakistan exchange lists of prisoners and fishermen

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    India and Pakistan on Tuesday exchanged the lists of civilian prisoners and fishermen held in each other’s custody, as part of a practice under the bilateral Agreement on Consular Access signed in 2008. The lists were exchanged simultaneously through diplomatic channels in New Delhi and Islamabad. The agreement mandates the exchange of such lists twice a year — on January 1 and July 1.

    According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), India handed over a list of 382 civilian prisoners and 81 fishermen who are either Pakistani nationals or believed to be Pakistani. In return, Pakistan provided details of 53 civilian prisoners and 193 fishermen who are Indian or believed to be Indian nationals.

    The MEA said that the government has pressed for the early release and repatriation of all Indian civilian prisoners, fishermen along with their boats, and missing defence personnel believed to be in Pakistan’s custody. New Delhi has asked Islamabad to expedite the release of 159 Indian prisoners and fishermen who have already completed their sentences and to grant immediate consular access to 26 individuals in Pakistan’s custody who are believed to be Indian but have not yet been provided consular access.

    In its statement, the government said it remains committed to addressing all humanitarian matters on priority, including issues related to prisoners and fishermen detained in each other’s country. India has urged Pakistan to speed up the nationality verification process for 80 prisoners and fishermen lodged in Indian jails, whose repatriation is pending due to the lack of confirmation of their citizenship.

    Since 2014, sustained diplomatic efforts have resulted in the repatriation of 2,661 Indian fishermen and 71 civilian prisoners from Pakistan. This figure includes 500 fishermen and 13 civilian prisoners who have returned to India since 2023.

  • India, Pakistan exchange lists of prisoners and fishermen

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    India and Pakistan on Tuesday exchanged the lists of civilian prisoners and fishermen held in each other’s custody, as part of a practice under the bilateral Agreement on Consular Access signed in 2008. The lists were exchanged simultaneously through diplomatic channels in New Delhi and Islamabad. The agreement mandates the exchange of such lists twice a year — on January 1 and July 1.

    According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), India handed over a list of 382 civilian prisoners and 81 fishermen who are either Pakistani nationals or believed to be Pakistani. In return, Pakistan provided details of 53 civilian prisoners and 193 fishermen who are Indian or believed to be Indian nationals.

    The MEA said that the government has pressed for the early release and repatriation of all Indian civilian prisoners, fishermen along with their boats, and missing defence personnel believed to be in Pakistan’s custody. New Delhi has asked Islamabad to expedite the release of 159 Indian prisoners and fishermen who have already completed their sentences and to grant immediate consular access to 26 individuals in Pakistan’s custody who are believed to be Indian but have not yet been provided consular access.

    In its statement, the government said it remains committed to addressing all humanitarian matters on priority, including issues related to prisoners and fishermen detained in each other’s country. India has urged Pakistan to speed up the nationality verification process for 80 prisoners and fishermen lodged in Indian jails, whose repatriation is pending due to the lack of confirmation of their citizenship.

    Since 2014, sustained diplomatic efforts have resulted in the repatriation of 2,661 Indian fishermen and 71 civilian prisoners from Pakistan. This figure includes 500 fishermen and 13 civilian prisoners who have returned to India since 2023.

  • MIL-OSI USA: Free Community College for In-Demand Fields

    Source: US State of New York

    overnor Kathy Hochul today launched New York’s free community college program for SUNY and CUNY students as part of her fight to lower costs for New Yorkers and make education more affordable. Starting this fall through SUNY and CUNY Reconnect, New York State will cover tuition, fees, books and supplies for community college students ages 25-55 pursuing select associate degrees in high-demand occupations.

    “The cost of pursuing a degree should never be a barrier for New Yorkers — that’s why we’re opening the doors of opportunity at SUNY and CUNY so that students can achieve their dreams,” Governor Hochul said. “I’m fighting to make education more affordable and accessible, and the Reconnect program will continue to pave the way forward for students as they enter our State’s future workforce.”

    As part of Governor Hochul’s 2025 State of the State address, free community college for adults in high-demand fields builds on her legacy of ensuring that all New Yorkers have access to a world-class and affordable education.

    For the four million working-age adults in New York who do not already have a college degree or credential, the free community college program for adult students provides a valuable education at SUNY and CUNY campuses, with tuition, fees, books and supplies all covered after applicable financial aid. In addition, eligible students will have access to advising and support.

    New York State has stepped up as a national leader in many emerging industries such as semiconductor and advanced manufacturing, renewable energy and AI. As a result of these investments, many of the new jobs available in New York will require workers with a degree or credential to fill these specialized positions. The SUNY and CUNY Reconnect programs will help connect eligible New Yorkers to these job opportunities.

    In order to be eligible for the program, students will enroll in high-demand fields including:

    • Advanced manufacturing
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Cybersecurity
    • Engineering
    • Technology
    • Nursing and allied health fields
    • Green and renewable energy
    • Pathways to teaching in shortage areas

    In order to ensure that students have the tools they need to succeed, the program includes funding for SUNY and CUNY to support retention through wrap-around supports such as academic advising and student success coaching. In addition, it also includes funding to support marketing for effective outreach for the program.

    SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. said, “The Governor’s free community college initiative will help empower eligible New Yorkers to achieve their full potential and move our state economy forward. By implementing SUNY Reconnect, campuses throughout New York have already seen promising interest and enthusiasm from adult learner students ready to seize this opportunity. We appreciate the strong support from Governor Hochul and the State Legislature to ensure New Yorkers receive the world-class education and job training opportunities they deserve, on the path to upward mobility and career advancement.”

    CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez said, “Talent is abundant across our city—but access to opportunity must be intentional and inclusive. I’m grateful to Gov. Hochul and the state legislature for addressing this challenge by removing financial barriers for eligible adults to earn associate degrees in high-demand fields at CUNY’s community colleges.”

    State Senator Toby Ann Stavisky said, “Everyone’s educational journey is different. Sometimes the path has hurdles and challenges. This initiative will enable students between the ages of 25 to 55 to complete their journey. It also expands workforce development in high demand fields. As a result, everyone benefits.”

    State Senator Sean Ryan said, “SUNY Reconnect is a creative way to promote economic development while empowering more New Yorkers to pursue careers in fields with plenty of stable, good-paying jobs. This program builds on our public universities’ history of helping build New York’s middle class and will create the highly skilled workforce needed to position New York as a leader in emerging industries.”

    Assemblymember Al Stirpe said, “Developing a workforce in these high demand fields is an essential part of the equation when it comes to driving New York’s advanced manufacturing and semiconductor industries forward. By providing sweeping supports for adult students, this program has the potential to change lives. It removes economic barriers and makes these specialized positions accessible to those aspiring to start a career. It not only empowers SUNY and CUNY students to realize their potential, but it also helps construct a future-ready workforce that will support New York’s emerging economic leadership in a technology-driven world.”

    Assemblymember Michaelle Solages said, “For far too long, the cost of higher education has blocked working-class New Yorkers from reaching their full potential. That is why the free SUNY and CUNY community college program is so transformative. It will not only prepare New Yorkers for high-demand careers but also attract new employers and fuel economic growth across the state. I fully support this initiative and look forward to seeing it change lives, strengthen families, and build a more inclusive and resilient New York.”

    Assemblymember Chantel Jackson said, “This is a game-changer for New Yorkers who thought higher education was out of reach. By removing financial barriers and investing in our adult learners, Governor Hochul is helping to build a stronger, more inclusive workforce. I’m proud to support the SUNY and CUNY Reconnect initiative, which will open doors for thousands of students across our state and create real pathways to economic mobility.”

    New York City Council Member Eric Dinowitz said, “While our federal government continues to divest from the people and institutions that make our country thrive, Governor Hochul is showing what real leadership looks like—making smart, meaningful investments in New York’s future. This bold initiative removes financial barriers for thousands of adult learners, connects them to high-demand careers, and strengthens our workforce in critical sectors, creating a stronger New York. As a proud CUNY and SUNY graduate and chair of the NYC City Council’s Committee on Higher Education, I applaud the Governor for expanding access to opportunity and continuing to build pathways to economic mobility for working New Yorkers.”

    Governor Hochul’s program will significantly expand the reach and impact of CUNY Reconnect, which launched in 2022. As of fall 2024, CUNY Reconnect has supported over 40,000 New Yorkers in their efforts to return to college. Drawing from the proven strategies of outreach, re-enrollment and support services that made Reconnect successful, the governor’s program expands this work by providing tuition-free pathways specifically aligned with labor market needs.

    SUNY Reconnect, launching in fall 2025, will help empower New Yorkers and serve as a powerful engine of upward mobility for hard-working adults. Through SUNY Reconnect, community colleges will hold information sessions this summer to assist all who are interested in eligible degree programs. Information can also be found here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Preferred candidate for the role of Standing Advocate

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    News story

    Preferred candidate for the role of Standing Advocate

    The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice has confirmed that Cindy Butts is the preferred candidate for appointment to the role of Standing Advocate.

    The Independent Public Advocate, established by the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024, will be a new statutory office with a permanent Standing Advocate to support victims of major incidents.

    The Standing Advocate will ensure victims of major incidents understand their rights and can access vital emotional and practical support from the outset. The IPA can also advise the government on the type of review that should take place following a major incident. This will help relay victims’ views directly into the heart of government when deciding whether answers need to be sought, lessons need to be learned, and authorities held to account.   

    Cindy Butts has been selected as the preferred candidate for the role of Standing Advocate following a rigorous recruitment process conducted in accordance with the Governance Code on Public Appointments.

    The role, which is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments, is subject to a pre-appointment hearing by the Justice Select Committee. Pre-appointment scrutiny is an important part of the appointment process for some of the most significant public appointments made by Ministers. It is designed to provide an added level of scrutiny to the appointment process.

    Pre-appointment hearings are held in public and allow a Select Committee to take evidence before a candidate is appointed. Ministers consider the Committee’s views before deciding whether to proceed with the appointment.

    Cindy Butts biography

    Cindy Butts is a highly accomplished leader with over 20 years of experience dedicated to enhancing access to justice and tackling inequality. She has held senior roles in complex and sensitive organisations within the criminal justice, policing, and government sectors.

    Cindy chaired the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket (ICEC), appointed by the ECB, publishing the landmark “Holding up A Mirror to Cricket” report in June 2023.

    She has a comprehensive track record of supporting victims and working with vulnerable people, focussing on putting their needs first.

    Having dedicated her career to public service, Ms Butts brings decades of experience handling high-profile and sensitive issues. This includes as Commissioner at the Independent Police Complaints Commission when they investigated the police response to the Hillsborough disaster. Ms Butts also oversaw the significant transformation of the Metropolitan Police Service in the aftermath of the Stephen Lawrence inquiry, an inquiry prompted by the tragic murder of Stephen Lawrence and a true turning point for justice and equality for victims of crime.

    Currently, she carries out consultancy work in the UK and internationally. Cindy also serves as a Lay Member of the House of Lords Conduct Committee (August 2019-current), where she reviews conduct rules and adjudicates appeals. She is also a Senior Independent Panel Member for public appointment assessment panels in various government departments (April 2004 – Current), providing independent oversight on Non-Executive Director recruitment.

    Updates to this page

    Published 1 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Oldbury turbine hall free of electrical hazards

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    News story

    Oldbury turbine hall free of electrical hazards

    A complex decommissioning project to cut over 750 electrical cables to isolate Oldbury site’s turbine hall power supply has been safely completed.

    Oldbury cable cutting team in the turbine hall

    Pioneering innovation enabled the team to cut 356 electrical cables inside the tunnels between the turbine hall and reactor building of the redundant nuclear power station over two weekends – reducing work time by 91%. This was achieved by disconnecting the site’s entire power supply to remove the risk of cutting through a live cable and the need to trace each cable to its source.

    Wider safety measures avoided work near to potential asbestos which eliminated the need for scaffolding and prevented work in confined spaces or close to degrading assets.

    John Alderton, Oldbury Site Director, commented:

    I’m incredibly proud of how everyone collaborated to deliver this project safely and successfully. It’s a great example of how innovation and creative thinking can solve long-standing challenges. By learning from previous cable cutting campaigns and applying those insights to a new strategy, the team has truly transformed the way we work and set a new benchmark for the industry.

    The learning from this innovative method of bulk cable cutting can be applied to any area of decommissioning in the right circumstances. It took 18 months to complete over 2,000 cable cuts in challenging environments and declare the building free of electrical hazards following a period of verification.

    Adam Bird, Oldbury Site Senior Project Engineer, said:

    Delivering this solution has been a great challenge that has really stretched our ways of thinking – not only within the team but with others on site too.

    Now that the turbine hall has been isolated, we are looking forward to commencing bulk asbestos removal, followed by de-planting of the building. The turbine hall, welfare area and administration complex will then be demolished – clearing a four-acre footprint ready for its next use.

    Heather Barton, NDA Head of Performance Improvement, added:

    Learning from each other across the NDA group remains to be a critical enabler to deliver our mission.

    It presents us with opportunities such as this where we can look at how this could be replicated elsewhere across our estate, and where we can present ourselves with more opportunities to challenge the norm.

    These shared and mutual benefits can truly be realised across our group, bringing innovation, collaboration, and joint solutions to our common challenges, enhancing every business in our group.

    Tom Eagleton, the Office for Nuclear Regulation’s (ONR) Head of Safety Regulation for decommissioning, fuel and waste sites, commented:

    ONR was pleased to support the approach taken by NRS to de-cabling at Oldbury. 

    The method used at the site delivered significant safety benefits to the workers involved, including reducing potential exposure to asbestos and elimination of risks associated with inadvertently cutting live cables. 

    As an enabling regulator, we will always be open to holding discussions with licensees and dutyholders about novel and innovative approaches, providing they are safe and do not compromise worker or public safety.

    Over its lifetime Oldbury generated 137.5 terawatt hours of low carbon electricity – enough to power one million homes for over 20 years.  The site was shut down in February 2012 after 44 years of safe operation.

    This most recent NRS achievement follows on from the successful de-plant and demolition of the turbine hall and adjoining structures at Sizewell A site in Suffolk. Learning from the Sizewell project is helping plans to deliver similar work at Oldbury site.

    Updates to this page

    Published 1 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Sustainable Seas, Prosperous Communities: African Union (AU) Presents Vision for Fisheries and Aquaculture


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    The African Union (AU), through its Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR), delivered a significant presentation on the continental policy direction for fisheries and aquaculture at a side event during the World Aquaculture Society (WAS) Conference held in Entebbe/Kampala, Uganda, from June 24 to 27, 2025. The presentation, led by Simon Owani Olok, Senior Policy Officer for Fisheries and Aquaculture at AU-IBAR, highlighted the essential role that fisheries and aquaculture play in the lives of over 10 million Africans, most of whom are among the rural poor. 

    These sectors are crucial for ensuring food security, improving nutrition, and enhancing the livelihoods of individuals. However, they are currently under severe threat due to weak and uncoordinated institutions, ineffective governance, and policies that have led to the over-exploitation of commercially important fish stocks. This has limited the sector’s sustainability and reduced its contribution to food security, poverty alleviation, and wealth creation. Despite the rapid growth of aquaculture in Africa, the sector faces numerous challenges that must be addressed for it to fill the gap left by declining capture fisheries effectively.

    Recognizing the urgent need for reform, the AU has made several high-level political commitments to restore fisheries to their maximum sustainable yields and to promote the sustainable development of aquaculture. Notable among these are the commitments made at the 2015 World Summit on Sustainable Development, the Abuja Declarations of 2014, and resolutions from the Conference of African Ministers of Fisheries and Aquaculture. These initiatives led to the development of the Policy Framework and Reform Strategy for Fisheries and Aquaculture in Africa (PFRS), which serves as the continent’s blueprint for the sustainable development of the fisheries and aquaculture sector. The PFRS aims to realise the full potential of the aquaculture sector to generate wealth, provide social benefits, and contribute to Africa’s economic development through market-led, sustainable strategies. Implementation is guided by a continental 10-year plan of action, which aligns with the Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP) and key political declarations.

    The AU’s approach to reform has involved increasing awareness among policymakers about the actual value of fish resources, creating an enabling environment for investment, and developing practical strategies to unlock the sector’s socio-economic potential. The PFRS was endorsed by African Union Heads of State and Government in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, in 2014, and provides a structured guide for national and regional policy coherence. Its main objectives include sustainable management, increased productivity and profitability, wealth generation, improved social welfare, enhanced nutrition and food security, and strengthened regional collaboration.

    Several key milestones have been achieved since the introduction of the PFRS. The African Fisheries Reform Mechanism (AFRM) was established as the delivery mechanism for reforms, and platforms such as the African Platform of Regional Institutions for Fisheries, Aquaculture and Aquatic Systems (APRIFAS) and the Policy Research Network for Fisheries and Aquaculture in Africa (PRNFAA) were created. A pan-African strategy for data collection and dissemination was developed, and research networks were established to support evidence-based policy. Sixteen AU Member States have fully aligned their fisheries and aquaculture policies with the PFRS, and support continues for others to do the same.

    The responsibility for implementing the PFRS lies primarily with Member States. Ministries, departments, and agencies responsible for the sector are expected to regulate, promote, and coordinate reforms through broad stakeholder engagement. They are also tasked with integrating fisheries and aquaculture into national development plans, mobilizing resources, investing in capacity development, and fostering both vertical and horizontal partnerships. National priorities should be continually reviewed to address emerging issues, and progress should be reported to AU-IBAR and AUDA-NEPAD.

    The AU remains committed to providing leadership and technical support to ensure that fisheries and aquaculture become central pillars of Africa’s economic transformation. For more information on the AU’s fisheries and aquaculture policy direction and ongoing reforms, visit AU-IBAR’s official website.

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The African Union – Interafrican Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR).

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Leveraging Zambia’s Energy Transition Minerals: Roadmap for Economic Transformation


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    Zambia’s economy grew by 4% in 2024, displaying resilience despite experiencing a historic drought and frequent power outages. According to the latest edition of the Zambia Economic Update (ZEU) launched by the World Bank Group (WBG) today, titled: Leveraging Energy Transition Minerals for Economic Transformation, this growth is driven by a strong recovery in the mining sector and expansion in services.

    The ZEU highlights that agriculture—the cornerstone of Zambia’s employment and heavily dependent on rainfed farming—faced significant headwinds. However, its minimal contribution to GDP allowed overall growth to continue. Despite economic growth, GDP per capita growth slowed to 1.2% in 2024, and poverty remains pervasive, with 63.1% of the population living below the $2.15 poverty line.

    “Notwithstanding these challenges, it is commendable how the government of Zambia has stayed fiscally disciplined amidst increasing financing needs caused by the drought, within the framework of ongoing debt restructuring and an IMF program,” said Albert Pijuan, World Bank Senior Country Economist for Zambia. “Revenues increased thanks to expanded copper production—although they remain below potential— and investment spending was significantly reduced, allowing for a large primary surplus in 2024.”

    The ZEU report highlights that exchange rate depreciation, combined with rising food and energy prices due to the drought, led to sticky double-digit inflation. The Zambian kwacha depreciated against major currencies because of sporadic foreign exchange supply and increased import demand during the drought. Despite monetary policy tightening to restrain inflation, prices continued to drift, and the policy stance remains accommodative as high supply-driven inflation results in negative real rates.

    The outlook is optimistic, driven by robust momentum in the mining sector, a rebound in agriculture, and improvements in tourism. Still, significant risks persist due to lower global growth, uncertainties in trade policies, and frequent climatic events. While mining will remain a major driver of economic growth and government revenues, Zambia must diversify its economy to accelerate economic transformation.

    The ZEU  recommends (i) unleashing agricultural productivity by fully transitioning to the e-voucher system, improving targeting, and shifting toward private-sector-led financing to limit public liabilities; (ii) raising productivity through greater competition in the energy sector; (iii) closing tax gaps by strengthening revenue administration; and (iv) maintaining monetary policy tightening to anchor inflation expectations and protect policy credibility, to achieve positive real rates.

    Over a year ago, recognizing the importance of Zambia’s mining sector for its economic growth in the foreseeable future, the WBG, together with the Government of the Republic of Zambia (GRZ), started preparing a practical roadmap: Repositioning Zambia to Leverage Energy Transition Minerals for Economic Transformation. This roadmap is guiding GRZ and its minerals sector stakeholders on realizing GRZ’s vision to maximizing benefits for the country and expanding Zambian participation in the entire ETM value chain, including through value addition.

    The roadmap’s analytical work has been supported by the Resilient and Inclusive Supply Chain Enhancement Partnership (RISE) initiative, which supports countries undertaking reforms in their mining sector and along the minerals value chain. Key recommendations of the roadmap have recently been presented by the GRZ to a select group of stakeholders at the WBG Spring Meetings 2025. The roadmap is part of larger WBG diagnostic work looking at the development potential for WBG client countries in its Eastern and Southern Africa region and how those countries can benefit more from the minerals and metals demand boom, driven by the global energy transition.

    “Zambia’s economy needs to diversify, but concurrently making the most of Zambia’s green mineral deposits would provide a major boost to the economy and must also be leveraged for economic transformation,” said Achim Fock, World Bank Country Manager for Zambia. “Zambia has the potential to use its energy transition mineral (ETM) endowments—increasingly sought after for the global energy transition—for growth, economic development, and shared prosperity.”

    In its focused chapter on ETMs, the ZEU argues that to maximize this potential, Zambia should focus on:

    1. Scaling ETM production: Implementing comprehensive reforms to boost ETM production, including identifying mineral resources, ensuring a reliable and cost-competitive clean power supply, transport, and logistics services, upskilling the workforce, and strengthening environmental and social risk management.
    2. Maximizing fiscal potential: Strengthening ETM revenue management and allocation to support fiscal sustainability and broader inter-generational development objectives.
    3. Adding value to mineral resources: Developing the copper value chain and addressing barriers to greater value-adding activities, including the lack of access to raw materials and finance, enhancing the inefficient investment climate, augmenting the electricity supply, and reducing trade and transport time and costs.   

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The World Bank Group.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: South African National Taxi Council (SANTACO) Announced as Association Partner for Smarter Mobility Africa Summit 2025

    The South African National Taxi Council (SANTACO) has been announced as an official Association Partner for the Smarter Mobility Africa (SMA) summit 2025, taking place from 30 September to 3 October 2025 at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg.

    This strategic partnership positions SANTACO at the forefront of continental discussions on smarter mobility solutions, with a particular focus on advancing public transport and accelerating the transition to new energy vehicles (NEVs) across South Africa and the broader African continent.

    As the largest mover of people in South Africa, the taxi industry plays a pivotal role in the country’s transport ecosystem. SANTACO’s participation in SMA 2025 underscores the organisation’s commitment to mobility leadership, industry transformation, and innovative transport solutions that serve millions of South Africans daily.

    Leading the Conversation on Smarter Mobility

    SANTACO President Motlhabane Abnar Tsebe will deliver a keynote address on 1 October 2025, representing the voice of the public transport sector and outlining the organisation’s vision for a cleaner, more efficient mobility future. President Tsebe will also participate in key roundtable discussions alongside government officials, NEV experts, and global mobility innovators.

    Secretary General Daki Qumbu will join President Tsebe as part of SANTACO’s VIP delegation, engaging with stakeholders to build trust and cooperation between government, operators, and the private sector.

    Driving Policy and Innovation

    The partnership enables SANTACO to actively influence NEV policy frameworks and funding mechanisms, ensuring that the taxi industry’s unique needs and challenges are considered in South Africa’s transition to sustainable transport. This collaborative approach is essential for creating inclusive mobility solutions that work for all South Africans.

    Speaking about the industry’s transformation potential, President Tsebe emphasised the importance of changing perceptions through action. “If we formalise, professionalise, and invest in our people,” he says, “then this industry can finally be seen for what it already is: the backbone of South Africa’s mobility system.”

    “We are proud to welcome SANTACO as our Association Partner for SMA 2025,” said Olivia Modisakeng, Event Manager. “Their leadership in transforming public transport is essential to building an inclusive and sustainable mobility future for Africa.”

    About the Partnership

    SANTACO’s involvement in SMA 2025 demonstrates the organisation’s progressive stance on cleaner mobility and infrastructure development. The partnership creates opportunities for meaningful dialogue between industry leaders, policymakers, and technology innovators, fostering the collaborative relationships necessary to drive meaningful change in Africa’s transport sector.

    The Smarter Mobility Africa summit 2025 brings together key stakeholders from across the continent to address the most pressing challenges and opportunities in mobility, with SANTACO’s participation ensuring that the voice of South Africa’s public transport sector remains central to these critical conversations.

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Vuka Group.

    Additional information:
    Full article on SANTACO: https://apo-opa.co/4kdpje1
    Official event page: https://apo-opa.co/44qTyrX

    For more information about SANTACO’s participation in SMA 2025, please contact:
    General Media Enquiries
    mobilitymarketing@wearevuka.com

    About SANTACO:
    The South African National Taxi Council (SANTACO) is the leading representative body for the taxi industry in South Africa, serving millions of passengers daily and playing a crucial role in the country’s public transport system.

    About Smarter Mobility Africa Summit 2025:
    The Smarter Mobility Africa summit is the continent’s premier gathering for advancing public transport and transitioning to new energy vehicles (NEVs), bringing together government officials, industry leaders, and technology innovators to shape the future of African mobility.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: UKSPF programmes to help Prestonians

    Source: City of Preston

    1 July 2025

    Activities to help and support Prestonians across a range of programmes is being funded via UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF).

    The Government announced in December 2024 there would be £900m available across the UK as transitional funding for an extra year of activities for 2025/26 after the 2022/2025 funding programme closed.

    Our goal is to deliver a wide-reaching and impactful programme of activities that will build pride of place in Preston and increase life chances in the city, in line with the overall goals of the UKSPF. This will be delivered via three investment priorities, as defined by Government:

    1. Communities and Place
    2. Supporting local business
    3. People and skills

    Councillor Matthew Brown, Leader at Preston City Council, said:

    “Thanks to UKSPF funding, we’ve equipped people and local businesses across Preston with essential support and skills that have a huge impact on all our communities.

    “This extra funding will enable us to invest in the future of the city despite other financial challenges the Council faces.

    “It’s about giving people the tools they need to succeed, building a fairer and more democratic Preston economy, and revitalising our communities to build a more inclusive, connected, and resilient Preston for the future.”

    More information

    A table of 2025/26 programme activity for Preston is provided at the end of this article.

    • The fund aims to support local communities and businesses across the UK, and will contribute to the delivery of the government’s Five Missions:
    • Mission 1 (M1): Kickstart economic growth  
    • Mission 2 (M2): Make Britain a clean energy superpower 
    • Mission 3 (M3): Take back our streets 
    • Mission 4 (M4): Break down barriers to opportunity 
    • Mission 5 (M5): Build an NHS fit for the future

    About UKSPF

    The UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) is a fund allocated by the UK Government and managed by local authorities in partnership with local stakeholders.

    Lancashire Combined County Authority (LCCA) was awarded a total of £21,748,007 for 2025/6 enabling projects and initiatives to continue for another year across the county. Preston City Council’s allocation was £2,462,651.

    UKSPF programme 2025/26 under revised themes and sub-themes

    Priority 1 – Communities and Place

    Sub-theme – Health and Wellbeing Programme and Inclusivity

    1. Community Programme, including:

    • Volunteering and community grants
    • Youth Strategy
    • Sport
    • Tree planting
    • Digital Connectivity

    Sub-theme – Development of visitor economy

    2. City Events Programme

    Sub-theme – Reduce crime and fear of crime

    3. City Safety

    • City centre lighting
    • Community safety initiatives
    • Parks enhancements

    Priority 2 – Supporting local businesses

    Theme – Support for Businesses

    Sub-theme – Advice and support to business

    1. Preston Business Support programme, including:

    • Innovation & Technology business support
    • Kickstart and Pre-Start up support

    2. Innovation Programme

    • Business research & development programme
    • Decarbonisation support

    3. Community Business support

    • Sustainable Transport
    • Green Energy
    • Supporting Preston Democratic Economy

    Priority 3 – People and Skills

    Theme – Employability

    Sub-theme – Supporting people in and towards employment

    1. Preston Employability Programme

    • Support for those not in education, employment or training (NEET)
    • Breaking down barriers to employment
    • Improving Life Chances learning and skills

    Theme – Skills

    Sub-theme – Employment related skills

    1. Preston Skills Programme

    • Green energy skills
    • Numeracy skills

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Independent Public Advocate candidate selected

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 3

    Press release

    Independent Public Advocate candidate selected

    Victims of major incidents will be better supported following Cindy Butts’ selection as preferred candidate for the Independent Public Advocate (IPA).

    • Cindy Butts named as Government’s preferred candidate for Independent Public Advocate
    • Role will ensure victims of major incidents better supported and heard
    • Delivering justice for victims vital to Government’s Plan for Change

    Ms Butts has a comprehensive track record of supporting victims and working with vulnerable people – specialising in putting their needs first.

    Having dedicated her career to public service, Ms Butts brings decades of experience handling high-profile and sensitive issues. 

    This includes as Commissioner at the Independent Police Complaints Commission whilst they investigated the police response to the Hillsborough disaster. Remarkably, she also oversaw the significant transformation of the Metropolitan Police Service in the aftermath of the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry – this was prompted by the tragic murder of Stephen Lawrence and a true turning point for justice and equality for victims of crime.

    In her role as IPA, Ms Butts will ensure victims of major incidents understand their rights and can access vital emotional and practical support from the get-go.

    Lord Chancellor, Shabana Mahmood, said:

    The Independent Public Advocate will transform our response to major disasters, ensuring victims’ voices are heard above all else.

    Cindy’s experience overseeing system reform following some of the most prolific cases of injustice in modern memory more than qualifies her for this role. I have every faith that she will provide victims the support they deserve.

    The IPA will also be able to advise the Government on the type of review that should take place following a major incident. This will help relay victims’ views directly into the heart of Government when deciding whether answers need to be sought, lessons need to be learned, and authorities held to account.   

    Cindy Butts said:

    I am deeply honoured to be named the Government’s preferred candidate for the Independent Public Advocate role.

    Throughout my career, I have been steadfastly committed to championing fairness and ensuring that the voices of those who have experienced profound loss or injustice are heard, respected, and placed at the heart of our efforts for truth and accountability.

    I look forward to working diligently to uphold the vital principles of care and support, ensuring that individuals and families receive the dedicated support and advocacy they deserve during their most challenging times. This role is a profound responsibility, and I am ready to begin the work of making a tangible difference in people’s lives.

    Nabil Choucair, Grenfell Tower Trust, said:

    As someone who lost loved ones in the Grenfell Tower fire, I welcome the appointment of the new Independent Public Advocate.

    For families like mine, the pain of loss has been compounded by years of being dismissed, ignored, and silenced. We know all too well what it means to have our truths buried and our calls for justice delayed. Cindy’s appointment offers a glimmer of hope—but hope alone is not enough.

    We are watching closely to see whether this government will match words with action, and give her the independence, resources, and authority needed to make a real difference. Anything less would be another betrayal.

     Yvette Williams MBE, Justice 4 Grenfell Campaign, said:

    It is powerful and necessary to see someone with a proven track record and deep commitment to justice taking on this vital role. But this appointment must be more than symbolic.

    With Cindy’s experience and integrity, she has the potential to amplify the voices of those who have suffered, hold failing systems to account, and confront institutional indifference head-on.

    To achieve this, she must be allowed to act with genuine independence—free from interference or political pressure—so she can earn and retain the trust of victims, survivors, bereaved families, and communities during the most painful moments of their lives.

    Further information

    • The IPA was established by the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024
    • The candidate will be appointed for a five-year term.
    • The role is subject to pre-appointment hearing by the Justice Select Committee. Ministers consider the Committee’s views before deciding whether to proceed with the appointment.
    • Alongside the IPA, the Government can appoint additional advocates with relevant experience to each individual incident to support the IPA’s efforts.
    • In this role, the IPA will also have the power to produce reports on a major incident for which they have been appointed without a direct request from the Lord Chancellor, providing an independent and invaluable assessment of lessons learned and recommendations to the Government and other public authorities.
    • The IPA will support victims throughout the aftermath of the incident, this may include helping victims to navigate the investigations which may follow such as statutory inquiries under the Inquiries Act 2005 and inquests under the Coroner Justice Act 2009.
    • The IPA will not act as a legal representative to victims.
    • The definition of a major incident for the IPA is an event that occurs in England or Wales and is declared in writing by the Secretary of State to have caused the death of or serious harm to a significant number of individuals. This would cover major incidents similar to the Grenfell Tower fire, the Hillsborough disaster, and the Manchester Arena bombing.

    Updates to this page

    Published 1 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI: Retail investors use ETHRANSACTION: BTC, XRP, USDC and other mainstream currencies for cloud mining, earning a stable income of per day

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    York, England, July 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Cryptocurrency and blockchain technology could reshape personal finance in the next decade. Even if you’ve never bought Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, or any other digital currency, its impact could affect how you save, spend, and manage your money. Here are three ways cryptocurrencies could change your financial life. The most immediate change will be how people send and receive money by simplifying cross-border payments.

    So ETHRANSACTION has launched a plan contract suitable for people in all fields to allow retail investors to have their own crypto savings in advance in the next decade; so that retail investors can get a stable passive income from cloud mining.

    ETHRANSACTION is driven by clean energy: it not only saves a lot of energy consumption, but also generates high profits, allowing investors to see the potential of new energy. ETHRANSACTION
    Has advanced cryptocurrency mining equipment, sites, maintenance facilities, and cheap clean electricity. If you want to participate in mining, ETHRANSACTION is the perfect choice for cryptocurrency enthusiasts.
    You can participate in mining without any equipment and easily earn $9,075 a day.

    How to mine in the ETHRANSACTION cloud:

    1: Sign up now to get a $19 reward (can be used to earn $0.9 for daily sign-in)

    2: Choose a contract: After successfully registering, the next step is to choose a mining contract that meets your goals and budget. ETHRANSACTION offers a variety of contracts to meet different needs, whether you are a beginner or an experienced miner. Take a close look at the available options and consider factors such as contract duration, potential returns, and associated costs.

    3: Unprecedented profit potential
    What makes ETHRANSACTION different is its high profit potential. Users can earn up to more than $9,075 per day, making it one of the most profitable cloud mining platforms. This passive income model allows investors to earn substantial income without a lot of knowledge or involvement in the mining process.

    ETHRANSACTION has 8.73 million users worldwide. Sign up now to join the cloud mining contract for free. Give yourself a chance, which is equivalent to giving yourself a future.

    Click to download the official App and control your financial freedom anytime, anywhere!

    Security and Sustainability: Trustworthy Investments

    Security and transparency are at the core of ETHRANSACTION operations. The platform ensures that user funds are protected while complying with industry regulations. By utilizing clean energy, ETHRANSACTION not only maximizes profits but also minimizes environmental impact, making it a truly sustainable investment opportunity.

    Daily Passive Income Potential for ETHRANSACTION Miners

    Are you tired of the limitations of traditional repetitive work? Are you looking for a way to make money even while you sleep? ETHRANSACTION’s passive income opportunity is not to be missed. With a potential income of $7.5-9075 per day, it is not to be missed. ETHRANSACTION operates using solar energy and cryptocurrency mining. Individuals do not need to actively participate, just invest in purchasing a plan contract to make a huge profit. It’s like having your own money-making machine!

    Choose a contract that suits your investment strategy:

    For more information on the new contracts, visit the official ETHRANSACTION platform website: https://ethransaction.vip

    4: Start earning: Once you have selected and activated your mining contract, you can sit back and wait for the system to work for you. ETHRANSACTION’s advanced technology ensures that your mining operation runs efficiently, maximizing your potential earnings.

    Affiliate Program: Earn money without investing

    For users looking to earn extra income, ETHRANSACTION offers an exclusive affiliate program where users can refer others and earn up to $99,000 in commissions. Unlimited referrals, unlimited profit potential.

    Start earning money today!

    If you are looking for passive income opportunities, ETHRANSACTION is your gateway to financial growth. With a seamless platform, secure infrastructure, and unparalleled profitability, ETHRANSACTION is reinventing the future of cloud mining.

    As your mining activities progress, you will begin to see profits accumulating in your account. Track your performance through the platform’s dashboard and withdraw your earnings when you are ready. ETHRANSACTION Platform Advantages:

    1: Intuitive Interface: The platform’s user-friendly interface ensures that even cryptocurrency novices can easily navigate.

    2: Legitimacy and Global Audience: The platform was legally established in the UK in 2017, protected and issued by the UK government, and has attracted more than 8.73 million real users worldwide with cutting-edge technology.

    3: Cutting-edge equipment: Using mining equipment provided by top mining machine manufacturers such as Bitmain, Shenma Miner and Canaan Creative to ensure the stable operation and efficient production capacity of Bitcoin miners.

    4: Support a variety of popular cryptocurrencies: such as USDT-TRC20, BTC, ETH, LTC, USDC, BNB, BCH, DOGE, XRP, etc. for settlement.

    5: Stable income: The contracts launched by the platform have income every 24 hours, and the principal is automatically returned after the contract expires.

    6: Affiliate Program: You can recommend friends and get a referral bonus of up to $99,000.

    7: Professional team: The platform has an experienced IT team and 24/7 real-time customer service team support to ensure that users can solve problems in a timely manner.

    Summary:

    ETHRANSACTION service platform is a legal, compliant, safe, reliable company that abides by local laws and regulations. The mission is to enable everyone to conduct cloud mining, and any region can remotely monitor their income in real time. Click here to start learning about the ETHRANSACTION platform and start your cloud mining journey.

    Media contact:
    Email: info@ethransaction.vip
    Official website: http://ethransaction.vip/

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Greenpeace welcomes new global initiative to advance tax reform on the super-rich

    Source: Greenpeace Statement –

    Sevilla, Spain – Spain,  Brazil and South Africa today launched a coalition to advance work on taxing the super-rich at the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development in Sevilla. The coalition reaffirmed political commitments to pursue effective taxation of the super-rich. They also signalled growing support for international tax negotiations at the UN that are gaining momentum.

    In response, Fred Njehu, Global Political Lead for Greenpeace’s Fair Share campaign, said[1]: “Financing is urgently needed for climate action and public services, not for polluting space travel and luxury weddings. This new coalition of governments working to tax the super-rich adds to the growing global momentum to make the world’s wealthiest pay their fair share. People are fed up with billionaires’ greed eroding the environment and communities we depend on. It’s time for world leaders to listen and act.”

    Last week Greenpeace Italy together with UK Action group Everyone hates Elon unfolded a banner reading ‘If you can rent Venice for your wedding, you can pay more tax’ on Piazza San Marco, ahead of Jeff Bezos’s reportedly multi-million dollar wedding in Venice.

    In a survey commissioned by Greenpeace International and Oxfam International across 13 countries, 86% of respondents want governments to close tax loopholes that benefit the super-rich and international corporations, and to use the increased revenue for public services.[2] 

    “Ultimately, we urge world leaders to support the on-going UN Tax Convention process as a global multilateral platform that will shape and determine the future of taxation, one rooted in equity and justice,” added Njehu.

    ENDS

    Notes:

    [1] Fred Njehu is with Greenpeace Africa, based in Nairobi, Kenya.

    [2] The research was conducted by first-party data company Dynata in May-June, 2025, in Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Kenya, Italy, India, Mexico, the Philippines, South Africa, Spain, the UK and the US, with approximately 1200 respondents in each country and a theoretical margin of error of approximately 2.83%. Together, these countries represent close to half the world’s population. Greenpeace / Oxfam – PPP survey results. 

    Contacts:

    Tal Harris, Global Media Lead – Stop Drilling Start Paying campaign, Greenpeace International. +41-782530550, [email protected]  

    Lee Kuen, Global Comms Lead – Fair Share campaign, Greenpeace International. +601112527489, [email protected]

    Greenpeace International Press Desk, +31 (0)20 718 2470 (available 24 hours), [email protected]

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI: Kayne Anderson Energy Infrastructure Fund Announces Distribution of $0.08 Per Share for July 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    HOUSTON, July 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Kayne Anderson Energy Infrastructure Fund, Inc. (the “Company”) announced today a monthly distribution of $0.08 per share for July 2025. This distribution is payable to common stockholders on July 31, 2025 (as outlined in the table below).

    The Company declares distributions on a monthly basis, with its next distribution expected to be declared in early August. Payment of future distributions is subject to the approval of the Company’s Board of Directors, as well as meeting the covenants on the Company’s debt agreements and the terms of its preferred stock.

    Record Date / Ex-Date Payment Date Distribution Amount Return of Capital Estimate
    7/15/25 7/31/25 $0.08 50%(1)

    (1)   This estimate is based on the Company’s anticipated earnings and profits. The final determination of the tax character of distributions will not be determinable until after the end of fiscal 2025 and may differ substantially from this preliminary information.

    Kayne Anderson Energy Infrastructure Fund, Inc. (NYSE: KYN) is a non-diversified, closed-end management investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, whose common stock is traded on the NYSE. The Company’s investment objective is to provide a high after-tax total return with an emphasis on making cash distributions to stockholders. KYN intends to achieve this objective by investing at least 80% of its total assets in securities of Energy Infrastructure Companies. See Glossary of Key Terms in the Company’s most recent quarterly report for a description of these investment categories and the meaning of capitalized terms.

    The Company pays cash distributions to common stockholders at a rate that may be adjusted from time to time. Distribution amounts are not guaranteed and may vary depending on a number of factors, including changes in portfolio holdings and market conditions.

    This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy, nor shall there be any sale of any securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer or sale is not permitted. Nothing contained in this press release is intended to recommend any investment policy or investment strategy or consider any investor’s specific objectives or circumstances. Before investing, please consult with your investment, tax, or legal adviser regarding your individual circumstances.

    CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS: This communication contains statements reflecting assumptions, expectations, projections, intentions, or beliefs about future events. These and other statements not relating strictly to historical or current facts constitute forward-looking statements as defined under the U.S. federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements involve a variety of risks and uncertainties. These risks include but are not limited to changes in economic and political conditions; regulatory and legal changes; energy industry risk; leverage risk; valuation risk; interest rate risk; tax risk; and other risks discussed in detail in the Company’s filings with the SEC, available at www.kaynefunds.com or www.sec.gov. Actual events could differ materially from these statements or our present expectations or projections. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. Kayne Anderson undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements made herein. There is no assurance that the Company’s investment objectives will be attained.

    Contact investor relations at 877-657-3863 or cef@kayneanderson.com.

    The MIL Network –

  • Cabinet clears ₹1 lakh crore RDI Scheme to boost private sector-led innovation

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    In a move aimed at strengthening India’s research and innovation ecosystem, the Union Cabinet on Tuesday approved the Research Development and Innovation (RDI) Scheme, with a total outlay of ₹1 lakh crore. The scheme is designed to encourage greater private sector participation in research and innovation, particularly in strategic and sunrise sectors.

    The RDI Scheme seeks to provide long-term financing or refinancing to private companies at low or nil interest rates. Officials said the scheme addresses the persistent funding constraints faced by the private sector in taking up research projects, and aims to provide growth and risk capital for critical and emerging technologies. The government hopes this will promote technological adoption, enhance global competitiveness, and contribute to economic security and self-reliance.

    Under the scheme, projects at higher levels of Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) will receive funding, and support will also be extended for the acquisition of critical or strategically important technologies. The scheme will also facilitate the creation of a Deep-Tech Fund of Funds to back technology-focused ventures.

    The Research Development and Innovation Scheme will operate through a two-tier funding structure. At the first level, a Special Purpose Fund (SPF) will be set up within the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF), which will act as the custodian of the corpus. Funds from the SPF will then be allocated to various second-level fund managers, which will provide long-term concessional loans or, in some cases, equity funding—particularly for startups.

    The overarching strategic direction of the scheme will be provided by the Governing Board of the ANRF, chaired by the Prime Minister. The Executive Council of the ANRF will be responsible for approving guidelines and identifying second-level fund managers and projects in sunrise sectors. An Empowered Group of Secretaries, headed by the Cabinet Secretary, will oversee the scheme’s implementation, review its performance, and make decisions on sectors, project types, and fund managers. The Department of Science and Technology will serve as the nodal department for executing the scheme.

     

  • Cabinet clears ₹1 lakh crore RDI Scheme to boost private sector-led innovation

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    In a move aimed at strengthening India’s research and innovation ecosystem, the Union Cabinet on Tuesday approved the Research Development and Innovation (RDI) Scheme, with a total outlay of ₹1 lakh crore. The scheme is designed to encourage greater private sector participation in research and innovation, particularly in strategic and sunrise sectors.

    The RDI Scheme seeks to provide long-term financing or refinancing to private companies at low or nil interest rates. Officials said the scheme addresses the persistent funding constraints faced by the private sector in taking up research projects, and aims to provide growth and risk capital for critical and emerging technologies. The government hopes this will promote technological adoption, enhance global competitiveness, and contribute to economic security and self-reliance.

    Under the scheme, projects at higher levels of Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) will receive funding, and support will also be extended for the acquisition of critical or strategically important technologies. The scheme will also facilitate the creation of a Deep-Tech Fund of Funds to back technology-focused ventures.

    The Research Development and Innovation Scheme will operate through a two-tier funding structure. At the first level, a Special Purpose Fund (SPF) will be set up within the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF), which will act as the custodian of the corpus. Funds from the SPF will then be allocated to various second-level fund managers, which will provide long-term concessional loans or, in some cases, equity funding—particularly for startups.

    The overarching strategic direction of the scheme will be provided by the Governing Board of the ANRF, chaired by the Prime Minister. The Executive Council of the ANRF will be responsible for approving guidelines and identifying second-level fund managers and projects in sunrise sectors. An Empowered Group of Secretaries, headed by the Cabinet Secretary, will oversee the scheme’s implementation, review its performance, and make decisions on sectors, project types, and fund managers. The Department of Science and Technology will serve as the nodal department for executing the scheme.

     

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Immigration Advice Authority unveils new Customer Service Charter

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    News story

    Immigration Advice Authority unveils new Customer Service Charter

    The charter sets out what you can expect from us and what we ask of you in return.

    The Immigration Advice Authority (IAA) has launched a new Customer Service Charter, reinforcing its commitment to fair, professional, and accessible services. As the UK’s regulator for immigration advice, the IAA ensures that advisers meet high professional standards while providing clear guidance to the public. The charter outlines what individuals can expect when engaging with the IAA and also sets out the responsibilities expected of those using the IAA’s services and iterating with staff.

    A key focus of the charter is efficient complaint handling, with a commitment to acknowledging complaints, conducting thorough investigations, and keeping individuals informed throughout the process. The charter highlights the IAA’s role in enforcing standards, taking action against unlawful practices, and promoting public trust in immigration services.

    Transparency and accountability remain at the heart of the IAA’s mission. The organisation is dedicated to providing timely responses, publishing information about its policies and decisions, and continuously improving its services based on public feedback. The IAA encourages individuals to share their experiences and suggestions, reinforcing its commitment to a fair and supportive immigration advice system.

    Download the Charter to learn more about its details and how to engage with the IAA.

    Updates to this page

    Published 1 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Roadmap unveiled to boost rights for half of all UK workers and provide certainty to employers

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Roadmap unveiled to boost rights for half of all UK workers and provide certainty to employers

    Government publishes the Employment Rights Bill Implementation Roadmap, setting out timelines for measures in the Bill coming into effect.

    ·       Comprehensive roadmap for Employment Rights Bill to raise living standards across the country whilst giving employers and workers the time to adapt.    

    ·       Sets out timelines for new landmark rights with 15 million, or half of all, workers set to start benefitting from later this year.  

    ·       Government will continue to consult with employers, workers and trade unions to ensure the best deal for growth and boosting living standards in line with the Plan for Change.     

    The Government has today (Tuesday 1 July) unveiled its comprehensive roadmap setting out how it will deliver its new package of workers’ rights through the plan to Make Work Pay.    

    Landmark changes delivered through the Employment Rights Bill including sick pay for 1.3 million of the lowest earners and day one rights to parental and paternity leave will be introduced for the first time from early next year, demonstrating the government’s determination to boost living standards and protections for millions, whilst giving employers the certainty they need to plan for future changes.  

    It also announces that the new Fair Work Agency will launch from early next year, creating a level-playing field so rogue employers cannot undercut good businesses who comply with the law.  

    Informed by more than 190 pieces of engagement with businesses and other crucial stakeholders over the last 12 months, a phased approach was taken to give workers clarity and employers time to prepare. Key measures in the Bill will come into effect in 2026 and 2027, whilst further consultations are planned from this year into next.  

    The reforms are a key part of the Government’s Plan for Change – the mission to make the country fit for the future by kick-starting economic growth and boosting productivity.    

    Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner said:     

    We’re working fast to deliver our promise of better living standards and more money in the pockets of working people as part of our Plan for Change.  

    These landmark reforms will kick in within months, demonstrating our commitment to making work pay for millions of workers across the country and delivering real change.

    Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said:     

    The Employment Rights Bill is a core part of the Plan for Change, directly benefiting half of all workers and boosting living standards across the country.     

     Since the beginning, we have been working with businesses big and small to ensure this Bill works for them, and this roadmap will now give them the clarity and certainty they need to plan, invest and grow.      

     By phasing implementation, our collaborative approach balances meaningful worker protections with the practical realities of running a successful business, creating more productive workplaces where both employees and employers can thrive. 

    Whether you’re a worker, an employer in the public or private sector, a trade union, a representative organisation, or from civil society, a wide range of voices have helped shape this Bill.     

    Delivering change that works for everyone remains a priority, which is why the Government will continue to consult with business groups, employers, workers and trade unions in phases on the detail of the measures, beginning this summer and continuing into the new year.      

    The rollout of all measures will follow a structured timeline, so that stakeholders can plan their time and resources to make sure they are ready when the changes come into effect. Highlights of the roadmap include:     

    After the bill is passed: 

    • Immediate repeal of the strikes (minimum service levels) act 2023 and the majority of the trade union act 2016 to create a better relationship with unions that will prevent the need for strikes. 

    • Protections against dismissal for taking industrial action to ensure workers can defend their rights without fear of losing their jobs. 

    April 2026: 

    • Collective redundancy protective award – doubling the maximum period of the protective award to provide stronger financial security for workers facing mass redundancies. 

    • ‘Day one’ paternity leave and unpaid parental leave to support working families from the very start of employment. 

    • Whistleblowing protections to encourage reporting of wrongdoing without fear of retaliation. 

    • Fair work agency established to enforce labour rights and promote fairness in the workplace. 

    • Statutory sick pay – removing the lower earnings limit and waiting period to ensure all workers can afford to recover from illness without financial hardship. 

    • A package of trade union measures including simplifying trade union recognition process and electronic and workplace balloting to strengthen democracy and participation in the workplace. 

    October 2026: 

    • Ending unscrupulous fire and rehire practices to protect workers from being forced into worse terms under threat of dismissal. 

    • Regulations to establish the fair pay agreement adult social care negotiating body in England to raise standards and pay in the social care sector.  

    • Tightening tipping law – strengthen the law on tipping by mandating consultation with workers to ensure fairer tip allocation. 

    • Requiring employers to take “all reasonable steps” to prevent sexual harassment of their employees to create safer, more respectful workplaces. 

    • Introducing an obligation on employers not to permit the harassment of their employees by third parties to extend protections to all work environments, including public-facing roles. 

    • A package of trade union measures including new rights and protections for trade union representatives, extending protections against detriments for taking industrial action and strengthening trade unions’ right of access. 

    2027: 

    • Gender pay gap and menopause action plans (introduced on a voluntary basis in April 2026) to promote gender equality and support women’s health in the workplace. 

    • Enhanced dismissal protections for pregnant women and new mothers to safeguard job security during pregnancy, maternity leave and a return-to-work period. 

    • Further harassment protections, specifying reasonable steps which will help determine whether an employer has taken all reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment to provide clearer guidance and stronger enforcement against harassment. 

    • Creating a modern framework for industrial relations to build a fairer, more collaborative approach to workplace relations. 

    • Bereavement leave to give workers time to grieve with job security. 

    • Ending the exploitative use of zero hours contracts to provide workers with stable hours and predictable income. 

    • ‘Day 1’ right to protection from unfair dismissal to ensure all workers are treated fairly from the start of employment. 

    • Improving access to flexible working to help people balance work with family, health, and other responsibilities. 

    To ensure employers and workers are in the best possible position when these measures come into effect, the Government will produce clear and comprehensive guidance to help organisations navigate the changes. This guidance will be made available in advance of implementation deadlines to allow time for familiarisation and preparation.     

    The Government will also work closely with Acas which will play a crucial role in both implementation of the new measures and continuing to provide support to employers and workers moving forward.      

    By taking a phased and measured approach to implementation, the Government aims to create lasting positive change to employment rights in the UK that works for both workers and businesses.    

    Peter Cheese, chief executive of the CIPD, the professional body for HR and people development, commented:  

    We asked for a clear plan from the government, so we’re pleased to see this roadmap launched today, which will give employers some more clarity to prepare for the biggest set of workplace reforms in decades.   

    We’re pleased to see that the measures are being phased in gradually over many months. This will give more time for further consultation on key points of detail, and organisations more time to update their policies and practices.   

    It’s positive to see the recognition of the critical role for Acas in supporting employers to comply with the new measures. We will work with the government to help provide the guidance the HR profession and managers need to implement the upcoming changes. Small businesses in particular will need clear advice and guidance to help them comply.

    TUC general secretary Paul Nowak said: 

    After the failed era of insecure work and squeezed living standards, the Employment Rights Bill is badly needed. Banning exploitative zero hours contracts, giving workers a stronger voice and ending fire and rehire are all common-sense and popular reforms. 

    It’s welcome that workers will start to benefit from these long overdue changes from later this year – but this timetable must be a backstop. We need to see these new rights in action as soon as possible. Decent employers don’t need to wait for the law to change. They should be working with staff and unions right now to introduce these changes as quickly as possible.  

    It’s time to level up Britain’s workplaces and end the scourge of insecure work.

    Co-op Group CEO Shirine Khoury-Haq said: 

    The Co-op is supportive of the Government’s ambitions to strengthen rights for workers through the Employment Rights Bill – as the world’s oldest and UK’s largest consumer co-operative, doing right by our 54,000 colleagues is core to our approach to doing good business. 

    We are convinced that treating employees well promotes productivity – it helps employers recruit, develop and retain the talent they need.  Working in partnership with Government we believe this Bill is a once in a generation opportunity to ensure all workers are treated fairly whoever their employer might be.

    Neil Carberry, Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) Chief Executive, said:  

    This clear timeline on the Employment Rights Bill gives room for full and frank consultation on how the new rules will be structured. It also gives businesses important time to plan.  

    Now we have the roadmap, ongoing and meaningful engagement will be critical to ensuring new regulations allow the flexibility workers and companies value to remain. That’s what gives workers freedom and choice, and helps businesses adjust in changeable markets. A clear process which addresses reasonable business concerns about the new rules is essential.  

    The Bill is a real opportunity to update workplace protections in a way that reflects how people work today, but getting the balance right will be crucial to supporting the government’s growth ambitions.

    Acas Chief Executive Niall Mackenzie said:   

    We welcome the publication of the Employment Relations Bill Roadmap, giving clarity to employers and workers on the timescale for these important changes to employment law. At Acas, we know that good workplace relations is at the heart of resilient, successful organisations and good business. It is encouraging to see the government place employment relations at the heart of its plan to grow the economy.  

    Acas will continue to work with the Department for Business and Trade, employers, trades unions and others to support employers and workers. We are proud to be the go-to organisation to help navigate changes to workplace relations through our expert Codes, guidance and freely available advice.

    Kate Nicholls, Chief Executive of UKHospitality, said:  

    Clear and precise timelines on when aspects of this legislation, and the processes to deliver them, will come into force is essential, and it was important that the Government embark on providing clarity. 

    There are substantial changes for businesses in the Employment Rights Bill and it’s right that the Government is using the appropriate implementation periods for the most complex issues for hospitality, in order to get the details right for both businesses and workers.

    Prospect General Secretary Mike Clancy said:  

    With such an important and technical piece of legislation, there is always a balance to be struck between speed and precision, and this sensible timetable ensures that there is sufficient time to make sure the legislation is robust and works as intended.    

    The Bill rightly involves a significant rebalancing of workplace power in favour of employees, and this must lead to improved industrial relations based on constructive working between unions and employers.  

    Ultimately, the big change we need in the labour market is an increase in trade union membership and density in the private sector, and it is welcome that next year will see the lifting of many of the restrictions that have constrained the growth of unions and our ability to represent workers across the economy.

    Community Assistant General Secretary Alasdair McDiarmid said:  

    It’s great that we now have a comprehensive roadmap in place for the Employment Rights Bill.  

    The government has engaged diligently with unions and businesses during the development of the bill, and we are proud to have played a role in shaping what we believe will be a transformative piece of legislation for working people across the UK.  

    We will continue to work closely with the Department for Business and Trade to ensure that the bill is successful, and we would encourage other stakeholders to do the same.

    Gary Smith, GMB General Secretary, said:  

    It is good to see that this Government is matching words with action on trade union rights. There’s always more that can be done, but the Employment Rights Bill represents the biggest improvement in workers’ rights for a generation.  

    GMB members now know when these much-needed improvements will happen – we urge good employers not to wait; do the right thing and make these changes a reality today.

    Notes to editors:     

    ·       Full details of the implementation roadmap are available here.    

    ·       Employment Rights Bill to be implemented in phases, giving employers the time and certainty they need to adapt.    

    ·       Roadmap outlines timelines for delivery, ranging from soon after the Bill is passed to April 2026, October 2026 and 2027.      

    ·       Government will continue to consult with employers, workers and trade unions to ensure the best deal for growth and boosting living standards in line with the Plan for Change.     

    ·       The 15 million workers figure is based on analysis of the Labour Force Survey (October to December 2024) to avoid double counting, and includes workers that will benefit from Unfair Dismissal, Zero Hour Contracts, Statutory Sick Pay, Trade Union changes and Fair Pay Agreements.

    Updates to this page

    Published 1 July 2025

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  • MIL-OSI Africa: Government reaffirms commitment to support agricultural extension services

    Source: South Africa News Agency

    Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen has reaffirmed government’s unwavering commitment to agricultural extension services, highlighting their pivotal role in fostering inclusive rural development, ensuring food security, and facilitating vital knowledge transfer.

    Steenhuisen made the commitment at the centenary celebration of the establishment of formal agricultural extension services in the country.

    The Minister also officially opened the 58th annual conference of the South African Society for Agricultural Extension (SASAE) and Agricultural Extension Week, currently underway in Kempton Park, Johannesburg.

    This historic centenary coincides with the inaugural South African Agricultural Extension Week and the 58 Conference of the South African Society for Agricultural Extension.

    The annual conference of SASAE aims to address critical issues in agricultural extension and development.

    This year’s conference is held under the theme: “Leveraging innovation and technology to enhance Extension and Advisory Services for sustainable agriculture, improved livelihoods and food security.”

    The week-long event includes field visits to eight diverse agricultural projects, ranging from rooftop urban farming at Morningside Mall, to hemp farming, egg production, and both crop and livestock farming, amongst others.

    During the conference, delegates will also engage with scientific presentations delivered by extension practitioners, professors, and doctoral researchers from top South African universities, to further enhance agricultural production and intensify the national fight against hunger and food insecurity.

    In his keynote address on Monday, Steenhuisen said the centenary marks not only a historic achievement since the establishment of formal extension services in South Africa in 1925, but also a “renewed commitment to ensuring that agricultural extension remains at the heart of inclusive rural development, food security, and knowledge transfer in our country.”.”

    “Agriculture is the bedrock of South Africa’s economy and society. It ensures food security, supports rural livelihoods, and drives employment. However, it is the work of our extension practitioners that truly unlocks the potential of our producers, particularly smallholders who depend on support, advice, and innovation,” Steenhuisen said.

    He also emphasised that extension practitioners provide practical, tailored advice that helps producers improve productivity, adopt sustainable practices, manage risks, and access markets.

    The Minister underscored the critical role extension practitioners play in providing practical, tailored advice that helps producers improve productivity, adopt sustainable practices, manage risks, and access markets.

    “Their role underpins the entire agricultural value chain, which contributes about 12% to the national gross domestic product (GDP). Notably, the agricultural sector grew by 15,8% in the first quarter of 2025 – a growth driven in no small part by the work done by extension practitioners.”

    Support for smallholders

    To enhance support for producers, particularly smallholders, Steenhuisen announced the rollout of the Smallholder Horticulture Empowerment and Promotion (SHEP) approach, implemented in partnership with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

    “This “market-oriented agriculture” model is already bearing fruit, with 18 extension officers trained in Japan last year and another 20 scheduled to depart this October. The department will also prioritise assistance to women, youth, and persons with disabilities in the agricultural sector as these groups often face the greatest barriers.

    “To support this, the department will employ 260 assistant agricultural practitioners this year, strengthening its capacity to deliver extension services. The department’s Farmer Field School (FFS) initiative, supported by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), is also being expanded from its current base in Limpopo, Mpumalanga, and Northern Cape,” the Minister said.

    He further emphasised the need to make agriculture a career of choice for young people by showing them its breadth, “from agritech and agro-processing to entrepreneurship and policy.” – SAnews.gov.za

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  • Cabinet nod for ELI scheme to create over 3.5 crore jobs

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    The Union Cabinet on Tuesday gave its nod to the Employment Linked Incentive (ELI) Scheme aimed at encouraging large-scale job creation and strengthening social security for the country’s workforce.

    The ELI Scheme, which was announced in the Union Budget 2024–25 as part of the Prime Minister’s package of five schemes for youth employment and skilling, has a total budget outlay of Rs 99,446 crore. It targets the creation of over 3.5 crore jobs within two years, with benefits applicable for employment generated between August 1, 2025, and July 31, 2027. Of the total employment target, 1.92 crore beneficiaries are expected to be first-time entrants into the workforce.

    The scheme comprises two key components. Under the first component, first-time employees registered with the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) will receive a direct incentive equivalent to one month’s wage, capped at Rs 15,000, paid in two instalments. Eligible employees with monthly salaries up to Rs 1 lakh will receive the first instalment after six months of continuous service and the second instalment after twelve months, subject to completion of a financial literacy programme. To encourage saving habits, a part of the incentive will be held in a fixed deposit or savings instrument, which can be accessed by the employee at a later stage.

    The second component focuses on incentivising employers to create additional jobs across sectors, with added benefits for the manufacturing industry. Employers registered with the EPFO will receive up to Rs 3,000 per month for each new employee retained for at least six months. The incentive varies according to the wage slab, with employers receiving Rs 1,000 per month for employees earning up to Rs 10,000, Rs 2,000 for those earning between Rs 10,000 and Rs 20,000, and Rs 3,000 for those with wages above Rs 20,000 but within the Rs 1 lakh limit. For establishments with fewer than 50 employees, at least two new hires must be made to qualify for the incentive, while larger establishments must hire at least five. In the case of the manufacturing sector, the benefits for employers will extend up to four years.

    Payments to first-time employees will be made through Direct Benefit Transfer using the Aadhaar Bridge Payment System, while payments to employers will be credited directly to their PAN-linked bank accounts.

    The ELI Scheme is part of the government’s broader push to facilitate employment and skill development for 4.1 crore young people under the budgeted allocation of Rs 2 lakh crore. Apart from boosting job opportunities, the scheme is expected to advance the formalisation of the workforce by extending social security cover to millions of youth entering the organised sector for the first time.

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: UN Human Rights Council 59: UK Statement for Fiji’s UPR Outcomes Session

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    World news story

    UN Human Rights Council 59: UK Statement for Fiji’s UPR Outcomes Session

    UK Statement for Fiji’s Universal Periodic Review Outcomes Session. Delivered at the 59th session of the HRC in Geneva.

    Thank You Mr Vice President,

    We commend Fiji’s engagement with the UPR process.

    We welcome Fiji’s establishment of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission to promote healing, truth telling and national unity. The UK is pleased to have provided legal and communications assistance to support these efforts.

    The UK recognises the emphasis Fiji places on freedom of expression and assembly. We encourage Fiji to go further, to ensure a safe civic space for all Fijians to challenge and protest, strengthening democratic accountability. 

    We welcome Fiji’s openness to engage with the UN Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers and hope they will be able to visit soon.

    We also welcome Fiji’s commitment to countering gender-based and domestic violence. Fiji’s Action Plan and the police’s enhanced policies in this regard are reassuring. We encourage Fiji to continue monitoring this issue and to ensure the process delivers from investigation through to sentencing.

    We note the measures in place to counter human-trafficking, and encourage Fiji to build on these, in particular to ensure an effective enforcement mechanism.

    We look forward to Fiji’s continued progress through subsequent reviews.

    Thank you.

    Updates to this page

    Published 1 July 2025

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  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Help shape the future of local government in Oxfordshire

    Source: City of Oxford

    Residents, businesses and community groups are being invited to have their say on proposals to reorganise local government and create a Greater Oxford Council.

    The government has asked councils across England for proposals on simplifying the structure of local government in their regions. 

    In March, Oxford City Council put forward outline proposals that would see Oxfordshire’s six councils abolished and replaced with three new councils:  

    • Greater Oxford Council – covering Oxford and its Green Belt  
    • Northern Oxfordshire Council – covering most of the existing Cherwell and West Oxfordshire districts  
    • Ridgeway Council – covering most of the existing South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse districts combined with existing West Berkshire unitary (based on the proposals being developed by those councils, but with those villages within the Green Belt closest to the city becoming part of Greater Oxford)  

    All three councils would have natural geographic and demographic connections, local accountability to residents, and would be viable under the government’s plans. 

    Today (1 July), Oxford City Council launched an online survey and a series of drop-in events across Oxfordshire to hear from residents across the whole area on key issues in the proposals. 

    They are an opportunity to help shape the final proposals for local government reorganisation, which will be submitted to the government in November. 

    Survey 

    The online survey can be found on Oxford City Council’s consultation portal. 

    Anyone in Oxfordshire and West Berkshire with an interest in how local government works – including residents, business and community groups – is invited to take part. 

    The survey will take about 10 minutes to complete. 

    Drop-in events 

    The drop-in events will take place across Oxfordshire and West Berkshire: 

    • Oxford Town Hall in Oxford between 12pm and 3pm on 8 July  
    • Newbury Market in Newbury between 11am and 2pm on 10 July  
    • The Merry Bells in Wheatley between 10am and 1pm on 11 July  
    • Kennington Village Hall in Kennington between 12pm and 3pm on 15 July  
    • The Berin Centre in Berinsfield between 10am and 1pm on 16 July  
    • Marriotts Walk Shopping Centre in Witney between 12pm and 3pm on 18 July  
    • Seacourt Hall in Botley between 3pm and 6pm on 22 July 
    • Market Place in Abingdon between 4pm and 7pm on 24 July  
    • Exeter Hall in Kidlington between 4pm and 7pm on 28 July  
    • Berro Lounge in Didcot between 4pm and 7pm on 29 July  
    • Castle Quay in Banbury between 3pm and 6pm on 31 July 

    Greater Oxford proposals 

    Oxford City Council is proposing to form a new council to serve Oxford and its immediate surroundings. 

    The council – known as Greater Oxford Council – would be responsible for all services currently provided by Oxford City Council and Oxfordshire County Council. 

    The proposal would bring local decisions under one roof and closer to the people they affect. 

    This would help the new council build more affordable homes, provide new bus connections, protect green spaces and enhance biodiversity, and create new, secure jobs for our children and grandchildren. 

    Oxford City Council carried out an initial survey on the proposals in February, which found 82% think the current two-tier local government arrangements could be improved, and 67% think councils should not be too large, so they can better meet the needs of local residents. 

    You can find out more about the Greater Oxford proposals by visiting greateroxford.org. 

    Other proposals 

    There are three proposals being developed for how local government in Oxfordshire should be reorganised. 

    Alongside the Greater Oxford proposals, there are also proposals to replace Oxfordshire’s six councils with: 

    • Two Councils: 
      • Oxford and Shires Council – comprising all of the existing district areas of Cherwell, Oxford City and West Oxfordshire. 
      • Ridgeway Council – comprising all of the existing district areas of South Oxfordshire and the Vale of White Horse, and the whole of West Berkshire Council’s area 
    • One council covering Oxfordshire County Council’s current boundaries 

    An online survey and a series of drop-in events have been launched for residents, businesses and community groups to have their say on the Two Councils proposals. 

    Oxfordshire County Council has launched a survey to ask local people for thoughts about its proposal for a single unitary council for Oxfordshire. 

    Next steps 

    Following the public engagement, Oxford City Council will draw up its final Greater Oxford proposals, which will be submitted to the Government in November.  

    The final decision on local government reorganisation across England, including in Oxford and Oxfordshire, will be made by the Government in 2026.  

    New councils are expected to be created in 2028.  

    Comment 

    “This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to simplify the way local government works in Oxfordshire. The last time this happened was in 1974. 

    “We think our three unitary proposal is the best option for the whole area. This would bring local decisions under one roof and closer to the people they affect. 

    “It would also enable us to build more affordable homes, provide new bus connections, protect green spaces, and create new, secure jobs for our children and grandchildren. 

    “But proposals can always be improved with new ideas and voices, so please have your say by visiting our drop-in sessions or taking part in our online survey.” 

    Councillor Susan Brown, Leader of Oxford City Council 

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  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Charity lends hand to tackle student move-out waste

    Source: City of Leicester

    STUDENTS preparing to move out of their term-time homes for the summer are being given a helping hand to dispose of preloved items and do their bit for charity.

    Leicester City Council has teamed up with British Heart Foundation (BHF) to bring the charity’s ‘Pack for Good’ scheme to some of the city’s most popular student areas. Temporary reuse banks have been installed across twelve sites on streets close to the city’s two universities to encourage students to donate any items they no longer want and help the charity generate vital stock for their local shops and stores.

    BHF shops are always in need of clothing, shoes, accessories, CDs, vinyl and Blu-rays, books, kitchenware, furniture and electricals.

    Daniel Ward at the BHF, said: “We’re looking forward to working alongside Leicester City Council to encourage students to donate their preloved items to us. This will be a huge help to our shops in Leicester and I’d hope as many students as possible get involved and support the scheme.

    The money raised by these donations helps the BHF fund lifesaving research into heart and circulatory diseases. In a year, the BHF saves over 57,000 tonnes of goods going to waste, including 13,000 tonnes of clothing. Through the reuse and recycling of donated items this helps prevent 130,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions being released into the atmosphere.

    Deputy city mayor Cllr Elly Cutkelvin, who leads on neighbourhoods, said: “As students prepare to move out of their rented accommodation for the summer, they can face a bit of a challenge getting rid of the stuff they don’t want to take with them. The BHF’s Pack for Good scheme gives them the chance to donate any items that could be used again.

    “It’s a really good way for students to get rid of their preloved items responsibly and charitably.”

    Donation points for the BHF’s Pack for Good scheme will be in place from late May until early September. They will be located at Queens Road, Thurlow Road, Cradock Road, Putney Road, and on the corner of London Road and St Albans Road in Clarendon Park; at Westcotes library, Briton Street, Western Boulevard and Eastern Boulevard in Westcotes; and at Jarron Street, The Newarke and Bath Lane.

    The council will also be supporting students by encouraging them to use the free bulky waste collection service to have any large items and additional bags of household waste removed.

    For more information about the BHF Donation points or how to book a free bulky waste collection visit www.leicester.gov.uk/recycling

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  • MIL-OSI Africa: African Development Bank Approves $474.6 Million Loan to support South Africa’s Infrastructure Governance and Green Growth

    The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank Group (www.AfDB.org) has approved a $474.6 million loan for South Africa’s Infrastructure Governance and Green Growth Programme (IGGGP). This financing marks a significant milestone in the country’s transition toward a sustainable, low-carbon economy.

    This IGGGP is the second phase of the Bank’s strategic support for South Africa’s Just Energy Transition. It builds on the success of the $300 million Energy Governance and Climate Resilience Programme, approved in 2023, which delivered key reforms that bolstered financial stability and increased renewable energy capacity.

    Structured around three interconnected pillars: enhancing energy security through power sector restructuring, supporting a low-carbon and just transition, and improving transport efficiency – the IGGGP is designed to accelerate South Africa’s green transformation and promote inclusive, resilient growth. South Africa’s Minister of Finance, Enoch Godongwana,  described the Bank’s support as valuable. 

    “Our country faces the significant challenge of energy shortages, leading to loadshedding, as well as significant transport bottlenecks, which have been detrimental to growing our economy and achieving our developmental aspirations. With your partnership, our government has committed itself to stay the course and implement these critical reforms in the energy and transport sectors, while endeavoring to achieve our international commitments on climate change and our JET objectives,” he said.

    The IGGGP also places strong emphasis on green industrialization, skills development, and job creation, including support for electric vehicle manufacturing and green hydrogen production. Recent estimates from the IMF show that South Africa’s Just Energy Transition could boost the country’s GDP growth by 0.2 to 0.4 percentage points annually between 2025 and 2030.

    “This approval represents more than financing — it’s a blueprint for Africa’s energy future,” said Kennedy Mbekeani, African Development Bank Group’s Director General for Southern Africa. “South Africa’s success in building a just, green, and inclusive energy system demonstrates that sustainable development and economic growth can go hand in hand.”

    This financing includes targeted grant components to promote energy efficiency initiatives and advance rail sector reforms. Key priorities include accelerating vertical separation and establishing an investment framework to revitalize South Africa’s freight and logistics systems. These efforts are expected to strengthen competitiveness of the transport sector and contribute to regional integration and economic growth across the Southern African Development Community.

    As an advanced economy in Africa and a regional power hub, South Africa’s success in its energy transition could catalyze similar transformations across the continent. Its experience integrating renewable energy, modernizing its grid, and implementing just transition policies will provide valuable lessons for other African nations pursuing sustainable development goals.

    The initiative incorporates comprehensive environmental and social safeguards, with a particular focus on gender and youth empowerment. Women will constitute 70% of the beneficiaries of the expanded Social Employment Fund, and dedicated youth skills programmes will equip the next generation for emerging opportunities in the green economy.

    The success of the IGGGP will contribute to several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, including affordable and clean energy (SDG 7), decent work and economic growth (SDG 8), industry, innovation, and infrastructure (SDG 9), and climate action (SDG 13).

    The African Development Bank’s support forms part of a historic $2.78 billion international financing package that includes $1.5 billion from the World Bank, €500 million from Germany’s KfW, up to $200 million from Japan’s JICA, and an expected $150 million from the OPEC Fund. This coordinated financing underscores the global significance of South Africa’s energy transition, particularly under its G20 presidency. The programme aligns with South Africa’s updated Nationally Determined Contributions under the Paris Agreement, which targets reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 398–510 million tons of CO₂ equivalent by 2025 and 350–420 million tons by 2030.

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).

    Additional Image: https://apo-opa.co/3G4EecH

    Media contact:
    Emeka Anuforo,
    Communication and External Relations Department,
    media@afdb.org

    About the African Development Bank Group:
    The African Development Bank Group is Africa’s premier development finance institution. It comprises three distinct entities: the African Development Bank (AfDB), the African Development Fund (ADF) and the Nigeria Trust Fund (NTF). On the ground in 41 African countries with an external office in Japan, the Bank contributes to the economic development and the social progress of its 54 regional member states. For more information: www.AfDB.org

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Launch of new body to harness innovative tech for the UK’s Armed Forces

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 3

    Press release

    Launch of new body to harness innovative tech for the UK’s Armed Forces

    Innovative technology will reach the hands of military personnel faster, as the work of the new UK Defence Innovation (UKDI) organisation kicks off today with its formal establishment.

    • UK Defence Innovation begins work today to streamline delivery of innovative technology to Armed Forces personnel.
    • £400 million annual budget will help create high-skilled jobs in the dual-use technology sector and turbocharge growth, as part of the government’s Plan for Change.
    • UK Strategic Command will be renamed Cyber & Specialist Operations Command to reflect its evolved role and enhanced responsibilities following the SDR.

    UKDI will be the focal point for innovation within the Ministry of Defence, backed by a ringfenced annual budget of at least £400 million – supporting the government’s Plan for Change by driving defence as an engine for UK growth and creating high-skilled jobs in the dual-use technology sector.   

    It follows the government committing to the largest sustained increase in defence spending since the end of the Cold War – hitting 2.6% by 2027, with an ambition to reach 3% in the next Parliament.  

    The new body will simplify and streamline the innovation system within MOD – as outlined in last month’s Strategic Defence Review (SDR). It will take a new approach by moving quickly and decisively, using different ways of contracting, to enable UK companies to scale up innovative prototypes rapidly, by setting out a clear pathway, working with the rest of government, from initial production to manufacturing at scale.     

    UKDI will make the UK a defence innovation leader, funding and supporting firms of all sizes to take state-of-the-art technology from the drawing board to the production line, and into the hands of our Armed Forces. It will ensure cutting-edge innovations get into the hands of our Armed Forces faster, enhancing military capability while driving economic growth.  

    This announcement comes alongside another significant development, with UK Strategic Command being renamed as the Cyber & Specialist Operations Command (CSOC). This change reflects the Command’s evolved role and enhanced responsibilities following the SDR, particularly its leadership of the cyber domain, which the SDR demanded a greater focus on across defence and government as a whole. It also follows the MOD having to protect UK military networks against more than 90,000 ‘sub-threshold’ attacks in the last two years.   

    Defence Secretary, John Healey MP said:   

    Defence is only as strong as the industry that stands behind it and through UKDI we’re putting innovation at the heart of our approach.    

    This shift represents a crucial part of our commitment to change defence, backing the high-growth UK firms developing pioneering technology of the future to boost our national security and make defence an engine for growth – fundamental to our Plan for Change and delivering on the SDR.

    The new name firmly places leadership of this crucial domain for defence and the Armed Forces with the new Command. It also better represents CSOC’s ‘Lead Command’ responsibilities for those specialist capabilities critical to operational success, including Intelligence, Special Forces, deployed medical capabilities, and Command and Control through the Permanent Joint Headquarters (PJHQ).    

    General Sir Jim Hockenhull, Commander, Cyber & Specialist Operations Command, said:

    The transition to Cyber & Specialist Operations Command is far more than a change in name – it is a clear statement of purpose. It reflects our leadership in the cyber domain, the integration of specialist capabilities, and our commitment to delivering effects across Defence. This new identity captures the essence of who we are: a community of experts, united by mission, operating at the forefront of modern warfare.

    The defence sector is a major contributor to the UK economy, with the industry supporting over 430,000 jobs nationwide – equivalent to one in every 60 UK jobs. 

    As part of UKDI’s launch, two key initiatives have been established:   

    • A new Rapid Innovation Team (RIT) enabling innovation at ‘wartime pace’ by utilising commercially available dual-use technology to address the most urgent operational problems.

    • Regional Engagement Teams across the UK to identify and support dual-use innovation from SMEs and academic spin-outs, delivering targeted outreach and business development support.

    The SDR highlighted the rapidly evolving threat landscape and the critical need for the UK to maintain its technological edge. UKDI will play a pivotal role in implementing the SDR’s recommendations by breaking down barriers between defence and commercial innovation, ensuring that game-changing technologies can be rapidly identified, developed, and deployed to the front line.   

    The organisation has been formally established today and will develop over the next 12 months, with further design, transition and implementation work, while determining the optimal workforce structure needed to achieve its long-term ambitions. UKDI will be fully operational by July 2026.   

    Updates to this page

    Published 1 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –